Special Feature

Increasing the Value of the Umeda Area as Our Most Important BaseAn Impressive Track Record ofAccomplishing Major Projects
For more than a century, we have led development of the area surrounding our terminal railway stations in Umeda.
This continuous investment and development has enhanced the Umeda area’s urban functions and value.

Heightening Corporate Value through Constant Evolution of the Umeda Area
1

2

1992

Chayamachi ApplauseThis building gave a new lease of life to the Chayamachi area andbecame its landmark. With a 161-meter tower, the building includes
one of the Group’s flagship luxury hotels, Hotel Hankyu International;
high-end boutiques; two theatres, Umeda Arts Theater and Theater
Drama City that host premium live entertainment from around theworld; and offices.

1997

Aiming to create a world-class urban area befitting the 21st century, weconstructed HERBIS OSAKA as phase one of the Hanshin Nishi-Umeda
Development Project. Our overall concept for this high-rise multi­
purpose building was to realise an international business complex
and an urban hub for exchanges. Accordingly, it incorporates Japan’s
first Ritz-Carlton hotel, The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka; commercial facilities;
a multifunctional hall, HERBIS HALL; and intelligent offices.

1990

2000

3

4

1998

HEP FIVE

Comprising 153* famous specialty shops and restaurants from Japan and over­seas, an event hall, and amusement centres, this commercial facility offers a wealthof entertainment choices. In particular, HEP FIVE attracted significant attention
because it had the first air-conditioned Ferris wheel in Japan on its roof.
* Number of shops and restaurants when opened

HERBIS OSAKA

2004

HERBIS ENT

Following on from phase one of the Hanshin Nishi-Umeda
Development Project, which built HERBIS OSAKA, the project’s
second phase constructed HERBIS ENT. The building has added
to the selection of sophisticated entertainment available in thearea. As well as including commercial facilities and intelligent
offices, it is home to entertainment facilities, such as a theatre
dedicated to the Shiki Theatre Company, Osaka Shiki Theatre,
and a restaurant featuring live music, Billboard Live Osaka.

100 mSpecial Feature

Increasing the Value of the Umeda Area as Our Most Important Base

Urban Development that Attracts
People and Ideas

1

Chayamachi Applause
Hotel Hankyu International

Efforts to enhance the value of the Umeda area, our most important base, do not stop at building redevelopment.
To heighten the appeal of the area, we are advancing a variety of initiatives in partnership with local stakeholders.

NU chayamachi PLUS

Developing and Heightening
Umeda’s Potential through Area Management

NU chayamachi

6

Kita Hankyu Bldg.

GRAND FRONT OSAKA

Hankyu Umeda Station /Chayamachi Area

Nishi Hankyu Bldg.

Umeda
Centre Bldg.

8

Hankyu Umeda Station
Hotel new Hankyu Osaka
Hankyu Sanbangai

Umekita Area

HankyuTerminal Bldg.
Higashi Hankyu Bldg.

3

Sub

HEP FIVE

way

Umekita PlazaHEP NAVIO

Ume

Hankyu Grand Bldg.

tatio

da S

5

Umeda Hankyu Bldg.

n

JR Osaka Station

HankyuDepartment Store

7

Hanshin
Department Store

(m2)

2

HERBIS OSAKA

Diamor Osaka

JR Kitashinchi Station

tion

Hanshin Sankei
Sakurabashi Bldg.

JR Osaka Station Minami Area
(Diamond District)a Sta

HERBIS ENT

Nishi-Umeda Area

Subway Nishi-Umeda Station

4

med

hi-U

igas

Umeda 1-1 Project

Comparison of commercial facilities’ shop areas by district

ay H

hi

ns

Ha

m
nU

n

tio

Sta

Subw

a
ed

The Umeda area is a transportation hub that has become
synonymous with the Kansai area. As well as the Hankyu Umeda
and Hanshin Umeda terminal stations, it is the site of JR Osaka
Station. The resulting convenience has increased the area’s
reputa­tion as a business district in recent years. Also, it is a mecca
for shopping, with Hankyu Department Store, Hanshin Depart­ment
Store, and many other department stores clustered in the area.
In fact, the Umeda area has Japan’s highest concentration ofshop floor space, surpassing that of Shinjuku in Tokyo.
With a view to raising the Umeda area’s value even further,
the Council for Collaboration in the Management of the Umeda
Area was established in 2009. The council traces its origins to
discussions held among West Japan Railway Company, Hankyu
Corporation, Hanshin Electric Railway, and the City of Osaka at a

