Tennozu is located in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo.
Tennozu Isle Station on the Tokyo Monorail and Rinkai Line is the closest station to this developed city.
Tennozu has flourished since the Edo period as a warehouse district.
Did you know that Tennozu has transformed from a warehouse district to an art district?
The driving force behind this transformation is the Terada Warehouse, headquartered on Tennozu Isle.
Terada Warehouse rethought the traditional warehousing business and realized the transformation of Tennozu as part of a management reform that focused not only on providing space but also on cash flow.
So how was Terada Warehouse able to transform Tennozu from a warehouse district to an art district?
In this issue, we will discuss what is needed for the future development of the area, based on the development of Tennozu's transformation. Please take a look at the history and development process of Tennoz and try to keep in mind what is necessary for the region's present and future.
What is Tennozu? Let's learn about the history of Tennozu's development.
What is Tennoz?
Let's start with basic information about Tennoz and the history of the city's development.
What is Tennozu?
Tennozu is a city located in the northeastern part of Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo.
It is characterized by the fact that the entire 22-hectare area facing the Keihin Canal and Tennoz Canal is reclaimed land.
Let's take a look at detailed information about Tennozu and its history.
A bird's-eye view of the Tennoz area! Summary of basic information
Tennozu is a land facing a canal, making it one of the best waterfront areas in Tokyo, and has been used as a filming location for dramas and movies, as well as for tourism promotion using the canal.
Since the 2010s, the city has developed not only as a warehouse town, but also as a center of art and culture. It has transformed into a city with a concentration of art-related content, such as music, paintings, and contemporary architecture.
Not only that, offices, commercial facilities, and restaurants have been established, attracting a large influx of visitors.
In this way, Tennozu has transformed from a town of logistics warehouses into a redevelopment district for arts and culture.
The Tennoz area has now grown into a place where many people visit for various purposes under the theme of "a town of art and a town with heart.
History of Tennoz
Before it became a reclaimed land, Tennozu was a state formed by the accumulation of sediments in the sea.
The name "Tennozu" was given to the area because it is said to be the place where Ushitotenno, the god of Shintoism and Buddhism, was raised by fishermen when Tennozu was still a sea before the Edo period (1603-1868).
The name "Tennozu Isle," which is also the name of the station, is derived from the English word "isle," which means "island.
The name "Tennozu Isle" is derived from its location as a waterfront area on Tokyo Bay.
Originally, Tennozu was developed based on the No. 4 Daiba, which was built in the Edo period.
Since the late Edo period, it has functioned as a center of logistics warehouses with many warehouses as a base for marine transportation.
Although Tennozu became a shipping hub because of its location on a canal, after the rapid economic growth of Japan, the means of transportation shifted from the sea to the air.
As a result, Tennozu became a deserted area.
In 1992, the construction of Tennozu Isle was completed as a station for the Tokyo Monorail.
Although further urban development progressed, and station buildings and offices lined the streets, the area remained deserted, partly because it coincided with the bursting of the bubble economy.
Tennozu, which seemed to have transformed into a "cool town," was not yet fully functioning as a city.
Then, after 2010, Terada Warehouse took the lead and embarked on a major transformation reform of Tennozu.
Not only did they introduce commercial facilities and restaurants, but they also completed the current "Tennozu," which is now crowded with many people, based on the major theme of being a center for arts and culture.
How has Tennozu developed?
Tennozu has transformed the face of the city over time.
What kind of history did Tennozu go through before it transformed from a warehouse district to an art district?
Here we will introduce the process of development from the early days of Tennozu, the 4th Tennozu Daiba, to its current form.
The 4th Tennozu Warehouse
Before it was named Tennozu, this land was known as the 4th Plateau.
This area was vulnerable to foreign influences as its political center was converted to what is now Tokyo and Edo.
The arrival of Perry's black ships was a typical example.
The Edo Shogunate feared the return of Perry's ships, and constructed platforms for the installation of gun batteries off Shinagawa in Tokyo Bay, Edo's sea defense base.
A total of 11 platforms were planned to be built, but construction actually began on seven of them.
Of these, the 4th and 7th platforms, located near today's Tennozu and Rainbow Bridge, respectively, were never completed due to a lack of funds.
Only the 3rd Daiba, which is now Daiba Park, and the 6th Daiba, which stands alone near the Rainbow Bridge, remain to this day.
In the Taisho Era (1912-1926), the unfinished 4th Daiba was transformed into a shipyard. At that time, it was called "Omyo Daiba.
