The city of Shibuya continues to change, what is needed now for its future

May 9, 2023

Jin Sato (Chairman of the Shibuya Branch of the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry / Director Future Design Shibuya)
Shinko Osada (Director and Secretary General Future Design Shibuya)

Mr. Sato, who is an advisor to Tokyu Recreation Co., Ltd. and holds important positions in many organizations and groups related to Shibuya, including the chairman of the Shibuya branch of the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry. I have been working as a director of Future Design Shibuya since its inception. Mr. Sato, who has built up his career in Shibuya for a long time, asked us again how he sees the city of Shibuya now and in the future.

The charm of Shibuya is that it keeps changing

Osada of all, I would like to ask you again about your career so far.

Sato After graduating from university, I joined Tokyu Corporation in Shibuya. It wasn't because I liked railways, but when I was a student, I had the opportunity to see the development status of Tokyu's Tama Den-en-toshi. I wanted to engage in a job like this land development and tourism development.
When I enter Tokyu, I do on-site training for one year. I also worked at a station and as a train conductor. After that, I wanted to understand the flow of money in the Tokyu Group, so I was in the finance department for eight years. After that, I was assigned to the section that manages affiliated companies related to tourism services, and at that time, I was engaged in sales of membership rights for the development of golf courses in Bubble.
Since 1995, I have been enrolled in this company called Tokyu Recreation, and have experienced everything from the general management department to sales. After that, I became managing director, senior managing director, then president, then chairman, and now I'm an adviser.

Regarding the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, I was appointed chairman of the Shibuya branch about six and a half years ago. Last November, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Shibuya branch of the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and although we weren't able to do it on a grand scale amidst the coronavirus crisis, we were able to hold a ceremony with a lot of substance, which I feel is a great honor.

Osada Future Design Shibuya has been participating as a director since its inception.

SatoYes, it's been five years already. Mayor Hasebe of Shibuya is passionate about creating a town that turns differences into strength, and I strongly resonated with him. That's why I added my name to the director of Future Design Shibuya.
Thinking about the future of Shibuya, 20 years, 30 years ahead and drawing a future map feels very dreamy. However, it is not enough to just talk about dreams, so I think that Future Design Shibuya has been able to steadily carry out each project over the past five years. At present, more than 100 member companies have participated, and the fact that we were able to grow to this scale in five years can be said to have led to a higher evaluation than we had originally expected. Uka

Osada Sato has also held important positions in various associations such as the Shibuya Ward Tourism Association and the Shibuya Redevelopment Association, and the other day he was appointed as the vice chairman of the Hachiko Statue Preservation Society. .
I think that you have been looking at Shibuya for a long time from various points of view, but from Mr. Sato's point of view, what do you think are the attractions and challenges of Shibuya?

SatoI've been working for a company in Shibuya for 48 years, and I've seen the city of Shibuya, but it's still changing every moment. You can always find something new when you walk around town. I feel that Shibuya is a city that is constantly changing.
The city of Shibuya is shaped like a mortar with the station at its center, and I think it's a rare district among the 23 wards, with the characteristic that it attracts people easily geographically. At the same time, I get the impression that, like Marunouchi, Ginza, and Nihonbashi, for example, it is a city where a diverse range of people have gathered and formed a culture spontaneously, rather than focusing on any one characteristic. That's why Shibuya can be said to be a city where it's easy to challenge various things. Recently, I feel convinced that there are so many startup companies in Shibuya.

What Shibuya needs in the future is more software than hardware

SatoRight now, redevelopment is progressing around Shibuya Station. Buildings are steadily rising, and even compared to Shibuya 10 years ago, the expression has changed considerably. In this way, the hard side of the city is definitely changing every moment. However, customers who come to the city of Shibuya will visit once when a new building is completed. However, the hardware side is something that you get tired of seeing once or twice. In order to attract customers continuously, it is essential to enhance the soft side. After the redevelopment, what Shibuya should focus on in the future is a soft side that will make you excited that you always want to go to Shibuya.

Osada you need better software to match the new hardware?
In terms of software, even Tokyu Recreation is focusing on entertainment.

SatoAnyway, I want Shibuya to be a place where you can have fun if you go there. Shibuya is one of the world's most famous towns. However, it seems that there are many tourists who come to Shibuya from Japan and abroad, take pictures at the scramble crossing, stroll around the center street for a while, and buy miscellaneous goods at Don Quixote before returning home. I would like to see the city become a place where people can play until late.

According to statistics, most tourists spend time in Shibuya between 14:00 and 18:00. One reason seems to be that there are not enough accommodation facilities in Shibuya. There are many shops in Shibuya that stay open until late at night, but there aren't many hotels, so you won't be able to stay in Shibuya all night. However, recently, the number of hotels has started to increase due to redevelopment, and I think it will gradually disappear. Of course, simply increasing the number of lodging facilities is not enough, so we need to keep our antennas high to find out what the customers who come to Shibuya are looking for, and we need to enrich the soft aspects of the city while catching information. There is.

Osada, people from other wards have often said that Shibuya is very active. People involved in the city of Shibuya are really thinking about the city seriously. I also feel that there are many people in Shibuya who are thinking about not only the present but also the city of the next era. Everyone involved in the town has their own beliefs, such as the shopping district and the neighborhood association, and the desire to grow and protect the town is not something that belongs to just one person, but everyone has their own beliefs. I think that is wonderful.

SatoThat 's right. You can feel the spirit of trying to improve the city and doing various things in each town council and shopping district. At the same time, the administrative side, for example, Mayor Hasebe, has the ability to follow up on the feelings of the people in the city and pull them. I think it is very important to have both.

Osada such a situation, what kind of organization do you think Future Design Shibuya should be?

SatoShibuya Future Design Shibuya was in a fumbling state when it first started. The most important thing is to keep this on track and keep it going. No matter how good things are for society, the organization must not go bankrupt within a few years. Currently, Future Design Shibuya has more than 100 member companies, which means that everyone has high expectations for us. is important. I hope that Future Design Shibuya will continue to play a role in the development of the city of Shibuya.