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Otemachi Pedestrian Road Management, a general incorporated association, will be running a social experiment called "BATON PARK-KAWABATA-RYOKUDO-2024" (hereinafter "BATON PARK2024") on Otemachi Kawabata Greenway Route 8 for 13 days from Monday, October 14th (national holiday) to Saturday, October 26th, 2024, looking ahead to the future spatial utilization of the Otemachi Kawabata Greenway (hereinafter "Kawabata Greenway"), a pedestrian-only road facing the Nihonbashi River connecting Kanda and Otemachi. (Sponsors: Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd., NTT Urban Development Corporation, Urban Renaissance Agency, and Otemachi-Marunouchi-Yurakucho District Urban Development Council, a general incorporated association)
- Official website
- https://batonpark-kwbt.studio.site/
Kawabata Greenway is a lush pedestrian-only path that was constructed along the Nihonbashi River in 2014. With the construction of the Nakadori Walking Bridge scheduled for 2025, it is expected to become a hub for the Kanda and Otemachi areas, creating even more excitement and improving accessibility.
BATON PARK has been running since 2022 as a social experiment to verify the future vision and role of Kawabata Greenway as a junction between Kanda and Otemachi, with the aim of making Kawabata Greenway a place where many people can gather. The name "BATON" embodies the desire to "connect Kawabata Greenway to the future, connect Kanda and Otemachi, and serve as a baton to the future."
BATON PARK 2024, now in its third year, will further expand its content from the past two events, exploring ways to utilize Kawabata Greenway in a variety of settings, with themes of "places to relax" and "places to play." During the event, stores from Kanda will open stores in Otemachi, and in addition to the children's play area that was a big hit last year, there will also be a grassy plaza, outdoor library, workspaces and other spaces where everyone can spend time as they like. There will also be a variety of content planned, with food trucks offering a wide variety of menus every day, a market, live music and more, offering a variety of activities for everyone from children to adults.
This social experiment is utilizing the "City Walkability Promotion Project," and a survey of the flow of people and the number of people staying between Kanda and Otemachi before and after the experiment will also be conducted, along with a questionnaire survey of users.
Overview of "BATON PARK-KAWABATA-RYOKUDO-2024"
| Implementation period | ： | 13 days from Monday, October 14th, 2024 (national holiday) to Saturday, October 26th, 2024
|
|---|---|---|
| Location | ： | Otemachi Kawabata Greenway Route 8 (near Otemachi 2-3, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo (along the Nihonbashi River)) |
| How to use | ： | No advance reservation required |
| Organizer | ： | Otemachi Walking and Do Management General Incorporated Association |
| Sponsorship | ： | Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd., NTT Urban Development Corporation, Urban Renaissance Agency, Otemachi, Marunouchi, Yurakucho District Urban Development Council (General Incorporated Association) |
| Sponsor | ： | Chiyoda Ward |
| Planning, management and production | ： | Front Yard Co., Ltd., HOC LLC, Frontier International Co., Ltd., Momoyama Construction Co., Ltd. |
| cooperation | ： | Summary Inc., Wa Illumination Executive Committee |
| Official website | ： | https://batonpark-kwbt.studio.site/ |
- For details about the exhibits and the times of various events, please check the official website or on-site signs.
[About the experiment location]
- access
- Tokyo Metro Otemachi Station: 2-minute walk from Exit C1/C2c, 3-minute walk from Exit A1
12 minutes walk from JR Tokyo Station Marunouchi North Exit
- source
- Oh MY Map! https://ohmymap-info.tokyo-omy-w.jp/ (Building names have been added.)
[About each zone of "BATON PARK 2024"]
The space has been zoned into five areas so that visitors, from children to adults, can traverse the different spaces as if walking down a street and spend time in the space they prefer.
Entrance Zone
[A big sign welcomes you!]
Next to the big sign, a "dinosaur bench" will be installed where you can take a break, in reference to the fact that the area around Kawabata Greenway Route 8 was the site of the Fukui Domain's Tokiwabashi Edo residence.
*An antenna shop for Fukui Prefecture is also scheduled to open in the shopping zone.
Shop Zone
[Fun every day! Daily Market]
More than 20 stores will be setting up shop on a rotating basis each day, including local specialty shops, bakeries, and long-established stores in Kanda. In addition, there will be a corner where you can experience indigo dyeing, in reference to the indigo flower that has a historical connection to Kanda.
*You can check the opening schedule on the official website.
Bustling Zone
[Delicious meals from a food truck!]
A food truck will be on hand, offering a wide variety of dishes that change daily. In addition to fried chicken and yakiniku bento boxes, you can enjoy light meals such as galettes and baby castella cakes, as well as sweets, and alcoholic drinks in the evenings. A rest area utilizing tents and tarps will also be provided, making it suitable not only as a place to eat and drink, but also as an outdoor workspace where you can comfortably hold meetings or work.