Warehouse District and Distribution Center
Fourteen years after it became a shipyard, reclamation of the No. 4 Daiba began.
Then times changed, and 14 years after it became Showa, it was completed in 1939.
The reclaimed land was connected to Shinagawa by land, and the land facing the canal began to function as a site for factories and warehouses.
At this time, trade was mainly by sea, and the port flourished as a trading port. However, with the rapid economic growth of Japan, the means of trade shifted to air transportation.
As a result, the function and role of the warehouse district changed drastically.
At the same time, about 10 years before the rapid economic growth, the Terada Warehouse was established and became a key player in the development of Tennozu.
Six years later, in 1956, Terada Warehouse moved to its current location in Tennozu.
Office District
It was not until 1985, near the end of the Showa period, that the area began to change to an office district. The role of Tennozu as a warehouse district had become more sluggish than before, and the development of an office district was conceived as a concept to review the port functions of Tennozu and Tokyo Bay as a whole.
The "Tennozu Comprehensive Development Council" was formed with the agreement of 22 local landowners.
The Terada Warehouse played a central role at this time.
The following year, in 1986, a master plan for the development of Higashi-Shinagawa 2-chome (now Tennozu Isle) was drawn up.
In July 1991, five years after the plan was launched, the first office building, Tennoz First Tower, was completed. At the same time, the district heating and cooling plant for the Tennoz area services was completed and began supplying the area.
From there, development progressed steadily, culminating in the opening of Seafort Square in 1992 and the completion of the Tokyo Monorail's Tennozu Isle Station, which began operations.
Building construction continued at a rapid pace, with the Sphere Tower Tennozu completed in March 1993 and the Tennozu Central Tower in December 1993.
Tennoz Ocean Square was completed in 1994, Tennoz Parkside in 1995, and the Nomura Real Estate Tennoz Building in 1996.
On the other hand, although the Tokyo Monorail opened in 1992, the following year, 1993, saw the bursting of the bubble economy, and Tennozu became a deserted area.
Although the number of office buildings increased rapidly until the beginning of the 2000s, despite the magnificent buildings, there was a sense of quietness in the town.
Although businessmen were present on weekdays, few people visited Tennoz on Saturdays and Sundays.
This is an unimaginable scene from the current situation where the area is crowded with many people on weekends.
The turning point came in 2001-2002.
In 2001, Tennozu Isle Station on the Tokyo Rapid Transit Rinkai Line began operations.
The following year, in 2002, the Rinkai Line began direct service with the Saikyo Line, providing direct access to Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro.
This further increased Tennozu's transportation convenience and name recognition.
However, only businessmen going to their offices visit Tennozu Isle Station. At this stage, there was still no reason to visit Tennoz other than to go to the office.
Office District x Art District
Although Tennozu had been converted from a warehouse district to an office district, it remained deserted and was unable to fulfill any role other than that of an office district.
The Terada Warehouse was the first to make a move.
The waterfront scenery of the land facing the canal was utilized, and in 2006, "waterline," a waterfront lounge, was opened as the first project of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's "Canal Renaissance Initiative.
The development trend took a further turn in the 20th century, when the concept of "creating an environment that works with human intellect and creativity" began to be developed as a town that anticipated the human environment of the 21st century.
Just around this time, the development of information technology made it necessary to move toward sensitizing people to their natural abilities, such as human intelligence, creativity, and communication.
Tennozu recognized this trend and sought to create a town that would stimulate the senses and intellect, while continuing to develop the city with a focus on offices.
The answer is the theme of being a center of art and culture.
Incorporating art galleries, contemporary architecture, and event spaces stimulates sensitivity and intellect, while creating commercial facilities transforms the city into a place where people can communicate with each other.
We have incorporated not only the functionality of the city, but also the comfort that can accommodate work, leisure, and daily life into the urban development.
Fortunately, its privileged location on the Tokyo Bay waterfront has made it an urban resort and a fashionable place to live.
Originally well-located, the area's proximity to the super-center of the city and convenient access to Haneda Airport have transformed it into an art district that now attracts a large number of visitors.
Why does the city need to evolve as well?
We have traced the history of Tennozu's development and transformation.
The reason for this is not simply that Tennozu is an example of transformation.
Tennozu is an example of how any area can be transformed, and Tennozu is an example of how it has succeeded in doing so.
Of course, there are many other examples of towns that have been transformed in addition to Tennozu.
Behind the development and transformation, there are various concepts and players. So why does a city need to evolve?