symposium in the same year. At the time, many large development
projects were under way. As well as the rebuilding of Umeda
Hankyu Building, JR Osaka Station was undergoing major
redevelopment. While the concentration of commercial facilities
was rising in the Umeda area, companies were proceeding withprojects in comparative isolation from other projects. A memberof the council who is familiar with the situation at the time recalls
this caused concern that the area’s problem of being difficult tounderstand and difficult to walk through might not be addressed.
The symposium discussions reached a consensus that rather
than creating cutthroat competition in a limited market, allparties should develop the potential of the Umeda area together
to maximise economic benefits. This consensus laid thefoundations for the council’s establishment by four companies:
West Japan Railway Company, Hankyu Corporation, Hanshin
Electric Railway, and GRAND FRONT OSAKA TMO General
Incorporated Association.

Commercial district (official designation)

6/20086/20106/20127/2015

Umeda (Kita-ku, Osaka)

480,148

520,910599,875

673,413

Namba / Shinsaibashi (Chuo-ku, Osaka)*

438,856

472,963453,713491,575

Tennnoji (Abeno-ku, Osaka)

127,577

137,527

216,963

223,592

Shibuya / Omotesando (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)

419,226

416,304

424,164

413,934

Shinjuku (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo)

424,994445,729

419,056

432,056
393,781

Ikebukuro (Toshima-ku, Tokyo)

389,093369,946

378,117

Ginza / Nihombashi (Chuo-ku, Tokyo)

347,969

343,877

358,448

332,076

Marunouchi / Yurakucho (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)

364,588355,378

339,351

346,222

Source: Toyo Keizai, Inc. “List of Large-Scale Retail Outlets 2016.”
Notes: Shop area calculated on basis of official designation in the above table. Shops surveyed are those with areas in excess of 1,000 square metres, as of July 2015, based on data onlarge-scale stores registered with prefectural governments under the Large-Scale Retail Stores Location Law.
* Including 54,042 square metres for Namba Parks (Naniwa-ku, Osaka)

The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka

The inside pages give an overview of projects since 2012.

Naoya Kuriyama

Satoko Doi

Real Estate Development Dept.
Real Estate Business Headquarters

Real Estate Development Dept.

Hankyu Corporation

Hanshin Electric Railway

7

Connecting the Umeda Area: Redeveloping the Area South of Railway Stations
From 2014

Umeda 1-1 Project

A conceptual illustration of development plans for the surrounding area
JR Osaka Station
South Gate Bldg.

Umeda
Hankyu Bldg.

Hankyu Umeda Station

Osaka Ekimae
Dai-Ichi Bldg.

Osaka Ekimae
Dai-Yon Bldg.
Osaka Ekimae
Dai-Ni Bldg.

Underground

Upgrade underpass
Make barrier free

Ground level

Osaka Ekimae
Dai-San Bldg.

Widen and beautify pavement

Aboveground2013

GRAND FRONT OSAKA

Increasing assets through the Umeda 1-1 Project(m2)

300,000

Establish elevated walkway
Use space above road

Total floor
space upapprox. 70%

200,000

100,000

Establish square6ashi-UOsaka
DT Tower

meda
Sta

Shin
HankyuBldg.

ay Hig

bw
Su

Osaka
Maru Bldg.

Subw

HiltonOsaka

tion

Dai Hanshin
Bldg.

