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Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Green Apartments, Carbon-Neutral Hotels: How Tokyo Is Becoming Sustainable
Tsubasa Yokote, representative director of Blueground Japan, in his Tokyo office. Aren Elliott In a wood-paneled boardroom with a commanding view of Tokyo's Imperial Palace, Tsubasa Yokote is trying to explain the city's approach to sustainable tourism. It's not easy. Yokote, representative director of Blueground Japan, says sustainability — best exemplified by the concept of mottainai, which emphasizes avoiding waste — has been part of Japanese society for centuries. Many of the tourism industry's recent efforts to become more sustainable are a direct result of that cultural practice rather than a new movement spurred by climate change or politics. You can see it in Blueground's rental apartments. It's in the recycling stations in the basements, which are standard in most Tokyo apartments. And it's also in the efficiency features that allow you to regulate energy consumption in your home. "All these features are beneficial for the environment," he explains. Blueground Japan, a collaboration with real estate developer Mitsubishi Estate, is a case study in mottainai . Each new apartment is designed with sustainability on several levels — not just in terms of saving energy but also of creating a sustainable business. The medium- and long-term housing market for furnished rentals is still developing, so when Yokote talks about sustainability, he is also talking about Blueground's sustainability. "Tokyo is upholding its high standard of sustainability, from its world-famous public transit system to dauntingly strict garbage sorting rules," says Evelyn Gong, who teaches operations management at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business. She says the city is moving steadily towards its goal of achieving net zero emission by 2050, and its 2030 midway targets such as heightened renewable energy use and halved food waste. The living room in a Blueground rental in Tokyo. Blueground While Blueground Japan exemplifies sustainable urban living, Tokyo's broader travel sector is weaving traditional mottainai values into innovative eco-practices. Here are a few examples of how hotels, restaurants, and cultural experiences are leading the charge: Palace Hotel Tokyo's circular economy The hotel's Eco-Palace initiative turns kitchen waste into fertilizer for local farms. The hotel then buys the resulting crops of rice and produce for incorporation into the staff canteen's daily menu. Kintsugi: The art of sustainable beauty Many Tokyo luxury hotels, including the Palace, offer kintsugi workshops, where guests repair broken pottery with gold — a centuries-old practice that embodies mottainai. Couture designer Kevan Hall, inspired by a Tokyo workshop, noted, 'It's a poetic way to transform flaws into heritage.' Carbon-neutral hotel stays The Tokyo Station Hotel offsets 100 percent of guest stay emissions, while the Imperial Hotel Tokyo replaced plastic amenities with bamboo and wood. Both properties use CO₂-free electricity and hold top certificates in sustainable development. Zero-waste dining The Michelin-starred Daigo restaurant practices shojin-ryori , a Buddhist culinary tradition that minimizes waste. Chef Yusuke Nomura crafts plant-forward kaiseki menus using local ingredients, thereby reducing methane emissions. Rebuilding communities Walk Japan, a tour operator, partners with rural towns in places like earthquake-hit Noto Peninsula, where travelers help rebuild homes and revive abandoned rice paddies. Their tours funnel revenue into local economies, which are trying to counter population decline. Eco-conscious lodging Boutique projects like Nipponia Sawara repurpose historical warehouses into hotels using local materials. At Mt. Fuji's Ecologic, guests join workshops and bike tours supporting nearby farms. Sustainability as a lifestyle in Tokyo One of the best ways of experiencing Tokyo's sustainability is by living it. Blueground, which offers furnished apartment rentals in the city, is tapping into a new market of digital nomads and people who are relocating to Japan. Yokote says Blueground's apartments come with multilingual support to help customers make sense of Japan's mottainai practices. For many visitors, understanding sustainability in Tokyo means more than admiring eco-initiatives from afar — it means stepping into the rhythms of daily life. But Japan's rental housing market often presents hurdles for non-Japanese residents, from stringent lease terms and language barriers to cultural nuances around waste management and energy use. Blueground's furnished apartments aim to bridge this gap, says Yokote. "That means access to housing designed with Japanese values — like minimalism and energy efficiency — while providing the tools to navigate systems that might otherwise feel inaccessible," he says. By embedding sustainability into the fabric of everyday living, Blueground's apartments become gateways to Japan's eco-conscious ethos. Guests learn to separate trash not as a performative act, but as a reflection of mottainai's enduring influence. They interact with systems like energy-efficient appliances and water-saving fixtures, which are standard in Japanese homes but often unfamiliar to outsiders. "When you live here, you start to see how sustainability isn't a trend. It's a mindset passed down through generations, and now it's something visitors can truly inhabit," says Yokote. In Tokyo, looking to the past to create a sustainable future Tokyo's journey toward sustainability is not a race to reinvent itself, as it is in other tourism destinations. At its core lies mottainai, a philosophy