Here we will discuss the evolution of a city from three perspectives.
The evolution of a city lies in the evolution of industry and business
From the Edo Period (1603-1868) to the current Tennozu Isle, Tennozu has undergone significant changes not only in its appearance, but also in its functions and roles.
And what we can learn from the changes in Tennoz is that the evolution of the city is based on the evolution of industry and business.
Looking back at the history of Tennozu's development, the evolution of industry and business has stood in the background.
The No. 4 Daiba was supposed to be a gun emplacement during the Edo period.
Regrettably, it ended up unfinished due to lack of funds, but was later turned into a shipyard, taking advantage of its location near a canal. After that, it was absorbed as reclaimed land and developed as a factory and warehouse site.
Just as today's industrial and warehouse areas are located along the sea, the area was revitalized as a key location for maritime transportation.
However, with the rapid economic growth of Japan, the means of transportation shifted to air transportation.
This has drastically changed the role of Tennozu.
Nevertheless, the Tennoz Comprehensive Development Council, led by the Terada Warehouse Company, was determined not to let the Tennoz area fall into disrepair.
They promoted urban development based on the development concept of "creating an environment that encourages human intelligence and creativity.
In the 1990s, Tennoz began to be lined with office buildings, and the inorganic warehouse district of the past began to change.
Why, then, did we set out to create a city that anticipated the human environment of the 21st century?
One could say it was because he had the foresight to look to the future.
The city anticipated that the development of information technology would free people from simple processing labor in the 21st century, and envisioned an office district where people's ideas would fly in and out of the warehouse district, which embodied such simple processing labor.
In the 1990s, however, although buildings were being erected, the actual conditions were not keeping pace. The area was deserted, out of keeping with the magnificent building.
At that time, Tennozu was still only a framework, and it may not have kept up with the creation of an environment that encouraged the creativity that embodied the original development concept.
Then, in the 2000s, as expected, IT technology began to develop.
With the opening of Tennozu Isle Station on the Rinkai Line, the area became more convenient and well-known for its transportation as it offered direct connections to Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro.
Furthermore, Tennozu's warehouse district was transformed into an art district from the 2010s, led by the opening of a water lounge in 2006 as part of the "Canal Renaissance Initiative.
However, the warehousing business has not been completely eliminated, but rather converted to premium warehouses that store fine wines and take care of art and valuables.
Furthermore, the company began to take on a real estate role in line with its aspirations for community and cultural development.
The business was not limited to traditional warehousing, but was also transformed into a stylish business.
This transformation of Tennozu did not happen by chance, but is largely related to changes in industry and business due to the changing times. Moreover, it was made possible by the actions of visionary leaders who took action in response to these changes.
Without evolution, there is no development of the city
It is quite possible that Tennozu would not be functioning as it is today without the history of development that I have introduced so far.
In other words, at any given moment in history, there was a great possibility that Tennozu would have disappeared. This is because Tennozu, which functioned as a shipyard and a warehouse district, was a town that was built for industry and business.
With the shift in transportation from sea to air, Tennozu would have become a warehouse district that would have fallen into disrepair had there not been a plan to reevaluate the functions of the port.
The evolution of Tennozu from a warehouse district to an office district is what made it the bustling art district that it is today.
In other words, unless people take the initiative in the evolution of a town, it will lose its role and function and become obsolete.
In Japan, people tend to concentrate in Tokyo, and the role and function of the regions are declining.
Why do people concentrate in Tokyo in the first place?
It is because Tokyo is a city that is constantly evolving.
Tokyo is a city that not only evolves in terms of functionality and comfort, but also in terms of intelligence and creativity.
People will flow to Tokyo in search of freshness, stimulation, and communication that cannot be found in the countryside.
Tennozu is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to regional development. Tokyo, including Tennozu, is a forward-thinking city that is constantly evolving.
That is why people gather and the city is vibrant with clear functions and roles.
A city is a base for continuing to create new value.
In order to continue to create new value, a city is necessary.
This is because a town is a place to store people who create value.
All new value is created in some "place.
In Tennozu, for example, it has become a place where the values of "functionality, intelligence, creativity, and communication" are created.
Furthermore, as a center of art and culture, it also creates new value in the form of art.
At the base of this new value is the city of Tennozu.
Tennozu is a town heavily influenced by industry and business, so some aspects may not be applicable to a general area.
A more specific example is Nichinan City in Miyazaki Prefecture.
