Establishment of Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation Framework

Framework of Anti-Disaster Measures and Anti-Disaster System

In addition to basic policies and action guidelines for natural disaster and other crisis management, the Mitsubishi Estate Group has established the Emergency Response Manual setting out the details of action in an emergency. Mitsubishi Estate also has its own Framework of Anti-Disaster Measures to ensure that necessary countermeasures are taken to protect human life and infrastructure from disasters and to take appropriate and prompt recovery measures. This framework covers a wide range of measures in a detailed manner, including standard precautionary measures, assignment of responsibilities, plans for drills, plans for emergency measures in the event of a disaster, and recovery measures. The Anti-Disaster System is put into action when a large-scale disaster occurs or is expected to occur. The Disaster Management Headquarters is established, and the company will work with government officials, police, fire department, general contractors, sub-contractors, the Chiyoda Medical Association, and St. Luke's MediLocus to support stranded commuters, respond to the injured, and conduct emergency safety checks of buildings.

In 2012 the company formed an agreement with the Chiyoda-ku government to receive stranded commuters in the event of a large-scale disaster.

See the following for the number of buildings that have been designated as temporary shelters for stranded commuters.

ESG Data > S: Social data > (2) Other > Resilience

Anti-Disaster System

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Business Continuity Plan

The Mitsubishi Estate Group has drafted a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) to prevent crucial operations from being interrupted if a disaster or accident occurs — and, if they are suspended, to enable their speedy resumption — and we established "Mitsubishi Estate Group Business Continuity Plan Guidelines" in October 2006.

In December 2012, we established "Mitsubishi Estate Business Continuity Plan Documents" and the "Mitsubishi Estate Group Guide to Preparing a Business Continuity Plan Document" in light of the Great East Japan Earthquake. By strengthening the bonds between the Business Continuity Plan and the Framework of Anti-Disaster Measures, we are ready to ensure both the safety of customers and Mitsubishi Estate Group employees as well as the business continuity of the Mitsubishi Estate Group in an emergency.

Furthermore, in light of changes in the social and business environment, we strive to continually upgrade the content of the Business Continuity Plan through PDCA cycles and will implement further improvements going forward in order to fulfill our social responsibility.

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Prompt Building Diagnoses and Restoration Measures During Disasters

When a major disaster, such as an earthquake, occurs, prompt building diagnosis and restoration work are required. Mitsubishi Estate worked together with the group company Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei Inc., developing a framework for cooperating with various construction companies and strengthening further our frameworks for ensuring the safety and security of tenant companies and visitors.

The Mitsubishi Estate Group owns and manages numerous large buildings in locations that include the Marunouchi area. Because building maintenance and other maintenance work occur on a daily basis, many construction companies have developed support systems. By taking advantage of the unique strengths of the Mitsubishi Estate Group, which has specialized technical personnel stationed in its buildings, we have established a framework for rapid building diagnosis and restoration in times of disasters on the basis of the cooperative relationships we have developed day after day.

In specific terms, our disaster preparedness measures involve collaboration with construction companies, including cooperation with building emergency risk assessment personnel as long as the companies' business continuity plans are not hindered (inspecting building exteriors, locations that pose fire hazards, and vital facilities); cooperation on emergency repairs to ensure building safety; cooperation on inspections to determine the level of damage to building facilities; cooperation on proposals for disaster recovery plans, and the provision of emergency response supplies.

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Establishing Building Safety Management Systems and Independent Guidelines

Mitsubishi Estate has established a Safety Management Office within its Facility Management Planning Department, and we have partnered with Mitsubishi Jisho Property Management and other group companies to continuously carry out daily inspections and safety inspections at buildings all across the country that are managed and operated by the Mitsubishi Estate Group. Additionally, we carry out centralized management of activities and data at each location, including safety inspections and improvements, and implement preventive safety measures by sharing accident data within the Mitsubishi Estate Group, and providing instructions and support as necessary.

We collect building-related accident data, including data from other companies, in order to rapidly investigate the cause of accidents and determine whether corrective measures are required. This information is shared promptly to prevent the recurrence of accidents. Based on our experiences from the Great East Japan Earthquake, we organize this data according to what responses have been taken, what reinforcements are needed, and what items need to be reviewed, and we push for ongoing improvements to our safety response measures. We have also created Building Safety Design Guidelines that contain standards independently established by our company, guidelines stricter than the Building Standards Act and other laws and regulations, that are applied right from a building's design stage to preemptively avoid accidents, and we conduct reviews of these guidelines as needed.

