Accumulated safety and security has drawn the power of citizens
Uedadentetsu Bessho Line Recovers from Disaster

Uedadentetsu Co., Ltd.

Uedadentetsu Bessho Line suffered extensive damage in the 2019 East Japan Typhoon, when part of the Chikuma River Bridge collapsed. The line, which serves as a tourist train in addition to providing daily transportation for commuting to work and school and for elderly people going to the hospital, was forced to suspend service on some sections and provide alternative transportation by buses. The disaster put the line in danger of closing, but in order to secure an important means of transportation for local residents and maintain the foundation of life for Local Community, the line has begun working toward a speedy recovery together with people in the areas along the line and across the country.
The design was done Tokyu Architects & Engineers INC., while the removal and restoration work was carried out by Tokyu Construction. With an eye towards reusing the bridge girders, they considered removal and dismantling methods that would cause as little damage to the components as possible. When repurposing the existing components, they applied appropriate management standards and confirmed that they could be used without interfering with train operations.
Good maintenance from the past had not led to corrosion of the girder material, and the girder material could be reused, which not only reduced waste and project costs, but also shortened the construction period. In addition, the symbolic Chikuma River Bridge, which was built about 100 years ago and is loved by locals as the "red iron bridge," was restored to its original state in a way that contributes to the realization of a sustainable society, preserving it for future generations. In addition, the restoration of railway, which is an important piece of infrastructure in the region, allowed Tokyu Group to contribute to the region, and promoted cooperation between groups to bring "One Tokyu" to fruition.
Thanks to the tremendous support from many people, despite the construction work being limited to November to May, we were able to quickly restore service in just one year and five months (532 days), and the entire line resumed operation on March 28, 2021. On the day, the number of passengers, which is usually around 3,000 per day, was approximately 7,800, and we were able to see the smiles of everyone who had been looking forward to the full line reopening.

From 0 to Zero: ZEB Initiatives for New Urban Buildings

Gotoh Educational Corporation
Tokyu Architects & Engineers INC., Ltd.
Tokyu Construction Co., Ltd.

Gotoh Educational Foundation, Tokyu Architects & Engineers INC., and Tokyu Construction implemented the following measures from an environmental perspective in planning the new construction of "New Building No. 7," one of the facility redevelopment plans at the Setagaya Campus of Tokyo City University. First, in planning the design, in addition to promoting energy conservation, which has been emphasized recently, the goal was to improve the educational environment and asset value by strengthening ventilation functions in particular in consideration of the spread of COVID-19 infection. Based on this, the design was carried out on the premise of applying for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's "ZEB (Net Zero Energy Building)" ^* demonstration project. Specifically, by adopting external blinds on the exterior wall sashes, actively incorporating natural ventilation and natural lighting, and making the most of passive design while combining active technologies such as high-efficiency equipment and CO2 control, a 58% reduction in primary energy consumption (compared to the standard value) was achieved, and the building was certified as "ZEB Ready" by BELS★★★★★. In addition, a "natural ventilation system" was introduced as part of measures against infectious diseases such as COVID-19. These advanced features were recognized and the building was selected for the FY2020 demonstration project subsidy. This is only the second newly constructed university facility in the country to achieve ZEB Ready, which is rare among large-scale buildings (total floor area of 10,000 m2 or more) where ZEB conversion is becoming increasingly difficult. We believe that this has increased the university's appeal and value, and contributed to enhancing the Tokyu brand.

*ZEB (Net Zero Energy Building): A building that aims to achieve net zero annual primary energy consumption through the use of highly efficient equipment and renewable energy.

Proprietary tools quickly calculate and provide CO2 emissions from building materials

Tokyu Construction

In recent years, as the importance of addressing CO2 emissions, including in the supply chain, has increased, we have developed a unique tool called the "Stacked CO2 Emissions Calculation Sheet" that can instantly calculate with high accuracy the CO2 emissions related to building materials, which account for a large portion of the supply chain. Until now, in construction work that handles many materials, the method of calculating by stacking materials has been considered complicated and difficult, but we have developed our own database based on interviews with material manufacturers. It is now possible to grasp the emissions of each material used with high accuracy and display all CO2 emissions generated from the start of construction to completion. In addition, it is now possible to reflect the CO2 emission reduction effect of low-carbon materials, which was not possible with the previous "method of calculation from the construction cost," and since CO2 emissions can be grasped at the early design stage, we believe that this will contribute to CO2 reduction, such as by adopting more low-carbon materials. As a first attempt in the construction industry, we will lead the industry's CO2 reduction methods.

