An interactive tour to enjoy illuminations in wheelchairs and short-distance mobility | Bright “Taiwa” Tour in Marunouchi Street Park 2024 Winter

Providing brilliant experiences from new perspectives. Creating lively public spaces that are comfortable for everyone.

NOMURA, together with the Otemachi-Marunouchi Area Management Association, will be holding the Bright "Taiwa" Tour in Marunouchi Street Park 2024 Winter, an interactive tour using wheelchairs and license-free short-distance mobility devices, at Marunouchi Street Park 2024 Winter, a social experiment to examine the future state and utilization of Gyoko-dori and Marunouchi Nakadori (held on December 5, 2024).

Our sustainability policy includes revitalizing local communities and creating spaces that are easy for everyone to use. Through this tour, we aim to provide a safe and inclusive experience while out and about.

Bright “Taiwa” Tour in Marunouchi Street Park 2024 Winter | A brilliant experience from a new perspective
"Marunouchi Street Park 2024 Winter" is being held under the concept of "Bright Street". The third dialogue tour is an initiative that aims to create a diverse and inclusive town by creating new scenery, experiential value, and opportunities for interaction and mutual understanding. concept design and services that meet diverse needs are expected to increase the value of the area and attract more visitors.

In 2024, people from a variety of backgrounds, including those who have given up on nighttime outings and experiences due to disabilities or difficulty walking for long periods of time, and those interested in exploring new areas, will use wheelchairs or short-distance mobility devices to go around together, enjoying the illuminations and conversation. At the end, participants will share their realizations gained from differences in physical perspectives and broadening their perspectives, which will be used to create bustling public spaces in the future.

Dialogue tour details
Three groups were formed, with one lead user in a wheelchair (someone with disabilities or who has difficulty walking) and one or two participants using the short-distance mobility device "WHILL" (people who have no trouble walking). They traveled approximately 700m one way along Marunouchi Street Park's Marunouchi Nakadori and Gyoko-dori streets, for a round trip distance of approximately 1.4km.

Participants will also experience touring the city in a way that is only possible with a wheelchair or short-distance mobility, such as negotiating uneven surfaces in the town and making S-shaped maneuvers using bollards (poles that stick out of the ground and are used to stop cars, etc.).
*Applications are now closed.
 

Bright “Taiwa” Tour planning points
Point 1: Compare changes in the town's appearance and communication from three physical perspectives

Those who have no trouble walking will be able to compare the differences in perspective between three different scenes: standing, wheelchair, and sitting on a bench. Through seeing the town and illuminations and communicating with wheelchair users, participants will gain insight into inclusive town development. (At the end of the tour, there will be an exchange of opinions between participants. Venue cooperation: Start Line Co., Ltd.)

Point 2: A new city tour experience through short-distance mobility

The WHILL used on this tour is a short-distance mobility vehicle that can be driven in pedestrian areas without requiring a driver's license. The model used on this tour, the WHILL Model C2, is characterized by its ability to overcome 5cm steps, its maneuverability, and its smooth ride, and can be used by anyone, regardless of disability, age, or nationality. This tour will also examine the potential of new mobility in public spaces.

・WHILL Model C2 loan cooperation: WHILL Co., Ltd.
・Skating rink rental cooperation: LUTZ Co., Ltd.

Point 3: The lead wheelchair user will be an active para-athlete

The lead user on the tour will be an active para-athlete who uses a wheelchair on a daily basis. He will guide those who are trying out short-distance mobility for the first time so that they can explore the city with peace of mind. He will use the insights he has gained from his experience working in various cities both in Japan and overseas to create public spaces.

・Athlete employee/powerlifter Tetsuo Nishizaki (affiliated with NOMURA)
・Wheelchair tennis player Saeki Takamuro (Start Line)

Bright “Taiwa” Tour Details

Name: Bright “Taiwa” Tour
Date and time: Thursday, December 5, 2024, 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Location:
Marunouchi Nakadori Street (Special Ward Road No. 114 and No. 119)
Block 1: In front of Maru Building, Yusen Building, and Mitsubishi Corporation Building
Block 2: In front of Marunouchi 2-chome Building and Marunouchi Nakadori Building
Block 3: Marunouchi Park Building, Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Building
Block 4: In front of Shin Tokyo Building and Marunouchi Nijubashi Building
Block 5: In front of the New International Building and the International Building
*First time holding 5 blocks in the winter season

Gyoko-dori Street (Tokyo Route 404)
Organizers: NPO OMY Area Management Association (Regale), NOMURA, Ltd.
Special cooperation: WHILL Co., Ltd., LUTZ Co., Ltd., Start Line Co., Ltd.

