TOKYU LAND CORPORATION (Head Office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Hiroaki Hoshino; hereinafter “TLC”), SoftBank Corp. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President and CEO: Junichi Miyakawa; hereinafter “SoftBank”), and General Incorporated Association Takeshiba Area Management (Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Minoru Hirachi; hereinafter “Takeshiba Area Management”) have been selected as a finalist in the “Enabling Technology” category of the “World Smart City Awards” (hereinafter “the Awards”), which recognize the world’s most innovative cities and projects, at the “Smart City Expo World Congress 2025” (organized by Fira de Barcelona), one of the world’s largest international smart city events held annually since 2011. The 2025 Awards received 462 entries from 65 countries, and approximately 30 projects in total were selected as finalists across all categories. Japan’s selection is one of the few to date and marks the first time a private sector-led project from the Tokyo Metropolitan Area has been chosen.
About the World Smart City Awards
The “Smart City Expo World Congress” is the leading annual gathering where governments, businesses, and research institutions come together to tackle the complex challenges of guiding cities toward a brighter future. Held annually in Barcelona, it is one of the world’s largest urban innovation event, attracting over 25,000 professional attendees from more than 130 countries, over 1,100 exhibitors, and over 600 speakers.
Held annually within the event, the awards is a prestigious international competition recognizing pioneering projects, ideas, and strategies that make cities worldwide more livable, sustainable, and economically viable.
Project Overview
Applicant: TOKYU LAND CORPORATION
Co-Applicants: SoftBank Corp.; Takeshiba Area Management, a General Incorporated Association
Supporting Organization: Tokyo Metropolitan Government
Project Summary: In Takeshiba, where diverse stakeholders collaborate to advance urban development, a smart city platform serves as the core platform, integrating real-time data streams. Through data visualization, the platform supports analysis and decision-making. By utilizing digital signage in the area and personal smartphones via the LINE app, the project implements initiatives to address regional challenges -specifically, enhancing pedestrian circulation and strengthening disaster resilience.
Smart City Takeshiba Initiative
The Project Awards at the World Smart City Awards comprise six categories, such as “Governance & Economy” and “Mobility”. Smart City Takeshiba was selected as a finalist in the “Enabling Technology” category, which honors practical and proven technologies that effectively solve urban challenges and enhance public services. We presented our decade-long track record in area management and initiatives addressing local issues such as improving accessibility and disaster prevention, covering the evaluation criteria listed below.
| Evaluation criteria | Corresponding Initiatives |
| Innovation | Integrating diverse information sources, including building data, area data, and open data into the Smart City Platform (“Urban OS”). Implementing mechanisms linking “day-to-day accessibility and disaster response”. |
| Relevance | Establishing an environment capable of delivering disaster information instantly to approximately 50,000 commuters unable to return home in the event of an emergency, enhancing disaster response capabilities, and presenting a model for a city where people wish to remain |
| Impact | Leveraging an implemented platform capable of directly delivering local information to approximately 30,000 people, we promote seamless behavioral change through real-time incentives and disaster prevention information. |
| Citizen Engagement and Co-creation | Adopting Living Lab operational methods that reflect the voices of citizens and visitors, such as implementing service improvements through user surveys. |
| | Providing disaster prevention and circulation services by leveraging existing apps to eliminate download barriers. Utilizing digital signage to disseminate information to non-smartphone users. Also providing information through MICE organizers to encompass diverse user groups, including overseas visitors. |
| Feasibility | Technologically and institutionally validated, the project is in the social implementation (real-world deployment) phase. sustainable area management framework and operational scheme are established. |
| Replicability | A scalable model that can be replicated in areas facing common regional challenges such as disaster prevention and pedestrian circulation. |
| Multi-stakeholder Collaboration | Residents, businesses, and local government collaborate to advance community development by analyzing and utilizing data within a public-private partnership platform. |
| Soundness | Over a decade of area management experience in the Takeshiba district. Selected as a Smart Tokyo pilot area by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government since 2020. |
| Excellence and relevance of achievements | Already implemented as a service in the Takeshiba area, with real-time incentives distributed to approximately 4,500 users in FY 2024. |
Smart City Expo World Congress 2025
As part of the Tokyo Pavilion at Smart City Expo World Congress 2025, with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government serving as the lead exhibitor, we will participate in a joint exhibition. As one of Tokyo’s smart city models, we will also conduct PR activities to enhance Tokyo’s international presence.
If you have an interesting Article / Report/case study to share, please get in touch with us at editors@roymediative.com roy@roymediative.com, 9811346846/9625243429.
