Uedadentetsu Bessho Line's Revival from the Disaster: Accumulated Safety and Security Draws Citizens' Power

Uedadentetsu Co., Ltd.

The Uedadentetsu Bessho Line suffered extensive damage when a part of the Chikuma River bridge collapsed due to the East Japan Typhoon in 2019. In addition to its role as daily transportation for commuters and elderly people, the line also serves as a sightseeing train. However, it was forced to suspend services on some sections and use substitute buses for alternative transportation. Although this disaster threatened the continuation of its operation, we have made a start toward early restoration together with people in the local communities along the line and across Japan to secure an important means of transportation for local residents and to maintain the infrastructure of the local communities. Tokyu Architects & Engineers INC. designed the project, and Tokyu Construction Co., Ltd. carried out the removal and restoration work. In anticipation of the reuse of the bridge girders, we studied removal and dismantling methods to avoid damaging the components as much as possible. Appropriate management standards were applied when converting the existing components, and it was confirmed that they could be used without any problems during train operations. Previous good maintenance had prevented the corrosion of the girders, and the girder materials could be reused. By doing so, we were able to reduce waste and project costs and shorten the construction period. Also, the Chikuma River bridge, with its symbolic appearance and its familiarity with local residents as the "Red Steel Bridge" and which was built approximately 100 years ago, was recreated and preserved for future generations, thereby restoring the bridge to its original form in order to help realize a sustainable society. In addition, the Tokyu Group was able to contribute to the community in the restoration of the railroad, which is an important regional infrastructure, and the "One Tokyu" initiative, which promoted cooperation among the Group, came to fruition. The tremendous support from many people resulted in the early restoration of the line in 1 year, 5 months, and 532 days, despite the limitation that the construction work could only be carried out from November to May. On March 28, 2021, the entire line resumed operation. The number of passengers on that day was approximately 7,800, compared to the usual 3,000 or so per day, and we could see the smiles on the faces of everyone who had been eagerly awaiting the re-opening of the entire line.

0 to Zero: ZEB initiative in the new building at Tokyo City University

Gotoh Educational Corporation (Tokyo City University) 
Tokyu Architects & Engineers INC.
Tokyu Construction Co., Ltd.

Gotoh Educational Corporation, Tokyu Sekkei Consultants, and Tokyu Construction Co., Ltd. implemented the following measures from the perspective of environmental considerations in planning the new "New Building No. 7," one of the facilities redevelopment projects at the Setagaya Campus of Tokyo City University. First, in planning the facility, in addition to promoting energy conservation, which has been emphasized recently, we set the goal of improving the educational environment and asset value by enhancing ventilation functions, especially in consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic. In line with the above, the design was based on the premise of applying for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's "ZEB (Net Zero Energy Building)*" demonstration project. Specifically, by adopting exterior blinds on the exterior sashes, actively incorporating natural ventilation and natural lighting, and making maximum use of passive design while integrating active technologies such as high-efficiency equipment and CO₂ control, the building achieved a 58% reduction in primary energy consumption (vs. standard values) and was certified as "ZEB Ready" by the BELS★★★★★. In addition, a "natural ventilation system" was introduced as part of measures against infectious diseases such as COVID-19. In recognition of these advanced features of this project, it was selected for the FY 2020 demonstration project subsidy. This is the second rare case in Japan of a new university facility achieving ZEB readiness in a large-scale building (total area of 10,000 m2 or more), which increases the difficulty level of ZEB conversion. As a result, we believe that this project contributed to the enhancement of the Tokyu brand by increasing the attractiveness and value of the university.

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

Quickly calculate and provide the CO₂ emissions of building materials using proprietarily developed tools

Tokyu Construction Co., Ltd.

In recent years, the importance of addressing CO₂ emissions, including those in the supply chain, has been increasing, and we have developed a proprietary tool, the "Stacked CO₂ Emissions Calculation Sheet," which can immediately calculate the CO₂ emissions associated with building materials, which account for a large portion of the supply chain, with a high degree of accuracy. Until now, the method of calculating materials by adding up materials has been considered complicated and difficult for construction projects that handle a large number of materials. However, we have developed our own database based on interviews with material manufacturers. By understanding the emissions of each material used with a high degree of accuracy, it is now possible to view all CO₂ emissions generated from the start of construction to completion. In addition, it is now possible to reflect the CO₂ emissions reduction effects of low-carbon materials, which was not possible with the previous method of calculating from the construction cost, and since CO₂ emissions can be determined at the early design stage, the use of low-carbon materials will contribute to CO₂ emissions reduction. As the first attempt in the construction industry, this project will lead the CO₂ reduction methods in the industry.

etomo Ikegami at Ikegami station, created together with the local community

Tokyu Corporation
Tokyu Railways Co., Ltd
Tokyu Architects & Engineers INC.