that has long whispered the value of resourcefulness. From Blueground Japan's energy-efficient apartments, where global nomads navigate energy-saving systems and strict recycling protocols, to the Palace Hotel Tokyo's closed-loop kitchens and the golden scars of kintsugi workshops, the city is trying to prove that sustainability thrives when it's rooted in heritage. These efforts are neither performative nor peripheral. They are pragmatic evolutions of tradition: Michelin-starred chefs reviving Buddhist culinary ethics to cut food waste, hotels offsetting emissions while preserving the elegance of a bygone era, and rural tours that transform travelers into stewards of revival. Even the challenges — deciphering trash-sorting rules or mastering apartment energy systems — underscore a deeper truth: Sustainability demands both systemic rigor and individual adaptation. 'We're not just saving energy,' Yokote says. 'We're building a sustainable bridge.' But Tokyo's greatest lesson may be its quiet demonstration that the future of sustainability lies not in discarding the past, but maintaining and refining it — one repurposed warehouse, revived rice paddy, and thoughtfully sorted trash bag at a time. In a world grappling with climate urgency, that may be a lesson for other tourism destinations.

Bangkok Post
14-07-2025
- Business
- Bangkok Post
AP Thailand and Mitsubishi Estate: A 12-year alliance redefining urban living
In an industry where partnerships often falter under pressure from cultural differences and market volatility, the alliance between AP Thailand Pcl and Mitsubishi Estate Co Ltd stands out as a rare and enduring success story. Now in its 12th year, this collaboration between Thailand's leading residential developer and one of Japan's most powerful real estate giants has not only stood the test of time, but thrived through a shared vision and mutual trust. "Our goal from day one wasn't just short-term success," said Anuphong Assavabhokhin, chief executive of AP Thailand. "We were looking for a partner who shared our long-term vision -- not merely a financial investor, but someone who could grow with us, side by side." That long-term thinking laid the foundation for one of Thailand's most resilient joint ventures in the residential property sector. The partnership began in 2014 with the formation of Premium Residence Co Ltd, a joint venture company with a 51:49 ownership split. It was a bold and forward-thinking move -- the first and only joint venture in Thailand's real estate sector to establish a locally registered company for long-term investment and development. The venture has registered capital of 12.6 billion baht and continues to be the backbone of multiple successful condominium projects across Bangkok and beyond. At the heart of the alliance is Mitsubishi Estate's world-renowned expertise in urban development. With over a century of experience and iconic achievements like Tokyo's Marunouchi district under its belt, Mitsubishi Estate brings unparalleled know-how to the Thai market -- not only in architectural design and master planning, but also in asset management and residential services. "Mitsubishi Estate shares the same DNA as AP Thailand when it comes to putting people and cities first," said Yuji Okamoto, managing director of Mitsubishi Estate (Thailand). "Our brand slogan -- A Love for People, A Love for City -- aligns closely with AP's working philosophy, making this more than a business collaboration. It's a value-driven partnership built on a shared purpose." One key pillar of that shared purpose is AP Principles -- The Principles of Living Quality, AP's foundational philosophy for delivering well-rounded, meaningful living environments. This guiding framework emphasises five core values: strict construction and design standards, empathetic design, sustainable living, smart technologies and reliable after-sales services. Inspired by Mitsubishi Estate's "Five Eyes" design philosophy has further elevated AP's ability to deliver international-standard residences with a local touch. An example of their successful collaboration is the continuous exchange of knowledge and expertise. Mitsubishi Estate has embedded Japanese professionals within AP's Bangkok office to work alongside local teams on every aspect of project development -- from conceptual design to customer experience. This hands-on, integrated approach speaks volumes about the mutual trust and genuine commitment both companies have towards their shared goals. Twelve years on, the results speak for themselves. The partnership has led to the development of 31 condominium projects in prime urban locations, with a total value of 137 billion baht. Of those, 13 projects have already sold out, while 18 more are under development or preparing for launch, worth roughly 29.5 billion baht. These numbers reflect not just commercial success, but also strong customer trust and satisfaction. "Mitsubishi Estate is proud to contribute to Thai society through this alliance," said Mr Okamoto. "Together with AP, we will continue to deliver value to Thai people and enrich lives through high-quality urban development." Mr Anuphong echoed that sentiment, emphasising that this partnership goes beyond business. "Mitsubishi Estate is unique -- not just in its scale and global expertise, but in its visionary leadership. It pushes us to keep innovating so that we can offer people a better quality of life that they can truly choose for themselves." As AP Thailand and Mitsubishi Estate look to the future, their partnership stands as a model for sustainable collaboration across borders -- built not just on contracts, but on a shared vision, deep mutual respect and an unwavering commitment to creating better lives and better cities.


