Urban Cafe Triggers Environmental Communication

A unique coffee shop, "Otemachi Cafe", was opened on the first floor of the Otemachi Building in Otemachi, Tokyo, Japan, on August 30, 2005. The cafe, with spaces for exhibitions and seminars, is managed by Mitsubishi Estate Co. and received an award from the Ministry of the Environment on December 14, 2006, in the Eco-Services category of the Eco-Products Exhibition 2006.

Otemachi Cafe calls on companies and employees in Marunouchi, a core business district in Tokyo, to actively participate in study meetings and workshops at the cafe, and provides opportunities to consider the metropolitan environment. With these efforts to establish a network with various research institutes and companies, the cafe aims to be a hub where people can exchange information about technologies necessary to create a sustainable society.

The cafe's exhibition and seminar spaces are used to deliver the latest information on environmental studies and technologies.
Moreover, they are available for workshops on new energies or urban eco-systems by researchers and companies, and for seminars and salons for health and beauty aimed at the general public. The spaces thus act as venues for intellectual exchanges.

The cafe space serves dishes and beverages using quality ingredients in season. Construction materials, tables and chairs are all recyclable and atractive in design, and charcoal is used to deodorize and clean the air. In addition, substantial amounts of natural materials were used in its construction in order to minimize waste in future renovations. Mitsubishi Estate intends to make full use of its accumulated knowledge and experience for future community planning in Marunouchi.



Posted: 2007/07/04 09:34:13 AM
Japanese version