About Marunouchi Street Park 2024 Winter

"Marunouchi Street Park 2024 Winter" is a social experiment to examine the future state and utilization of Gyoko-dori and Marunouchi Naka-dori.

NOMURA is the general planning partner and operator of this event, and is responsible for the spatial concept design, construction, and operation of the event.
The 12th Marunouchi Street Park will be held from Thursday, November 14th to Wednesday, December 25th, 2024. It was launched in 2019 as a social experiment to verify the future of Gyoko-dori and Marunouchi Nakadori and how to utilize them. By turning public spaces such as roads into high-quality spaces where workers and visitors can easily stay and wander around, the project will create a lively atmosphere in the Otemachi, Marunouchi, and Yurakucho area. The implementation of the project on Gyoko-dori, which connects Tokyo Station and the Imperial Palace, in addition to Marunouchi Nakadori, is one of the few cases of integrated use of public spaces, and is an initiative in collaboration with Park Street Tokyo* that contributes to the creation of walkable towns in places that symbolize Japan and Tokyo.

*An initiative to promote the creation of a city where people can enjoy walking by utilizing road space, etc., in order to promote the development of a city that is centered on people rather than cars. Since 2020, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has been working in cooperation with local organizations and local wards and cities in an integrated manner.

The largest-ever event, with markets, ice rinks and more set up in the road space
Creating excitement during the holiday season

Marunouchi Nakadori
There will be a "Christmas Market" and "kitchen trucks" selling goods and eating out in collaboration with shops and hotels in the Otemachi-Yu area, and you can relax at the tables and chairs set up in the road space under the illuminated lights. There will also be live music performances by the ever-popular Marunouchi Street Musicians, and there will also be a booth offering wonderful portrait illustrations under the Marunouchi illuminations. You can shop, take photos, and create a space that will make you smile.

Gyoko Street
Following on from last year, the Marunouchi Street Rink, an eco-friendly plastic ice rink, will be set up on Gyoko-dori Street, which connects Tokyo Station and the Imperial Palace. Under the illuminations, you can enjoy an extraordinary time in this iconic location in front of Tokyo Station.

Marunouchi Street Park 2024 Winter Event Overview

Name: Marunouchi Street Park 2024 Winter
Date and time: Thursday, November 14, 2024 to Wednesday, December 25, 2024, 11:00-22:00 *Pre-opening on Wednesday, November 13
Location:
Marunouchi Nakadori Street (Special Ward Road No. 114 and No. 119)
Block 1: In front of Maru Building, Yusen Building, and Mitsubishi Corporation Building
Block 2: In front of Marunouchi 2-chome Building and Marunouchi Nakadori Building
Block 3: Marunouchi Park Building, Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Building
Block 4: In front of Shin Tokyo Building and Marunouchi Nijubashi Building
Block 5: In front of the New International Building and the International Building
*First time holding 5 blocks in the winter season

Gyoko-dori Street (Tokyo Prefectural Route 404)
Official website: https://marunouchi-streetpark.com
Sponsor: Marunouchi Street Park 2024 Executive Committee
(Member organizations: NPO Otemachi-Marunouchi-Yurakucho Area Management Association (Regale) / General Incorporated Association Otemachi-Marunouchi-Yurakucho Area Urban Development Council / Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd.)
Supported by: Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo
General planning partner and operator: NOMURA Co., Ltd.
Planning cooperation: Mitsubishi Jisho Property Management Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Jisho Design Co., Ltd.
Special cooperation: LUTZ Co., Ltd.
Sponsor: Tiffany & Co.
Cooperation: Whaves Co., Ltd., Koiwai Farm Dining Co., Ltd., The Peninsula Tokyo Co., Ltd., Imperial Hotel Co., Ltd., Harmonia Co., Ltd., BROWN ANTIQUES, Tokyo PM Co., Ltd., Sunpole Co., Ltd., Meiji University