*Please check the official website for the latest store opening schedule.
Living Zone
Relax and listen to live music!
We will be hosting live music performances by up-and-coming artists, from newcomers to veterans.
In addition, anyone can use the piano outside of live event times. Enjoy music on the lawn with food and drinks.
*You can check the performance schedule on the official website.
Play/Event Zone
[Enjoy sports and outdoor games to your heart's content!]
We have a wide range of content that anyone can easily use to get some exercise, whether it's to refresh yourself at work or while taking a walk.
You can enjoy sports such as table tennis and molukky, as well as board games and cornhole.
[Only available on holidays! A children's play area appears!]
The "National Network of Mobile Play Areas" will be coming to Kawabata Greenway on holidays only!
We plan to offer a variety of content, including building blocks, percussion instruments, traditional games, and "disaster prevention games" that allow children to learn about disaster prevention while playing.
*This event is only available on October 14th (Monday, national holiday), 19th (Saturday), 20th (Sunday), and 26th (Saturday).
[Collaboration with "Wa Illumination"]
For two days only, on Tuesday, October 22nd and Wednesday, October 23rd, the venue will be lit up with Japanese umbrella illuminations called "Wa Illumination *" from 5pm onwards, creating a fantastical atmosphere.
* What is Japanese illumination?
This is a Japanese illumination event based on the concept of "Lighting up the town," which lights up the town with Japanese umbrellas.
By lighting the ancient light, we hope to create an opportunity for people to stop and take a look, become interested in the town's history and nature, and become aware of its charm.
Most of the Japanese umbrellas used are made from materials that would otherwise be discarded, and we are also environmentally conscious, using energy-efficient LED light bulbs.
"BATON PARK-KAWABATA-RYOKUDO-2024" sponsors
In addition to receiving support from the following companies, BATON PARK2024 will be implemented in collaboration with a variety of entities related to Kawabata Greenway, including local stakeholders, as part of the Otemachi, Marunouchi, and Yurakucho District Urban Renewal Development Plan formulated by Chiyoda Ward. Otemachi Walkway Management, a general incorporated association, will work in partnership with the public and private sectors to further enhance the appeal of Kawabata Greenway and the surrounding area.
[Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd.]
Mitsubishi Estate is a comprehensive real estate company that promotes urban development, primarily in the Otemachi, Marunouchi, and Yurakucho areas, with its core mission of "contributing to society through urban development." This social experiment, in conjunction with the Otemachi Gate Building and Nakadori Walking Bridge, both scheduled for completion in 2025, aims to create greater activity and mobility in the Otemachi area. Mitsubishi Estate is also using Summary Pocket, a storage service provided by Summary Co., Ltd., to promote an initiative to share books owned by employees, and will provide these books in a library space set up during the event.
Building exterior
[NTT Urban Development Corporation]
NTT Urban Development, together with other supporting companies, has been promoting urban development in this area through projects such as the Otemachi Linked Urban Renewal Project (Otemachi Financial City North Tower) and the Otemachi 2-Chome District Type 1 Urban Redevelopment Project (Otemachi Place). Located between Kanda and Otemachi and adjacent to the Nihonbashi River, Kawabata Greenway is a pedestrian-only road with great potential for linking areas and promoting water-friendly areas. Through this social experiment, we will explore various possible uses and contribute to creating a vibrant and lively area in the future.
City North Tower
[Independent Administrative Agency Urban Renaissance Agency]
UR is working with the government and private businesses to promote urban development in Otemachi. Through this social experiment, we aim to improve the appeal of the entire area, including the neighboring Kanda area, and to create a lively atmosphere along the Kawabata Greenway and Nihonbashi River, which are local resources. In addition, during part of the experiment, we will be hosting the UR Tohoku Reconstruction Marche, selling local specialties from Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures, with which UR has formed ties through its involvement in urban reconstruction support projects following the Great East Japan Earthquake.
[Otemachi, Marunouchi, Yurakucho District Urban Development Council, General Incorporated Association]
This area management organization is made up of 84 companies, including landowners within the area. Based on the "Urban Development Guidelines," which are a vision for the future of the town established together with the government, the organization is working with the public and private sectors to promote urban development through appropriate and efficient development and utilization of urban spaces, including Kawabata Greenway, where BATON PARK is held, in order to increase the added value of the area and contribute to the sustainable development of Tokyo's urban center.
<Contact for general inquiries regarding this matter>
- Otemachi Walking and Do Management General Incorporated Association
BATON PARK2024 Secretariat - Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. Urban Business Planning Division
- TEL：03-3287-5390
<Contact for media inquiries regarding this matter>
- Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. Public Relations Department
- TEL：03-3287-5200
- NTT Urban Development Corporation Public Relations Office
- E-mail：nttud-pr@ntt-us.com
- Urban Renaissance Agency, Independent Administrative Agency
- TEL：03-5323-0625