Osaka Dai-ichi
Life Bldg.

ay
N

ish

i-U

me

da
S

tat

ion

HERBIS ENT

Symbolising the integration of Hankyu Corporation and Hanshin Electric Railway, theUmeda 1-1 Project began in earnest in 2014. The project will rebuild two separatebuildings to create a single integrated high-rise complex. Specifically, we will rebuild
Dai Hanshin Building, which includes Hanshin Department Store’s Umeda FlagshipStore, and the adjacent Shin Hankyu Building. Moreover, the project will use the space
above a road separating the two buildings. At the same time, plans call for thedevelopment of surrounding public facilities to strengthen urban functions, improvedisaster countermeasures, create public spaces, and give the area an aestheticallyappealing appearance. Through these efforts, we will realise a comfortable, sophisticatedurban area that heightens the Umeda area’s international competitiveness.

0

Shin Hankyu
Bldg. 53,000
Dai Hanshin
Bldg. 97,000
Before rebuilding

Situated in the Phase One Development Area (approximately 7 hectares) of the
Osaka Station North District (Umekita) (approximately 24 hectares), this multi­
purpose facility has offices, commercial facilities, a hotel, and condominiums.
A consortium of 12 companies including Hankyu Corporation developed thefacility, which celebrated its second anniversary in April 2015. In the space of two
years, it has received 12.3 million visitors, helping boost the Umeda area’s vitality.

Umeda 1-1
Bldg.
(provisionalname)260,000

After rebuilding

2014

2010

8

5

2012

Umeda Hankyu Building*Over seven and half years, we replaced the building in which the Umeda
Flagship Store of Hankyu Department Store (opened in 1929) was locatedwhile it remained open for business. We constructed a high-rise
multipurpose building with two floors below ground and 41 floors above
ground and a floor area of approximately 254,000 square metres. The
building has advanced environmental performance and is barrier free. At
the same time, we redeveloped pedestrian flow lines that link Hankyu
Umeda Station, Hanshin Umeda Station, JR Osaka Station, and undergroundrailway stations. As a result, roughly 30,000 pedestrians per hour—one anda half times more than before redevelopment—pass along the flow lines
during commuting periods. This initiative has added to the convenience of
the Umeda area as a transportation hub.
* 2009: Opening of phase I department store
annex; 2010: Opening of office tower; 2012:
Opening of phase II department store annex
and full opening

Increasing rentable floor space in the
Umeda Area
Thanks to continuous investment and development, the rentable floor space of the Hankyu
Hanshin Holdings Group’s properties reached
800,000 square metres as of 31st March 2015.
Buildings completed between April 2000 andMarch 2015
Approx. 300,000 m2

Buildings completed between
April 1990 and March 2000
Approx. 200,000 m2
Buildings completed before
April 1990
Approx. 300,000 m2

Pursuing Growth by Catering to the Increasing Number ofVisitors to the Umeda Area and Diversifying Needs
2015

Makeover Construction Work in Hankyu Umeda Station

Hankyu Umeda Station boasts the most platforms and railway lines of any private (non-JR) railway station in Japan,
and about half a million people use it each day. The March 2015 completion of makeover construction work, begun
five years earlier, transformed the 40-year-old Hankyu Umeda Station into an even more attractive and convenient
space. In addition to providing safe flow lines for customers, the upgraded railway station incorporates more
information technology and is better able to accommodate the needs of non-Japanese customers. For example, therailway station has more digital signage for advertising and terminals that display information in five languages:
Japanese, English, Korean, and Chinese (traditional and simplified Chinese characters).

7

Connecting the Umeda Area: Redeveloping the Area South of Railway Stations
From 2014

Umeda 1-1 Project

A conceptual illustration of development plans for the surrounding area
JR Osaka Station
South Gate Bldg.

Umeda
Hankyu Bldg.

Hankyu Umeda Station

Osaka Ekimae
Dai-Ichi Bldg.

Osaka Ekimae
Dai-Yon Bldg.
Osaka Ekimae
Dai-Ni Bldg.

Underground

Upgrade underpass
Make barrier free

Ground level

Osaka Ekimae
Dai-San Bldg.

