Corporations and Municipalities──A Project Realized Through Close Collaboration

A 30-second walk from Akasaka Station. “T-TIME” was born in a corner of the city center, surrounded by numerous office buildings, including those around Akasaka Sacas. The “T” in its name embodies three concepts: “Take,” “Think,” and “Talk.” In other words, it is a lounge with three faces: a place to absorb information, a study for generating ideas, and a space for communication.


The lounge is operated by Icom Inc., headquartered in Saitama Prefecture. The company explores new possibilities in the real estate industry. It has a track record of environmentally conscious properties, from building materials to the provision of monthly apartments using domestic timber.

Minato Ward, Tokyo, where Akasaka is located, has long been advancing projects that transmit environmental initiatives from the ward to the entire globe. In 2009, the Mayor of Minato Ward and the mayors of municipalities rich in forest resources nationwide convened the “Minato Forest and Water Summit.” This marked the beginning of discussions between urban and mountainous areas aiming to jointly achieve a low-carbon society.

The symbol mark of “uni4m”

The collaborative organization established to implement the principles set forth at the summit is the “Minato Forest and Water Network Conference,” commonly known as “uni4m” (UNIFIED NETWORKING INITIATIVE FOR MINATO “MORI & MIZU” MEETING).


As a mechanism to promote timber use in urban areas and forest management in mountainous regions through uni4m's actions, the “Minato Model CO2 Sequestration Certification System” (hereinafter referred to as the Minato Model) was launched in October 2011.

To advance this system, Minato Ward and mountainous municipalities have concluded agreements guaranteeing reforestation after logging. Minato Ward acts as an intermediary, connecting local governments that own forests with urban developers. By encouraging the use of thinned and mature timber produced by participating municipalities, the system increases CO2 sequestration within the ward and promotes forest management nationwide.


More trees, which has advocated for the use of thinned timber as a “platform connecting forests and cities,” is also deeply involved in the Minato Model. All the municipalities where “more trees forests” are located are listed as participating municipalities in the Minato Model. The launch of this certification system represented a significant opportunity for a challenging endeavor for them as well.



Icom Inc., the operator of “T-TIME,” had been interested in such initiatives for some time. Due to a fortunate coincidence, the Minato Model was launched around the time the Akasaka property was under construction. For them, a business lounge featuring domestic timber was also a new undertaking and an opportunity to leverage their long-standing expertise. Consequently, they decided to commission “more trees design” for the direction, with whom they had prior interactions.

More trees design is a company that supports forest development from the urban side by utilizing more trees' resources. With the field of architecture, which consumes large quantities of various types of timber, in its sights, the company has been conceptualizing spatial design projects using domestic timber. For the interior of “T-TIME,” domestic timber grown in more trees' forests in Nakatosa Town, Kochi Prefecture, Shimokawa Town, Hokkaido, and Higashishirakawa Village, Gifu Prefecture, has been used for everything from the flooring and walls to the furniture.



Upon entering, the space is filled with the pleasant aroma of wood. Food and drinks can be brought in freely, and amenities such as power outlets for charging devices, wireless LAN, and business books are provided. Whether enjoying a conversation over coffee or concentrating on work,──the way one uses the “forest lounge in the city,” T-TIME, is up to each individual.



T-TIME

2-14-27 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Kokusai Shin-Akasaka Building East Wing B1F, Unit 109

Business Hours: 10:00–20:00

Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, and Public Holidays


more trees

Tel. 03-5770-3969