AKASAKA CIRCULAR CITY
CONFERENCE & TOURISM
2024
- Building a Circular Future from Tokyo -
2024.10.08 TUE
@Akasaka Intercity Conference Center 〜 Kuramae Area
ABOUT
Akasaka is an international district located in the heart of Tokyo, home to the headquarters of major corporations, foreign companies, and embassies. From this cosmopolitan Akasaka, where Japan and the world intersect, how can we effectively promote Japan's circular economy to the global audience and create opportunities for international collaboration? Moreover, how can we explore a vision for Tokyo as a circular city, with Akasaka?
With these perspectives in mind, Harch Inc, which operates the social good magazine “IDEAS FOR GOOD”, circular economy media platform “Circular Economy Hub”, and English sustainability media “Zenbird Media”, is inviting you to Akasaka, Tokyo, for the “Circular City Conference and Tour 2024.”
In the first half, we will hold a conference aimed at deepening the understanding of circular economy practices by Japanese companies. The event will provide a multi-dimensional view of domestic circular projects and services, from initiatives by major corporations based in Akasaka to realize a circular neighborhood in the city center, to pitches by circular startups that will shape Japan’s sustainable future.
In the second half, the location will shift to Kuramae, a circular economy hotspot in Tokyo known for its community-based circular urban development practices. Here, you will take part in a tour as an active participant, experiencing uniquely Japanese circular projects.
We invite you all to join us on October 8 at Akasaka, Tokyo!
*This event will be conducted in English.
AM
CONFERENCE
PM
TOUR
Conference on Understanding Circular Economy
Initiatives in Japanese Companies
Tour to Observe and Experience
Japanese Circular Projects
If this sounds like you, the event will fit you perfectly:
- Looking to explore the future of Tokyo’s circular urbanism
- Interested in networking for circular urban development in Tokyo
- Love to learn about the current state of circular economy practices across Japan from local businesses, and startups, to large corporations
- Currently exploring global collaboration opportunities related to circular economic themes
PROGRAM
8:30 @Akasaka Intercity Conference Center
Open
9:00 - 12:00 @Akasaka Intercity Conference Center
CONFERENCE
"Building a Circular Future from Tokyo"
- 9:00 - 9:15
- Opening Remarks
Introduction to Circular Economy Examples (Harch CEO)
- 9:15 - 10:15
- Initiatives by Japanese Companies
~How can we build a "circular neighborhood" in central Tokyo?~
TBS HOLDINGS, Inc.
Making Sustainability and SDGs Accessible: How TBS Is Communicating to Change Society
TBS, a major media company that started broadcasting in 1955, was one of the first Japanese commercial TV stations to join the United Nations' 'SDG Media Compact' and has been actively working toward the achievement of the SDGs. Specifically, they have incorporated SDG elements into many of their programs during the campaign 'Make the Earth Smile WEEK' and have continued to engage the public with events like 'Make the Earth Smile Plaza,' held at TBS’s headquarters in Akasaka, focusing on circularity and the SDGs.
- Nami Inoue
- Specially Appointed Executive Officer (Group Sustainability Promotion)、Division President,Sustainability Transformation (SX) Center
Hakuhodo Inc.
Urban Farming for a Regenerative and Circular Lifestyle
UNIVERSITY of CREATIVITY is a research institute launched by Japan's major advertising agency Hakuhodo, headquartered in Akasaka. It focuses on researching, educating, and implementing creativity as a technology for future creation. The institute began the Tokyo Urban Farming project in 2021 under the slogan 'Let’s Make Tokyo an Edible Forest,' aiming to revitalize individuals, communities, and the city itself through agricultural activities, promoting a circular and regenerative way of living.
- Hidenori Kondo
- University of Creativity (UoC),Sustainability Field Director
Coming Soon
- 10:30 - 11:10
- Rapid Pitches by Startups
Startups working in the circular economy will present their projects.
- iKasa
- iKasa is Japan's first comprehensive umbrella sharing service. It is available in 12 prefectures, mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area, with over 1,600 spots. iKasa has more than 600,000 registered users. They also offer a subscription plan for 280 yen per month, aiming to shift from a lifestyle of buying umbrellas at convenience stores to a sustainable and convenient society.
- Kaman
- Megloo offers a reusable package sharing service for takeout and delivery, designed to eliminates single-use plastic and reduce carbon emissions. Durable, leak-proof, and easy-to-clean biomass PP containers are deployed across numerous eateries in Japan and at prominent events. A QR code-based app boosts return rates to over 99%.
- digglue
- digglue Inc. is a startup with the purpose of "Implementing a sustainable world through technology," supporting the realization of a circular economy. The company offers consulting on resource circulation, loop building, and upcycling. In the digital domain, it provides platforms such as "MateRe-Visualization" for visualizing resource circulation, "MateRe-Traceability" for facilitating inter-company data collaboration, and "CiReta!" for DPP compliance and promoting behavioral change among consumers.