Widen and beautify pavement

Aboveground2013

GRAND FRONT OSAKA

Increasing assets through the Umeda 1-1 Project(m2)

300,000

Establish elevated walkway
Use space above road

Total floor
space upapprox. 70%

200,000

100,000

Establish square6ashi-UOsaka
DT Tower

meda
Sta

Shin
HankyuBldg.

ay Hig

bw
Su

Osaka
Maru Bldg.

Subw

HiltonOsaka

tion

Dai Hanshin
Bldg.

Osaka Dai-ichi
Life Bldg.

ay
N

ish

i-U

me

da
S

tat

ion

HERBIS ENT

Symbolising the integration of Hankyu Corporation and Hanshin Electric Railway, theUmeda 1-1 Project began in earnest in 2014. The project will rebuild two separatebuildings to create a single integrated high-rise complex. Specifically, we will rebuild
Dai Hanshin Building, which includes Hanshin Department Store’s Umeda FlagshipStore, and the adjacent Shin Hankyu Building. Moreover, the project will use the space
above a road separating the two buildings. At the same time, plans call for thedevelopment of surrounding public facilities to strengthen urban functions, improvedisaster countermeasures, create public spaces, and give the area an aestheticallyappealing appearance. Through these efforts, we will realise a comfortable, sophisticatedurban area that heightens the Umeda area’s international competitiveness.

0

Shin Hankyu
Bldg. 53,000
Dai Hanshin
Bldg. 97,000
Before rebuilding

Situated in the Phase One Development Area (approximately 7 hectares) of the
Osaka Station North District (Umekita) (approximately 24 hectares), this multi­
purpose facility has offices, commercial facilities, a hotel, and condominiums.
A consortium of 12 companies including Hankyu Corporation developed thefacility, which celebrated its second anniversary in April 2015. In the space of two
years, it has received 12.3 million visitors, helping boost the Umeda area’s vitality.

Umeda 1-1
Bldg.
(provisionalname)260,000

After rebuilding

2014

2010

8

5

2012

Umeda Hankyu Building*Over seven and half years, we replaced the building in which the Umeda
Flagship Store of Hankyu Department Store (opened in 1929) was locatedwhile it remained open for business. We constructed a high-rise
multipurpose building with two floors below ground and 41 floors above
ground and a floor area of approximately 254,000 square metres. The
building has advanced environmental performance and is barrier free. At
the same time, we redeveloped pedestrian flow lines that link Hankyu
Umeda Station, Hanshin Umeda Station, JR Osaka Station, and undergroundrailway stations. As a result, roughly 30,000 pedestrians per hour—one anda half times more than before redevelopment—pass along the flow lines
during commuting periods. This initiative has added to the convenience of
the Umeda area as a transportation hub.
* 2009: Opening of phase I department store
annex; 2010: Opening of office tower; 2012:
Opening of phase II department store annex
and full opening

Increasing rentable floor space in the
Umeda Area
Thanks to continuous investment and development, the rentable floor space of the Hankyu
Hanshin Holdings Group’s properties reached
800,000 square metres as of 31st March 2015.
Buildings completed between April 2000 andMarch 2015
Approx. 300,000 m2

Buildings completed between
April 1990 and March 2000
Approx. 200,000 m2
Buildings completed before
April 1990
Approx. 300,000 m2

Pursuing Growth by Catering to the Increasing Number ofVisitors to the Umeda Area and Diversifying Needs
2015

Makeover Construction Work in Hankyu Umeda Station

Hankyu Umeda Station boasts the most platforms and railway lines of any private (non-JR) railway station in Japan,
and about half a million people use it each day. The March 2015 completion of makeover construction work, begun
five years earlier, transformed the 40-year-old Hankyu Umeda Station into an even more attractive and convenient
space. In addition to providing safe flow lines for customers, the upgraded railway station incorporates more
information technology and is better able to accommodate the needs of non-Japanese customers. For example, therailway station has more digital signage for advertising and terminals that display information in five languages:
Japanese, English, Korean, and Chinese (traditional and simplified Chinese characters).