Ikegami Station was established about 100 years ago to transport visitors to Ikegami Honmonji Temple, and its historic wooden station building has been familiar to users for many years. However, the station building, which has a railroad crossing within the station premises, urgently needed to be converted to a new station building, in a bridge style, to ensure safety and to eliminate the division of the city by the railroad tracks. Regarding the development of the station building, which included station building improvement work and the "etomo Ikegami" commercial facility, we created a warm space with a focus on the use of wood in order to inherit and develop the "memory" of the old station building and the Monzenmachi area. In addition to contributing to the local wood cycle by using a large amount of Tama timber and securing a carbon storage capacity of 14t-CO₂ for the entire facility, the "Minna no Ekimoku Project" was implemented to reuse the old "Ekimoku," which is old timber from the former station building. The project was carried out together with the community, with not only the Group companies but also all related parties sharing the philosophy of the project. We distributed "Ekimoku Bench Kits" to neighborhood residents. The wooden benches, reminiscent of the old station building, were scattered throughout the town, creating a sense of community unity.

Shopping Trains to Help Shoppers and Maintain Railways

Tokyo City University
Izukyu Corporation

In October 2021 and January 2022, we operated a "shopping train" on the Izukyu-Line, in which railway carriages were turned into "running supermarkets." This initiative was conducted as a demonstration experiment in collaboration with the Nishiyama Toshiki Laboratory of Tokyo City University and Izukyu Corporation in order to solve the problem of "shopping refugees," who usually have no place to shop or have difficulty shopping. Students took the lead in creating a system that allows people to enjoy shopping for groceries and daily necessities on board stopped trains. Students also did the purchasing and public relations. The first event was visited by 306 customers, and the second by 210. In the questionnaire afterwards, approximately 90% of the customers responded that they would like to use this service again, demonstrating their need. This creative idea of utilizing railroad carriages is expected to be a new business model for the railway business in regional cities, where maintenance and operations are becoming increasingly difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with providing relief to shopping refugees. This initiative also helps to reduce CO2 emissions from trucks, which is a concern due to the increase in mail-order sales, and it contributes to the SDGs in both the social contribution and environmental fields.

Special Transport by Vietnam Bus to Save Lives of Victims of the COVID-19 Pandemic!

Becamex Tokyu Co., Ltd.

The Company was established in 2014 to perform the transportation function in the urban development project by "Begamex Tokyu" in Binh Duong New City, Binh Duong Province, Vietnam. When public transportation was completely halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we provided special transportation, partially free of charge, at the request of the Binh Duong Provincial Department of Transportation and the Department of Medical Services. We were responsible for the transportation of medical teams and medical students who came from all over the country to support them, as well as the transportation of people who had been forcibly quarantined in their homes. Over the period from July to October 2021, a total of 3,900 buses were dispatched, contributing to the transportation of more than 100,000 people. We took all possible infection control measures to ensure that the special transportation did not stop, and we were able to complete the project without a single infected person among our approximately 80 employees. All employees received an award from Binh Duong Province for their contribution to society, and a video of the transportation was shared by ordinary citizens on social networking sites and received 500,000 "likes". For the employees, it was an opportunity to reaffirm that their work plays a major role in society, creating an even greater sense of unity and cohesion.

Initiatives to Restore Remnant Forests and Pass Them on to the Future

Ishikatsu Exterior Inc.

In a housing development project on a former university site with an area of approximately 19.9 hectares, where there are still many retention ponds and trees, we implemented a project to convert a sports field, buildings, and parking lots into a housing site for 289 detached houses, leaving approximately 21% of the site area as remaining forest for restoration. The project involved planning, design, construction, and management under the themes of "touching the forest," "learning about the forest," and "nurturing the forest," in order to restore the remaining forest to a space where residents can feel close to nature. In the "touching the forest (planning)" section, we determined that the forest had good potential as a secondary forest based on our survey, and we planned to maintain the forest floor and walking trails. In the “learning about the forest (planning and construction)" section, after conducting biological surveys, measures were taken to protect the activities of living creatures, such as chipping logged trees and spreading them along walking paths so as not to disrupt the movement of living creatures. In the "nurturing the forest (management)" section, we considered the importance of involving residents in order to pass on the regenerated remaining forest to the future, and planned a support system for the management association. This project acquired the Association for Business Innovation in harmony with Nature and Community (ABINC) certification, a certification for business establishments coexisting with living organisms. The acquisition of this certification has led to the implementation of bamboo forest management and cleanup activities, and the understanding of biodiversity initiatives has expanded among related businesses.

