EVENT HISTORY

　Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau held the second Unique Venue Showcase Event 2023 to illustrate the charms of Tokyo's Unique Venues through the various methods they can be utilized. The dynamic event was held under the themes of "functional use of multiple facilities." and "regional cooperation". The event was held in the vibrant business event hub of Nihonbashi, with the cooperation of local businesses. The venues were COREDO MUROMACHI TERRACE's Large Roof Open Space, Fukutoku Garden, and other facilities, fully utilizing the whole Nihonbashi Muromachi area.　It was held in a hybrid format, with an English and Japanese broadcast for online audiences.

　

　After establishing the Edo Shogunate in 1603, Nihonbashi became the meeting point of the 5 major roads of Japan and had a major fish market, attracting traders. Due to this, Nihonbashi became the heart of trade within Edo(old Tokyo), and its name in Japanese means "Japan Bridge." These days Nihonbashi is made up of banks, department stores, pharmaceutical makers, and industry-government-academia space and life science research startups.

　The event participants had welcome drinks at COREDO MUROMACHI TERRACE's Large Open Roof Space, which got its name by combining the words "core" and "Edo." Then, they moved to the third floor's Muromachi Mitsui Hall for the talk session. In the lobby next to the cloakroom, they discovered a virtual reality experience where participants could experience the viewpoint of an International Space Station（ISS）astronaut in the metaverse under the supervision of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency(JAXA). This experience was truly reminiscent of the Nihonbashi area with its space-related businesses. At the talk session with businesses from the Nihonabashi Muromachi area, topics included "What really is sustainability," an explanation of how Nihonbashi's businesses have continually embraced new challenges to survive over 300 years, and explanations of how to use Fukutoku Garden and the Large Open Roof Space for business events.

　After this, participants returned to the first floor, where they enjoyed a historic prologue show featuring famous geisha and shogun at the Large Open Roof Space, which had been transformed into an outdoor theatre! It was as if the actors had time traveled! Participants split into 4 groups and visited the various businesses in the area while accompanied by tour guides and the historical figures. During the tour, there was free tasting of nori seaweed and dashi soup. Participants learned about the local area's history and searched for an answer to a riddle to help the historical figures return to their own time period. Upon arriving at Fukutoku Garden, ninjas appeared and provided hints for the riddle, and participants commented with surprise that they "did not expect such a large-scale event."

　As it grew dark, the outdoor roof square was illuminated with beautiful lights, and the event finished with a high-tension sword fight. Passers-by also stopped to watch the event, and thanks to the open square, participants experienced "business events integrated into the local community" for a truly one-of-a-kind event.

　

　After the show, the Large Open Roof Space acted as a networking area, serving food and collaborative products from the "Miyoshikai," a group of well-known Nihonbashi long-established stores, as well as home-brewed craft beer from the brewery at the COREDO MUROMACHI TERRACE store. Food was prepared in small containers with lids and packaged in "falcata wood," a combustible, biodegradable material made from plants. In addition, products from "Tsunagift," a project to develop souvenirs from Nihonbashi born from the connections made by a local web magazine, were offered at the nearby sub-venue, the One Hand Bistro. Participants were even offered original confections and coupons from local businesses.

　

　Please feel free to contact us when considering an event at COREDO MUROMACHI TERRACE or Fukutoku Garden. At Tokyo Unique Venues, we are ready to serve you with our breadth of expertise, from various application procedures to advice during setup.

【Event Overview】
　Date： March 8th, 2023
　Note: Recordings of this event can be viewed on YouTube.

【COREDO MUROMACHI TERRACE, Large roof open space】

【Fukutoku Garden】

　*Venue Map（The outlined area was the main event space）