100 mSpecial Feature

Increasing the Value of the Umeda Area as Our Most Important Base

Urban Development that Attracts
People and Ideas

1

Chayamachi Applause
Hotel Hankyu International

Efforts to enhance the value of the Umeda area, our most important base, do not stop at building redevelopment.
To heighten the appeal of the area, we are advancing a variety of initiatives in partnership with local stakeholders.

NU chayamachi PLUS

Developing and Heightening
Umeda’s Potential through Area Management

NU chayamachi

6

Kita Hankyu Bldg.

GRAND FRONT OSAKA

Hankyu Umeda Station /Chayamachi Area

Nishi Hankyu Bldg.

Umeda
Centre Bldg.

8

Hankyu Umeda Station
Hotel new Hankyu Osaka
Hankyu Sanbangai

Umekita Area

HankyuTerminal Bldg.
Higashi Hankyu Bldg.

3

Sub

HEP FIVE

way

Umekita PlazaHEP NAVIO

Ume

Hankyu Grand Bldg.

tatio

da S

5

Umeda Hankyu Bldg.

n

JR Osaka Station

HankyuDepartment Store

7

Hanshin
Department Store

(m2)

2

HERBIS OSAKA

Diamor Osaka

JR Kitashinchi Station

tion

Hanshin Sankei
Sakurabashi Bldg.

JR Osaka Station Minami Area
(Diamond District)a Sta

HERBIS ENT

Nishi-Umeda Area

Subway Nishi-Umeda Station

4

med

hi-U

igas

Umeda 1-1 Project

Comparison of commercial facilities’ shop areas by district

ay H

hi

ns

Ha

m
nU

n

tio

Sta

Subw

a
ed

The Umeda area is a transportation hub that has become
synonymous with the Kansai area. As well as the Hankyu Umeda
and Hanshin Umeda terminal stations, it is the site of JR Osaka
Station. The resulting convenience has increased the area’s
reputa­tion as a business district in recent years. Also, it is a mecca
for shopping, with Hankyu Department Store, Hanshin Depart­ment
Store, and many other department stores clustered in the area.
In fact, the Umeda area has Japan’s highest concentration ofshop floor space, surpassing that of Shinjuku in Tokyo.
With a view to raising the Umeda area’s value even further,
the Council for Collaboration in the Management of the Umeda
Area was established in 2009. The council traces its origins to
discussions held among West Japan Railway Company, Hankyu
Corporation, Hanshin Electric Railway, and the City of Osaka at a

symposium in the same year. At the time, many large development
projects were under way. As well as the rebuilding of Umeda
Hankyu Building, JR Osaka Station was undergoing major
redevelopment. While the concentration of commercial facilities
was rising in the Umeda area, companies were proceeding withprojects in comparative isolation from other projects. A memberof the council who is familiar with the situation at the time recalls
this caused concern that the area’s problem of being difficult tounderstand and difficult to walk through might not be addressed.
The symposium discussions reached a consensus that rather
than creating cutthroat competition in a limited market, allparties should develop the potential of the Umeda area together
to maximise economic benefits. This consensus laid thefoundations for the council’s establishment by four companies:
West Japan Railway Company, Hankyu Corporation, Hanshin
Electric Railway, and GRAND FRONT OSAKA TMO General
Incorporated Association.

Commercial district (official designation)

6/20086/20106/20127/2015

Umeda (Kita-ku, Osaka)

480,148

520,910599,875

673,413

Namba / Shinsaibashi (Chuo-ku, Osaka)*

438,856

472,963453,713491,575

Tennnoji (Abeno-ku, Osaka)

127,577

137,527

216,963

223,592

Shibuya / Omotesando (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)

419,226

416,304

424,164

413,934

Shinjuku (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo)

424,994445,729

419,056

432,056
393,781

Ikebukuro (Toshima-ku, Tokyo)

389,093369,946

378,117

Ginza / Nihombashi (Chuo-ku, Tokyo)

347,969

343,877

358,448

332,076

Marunouchi / Yurakucho (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)

364,588355,378

339,351

346,222

Source: Toyo Keizai, Inc. “List of Large-Scale Retail Outlets 2016.”
Notes: Shop area calculated on basis of official designation in the above table. Shops surveyed are those with areas in excess of 1,000 square metres, as of July 2015, based on data onlarge-scale stores registered with prefectural governments under the Large-Scale Retail Stores Location Law.
* Including 54,042 square metres for Namba Parks (Naniwa-ku, Osaka)

The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka

The inside pages give an overview of projects since 2012.

