【Report on Entrepreneurship Seminar】 Part1~Building communities that connect communities with the future~
Hello, everyone!
This article summarizes the Entrepreneurship Seminar on Saturday, October 5, 2024. The seminar consisted of two parts. In the first part, Mr. Junya Akiyama, Representative Director of GOODTIME Inc. spoke on "Building communities that connect communities with the future"
In the second part, we invited Mr. Kentaro Tada, President and CEO of Tadaya Ryokan, Wakura Onsen as a guest and held a panel discussion on the theme of "Town Planning ✖ Noto Reconstruction".
In the Part1, we will report the first part. Please read it to the end!
Guest Introduction
Mr. Akeyama Junya
Representative Director of GOODTIME Inc. Responsible for business planning, direction, project management, facility management, etc. for various uses in the town, such as hotels, offices, commercial facilities, and residences, and work to achieve design and business efficiency. His past achievements include ITOMACHI HOTEL 0, Japan's first zero-energy hotel, GREEN SPRINGS/SORANO HOTEL, SHIRAIYA HOTEL, GOOD NATURE STATION, and THE CAMPUS. Winner of Good Design Gold Award, FRAME AWARDS2021, Japan Spatial Design Award, etc.
Talk Contents
In the first part, Mr. Akeyama introduced his motivation and background for starting his own business and the projects he has worked on.
Here, the key points for each topic are summarized below.
1．Company Overview and Vision
GOODTIME Inc. is now in its 11-year term and is a small company with 20 members. First of all, we are a company that values the concepts of Placemaking and City Planning. Also, our vision is "Create together, the value that keeps on living." Based on this vision, we are cooperating with business owners and providing support from an economic perspective. Our goal of "creating together" requires cooperation not only with business owners but also with a variety of experts, including designers and construction companies. At our company, I sometimes play a role as a producer, but I put more emphasis on coordinating the entire team.
It is important for all parties involved to be able to work well together in creating a place. In addition, from the perspective of "continuing to be sustainable," we place importance on business cycles. As someone who studied architecture in college, I believe that even if an excellent place is created, it is meaningless unless it is run sustainably. Therefore, I carry out my business with the idea that people gather, the economy goes around, and the place becomes active as a result.
We handle a wide range of business concepts, from project direction to creative direction. Specifically, we provide business management and facility consulting after opening, while considering budget allocation and use of money in projects. In particular, when it comes to hotel construction and operation, we take a professional perspective on how many rooms should be built and what kind of ancillary facilities will be attractive.
In general, real estate companies tend to specialize in a particular industry, but we value a flexible perspective that is not biased toward specialization, handle a variety of assets so as not to be caught up in the conventional wisdom of the industry, and always think about our business from a new perspective.
2． Background and Thoughts on Entrepreneurship
To be honest, I didn't think I would start a business myself when I graduated from college. However, due to the impact of the Lehman shock, the company I used to work for was forced to go through civil rehabilitation, and I became involved as the person responsible for the rehabilitation. During this process, I saw many senior employees becoming independent and forging a new path, and I realized that I wanted to become independent. When I started my business, I didn't have a specific business plan, but I wanted to create an interesting place through collaboration with creators. With a capital of 1 million yen, it was our first attempt, but as a result, we have been blessed with many client relationships, and we are still here today.
3．Projects He Have Worked on
I'd like to introduce the specific projects that our company has undertaken.
First is ITOMACHI HOTEL0. It opened last year as the first zero-energy hotel in Japan. Our company has been involved in the project and charge of the operation. ITOMACHI HOTEL 0 was born as an attempt to revitalize local areas and explore new ways of tourism using sustainable energy. Initially, the hotel building was built ahead of schedule, but a concrete business plan was lacking, so we decided to participate in the project from the point of revising the plan. Saijo City, where this hotel is located, is located on the east side of Ehime Prefecture and is also known as the Setouchi Industrial Zone. The area has long been rich in water and is characterized by underground water called "Uchinuki," but it is not well known as a tourist destination. However, Saijo City is rich in water and industry, and it is also evaluated as a livable city, it has been ranked high many times in the country where people want to live, and the satisfaction of residents is high. In recent years, the population has been decreasing and the town has become less vibrant.
The hotel was created mainly by a company based in Saijo City, hoping to revive the city. This hotel acquired the Ministry of the Environment's Net Zero Energy Building (ZEB) certification and became Japan's first zero-energy hotel by being energy self-sufficient. Specifically, we are working to reduce energy consumption by 50% compared to a typical building, and the remaining 50% is made up of solar power generation, thereby reducing the energy balance to 0. The city block where the hotel is located has a microgrid system, which can supply electricity for 800 people 72 hours a day even during a disaster. In the management of the hotel, in addition to the concept of zero energy, we place importance on promoting the appeal of the local area. We provide foodstuffs based on local production for local consumption and utilize local crafts. We also distribute it to the media, and thankfully, we have been featured in more than 140 media outlets by explaining the reasons for 0 energy. By doing this, we are able to refocus the light on a city that has not been illuminated so far, and I hope that we can continue to contribute to the revitalization of this city.
Next, I would like to introduce the combined development of GREEN SPRINGS and SORANO HOTEL in Tachikawa, Tokyo.
The project started with a request to review the planning of a hotel, but as the project progressed, it was decided to propose the concept of town development for the whole project. The business owner owns 1/25 of the land in Tachikawa. The project aimed to make Tachikawa a leading suburban city in Japan with the vision of a new happiness that will last for 100 years. As for the concept of the town, we adopted "Wellbeing" and aimed to create an environment that promotes the health and well-being of the whole town rather than just building a hotel. Specifically, the development of the town is designed to use space luxuriously and to emphasize coexistence with nature.
As a symbol of "Well-being," SORANO HOTEL features an infinity spa and a design overlooking the natural rich Showa Kinen Park.
The office space is designed to be airy, reflecting the concept of "Well-being." In particular, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a healthy office environment was emphasized. As a result, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government set up facilities to support start-ups, leading to the success of the project.
Finally, I would like to introduce an example of the SHIROIYA HOTEL in Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture. In this case, our company played the role of a black child in terms of building a hotel, but I would like to introduce the efforts of Mr. Hitoshi Tanaka of JINS Holdings, which develops "JINS," as they are useful references. Mr.Tanaka bought an old hotel in the city and started the project in response to the requests of young people in the city. At the same time as the hotel was built, Maebashi established a vision of "Mebuku"(budding) as a beacon for the city, and as a result of the whole town moving toward that vision, new activities were born one after another. In the "SHIROIYA HOTEL" project, we saw how a clear vision involved many people and led to the revitalization of the town. He also taught us that the success of community development depends not on short-term economic efficiency or profit but on the long-term perspective of developing cities and businesses.
These examples show that strong vision, leadership, and a long-term perspective are important for community development. We can think it is necessary to make the town unique and carry out activities for the future, not for short-term profit.
Summary
In Part 1, we invited Mr. Junya Akeyama of GOODTIME Inc. to talk about "Community Development" while introducing the motivation and background of his start-up and the projects he has worked on. From Mr. Akeyama's many stories of his work, we felt that continuing to think flexibly, without being bound by precedents or expertise, leads to "community development." The town Mr. Akeyama worked in was full of charm, and that made me want to visit. Why don't you visit ITOMACHI HOTEL 0 in Ehime, GREEN SPRINGS, and SORANO HOTEL in Tachikawa, Tokyo?
Thank you very much for reading the article through to the end!
In Part 2, we will summarize the scene of the second part, so please watch it!
★The Part2 is here ↓