Ikegami Station and Etomo Ikegami, built together with the local community

Tokyu Corporation
Tokyu Railways Corporation
Tokyu Architects & Engineers INC.

Ikegami Station is a station on the Ikegami Line that was built about 100 years ago for the purpose of transporting pilgrims to Ikegami Honmonji Temple, and its historic wooden station building has been loved by users for many years. However, the station building, which has a railroad crossing within the premises, urgently needed to be converted into an elevated station building in order to ensure safety and eliminate the division of the town by the tracks. In the station building improvement work and the development of the station building that includes the commercial facility "Etomo Ikegami", we created a warm space by focusing on the use of wood in order to inherit and develop the "memories" of the old station building and the temple town. In addition to using a lot timber from the Tama area, we contributed to the local wood circulation and secured a carbon storage volume of 14t-CO2 for the entire facility, and implemented the "Minna no Ekimoku Project" to reuse the old wood "ekimoku" from the old station building. We asked not only group companies but also related parties to sympathize with the philosophy and carried out the project together with the local community. We distributed "ekimoku bench kits" to local residents, etc. Wooden benches reminiscent of the old station building are dotted around the town, helping to foster a sense of unity in the community.

A shopping train to help those with shopping difficulties and maintain railway

Tokyo City University
Izukyu Corporation

In October 2021 and January 2022, the Izukyu Line operated a "shopping train" in which a railway car was transformed into a "moving supermarket". This initiative was conducted as a demonstration experiment by Izukyu in collaboration with the Nishiyama Toshiki Laboratory at Tokyo City University in order to solve the problem of "shopping refugees" who have no place to shop or have difficulty shopping. Students took the lead in building a system that allows people to enjoy shopping for groceries, daily necessities, etc. on a stopped train. Students also handled purchasing and public relations. 306 customers visited the first time and 210 customers visited the second time, and about 90% of the customers responded that they would like to use the service again in a survey, proving the need. This original idea using railway cars is expected to not only help shopping refugees, but also to serve as a new business model for railway operations in regional cities where maintenance and operation are becoming difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also leads to a reduction in CO₂ emissions from trucks, which is a concern due to the increase in mail order sales, and is an initiative that contributes to the SDGs, which solve both social contribution and environmental issues.

Vietnam bus special transport saves lives during COVID-19 pandemic!

Becamex Tokyu Bus Co., Ltd.

Our company was established in 2014 to handle the transportation function in the urban and community development project by "Vegamex Tokyu" in Binh Duong New City, Binh Duong Province, Vietnam. When public transportation was completely banned due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we implemented special transportation partially free of charge at the request of the Binh Duong Province Transportation Department and Medical Department. We were responsible for transporting medical teams and medical students who came to support from all over the country, and transporting people who were in compulsory quarantine to their homes, and between July and October 2021, we dispatched a total of 3,900 buses and contributed to transporting more than 100,000 people. In order to not stop the special transportation, we took on the challenge by taking thorough infection control measures, and we were able to complete the project without a single infection among our approximately 80 employees. This initiative was recognized for its high social contribution, and all employees were awarded by Binh Duong Province. In addition, a video of the transportation was shared on social media by the general public, receiving 500,000 likes. It was an opportunity for employees to reaffirm that their work plays a major role in society, and it created a greater sense of unity and solidarity.

Initiatives to regenerate remaining forests and pass them on to future generations

Ishikatsu Exterior Co., Ltd.

In the development of a housing site on the former university site of approximately 19.9 hectares, where a balancing pond and many trees remain, we implemented a project to convert the athletic fields, buildings, and parking lots into housing sites for 289 detached houses, leaving approximately 21% of the site area as remaining forest and regenerating it. In order to regenerate the remaining forest into a forest where residents can feel closer to nature, we carried out planning, design, construction, and management under the themes of "experiencing the forest," "learning about the forest," and "nurturing the forest." In "experiencing the forest (planning)," we determined that the site had good potential as a secondary forest as a result of a survey, and proposed the development of the forest floor and walking paths. In "learning about the forest (planning and construction)," we carried out measures to protect the activities of living creatures, such as chipping felled trees and spreading them on walking paths so as not to interrupt the movement of living creatures after a biological survey. In "nurturing the forest (management)," we considered it important to engage with residents in order to pass on the regenerated remaining forest to the future, and proposed a support system for the management association. This project has obtained the "ABINC" certification for business establishments that coexist with living creatures. Since acquiring the license, bamboo forest management and cleanup activities have been carried out, and understanding of Biodiversity efforts is spreading among related businesses.