Naoya Kuriyama

Satoko Doi

Real Estate Development Dept.
Real Estate Business Headquarters

Real Estate Development Dept.

Hankyu Corporation

Hanshin Electric Railway

Special Feature

Increasing the Value of the Umeda Area as Our Most Important Base

Cultivating Awareness of Urban
Development through Area Management
The first task of the Council for Collaboration in the Managementof the Umeda Area was to improve the guidance information
available in the area. Visitors complained about a lack of
uniformity. Prior to the establishment of the council, respective
companies independently produced the maps and signs
installed in the Umeda area. To exacerbate matters, construction
accompanying the multiple large-scale development projects
under way was blocking or diverting access routes to certain
areas. Concern that the area would lose favour with visitors if
nothing was done spurred the creation of an Umeda area map. A
council member explains, “After preparing a map, we distributed
it to information counter personnel of commercial facilities andrepeatedly upgraded it based on feedback from visitors. This
process heightened our awareness of area management.”
In recent years, national and local government agencies
have been responding flexibly to such initiatives. Consequently,
collaborations have begun between the public and private
sectors to heighten the value of areas without being impeded by
distinctions between public property, such as roads, and thepremises of nearby facilities. For example, the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has provided grants toinitiatives aimed at improving the business environment,
including projects to establish multilingual area maps and street
signs. Also, the City of Osaka recently enforced an ordinance that
promotes area management activities in Osaka and began
operating a system enabling bodies that manage public spaces
to occupy pavement space free of charge.

A street-side cafe using part of a public pavement (GRAND FRONT OSAKA)

Establishing Networks among Tenantsand Local Companies that Underpin
Visitor Endorsement
Another aspect of the activities of the Council for Collaborationin the Management of the Umeda Area is using public spaces tohold seasonal events. The council is steadily accumulating
quantitative data on the measurable benefits of area manage­
ment. These efforts include conducting questionnaires targeting
visitors to such events as the Umeda Yukata Festival in summer
and the Umeda Snowman Festival in winter and assessing theadvertising impact of articles on Umeda area events in a rangeof media.
A member of the council emphasises that the benefits ofholding events extend beyond attracting additional visitors andgenerating publicity. The events help cultivate and steadilystrengthen collaborative networks that are essential intangible

Yuhei Kawabata

Shiho Fujiwara

Real Estate Development Dept.

Real Estate Development Dept.
Real Estate Business Headquarters

Hanshin Electric Railway

Hankyu Corporation

Special Feature

Increasing the Value of the Umeda Area as Our Most Important Baseassets in urban development. These networks comprise such
Umeda area stakeholders as tenants of commercial facilities thatthe Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Group owns and companies andcom­mercial facilities that are not council members. According to
the member, the council already has its sights set on the next
step. “We want to create new activities and accelerate efforts tocreate and publicise the appeal of Umeda by using the area’s
collaborative network to propose initiatives based on matching
stakeholders with complementary attributes.”

concentration of new companies in Tokyo is attributable to
Osaka’s lack of a strong support infrastructure that is able tocontinuously attract start-ups. The manager of GVH#5 explains
the situation. “What gives Tokyo an overwhelming advantage is alively community centred on start-ups, which provides the basis
for friendly rivalry between entrepreneurs and support from
more experienced entrepreneurs and other start-up supporters.
We established GVH#5 to help form such a community.”
GVH#5 provides its members, venture companies, with officespace. Also, based on a tie-up with SunBridge Global Ventures
Inc., which has incubated many venture companies, GVH#5
provides business support through such specialists as lawyers
and accountants and other “supporter members.” The goal ofthis initiative is to gather quality start-ups aiming to develop
global businesses with Osaka as their base at GVH#5, form acommunity, and heighten the Umeda area’s profile as an
incubator for new businesses. Moreover, in March 2015, Hankyu
Corporation provided financial backup by establishing andinvesting in a fund, Umeda Start-up Fund No. 1, which provides
businesses with seed capital. In this way, we have evolved GVH#5
into a business base that provides three essentials: personnel,
infrastructure, and capital.

