The Transformation of the Site of the Former Kanda Produce Market

From 2000 onward, Akihabara became known as a destination for anime, pop idol groups, and other subcultures. Between the Edo period and the Meiji period, however, Akihabara’s vacant lots were lined with street performance booths where kodan and rokyoku storytelling as well as comedic dance routines called “kappore” were performed. Circuses were sometimes held as well, so you could say that pop culture is embedded in Akihabara’s DNA.

The closure of the former Japanese National Railways freight station and the relocation of the Kanda produce market had resulted in a lot of empty space in Akihabara since the 1970s. In 1992, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government established a basic redevelopment policy to put that land to use, and in 2000, under the leadership of Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, a project to redevelop Akihabara was launched. Tokyo Plan 2000, as it was called, was a plan to utilize private-sector methods, leveraging Akihabara’s status as an electronics district and a world-famous cultural mecca to create a global hub for the tech industry. At that time, the government also published the Akihabara District Development Guidelines, which included the idea of utilizing the site of the former Kanda produce market to create a world-class tech hub.

In 2001, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government solicited public bids for reserved land as part of the Akihabara Station vicinity land readjustment project in accordance with those Guidelines. Daibiru found this proposal to be very enticing. The property was located close to the train station in Akihabara, a thriving location with high global name recognition. It was thought to have great potential for a wide variety of uses beyond just commercial uses.

Daibiru formed an alliance with the NTT Urban Development Corporation and Kajima Corporation to bid on the project. It also formed a commercial consortium of 34 leading Japanese companies, including NTT Communications Corporation and other telecommunications companies, consumer electronics manufacturers, television stations, trading companies, and financial institutions. In the end, Daibiru’s bid was successful. This was the first time Daibiru had formed an alliance with such a wide variety of companies.