<Environmental Field>

Loggerhead turtle nesting ground conservation activities in Shimoda City

Tokyo City University
Izukyu Corporation

Since 2010, the Tanaka Akira Laboratory of the Faculty of Environmental Studies at Tokyo City University has been working on conservation activities for the loggerhead turtle, which is designated as an endangered species, in Shimoda City, Shizuoka Prefecture. At the beginning of the activities, the fact that the beach in Shimoda City was a rare nesting site for loggerhead turtles was hardly known even to local residents. Therefore, since 2011, in order to widely publicize the fact that it is a nesting site, we have been holding study sessions and symposiums with the cooperation of Izukyu Corporation, the Ministry of the Environment, Shizuoka Prefecture, Shimoda City, Shimoda Aquarium, Izu Marine Nature Academy, Izu Peninsula Geopark Promotion Council, Japan Sea Turtle Council, and Prefectural Shimoda High School. In the study sessions, we discuss the need to preserve the nesting site while revitalizing the local economy. Furthermore, in collaboration with the above organizations, we have put up signs and posters about loggerhead turtle conservation at the beaches of Shimoda City and Minamiizu Town and at Izukyu-Shimoda Station, which has increased the added value of the surrounding area and contributed to increasing the number of Izukyu Line passengers. Collaboration within Tokyu Group has contributed to raising awareness of the SDGs within the group and to external corporate branding. In addition, this activity, which symbolizes the conservation of loggerhead turtle nesting grounds, has also led to the creation of a system called "Satoyama Satoumi Banking," which contributes to both the conservation of the local ecosystem and the revitalization of the local economy, such as by fostering new industries.

<< Social Contribution >>

Seragaki sweets developed using honey to protect coral

Seragaki Hotel Management Co., Ltd.
(Hotel "Hyatt Regency Seragaki Island Okinawa")

In Okinawa Prefecture, red soil flows into the sea from farmland where the soil is left to rest after harvest due to heavy rains and typhoons, and measures to prevent red soil runoff that have a negative impact on coral and other reefs are a major issue. Onna Village, where our hotel is located, is a SDGs future city "the world's most coral-friendly village" and is working on the "Honey & Coral Project" to protect the marine environment in cooperation with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), which conducts research on honeybees to protect coral and the sea. In this project, green belts are created by creating planting belts around fields to reduce runoff into the sea, and green manure cover clocks are simultaneously carried out to cover the red soil by planting flowering green manure crops such as sunflowers in fields during the off-season to prevent the loss of red soil. Then, beekeeping is carried out using the flowers as a source of nectar, and the honey is sold to raise funds as a sustainable measure against red soil runoff.
Our hotel agreed with the purpose of the project and purchased honey at a high price. In August 2021, we started selling sweets made with honey. Among them, the "Onna Honey Choux" was well-received for its rich honey flavor and was featured in the media in the prefecture, helping to publicize the project and brand the honey. Furthermore, through this collaboration, we were able to create an opportunity for our guests to contribute to environmental conservation in the beautiful Onna Village.

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Providing concert opportunities for local junior and senior high school students

Tokyu Malls Development Corporation

Every year, Aobadai Tokyu Square hosts a "Square Concert" in which students from the brass bands of junior and senior high schools in the Aoba Ward, Yokohama City neighborhood perform in front of the general public. However, due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was canceled in March 2020. In response, we decided to hold a concert using crowdfunding to provide local junior and senior high school students, who had been deprived of the opportunity to perform outside of school, with the opportunity to perform at the facility's concert hall, "Philia Hall." Thanks to the cooperation of many people, including publishing the event in Aoba Ward's local magazine and spreading the information on social media, we were able to receive a total of 2.26 million yen in support from 267 supporters. There were many adjustments to be made in areas where we had no knowledge, both in the preparation work for the concert and the progress on the day, but the project members were able to overcome these challenges by dividing up the work, and we were able to give 224 students from seven local junior and senior high schools an irreplaceable memory.