The Umeda Yukata Festival

Aiming to Enhance the Umeda Area’s
Value as a Business Base*	Calculated by the Group based on the “New Listings” information of Japan ExchangeGroup, Inc.

Attracting attention as a source of new value in the Umeda area,
our business-support membership office, GVH#5, opened in
November 2014. This Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Group initiative
aims to make the Umeda area, one of Osaka’s most famous
business districts and the Group’s most important base, thebirthplace of new businesses.
Of the 55 companies that newly listed on the stock andsecurities exchanges of Japan Exchange Group, Inc. between
January and July 2015, only four* are headquartered in Osaka.
Rather than a lack of start-ups in Osaka, the conspicuous

Creating a Place Conducive
to Intellectual Exchanges
The Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Group enables gatherings ofpersonnel who create value that is unique to the Umeda area.
Established in 2012, Umeda MAG aims to become a “magnetic
field” that creates the future by attracting highly creative,
intelligent individuals who will shape the coming era andproviding a base for personnel development and exchanges
among personnel from different industries. To date, Umeda

Shisa Yoshimi

Fumito Otani

Umeda Business Creation Group
Real Estate Development Dept.
Real Estate Business Headquarters

Manager
Real Estate Development Dept.
Real Estate Business Headquarters

Hankyu Corporation

Hankyu Corporation

The Umeda Snowman Festival (right) anda promotional business card used bymembers of the Council for Collaborationin the Management of the Umeda Area

MAG has provided a wide range of opportunities for exchanges
among personnel who are responsible for invigorating the
Umeda area. These include management strategy seminars forbusiness people; the “Overseas Student Summit,” which promotes
networking and exchanges among those working in the Umeda
area and students from overseas; seminars on such traditional
culture as kamigata kodan storytelling; and hands-on-experiencework­shops encouraging participants to consider the practicalities
of urban development.
During the more than three years since the establishment of
Umeda MAG, total net participants in its activities has surpassed
600, with many people returning to participate in successive
events. “Participants in previous management strategy seminars
interact with those participating in the current year’s seminars.
This widens networks among participants and forms
communities.” explains a manager of Umeda MAG. Because they
have unique knowledge, some seminar participants become
speakers at subsequent seminars or become involved in theplanning of seminars. Thus, Umeda MAG is building a distinctive
position as a place for intellectual exchanges.
Underlying this initiative is a belief that people create thevalue of urban areas. With the development of a series of new
office buildings, maintaining the competitiveness of existingbuildings based on functionality alone will be challenging.
However, the added value of being a hub for personnel
exchanges will become a feature of buildings and the area,
thereby strengthening their competitiveness.

Umeda MAG, a base for personnel development andexchanges among personnel from different industries

Enhancing the Area’s Value froma Long-Term Perspective
Current activities, including urban development, the fostering ofventure companies, and exchanges among personnel, will taketime to come to fruition. Therefore, the focus of these activities
must be on maximising the creation of future value, somethingthat is not easily measured on a cost-benefit basis. A member ofthe council emphasises the importance of long-term com­mit­
ment. “In urban development, setting out a far-sighted vision for
the future is critical.”Today, large numbers of people visit the Umeda area for
shopping, tourism, and business. To ensure the area continues toattract people and businesses going forward, we must
continuously heighten its appeal from new perspectives.
Through area management, we aim to raise the area’s value andheighten the Umeda area’s profile and reputation not only
domestically but also worldwide. The Hankyu Hanshin HoldingsGroup will continue taking on the challenge of enhancing thevalue of the Umeda area as the foundation of its business.

Takeshi Hashimoto

Megumi MomoManager
Real Estate Development Dept.

Real Estate Development Dept.

Hanshin Electric Railway

Hanshin Electric Railway