Geek Culture
01-07-2025
- Business
- Geek Culture
Amazon's Asia Focus Sees New Japan Fulfilment Centre, Debut Of Facility Tours In India
Between an increasingly interconnected world and the convenience of online shopping, the demand for digital purchases will only continue to grow, and Asia is no exception. As part of its continued expansion efforts worldwide, Amazon is rolling out new initiatives in the region, starting with a new fulfilment centre in Japan. Mitsubishi Estate's LOGICROSS Nagoya Minato facility is set to be the largest fulfilment centre in western Japan, spanning 125,000 square metres with a storage capacity of about 1.37 million cubic feet. A joint effort between Amazon and Mitsubishi Estate, it aims to be the first building in the country to receive Zero Carbon Certification from Living Future – the first Zero Carbon third-party certified standard worldwide – with several sustainable building technologies. These include the use of a geothermal heat pump that maintains comfortable heating and cooling temperatures while running on 30 percent less energy than conventional systems; vertical solar panels, which can produce a maximum power output of 5.5 megawatts (and making it one of Amazon's largest onsite solar arrays outside of the U.S); and lower-carbon concrete for the foundation and office areas during construction. A rainwater storage system also utilises collected rainwater for restrooms and other facilities, with water usage expected to drop by approximately 40 percent. The space is due to open in August, joining over 25 other fulfilment centres across the country. Announced separately during the Delivering the Future event in Tokyo, an in-person tour for its Chiba Minato Fulfilment Centre is coming later this year, though a specific window was not given. Like existing Amazon Tours programmes in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, France, Germany, and Italy, participation is free, with the experience focusing on the behind-the-scenes processes of handling and packing before delivery. 'We've been in Japan for 25 years, so we have a long history in this country,' shares Nick Boone-Lutz, head of Amazon Tours, in a Q&A with Geek Culture and select Australian media. '[The Chiba Minato Fulfilment Centre] is an incredible place to show off – in terms of the investments and the business it has made in technology – and we have a lot of passionate customers here who are excited; we've been getting requests from customers in Japan who asked for tours for a long time.' Closer to home, the delivery powerhouse will bring the tour to public fulfilment centres in Delhi and Bengaluru starting Q4 of 2025. Lasting 45 minutes to an hour, each session will begin with a video about Amazon's history and evolution in the country, followed by a guided walk through the facility, where various technologies are seen in action. Safety measures like heat monitoring, medical facilities, air-conditioned breakrooms and development opportunities for employees and associates are also covered. 'We've built India's fastest, safest, and most reliable operations network, and now we're excited to give people a chance to see it firsthand,' said Abhinav Singh, Vice-President of Operations India and Australia. 'These tours offer visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the technology and people working together to deliver for customers every day.' To date, the Amazon Tours programme has registered two million visitors from more than 35 locations in select countries. The India launch marks Asia's first and will run three times weekly at both the Delhi and Bengaluru fulfilment centres once open, accommodating up to 20 participants per session. Online registration for interested parties is due later this year. There are currently over 300 fulfilment centres globally, designed to store millions of products, process customer orders, and ship them daily. Bengaluru houses the biggest facility in India, spanning over two million cubic feet of storage space – roughly the capacity of 800 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really. Amazon Amazon Fulfilment Centre Amazon Tour Asia

News.com.au
23-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
$140m in sales at former Balmain Leagues Club ‘eyesore'
