Initiatives for Local Communities

In its relationship with local communities, NBF conducts investment management with an awareness of contributing to urban development (revitalizing local economies, creating jobs, etc.), revitalizing local communities, supporting the environment, medicine and health, and improving disaster resilience, and holds a policy to engage with local communities to achieve these goals. Please see below for specific processes and initiatives.

Contribution to local community development (investment in urban redevelopment projects)

When investing in projects involving urban redevelopment, NBF includes factors such as economic revitalization and job creation in the target area, creation of a lively community, utilization of culture and history, and improvement of safety and well-being in its investment management decisions. Therefore, when considering investments, it conducts due diligence that incorporates the stability and future potential of the area, as well as the environment and geology, and through a rigorous screening process, it strives to realize investments that meet the above policies. The following are some examples.

IIDABASHI GRAND BLOOM: Urban Development Project

• IIDABASHI GRAND BLOOM (an office/retail building with 30 floors above ground and 2 below), together with the adjacent residential building (40 floors above ground, 2 below) and church building (3 floors above ground), is called "Iidabashi Sakura Park," and was redeveloped by Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. (NBF’s sponsor) and others as the Iidabashi Station West District Urban Redevelopment Project. It was completed in 2014.
• The retail zone, "Iidabashi Sakura Terrace," has restaurants and cafes, a supermarket, a post office, a pharmacy, and other stores that meet the needs of office workers and local residents, with a focus on food and beverage.
• The building is equipped with the latest BCP specifications to strengthen local disaster preparedness, and as a landmark, it takes advantage of the rich natural and historical environment in the urban area to contribute to creating a safe, secure, comfortable, lively, and attractive area in front of the station.

Gate City Ohsaki: Complex Redevelopment Project

• Gate City Ohsaki, directly connected to Osaki Station by pedestrian walkway, was completed in 1999 as part of the Osaki Station East District Second Urban Redevelopment Project. It is a large-scale, redeveloped complex with a concentration of various urban functions, consisting of the West and East Towers (office buildings), retail facilities mainly containing restaurants, and cultural facilities such as rental halls and rental rooms.
• Since its completion, NBF has been working to revitalize the facility and the local community by adopting the town management concept, holding various events such as atrium concerts in the open space, and holding various cultural seminars for office workers, promoting the creation of a lively and energetic area as a sectional owner (since 2006).

Toranomon Kotohira Tower: Project to Preserve a Tokyo Metropolitan Government Selected Historical Building (Kotohiragu) and Harmonize with the Shrine Grounds and Approach

• Toranomon Kotohira Tower, completed in 2004, was developed to preserve Kotohiragu, selected as a historical building by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which is located on the property, and to harmonize with Kotohiragu’s space, including its shrine office and approach way.
• Indispensable to the local community and visitors, the building utilizes a "comprehensive design system" (a system that relaxes floor-area ratio, etc.) to make effective use of the surplus area.

Nishi-Shinjuku Mitsui Bldg.: Urban Redevelopment Project

• Nishi-Shinjuku Mitsui Bldg. (completed in 1999), an office building, and a residential building comprise this complex development, which was developed as an urban redevelopment project covering an area of approximately 1.4 ha. The project aims to harmonize the residences and business facilities and create a people-friendly and safety-conscious community by utilizing open spaces to make green areas and securing pedestrian spaces.

Investment in conveniently located properties and promotion of accessibility and universal design

NBF places importance on access to public transportation when investing in real estate.
In addition, NBF implements renovations that remove barriers and actively incorporate universal design as part of its commitment to inclusiveness, to ensure safe and comfortable use for office workers and the diverse range of people who visit the offices. NBF aims to provide facilities that are comfortable for all users.

Community revitalization initiatives

• At IIDABASHI GRAND BLOOM and Toranomon Kotohira Tower, NBF cooperates in community revitalization by sponsoring local festivals.
• At Nakanoshima Mitsui Bldg., NBF is participating in "Mission Uchimizu," a water-sprinkling campaign in cooperation with Osaka City and other buildings to combat the heat island effect.
  
• NBF tenanted "WORKSTYLING" a shared office and rental office business, in about 10 properties. By providing high-grade unrestricted workspaces in favorable locations, NBF revitalizes local communities by meeting the new workplace needs of people with diverse work styles.
• Toyosu Bayside Cross Tower and IIDABASHI GRAND BLOOM offer “31 Builedge,” a lineup of rental meeting rooms for lectures, seminars, and meetings based on the concept of "meeting rooms that connect people.”

Support for the local environment, medical care, and health

NBF cooperates with and contributes to communities by recruiting tenants that match each area’s characteristics and implementing various initiatives.

• Medical facilities
  Yotsuya Medical Bldg. has tenanted a medical facility (Yotsuya Medical Mall) to support the health of the local community.
• Childcare facilities
  Toyosu Canal Front contains a daycare center as a tenant, contributing to work-life balance of residents in the neighborhood.
• Bike share
  Shinjuku Mitsui Bldg. No.2 and Toyosu Canal Front provide a bike-share service (approx. 30 bikes) in consideration of effective use of excess bicycle parking space, improvement of tenant convenience and environmental friendliness.
• Efforts to improve urban living environment
  Kowa Nishi-Shinbashi Bldg. B has undergone a major renovation of its rental residential units to improve the urban living environment.