- mymizu
- mymizu is an award-winning, crowd-sourced platform connecting people to 13,000+ free water refill stations across Japan. With the mymizu app, you can refill your water bottle for free instead of buying plastic water bottles - it’s good for the planet, your body, and your wallet! Since 2019, mymizu has gained 350,000+ users/contributors and built a network of 2,500+ partner stores, saving millions of PET bottles from going to waste.
- RECOTECH
- RECOTECH, a Climate Tech Startup building a society where waste is a resource, was founded in 2007. In late 2020, it underwent a third-party allotment of capital to become a startup. Its data platform, "pool," realizes a circular economy by digitizing waste, increasing resource recovery efficiency, and connecting manufacturers seeking recycled materials with waste-generating businesses to design circular supply chains. The circular supply chain for plastic waste, co-created by pool with major manufacturers and department stores in collaboration with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, has received ministerial recognition from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of the Environment, and is expanding nationwide. As a leading company in the circular economy, RECOTECH is driving transformation in the waste industry together with new and existing players.
- 11:10 - 12:00
- Tour Overview, Closing Remarks, and Networking
Attendees will have the opportunity to network with representatives from the presenting companies.
Details for the following tour program will also be provided.
Move to Kuramae Area
13:00 @elab
LUNCH
The tour will open with participants enjoying a vegan lunch at ELAB! ELAB is a collaborative laboratory that explores circularity in the essential aspects of daily life, such as clothing, food, and housing. The lab involves consumers, companies, experts, and academics in their research and puts it into practice. Their cafe is a plant-based that sources seasonal vegetables from local urban farms practicing urban agriculture, including their rooftop garden.
14:00 - 18:30 @Kuramae
TOUR
About the Tour
Over 150 years ago, during the Edo period (1603–1868), the former Tokyo (Edo) naturally adopted a circular lifestyle, as limited resources under the policy of isolation forced people to live sustainably. Broken items were repaired, food waste and excrement were composted, kimonos were reused and recycled, and the concept of a sharing economy was practiced in communal housing (nagaya). In every aspect of life—clothing, food, and shelter—resources were meticulously utilized.
The wisdom of Edo’s circular lifestyle has been passed down through generations and can still be observed in modern Tokyo. This tour will take participants to Kuramae, Tokyo’s circular hotspot, where they will visit businesses engaged in local circular urban development and experience Japan’s unique circular projects firsthand.
Rinnebar
DIY Upcycling Workshop at a Bar
With the concept of “CRAFT x DRINK x UPCYCLING,” Rinne.bar is a bar where anyone can easily enter and experience making things over a drink. The materials used for crafts come from existing craftspeople who have disused or scrap materials. It’s also the reason behind the name “Rinne,” which means “reincarnation” in Japanese, referring to reusing waste materials to make items of meaningful value.
En no Ki
Visit to a Coffee Roastery Engaged in Local Circular Economy Practices
En no Ki leads the “KURAMAE Model,” which is a circular economy project in the Kuramae. This project focuses on transforming waste materials, particularly from the coffee industry, into new, valuable products. It does so by leveraging on connections with local businesses and collaborations, while also partnering with welfare facilities to create an inclusive community.
18:30 End
INFORMATION
- Date
- 2024.10.08 (Tue) 9:00 - 18:30
- Location
-
Conference: Akasaka Intercity Conference Center
Tour: Kuramae Area
- Participation Fee
-
Conference: $50
Tour: $150
Conference + Tour: $180
Bonus: All tickets include a copy of the "Sustainable City Guide: TOKYO."
- Capacity
-
Conference: 50 persons
Tour: 15 persons
*Limited spots are available; we encourage early registration.
- Organizer
- Harch Inc.
- Sponsor
- Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate Co., Ltd. (Akasaka Place Design Projects)
- Planning & Operations
- ATTIQUE Inc.
ACCESS
- Akasaka Intercity Conference Center
-
3F and 4F, Akasaka Intercity AIR, 1-8-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052
※Google Map
※Official Website
Nearest Stations
- Underground routes
-
Tokyo Metro Tameikesanno Station Exit 14 (directly connected to the AICC building)
(Ginza Line, Namboku Line)
Tokyo Metro Kokkaigijidomae Station Exit 14（directly connected to the AICC building）
(Marunouchi Line, Chiyoda Line)
*The route will pass through Tameikesanno Station.
*You can reach the venue without getting wet in the rain.
*The route is barrier-free.
- Overground routes
-
A two-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Tameikesanno Station Exit 9
(Ginza Line, Namboku Line)
A two-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Kokkaigijidomae Station Exit 9
(Marunouchi Line, Chiyoda Line)
*The route will pass through Tameikesanno Station.
ABOUT US
Akasaka Place Design Projects
The "Akasaka Place Design Projects" (APDP), led by Nittetsu Kowa Real Estate, is a project launched in the summer of 2024 to make Akasaka a more "meaningful city." Rather than offering things that can be found anywhere, the aim is to create a city filled with opportunities to discover, share, and nurture what is truly valuable to each individual.
The "circular economy" is one of the valuable concepts cherished by the Akasaka area, and thus, this event has received their support.
Official Website