The setting is the "Aburatsu Shopping Street" in the center of Nichinan City.
It is now bustling with people, and numerous venture businesses have even set up shop there.
However, it used to be a lonely shuttered shopping street.
Not only in Nichinan City, but in recent years, we often hear of shopping streets that used to be bustling with people, but have been shuttered because they could not resist the flow of the times.
Nichinan City has regained its vitality in about three years, thanks to Ryota Kido and Rinki Tajika, professional community revitalization contractors.
They launched a project to revitalize the Aburatsu shopping district in the center of Nichinan City by involving citizens in creating new values for the district.
The project generated enthusiasm among the citizens, who had previously regarded the shopping district as something else, and realized the "creation of a shopping district that can run on its own feet.
How were they able to go that far? It is because Mr. Kido and Mr. Tajika moved to Nichinan City and have been working from the same perspective as the citizens.
The greatest weapon in creating new value for the shopping district is communication with the citizens.
The unique events that were held with the input of the citizens, from which the sense of unity and buzz of the shopping district skyrocketed, quickly led to the opening of 15 new stores.
This has brought vitality back to Nichinan City, centered on the Yabutsu shopping district, and has led to economic benefits such as increased employment and customer traffic.
Above all, as citizens became actively involved in city planning, the resource of "people," more than the place itself, was revitalized as a new value.
However, the creation of these effects and values was possible only because of Nichinan and the Aburatsu shopping district.
Seeing the Community Today in the Development of Tennozu
The development of Tennozu was not achieved only because of Tennozu.
It is important to evolve the city, which is the base for creating new values, in accordance with the evolution of industry and business.
Let us consider the current state of the region based on the development of Tennozu.
What Tennozu and the Aburatsu shopping district have in common in their development
The examples introduced so far are Tennozu and the Yabutsu shopping district in Nichinan City, Miyazaki Prefecture.
The common thread that runs through the development of both towns is the concept of "creating new value without being bound by existing value. In Tennozu, the role of the town has changed with the evolution of industry and business.
Therefore, the Terada Warehouse created an art district based on a completely new concept of intelligence and creativity, rather than the idea of revitalizing a warehouse district to make it more exciting.
The success of the Aburatsu shopping district can also be attributed to the fact that it was not created with the idea of restoring a shopping district from a prosperous time in the past, but instead created a "shopping district that is not a shopping district, but a shopping district" that is in tune with the times.
A deeper look at the example of the Aburatsu shopping district reveals a new definition of a shopping district that is in tune with the times.
Traditionally, a shopping district was a place where original stores such as grocers, fishmongers, and hardware stores were gathered.
However, with the passage of time, the local population has decreased and the consumption behavior of local customers has changed.
This is the main reason for the transformation into a shuttered street.
That is why the people behind the project knew that restoring the past would be meaningless.
Therefore, the Aburatsu shopping district incorporated stores that are not classified as stores, such as cafes, guesthouses, izakayas, rental spaces, IT companies, and children's playgrounds.
Understanding that local customers alone could not sustain the stores, they created stores that could reach outside markets.
IT companies and guesthouses do not look like they belong in a shopping arcade, but their presence completes the economic cycle within the shopping arcade.
For example, employees of IT companies can have lunch in the shopping arcade, and tourists who stay at guesthouses can enjoy themselves at the izakayas in the shopping arcade, resulting in consumer behavior in the shopping arcade.
Similarly, Tennozu was created to increase the number of visitors by making it an art district, and the city was built so that visitors can enjoy the value of Tennozu as a city.
In this way, both developed their cities through outward-looking measures rather than being bound by existing values.
Is infrastructure growth necessary for regional development?
Many people may think that infrastructure growth is first necessary for regional development.
In fact, a district heating and cooling plant was completed in Tennozu along with an office building.
Tennozu was originally an empty warehouse district, and its transformation began when office buildings started to be built.
Therefore, if one were to think of Tennozu as a warehouse district, one would think that new buildings and infrastructure would have to be built first.
Of course, infrastructure growth is a good thing, but it is not always necessary.
An example that illustrates this point is the Entonji shopping arcade in Nagoya, which was also revitalized from a shuttered shopping arcade.
The Entonji shopping arcade had been reduced to more than half the number of stores from its heyday and was deserted.
Now, it has regained its vitality and the shopping district's rent has doubled in size.
Also, at the "Paris Festival in Endonji" held in November 2018, the area was so overflowing with people that it was impossible to find space to walk from morning to night.