《 Environmental Field 》

Loggerhead Turtle Spawning Ground Conservation Activities in Shimoda City

Tokyo City University
Izukyu Corporation

The Akira Tanaka Laboratory of the Faculty of Environmental Studies at Tokyo City University has been conducting conservation activities for loggerhead turtles, which are listed as an endangered species, in Shimoda City, Shizuoka Prefecture, since 2010. At the beginning of the activities, the fact that the beach in Shimoda City was a rare spawning ground for loggerhead turtles was little known, even among local residents. Therefore, since 2011, with the aim of spreading awareness of the spawning grounds, study sessions and symposiums have been held with the cooperation of Izukyu Corporation, the Ministry of the Environment, Shizuoka Prefecture, Shimoda City, Minami Izu Town, Shimoda Aquarium, Izu Marine Nature Society, Izu Peninsula Geopark Promotion Council, Sea Turtle Association of Japan, Shimoda Prefectural High School, and others. The study sessions discuss the need for spawning ground conservation and its compatibility with local economic revitalization. Furthermore, in collaboration with the above organizations, signs and posters related to loggerhead turtle conservation were posted at beaches in Shimoda City and Minami-Izu Town and at Izukyu Shimoda Station, adding value to the surrounding area and leading to an increase in the number of passengers using the Izukyu Line. Collaboration within the Tokyu Group has contributed to raising awareness of the SDGs within the Group and to external corporate branding. This activity, which symbolizes the preservation of loggerhead turtle spawning grounds, has also led to the creation of a system of "satoyama/satoumi banking," which contributes to both the preservation of the local ecosystem and the revitalization of the local economy, including the development of new industries.

《 Social Contribution Fields 》

Development of Seragaki Sweets Using Honey That Protects Corals

Seragaki Hotel Management Corporation
(Hotel "Hyatt Regency Seragaki Island Okinawa")

In Okinawa Prefecture, a major challenge is preventing red soil from flowing into the sea from agricultural lands during heavy rains and typhoons when the harvest has ended and the soil is resting, which adversely affects coral and other organisms. Onna Village, where our hotel is located, is working on the "Honey & Coral Project" for marine environment conservation in cooperation with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), which conducts research on honeybees to protect corals and the ocean as an SDGs Future City, "the world's most sango-friendly village." In this project, a green belt, which reduces runoff to the sea by creating a planting zone with plants around fields, and a green manure cover crop, which covers red soil by planting sunflowers and other flowering green manure crops in fields during the off-season, are implemented simultaneously to prevent red soil runoff. The project is also implementing sustainable measures to prevent red soil runoff by conducting beekeeping using the flowers as a honey source and selling the honey to raise funds. The hotel agrees with the project's objectives and purchases honey at a high unit price. In August 2021, we began selling sweets made with the honey. Among them, the "Onna Honey Puff" was well received for its rich honey flavor, and was introduced in the prefectural media, helping to publicize the project and the honey brand. Through this collaboration, we were also able to create an opportunity for our customers to contribute to the environmental conservation in the beautiful village of Onna.

《 Social Contribution Field 》

Concert Opportunities for Local Junior High and High School Students

Tokyu Malls Development Corporation

Every year, Aobadai Tokyu Square has held the "Square Concert," in which students from the brass band clubs of junior high schools and high schools in the Aobadai neighborhood of Aoba-ku, Yokohama City, perform in front of the general public. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event had been abandoned since March 2020. Therefore, we took on the challenge of holding a concert using crowdfunding to provide local middle and high school students, who had been deprived of the opportunity to perform outside of school, with the opportunity to perform in our facility's concert hall, Philia Hall. Thanks to the cooperation of many people, including through the publication of articles in local magazines in Aoba Ward and the spread of information on SNS, we received a total of 2.26 million yen in support from 267 supporters. Although there were many coordination issues in the preparation work for the concert and organization on the day of the concert in areas in which they had no knowledge, the project members overcame these issues by sharing the workload, and were able to present 224 students from seven local junior high and high schools with irreplaceable memories.