Tachikawa City is located in the Tama area of ​​Tokyo. In recent years, the area around the north exit of Tachikawa Station has been attracting attention. LaLaport Tachikawa Tachihi, Arena Tachikawa Tachihi, and GREEN SPRINGS, which consists of multifunctional halls, hotels, restaurants, offices, etc., are opening one after another. In 2024, the skating rink "MAO RINK Tachikawa Tachihi" produced by Mao Asada is scheduled to open. Everyone is amazed at the transformation of the north exit of Tachikawa Station. A city where everyone can live freely and lively. A city where you can easily experience rich culture without having to go to the center of Tokyo. Such an amazing town is now emerging in Tachikawa.

Tachihi Holdings is the driving force behind this magnificent city development. We spoke to Masamichi Murayama, president and representative director of Tachihi Holdings, which continues to engage in urban development rooted in urban revitalization, in order to effectively utilize the company's vast property in Tachikawa City, Tokyo.

A well-being town loosely connected to the city of Tachikawa

Get off at JR Tachikawa Station and walk north along the elevated monorail for about 8 minutes. GREEN SPRINGS, a complex that opened in 2020, will appear next to Showa Kinen Park, the largest national park in Tokyo.

Centered around a plaza full of greenery with a biotope and lawn, there are shops, restaurants, the largest hall in the Tama area, SORANO HOTEL, whose rooms all face Showa Kinen Park, and offices with terraces. .

``The plaza is approximately 10,000 square meters in size. It occupies approximately one-fourth of the site area of ​​approximately 39,000 square meters. There are no fences built within the site, so you can freely enter and relax.'' Masamichi Murayama, the representative director and president of Tachihi Holdings, which created "GREEN SPRINGS," told us while showing us around.

“The concept of GREEN SPRINGS is a ``well-being town'' where the sky, the earth, and people are connected.When you come here, everyone can experience ``well-being,'' a state of mind, body, and social fulfillment. I wanted to be able to do that.”

Just as the name suggests, the open grounds are gently connected to the city, and visitors can spend their time as they please on the scattered tables, lawns, and lush biotope.

Experience the concept of ``connecting the sky, the earth, and people'' here with the cascade, one of the longest in Japan, that stretches from the plaza to the sky. The stairs where the soft water flows are made of non-slip stone, and not only small children can play in the water, but adults can also sit at the bars scattered here and there and relax and enjoy the view of Tachikawa's cityscape.

“When we opened in April 2020, we were right in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.However, that may be why we needed this spacious space where you can relax and enjoy your well-being.Even now, and whenever I visit, I have children. A wide variety of people are visiting, including young mothers pushing strollers, people with pets, and elderly couples walking hand-in-hand.This is exactly what we envisioned when we were planning this block. It became a street place.”

Unexpected roots that have been closely connected to the local area since ancient times

Tachihi Holdings is currently a Tachikawa-based company engaged in real estate and urban development, but its roots actually lie in an unexpected business. Its beginnings were established in Tsukishima in 13 as Ishikawajima Aircraft Manufacturing Co., Ltd., which designed, manufactured, and sold airplanes. Afterwards, the company moved to Tachikawa, where the Army's aviation unit was located, and was renamed Tachikawa Aircraft Co., Ltd., giving rise to the current name Tachihi. At the time, he produced many airplanes, including the Type 4 Type XNUMX training aircraft, nicknamed ``Akatonbo.'' It is said to have been a large company with over XNUMX employees.

``I don't think many young people know about Tachikawa Aircraft, but thankfully there are many older people in the area who still know about Tachikawa Aircraft.In fact, the first registered domestic airplane after the war was also made by Tachihi. Airplanes.The idea of ​​having a domestically produced jet plane has been a hot topic for the past few years, and one of the pioneers was an airplane made by a local company in Tachikawa.

Even after the war, the company made use of the technology cultivated through airplane manufacturing to manufacture various mechanical products such as electric washing machines and car heaters. Later, with the return of company-owned land that had been confiscated by the U.S. military after the war, the company shifted its focus to the real estate business. The company's business, which was primarily leasing warehouses, buildings, and factories, underwent major changes after President Murayama took office in 2010. We planned to develop the real estate we own and opened LaLaport Tachikawa Tachihi in 2015. And what became a hot topic in 2020 was the opening of GREEN SPRINGS, which I introduced at the beginning.

Development that raises Tachikawa's urban status

“Our company is based in the real estate rental business, but we believe that now is not the time to raise rents and increase corporate value.Our company has 98 square meters of land, some of which is still under development No other company in Tokyo owns this much land in one housing complex.Therefore, depending on the development, Tachikawa could change dramatically. It would be presumptuous to say that we should change it, but if we are going to develop it, I think it is the responsibility of a company that owns this much land to develop it and raise the status of Tachikawa as a city."

The area is 98 square meters, which is about 21 times the size of Tokyo Dome, and about 25/1th of the area of ​​Tachikawa City as a whole.

``No matter how profitable I am, I will continue to refrain from doing anything that does not lead to the revitalization of Tachikawa.'' In other words, ``I will not chase after frivolous profits,'' or profits that have no social meaning. I think we need a mindset of not chasing after others.”

