Revitalizing the Namba area

Namba, directly connected to Kansai International Airport and the gateway to Kansai from the rest of the world, is one of Japan's representative terminals, and the city of Namba attracts many people as an international tourist city.

Ever since its founding in 1885, our Group has positioned Namba as its largest base for business. The Group has grown together with the area while aiming to be at the forefront of current trends in community development efforts.The Greater Namba Initiative is currently being promoted, which aims to revitalise the wider area.

Going forward, various opportunities are expected to arise that will stimulate the Kansai economy, and it is hoped that momentum will grow to shape the future of Namba. Our Group has formulated the Greater Namba Vision and aims to realize Entertainment Diversity (ENTAME-DIVER-CITY) as the next generation of Namba through the implementation of various measures.

By building a foundation for both social and physical infrastructure, such as deepening existing facilities, real estate development, public space utilization, and human resource development, we aim to increase the number of visitors to the district, the duration of their stay, and the frequency of their visits. In turn, this will increase opportunities for consumption, thereby enhancing the sustainability of the Namba area and helping to create a sustainable liveliness.

With the Greater Namba concept in mind, our Group invested approximately 13 billion yen in community development in Namba under the previous Medium-term Management Plan, the Kyoso 136 Plan. Under the current Medium-term Management Plan, the Kyoso 140 Plan, we plan to allocate a similar amount of money to investments aimed at increasing profits in the Namba area.

On the site facing Nansan Street on the east side of Namba Station, we are considering the commercialization of a large high-rise complex building with a joint business partner, which is in line with the urban planning decisions of Osaka City. With the opening of the Naniwasuji Line in mind, we will also be looking for properties in the area around Nankai Shin-Namba Station (tentative name) in order to take action against the risk of Namba becoming a transit area. We plan to continue to invest management resources with the highest priority in initiatives for Greater Namba in the future.

In addition, we are also focusing on soft initiatives, such as providing worker support for the approximately 15,000 people who work in the office buildings and commercial facilities we manage in the Namba area, overseeing the operational management of Tombori Riverwalk (the Dotonbori River promenade), engaging in area management activities through the Minami Community Development Network, and carrying out a Creator-in-Residence program to develop opportunities for creative activities in the Namba area.

By sharing the goal of “making Namba an even better community” with a wide range of stakeholders and striving to create an area that is even more exciting with entertainment at its core, we hope to create a virtuous cycle that will contribute to increasing the social value of the Nankai brand by co-creating a community that is full of liveliness and charm, and by increasing the appeal of working and living near such a community.

On November 23, 2023, after two rounds of social experiments, the Namba Hiroba was born. This pedestrian space was created by reorganizing the rotary on the north side of Namba Station in Nankai, in collaboration with the local government.

This project was made possible by the recognition of the need for a pedestrian environment and a plaza centered around people, as well as the local shopping district’s desire to create a pedestrian space in front of the station in response to issues such as the lack of sidewalk widths for abandoned bicycles and the increase in pedestrian traffic, as well as the division of the station and downtown area due to frequent vehicle traffic.

The Namba Hiroba Management Corporation Preparatory Committee, made up of five organizations—the company, the Ebisubashi-suji Shopping Street Promotion Association, the Nansan Street Association, Takashimaya Co., Ltd., and Marui Co., Ltd.—has concluded an agreement with Osaka City and is currently conducting a third social experiment with the aim of managing the plaza through private sector initiatives.

Since it opened, Namba Hiroba has become a popular place for visitors to meet and rest in a high-quality, comfortable space, leading to an increase in the amount of time visitors spend in the area and stimulating consumer activity. In addition, the improved walking environment has also led to an increase in the number of people visiting shopping streets and other places, and is contributing to the revitalization of the local economy.

With EXPO 2025 and the Naniwasuji Line scheduled to open in the near future, we will continue to accelerate our efforts to develop Machikatsu Cast members who will play a leading role in the community, based on the Greater Namba Vision formulated in 2023, in order to make Namba an even more attractive place to live.

The new district, Namba Parks South, opened in July 2023 on a site of approximately 9,000 square meters to the south of Namba Parks, creating a new spread of energy and growth in the Namba area.

The new district—which consists of three facilities, including Centara Grand Hotel Osaka, a luxury hotel from Thailand making its first foray into Japan, and Parks South Square, which provides new office space in the Namba area—has complemented and expanded the functions of lodging, living, and working. It has been a little more than a year since the opening of this district, and it is off to a strong start as a base for sightseeing and business in the Namba area.

It is a facility that embodies the Greater Namba concept that our company has been advocating, with the expansion of the area to the south.