The Endonji shopping district is a shopping district that has developed without being touched by the growth of infrastructure.
This is because most of the stores are the result of renovations of vacant and abandoned houses.
And the architect Masato Ichihara was the driving force behind the revitalization of this shopping street and the renovation of vacant houses and stores.
So why did he choose to focus on renovation rather than the growth of new infrastructure?
The reason was the desire to create the value of "accumulating history and creating emotional connections.
Both Tennozu and the Aburatsu shopping district were developed by creating new value through new construction.
In contrast, renovating an existing building is the exact opposite of creating new value.
It can be said to be a successful example of breaking down the notion that new creation is a prerequisite for the development of a town or region.
In other words, it does not necessarily mean that a town or region cannot develop without creating something, and it does not mean that infrastructure growth is essential.
What is truly important for regional development
So far, we have reported on regional development using the Tennozu, Aburatsu, and Entonji shopping districts as examples.
Regional development is not impossible, and any town can evolve.
What is really important in such development is to believe in the potential of the town and to create a town based on such beliefs.
Belief in the Potential of the Town
One of the major reasons for the success of Nagoya's Entonji shopping district is that Mr. Ichihara, the driving force behind the project, and the local people believed in the potential of the district.
Ichihara's desire to connect the town's history led him to the idea of renovating vacant houses and stores.
However, none of the landlords would publicly declare their properties vacant, and when we went to see them directly, they resisted the idea of renting out vacant houses and stores, saying that they were not vacant and were being used as warehouses.
Behind this was the perception that "it is more work to rent them out" and "renting them out does not bring in any income. However, Mr. Ichihara did not give up believing in the bright potential of the shopping district by renovating them.
He actually walked the streets, found good vacant houses and stores, and envisioned what kind of customers would come and how much sales could be expected.
He then presented the landlord with a concrete vision and plan, including the cost of the renovation work and the expected rental income.
The landlord, believing in the potential of the town, agreed to the renovation. As a result, the area has developed into a popular shopping district that attracts crowds of people.
No matter how good the vision or plan is, it cannot be implemented unless the people who live there believe in the potential of the town.
In other words, the evolution of the Entonji shopping district would not have been possible without the cooperation of the landlords.
In other words, the evolution of the town must be based on the belief in the potential of the town by all the people involved in the development of the community, including those who play a leading role.
Valuing Ideas and Creating a Town Based on Them
Terada Warehouse has been involved in Tennozu and urban development from the beginning.
As the times have changed and logistics bases have shifted to Shinagawa and Oi, we have developed new businesses.
Today, Terada Warehouse is engaged in the "preservation and storage" of wine, art, and other valuables, as well as in community and cultural development.
Instead of being primarily a warehousing business, we have developed a business similar to real estate.
And based on the idea of "creating an environment that encourages intelligence and creativity," we are realizing urban development that makes the most of the conventional warehouse district and the canal.
The "Architectural Warehouse Museum" for storing culture and art, and the establishment of event and rental spaces that people can use for multiple purposes.
It is truly an art town that allows people to realize their true potential, and it has been successful in reflecting their thoughts and ideas in the town.
Not only the Terada Warehouse, but also other people who have been key players in the development of shopping arcades have created towns based on their thoughts about the town.
Tennozu is an example of a town that was created from scratch based on the thoughts of Terada Warehouse, which was the driving force behind the development of the town.
However, a shopping district is not only based on the thoughts of the architects, but also on the thoughts of the local people, which were born through communication with them.
In other words, the original meaning of community development can be said to be the creation of a town through the united efforts of people who cherish the ideas of "this is the kind of town I want to build" and "this is the kind of town I wish it could be.
Conclusion
In this report, we have described the development of towns and regions, using Tennozu and local shopping districts as examples.
Towns change with the times, and if they do not evolve with the times, they will become obsolete.
Furthermore, it is the town that is the base for creating new values in this world.
The example of Tennozu, which has achieved significant development over time, is by no means a miracle.
Tennozu would not be what it is today if there had been no key players and if people had not believed in the potential and passion for the city.
It is difficult for everyone to work with the same passion, and it is precisely because there was a key player to bring out that passion that both Tennozu and its shopping district were able to achieve development.
However, this does not mean that we have to wait for a leading figure to emerge; anyone can become a leading figure.
A city does not develop automatically.
If nothing is done, it is quite possible that the town will lose its role and function as a town and become a shuttered town in the true sense of the word.
It is you, the readers of this article, who can transform the town when you think about the present state of the community.