We created public facilities such as the sports facilities ``Arena Tachikawa Tachihi'' and ``Dome Tachikawa Tachihi'' and the full-scale hall ``TACHIKAWA STAGE GARDEN'' as a company without relying on the government. This is because of a strong desire to raise the status of the city.

“Up until now, people in the Tama area had to go to the city center to see top-notch arts, culture, and sports.We created these venues to bring that kind of content to Tachikawa. Now you can enjoy professional sports such as basketball B League, various live performances, Kabuki, sumo wrestling, etc. in Tachikawa.

GREEN SPRINGS is one of the works that best expresses Murayama's ideas. I wonder if there are any shopping malls in Tokyo with such spacious aisles. The biotope is more than just a decoration; it feels like you're in a park, with plenty of greenery, a gentle stream of water, and pergolas installed throughout. Considering economic efficiency, it would not take up so much space in the middle of a complex. However, the priority here is for visitors to have a comfortable experience. People gather in a pleasant neighborhood, and that becomes the neighborhood's evaluation and value --- ``No matter how profitable I know it will be, I will never do anything that doesn't lead to the revitalization of Tachikawa,'' says Murayama. Here is the philosophy.

The reborn auberge will become a hub of Japanese food and culture

This year, ``Auberge Tokito'' opened on the site of the long-established restaurant ``Mumonan'' in Nishi-Kunitachi.

``Originally, Mumon-an had a beautiful garden and a historic building, and I thought it was a ``cultural property'' of Tachikawa.Furthermore, when it was previously an inn, special attack pilots departing from Tachikawa Air Base spent their final nights there. There were stories that this was the place where I spent my time, and I felt a connection to our company, which once made a living manufacturing airplanes, so I thought I should take over this place.''

The spacious grounds include a restaurant produced by Chef Yoshinori Ishii of UMU in London, the first Japanese restaurant in Europe to receive two Michelin stars, and just four rooms each equipped with an open-air hot spring bath. With an inn and a tea room that is a modern interpretation of Japanese tea culture, we aim to become a place that transmits Japanese food and culture from Tachikawa to the world.

The one-of-a-kind space has already been visited by many celebrities, including Hollywood actors. It is truly starting to become a spot that attracts attention from all over the world.

In addition, the brewery ``Tachihi Beer Brewery'' will open in 2021, inheriting the idea of ​​craft beer brewed at Mumonan. Basically, they use only malt, hops, water, and yeast to produce authentic beer that is naturally fermented and faithful to the basics.

"Beer is really delicious, so our work rules don't say that you can't consume alcohol in the office (lol). We even serve beer at meetings with executives."

We are also considering producing our own whiskey and wine in the future. Apparently, they send employees to Yoichi, Hokkaido for one year to receive training in whiskey and wine brewing.

Evolving together with the local community to become a city we can be proud of around the world

Mr. Murayama says that Japan's sense of beauty lies in the craftsmanship.

“After the end of the war, airplane production was prohibited, so Tachikawa Aircraft's talented engineers moved to Toyota and Nissan, building the foundation of today's car industry.In an economic activity where money makes money, I believe that the origin of Japan's aesthetic sense is the thorough and thorough craftsmanship."

Although our business has changed from manufacturing to proposing town planning and lifestyle, we remain a company that envisions what this town should be and moves forward with Tachikawa.

"Our goal is for the world to see Japan and say, ``Tachikawa is the city of art, culture, and sports.''And when people who live here are asked where they live, they say, ``Tachikawa,'' not Tokyo. I would like to create a city where people can proudly say, ``Tachikawa.''

Next year, we will also complete the skating rink "MAO RINK Tachikawa Tachihi", which we are building with professional skater Mao Asada. Other than that, various ideas to revitalize Tachikawa will never stop.

The future of Tachikawa, created by Tachihi, and its evolution will surely keep an eye on it.

Masamichi Murayama

Born March 1951, 3 in Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture. He joined Tachihi Enterprises Co., Ltd. in 28 and served as the accounting manager, director, managing director, and senior managing director, before becoming a director of Tachihi Enterprises in 1973 and the company's representative director and president in 2009. In 2010, he assumed his current position due to group reorganization. In order to contribute to the local community, we develop properties owned by the group, such as LaLaport Tachikawa Tachihi, Tachihi Beach, and Arena Tachikawa Tachihi, as well as holding sumo summer tours (held five times), Yabusame (Ogasawara style), and Tachikawa Tachihi Kabuki special events. We are working to attract events such as performances. 2012 marks the 5th anniversary of Tachihi Holdings, and Mao Asada's project ``MAO RINK Tachikawa Tachihi'' is scheduled to open in the fall.

Mio Shimamura

Representative, publisher and editor-in-chief of Premium Japan. After working at a foreign advertising agency, he held positions in charge of marketing and PR at top brands such as Walt Disney, Harry Winston, and Tiffany & Co. In 2013, he founded Russo Co., Ltd. He handles PR for various top brands. Because his parents' home was an environment that taught Japanese culture such as tea ceremony and kimono dressing, he acquired the business rights to Premium Japan in 2017 and established Premium Japan Co., Ltd. in 2018.