Tokyo Ryutsu Center (TRC) was founded in 1967 and has thus been engaged in the operation and management of logistics facilities in Tokyo’s Heiwajima district (Ota-ku) for more than 50 years. On its own vast site extending across an area of roughly 150,000 m2 (or more than three times the size of Tokyo Dome), the company has built logistics facilities equipped with urban village-like functions to develop business in a comprehensive fashion. Over the past decade, TRC has promoted the redevelopment of major on-site facilities, completing the first project for Distribution Bldg. B in 2017. Next in line was the Distribution Bldg. A project, which was completed in August 2023. Wataru Yoda, Joji Ishida, and Rie Ozawa, members of the related project team and the company’s Distribution Bldg. A Redevelopment Office, talked about the cutting-edge features of the new facility.

Housed in a seven-story structure including a rooftop parking garage, the new Distribution Bldg. A contains a unique blend of warehouse, office, showroom, distribution processing, and maintenance center spaces along with other functions to respond to a broad range of uses and business sizes.

“The unit area for tenant spaces is set up to offer a wide choice of sizes, ranging from very small (476 m2) to very large (25,785 m2),” explained Yoda. “This plan is to meet the strong demand for smaller units, mainly used for small-volume storage and by startups, which we identified while engaging in tenancy negotiations for Bldg. B. And it has been well-received by customers. Also, a large proportion of Bldg. A’s tenant units are designed to accommodate customization for water supply and drainage in response to requests made by many customers, principally those associated with the nearby Ota Market. Other special features include strong capabilities to provide a stable large-capacity power supply as well as supply and exhaust ventilation according to unit area, and specifications as a multipurpose facility offering not only warehousing functions but also functions for office, showroom and maintenance center needs.”

One special feature of the Bldg. A project is the extra high-voltage substation that has been installed within the building to supply power to each building on the premises, aiming to optimize energy usage for the entire site. The new building also has a number of features added for the comfort and convenience of truck drivers and other employees, such as the Sky Terrace rooftop amenity space as well as convenience stores and coin-operated shower booths. This marks a change from suburban logistics facilities, which are usually located in less commercial neighborhoods and lack easy access to convenience stores and restaurants. On the contrary, those working in Bldg. A can avail themselves of restaurants run by the company within Bldg. B for lunch and even dinner. Taken in totality, the TRC premises are in fact designed to serve as a kind of urban village, with other amenities including banking and medical care services.

The new building boasts a robust array of BCP measures, such as seismic isolation structures, a backup generator ready to serve in the event of blackouts, and countermeasures against tsunamis, heavy rain, and typhoons. It also demonstrates a commitment to sustainability and environmental considerations, chiefly exemplified by the installation of green walls and electric vehicle charging stations.

As part of the security measures, security guards and facility managers are stationed on-site on a 24/7 basis and are able to respond immediately to a problem with the facility. This is appreciated by many tenants for providing them with an increased sense of security.

“One of TRC’s unique strengths is that the company, as the owner, operator, and manager of the facilities that house the tenants, is situated on the same site as its customers,” said Yoda. “We take advantage of this close proximity by engaging in communication with our customers on a day-to-day basis, basically through consultation sessions, in order to understand their needs and requests in a timely manner and take appropriate actions swiftly. We are proud of this strength, which is highly rated by many customers.”

“As the manager of the facilities, we are committed to addressing any issues that might have a negative effect on tenants and to increasing the options for solving problems,” added Ishida. “Specifically, in a bid to alleviate any anxieties, we have adopted solid seismic isolation structures and higher-than-standard wind-resistance designs. In terms of building services, we have installed appropriate systems to ensure effective water supply and drainage and a stable supply of large-capacity power for tenants using freezers and refrigerators. Bldg. A is the result of persistent efforts made over time, and these efforts have borne fruit that we can now harvest as the owner and on-site manager.”

TRC is located central Tokyo, a major trading area. It is only one minute’s walk from Ryutsu Center Station on the Tokyo Monorail line. By vehicle, it is 1 km from the Heiwajima IC on the Metropolitan Expressway Haneda Route and 3 km from the Oiminami IC on the Metropolitan Expressway Wangan Route. It is also close to Ring Road No. 7. Oi Wharf is also not far away and Haneda Airport is a roughly 10-minute drive. Thus favorably situated to enjoy easy access to land, air, and sea transportation services, the company can develop efficient delivery routes and frequent delivery schedules in order to expand its business. The location also makes it an easy commute for workers, giving the company a strong advantage in terms of recruiting and employment.

“Unlike suburban facilities, which might take customers quite some time just to look at, our facilities are easily accessible, particularly by train, with links to major stations like Tokyo Station and Shinagawa Station,” noted Ozawa. “We welcome site visit requests from Mitsubishi Group companies at any time and will schedule a preview at the earliest opportunity.”

Having belonged to the organization since its launch, Ozawa is the only ongoing member of the Distribution Bldg. A Redevelopment Office, which plays a central role in promoting the project. She was the one who suggested that all-gender restrooms be introduced to Bldg. A, an idea that was adopted despite some initial disagreement within the company. Ozawa had noted requests from some customers concerned about the limited availability of men’s stalls, and responded by contacting a number of manufacturers to collect information. As a result, universal restrooms have been installed in the building, exemplifying the people-friendly features of facility.

“Many of our customers have sought us out after having many other warehousing companies decline their requests, saying they are ‘too challenging,’” said Yoda. “In order to take on such customers, we have a lot of discussions among ourselves and with our technicians to find solutions that can satisfy their requests. Thanks to these efforts, we have concluded many long-term contracts, which is something we are proud of. We welcome inquiries from customers who are experiencing problems with their current logistics facilities, including those that are seemingly difficult to solve.”

The number of suburban logistics facility development projects has recently been growing rapidly, driven by new developers and general construction contractors entering the market from both inside and outside Japan. Against this backdrop, TRC has completed the new Distribution Bldg. A by fully utilizing the know-how it has built up over the past 50 years and with an eye to the next 50. TRC will continue to evolve, responding to constantly emerging new needs with the aim of becoming a standard-bearer in warehouse operations.