4 Companies to Develop M-U Building in Tokyo’s Famed Ginza District

By Gabriel Circiog, Associate Editor

J. Front Retailing Co. Ltd., Mori Building Co. Ltd., L Real Estate and Sumitomo Corp. have entered into a mutual agreement to jointly operate a retail facility that will be part of the largest mixed-use building in Ginza, Tokyo’s most famous upmarket shopping, dining and entertainment district. The building, developed by the Ginza 6-chome Urban Redevelopment Consortium, is expected to be completed and opened in November 2016.

The Ginza 6-chome District 10 Category 1 Urban Redevelopment Project will redevelop an approximately 1.4-hectare (3.45-acre) site which incorporates two blocks, including the former site of the Matsuzakaya Ginza department store, dubbed Ginza 6-10 and an adjacent site,  Ginza 6-11. The purpose of the project is to establish a center of international retail, business and tourism in Ginza. The main phase of the project will be the construction of a multi-purpose building, which will feature a retail facility spanning over approximately 46,000 square meters (495,000 square feet), cultural facilities such as the Kanze Nohgaku Theater, and the largest Grade-S office building in Tokyo with a typical floor plate of approximately 6,100 square meters (65,600 square feet).

The four companies will jointly plan the retail facility and will establish a new property management company that will operate it under the concept of “Life At Its Best.” The consortium plans to attract visitors from all around the world to the new world-class retail facility.

The 495,000-square-foot property, one of the largest in Ginza, is expected to accommodate between 250 and 300 tenants including international luxury fashion and lifestyle brands, restaurants and cafes. The shopping destination will also feature a 115-meter (377-foot) long façade overlooking Chuo Dori, Japan’s prime shopping street.

The project will become the largest mixed-use building in the Ginza area and will feature 13 stories aboveground and six levels underground. The construction will also standout due to its rooftop garden which will be the largest in the area.