Community contribution in times of disaster　

• Refuge for stranded commuters in a disaster
  IIDABASHI GRAND BLOOM, Toyosu Bayside Cross Tower, and Ueno East Tower provide space to shelter stranded commuters in the event of a disaster.
  
• Preparation of emergency stockpile storehouses
  Roppongi T-CUBE, Celestine Shiba Mitsui Bldg., Shiba NBF Tower, Ueno East Tower, and IIDABASHI GRAND BLOOM rent out parts of the buildings as storehouses for emergency stockpile free of charge in accordance with local disaster prevention plans, and store materials necessary at a time of disaster.
  
• Preparation of emergency disaster wells and emergency toilets
  IIDABASHI GRAND BLOOM is equipped with an emergency well that can supply drinking water to tenant companies, local residents, and stranded commuters, as well as emergency manhole toilets to support the community in the event of a disaster.

Initiatives for Tenants

Recognizing the importance of providing safe, secure, and comfortable environments for its tenants and enhancing customer satisfaction, NBF works diligently to resolve and improve various issues identified through daily management and customer satisfaction surveys. In this way, in addition to providing comfortable facilities, NBF improves the quality of tenant services by offering various events and other intangible services.

Customer satisfaction surveys

Together with its exclusive property management company NBF Office Management Co., Ltd., NBF conducts annual building management that aims to enhance tenant satisfaction. Customer satisfaction surveys are conducted every year in order to understand the real thoughts, level of satisfaction and needs of tenants, and PDCA cycles are established to promptly reflect the challenges found in surveys and points to be improved.

FY 2022 CS Survey on Operation and Management Services in Office Properties

• Survey subjects:
  Tenant Survey at 47 buildings (excluding master-leased and other properties)
  Office Worker Survey at 47 buildings (excluding master-leased and other properties)
• Number distributed:
  627 tenant companies (response rate: 90%)
  5,062 office workers (response rate: 77%)
• Survey period:
  September-October 2022
• Survey topics:
  Office environment and convenience; Cleaning; Crime and disaster prevention; Service qualities of general building operation and management; Effectiveness of CS activities in each property; Tenants’ needs; etc.

Examples of actions taken

• Shinjuku Mitsui Bldg. No.2: New establishment of B1F lounge for tenant workers, renewal of common space.

Events with tenant participation

• NBF holds regular events such as photo contest, Tanabata decorations, and ema (votive wooden plaques) .
• The annual summer three-day "Company Nodojiman Competition", a karaoke contest with more than 200 participants from about 40 tenant companies is held at the Shinjuku Mitsui Bldg.
• NBF holds an “Utauma Festival” a karaoke contest with video submission, for the tenants of 40 properties, in which 116 people working in the building participated.
• NBF holds lunchtime concerts at 9 properties, in which about 1,000 people working in the building participated.

These events encourage interaction among employees of tenant companies and provide a comfortable working environment. We endeavor to further enhance employee engagement from such intangible aspects as well.

Shared facilities and services for tenants

• In the "CUIMOTTE" space of Nakanoshima Mitsui Building, individuals working in the building can spend their time eating, working, and connecting in a way that suits them best. The space is designed with the concept of a new workspace centered around food and provides meeting spaces, events, and opportunities for people to meet each other.
• At Toyosu Bayside Cross Tower, "+C (+Cross)" space has been installed in the common areas to enhance productivity and efficiency. Along with rental meeting rooms, the space boasts a range of other amenities, including a mini fitness gym, shower rooms, and a lounge. Additionally, it offers various spaces tailored to different work styles beyond just desk work, including concentration booths to improve focus and refresh rooms to promote relaxation.

Collaboration with Business Partners

Supply chain management

NBFM promotes ESG initiatives based on the guidelines set forth by its main sponsor, Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.
The Mitsui Fudosan Group recognizes that it has an obligation to fulfill its social responsibilities at a higher level as a corporate group that supports the infrastructure of daily life, such as offices. To that end, it believes that the entire supply chain should be involved in promoting sustainable procurement that contributes to solving ESG issues.

Mitsui Fudosan Group Sustainable Procurement Standards

The Mitsui Fudosan Group has established basic guidelines that both the Group and its business partners should comply with or actively promote, including: 1. compliance with laws and regulations; 2. respect for human rights in business activities; 3. respect for human rights related to labor; 4. safe and healthy working environment; 5. establishment of business ethics; 6. ensuring quality; 7. consideration for the environment; 8. information security; and 9. crisis management and business continuity plan.

Engagement with office manager

NBF and NBF Office Management Co., Ltd. have established an elaborate system of collaboration and engagement to promote ESG-related operations. At the bi-weekly ESG meetings, they discuss initiatives to reduce environmental impact, check the progress of environmental data, and promote timely and accurate operations based on the shared policies.

NBFM’s Initiatives for Social Contribution Activities

• As part of community contribution activities, employees participated in the “Bridge Washing” at the famous Nihonbashi Bridge, and the Fukutoku Shrine Jinkosai Festival.
• NBFM has made donations to the Japan Committee for UNICEF since 2022 according to the total number of employees who walked 8,000 steps per day during a walking event in order to help children learn and grow healthily and protect their birthrights with provision of educational opportunities and donations.