Buyers have paid close to $7m for three-bedroom apartments on the site of the former Balmain Leagues Club in Rozelle, which has been derelict for 15 years. The club was shut down in 2010 for a metro station that never eventuated, there was a suspicious fire there in 2022; and everyone from an inner west mayor through to the Planning Minister have labeled the site an 'eyesore'. But that's all set to change, and the lofty price tags no obstacle at the first weekend of sales of 'Rozelle Village ', with agents reporting more than 40 one-, two- and three-bedroom units were exchanged at the off-the-plan launch event. All up, there were more than $140m in apartment sales at the $285m project by developers Perifa, part of Versatile Group, with investment partner Mitsubishi Estate Asia. Fabrizio Perilli, co-founder and managing director of Perifa, said it was mostly local buyers who snapped up the apartments, some of which will have uninterrupted views of the city skyline and harbour. 'We're thrilled with the level of interest in Rozelle Village,' Mr Perilli said. 'It demonstrates the strong demand for well-designed, high-quality homes in the inner west, but also the ongoing demand we're seeing for new housing in Sydney. 'Rozelle Village is providing the people of Sydney with the quality housing they so desperately need, and with open, community spaces and well-curated retail amenity for everyone to enjoy. House price record broken twice in a week Billionaire chicken heiress's record-breaking sale 'With demolition complete, we're looking forward to progressing with construction over the coming months.' David Milton, Managing Director SRM Residential, wasn't surprised by the level of interest. 'As expected, the response to the development was very strong,' he said. 'There is such limited supply in this area and buyers have been anticipating this release for a long time.' Rozelle Village is Perifa and MEA's second major joint project in Sydney, following Putney Wharf Residences. With architecture by StudioS.C, interiors designed by SJB, urban design and landscaping by Arcadia and retail curation by Retail Strategy Group, Rozelle Village is expected to provide a high-quality, community-focused precinct with long-term value for both new residents and the existing Rozelle community. Led by Versatile Construction, ground works have commenced with construction approval received, and project completion anticipated in the first half of 2028. There will ultimately be up to 227 homes in the 2-16 storey mixed use development, which will also feature a registered club, new supermarket, community facility and public plaza. In May, Planning Minister Paul Scully said: 'The old Balmain Leagues Club site on Victoria Road has been an eyesore for too many years, but will now be transformed into a thriving residential area with a supermarket, registered club, and public plaza. 'This is a resolution to the site that is long overdue.'


Japan Times
12-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Mitsubishi buys stake in private equity real estate firm Patron
Mitsubishi Estate has bought a majority stake in European private equity property fund manager Patron Capital, the latest sign of Japanese investment washing into the U.K. The Tokyo-based group's investment management business, Mitsubishi Estate Global Partners, is acquiring the stake from Patron's management led by founder Keith Breslauer, according to a statement Thursday. The deal will see Mitsubishi commit about €600 million (¥99.5 billion) of equity to Patron's funds to help it build out new strategies including its nascent credit business, it said. It is the latest example of European private equity real estate platforms being snapped up by larger global investors as their founders ponder succession and grapple with a regulatory landscape that can make it harder for small firms to compete. New York Life Insurance's Candriam Group took control of Tristan Capital Partners in 2023 while Aermont Capital sold a stake to Singapore-based Keppel Capital Holdings. "I'm not going anywhere,' Breslauer said in an interview. "We are getting a very large check and backing from a very long-term, strategic-thinking partner.' A team of senior partners led by him will continue to manage Patron's operations, according to the statement. Japanese investors have been snapping up a series of overseas investment firms in recent months, particularly those focused on alternative assets. Last month, insurer Dai-ichi Life Holdings announced plans to boost its stake in hedge fund manager Capula Investment Management and acquire a 15% interest in M&G. They have also been active buyers of U.K. real estate with Sotetsu Urban Creates and Yasuda Real Estate acquiring an interest in Deutsche Bank's U.K. headquarters and Nomura Real Estate Development forming a venture to build rental housing. Breslauer, a former Lehman Brothers banker, founded Patron in 1999 and built the business into a pan-European investment manager with about €5.3 billion of capital, including an almost €1 billion fund it raised last year. The firm had two Japanese investors in its most recent fund — a number Patron will aim to grow with the next vehicle that's likely to raise capital later this year. Mitsubishi is one of Japan's largest property companies and the firm has been growing its investment management business, which in the U.S. includes TA Realty. The firm now oversees about $39 billion, according to its website. "I had over 60 approaches,' Breslauer said. "I really wanted to be part of a group that was in the property business, not an insurance company.'