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Formulation of Measures to Combat Volcanic Ash Due to an Eruption of Mt. Fuji — Reducing Damage and Disruption Resulting from Disasters

In November 2021, Mitsubishi Estate formulated and published action guidelines for building operation and management based on the scenario of a volcanic ash following an eruption of Mt. Fuji.
Japan’s National Disaster Management Council published the report Countermeasures for Wide-Area Ash Falls from Major Volcanic Eruptions in April 2020, in which an eruption of Mt. Fuji was used as a model to illustrate the effects of ash fall, including power outages and transportation infrastructure shutdowns in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Mitsubishi Estate formulated action guidelines based on a timeline to facilitate a prompt response and to mitigate damage and disruption.
The action guidelines cover approximately 20 buildings owned by Mitsubishi Estate in Otemachi, Marunouchi, and Yurakucho, where there is a major concentration of head office functions within the Tokyo metropolitan area. They establish the timeline for maintaining building functions, providing evacuation guidance and taking in stranded commuters based on an eruption, the subsequent Japan Meteorological Agency ash fall forecasts, and actual ash fall conditions as well as specify the necessary materials and equipment.

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Conducting Regular Lifesaving Classes for Employees

ESG Data > S: Social data > (1) KPI > Resilient Urban Development

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Holding Comprehensive Emergency Drills in Private-Public Collaboration

Every September, Mitsubishi Estate holds comprehensive emergency drills with the participation of all of its executives and employees and many others from Group companies and other parties. This tradition dates back to 1923, when the Great Kanto Earthquake struck Tokyo and the Estate Department of Mitsubishi Goshi Kaisha, the precursor of Mitsubishi Estate, provided emergency aid, primarily from the former Marunouchi Building, which had been completed that year. Building on this experience, disaster response drills have been held regularly since 1926.

Fiscal 2022 marked the 96th drill, with emergency drills held for the first time since 2019, and the exercises included joint drills with the Chiyoda Medical Association and local fire station.

Given that telecommuting has become widespread, we reviewed the emergency disaster framework for confirming the safety of employees and implementing emergency activities on site assuming a limited number of employees who can help during a disaster (50% reduction). We also implemented drills taking in stranded commuters and setting up temporary first aid stations at nearly 40 properties simultaneously across the country. Also, since 2021, Mitsubishi Estate has been installing a next-generation camera system that can collectively control and manage camera images in the Marunouchi area. To verify wide area safety management methods during disasters, images were streamed from buildings where the cameras were installed to the emergency management headquarters to gather information. At the same time, the first large-scale fire drill was conducted at the Tokiwabashi Tower, which was completed in June 2021. The series of firefighting exercises was held in collaboration with the local fire station and fire brigade, and included rescue drills using fire trucks with ladders and an exercise during which multiple fire trucks simultaneously sprayed water.

Going forward, we will continue to work with the local fire department, as well as our buildings’ corporate tenants, to keep enhancing the safety and security of Marunouchi and other neighborhoods where the Group has its presence by ensuring there are adequate systems in place for emergencies.

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Area Disaster Preparedness Initiative: Verification Tests of Disaster Dashboard Beta+

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Initiatives by Mitsubishi Estate Residence

Strengthening Systems for Local Disaster Preparedness and Mutual Assistance in Preparation for a Major Disaster

Disaster prevention drill

Given the absence of management associations or disaster preparedness plans at its rental apartments, Mitsubishi Estate Residence proposed disaster preparedness initiatives at The Parkhabio Nakano Fujimicho Garden. Mitsubishi Estate Residence provides support through infrastructure and non-infrastructure measures, including the creation of a First Mission Box® containing an instruction card to ensure residents act quickly and confidently during a disaster and the installation of a system for storing and using surplus electricity generated using solar power generators. In addition, in February 2023, Mitsubishi Estate Residence and Mitsubishi Estate Community conducted the first joint disaster prevention drills at the two residences that comprise The Park House Harumi Towers in cooperation with the management association and residents’ association. We will promote disaster-resilient urban development by strengthening systems for local disaster preparedness and mutual assistance.

Holding Environmental and Disaster Preparedness Education for Elementary School Students in Condominiums for Sale

On October 23, 2022, Mitsubishi Estate Residence and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Environment jointly held an event for parents and children called “Experience a House that Halves Energy Consumption through Energy Saving and Solar Power Generation.” The event was held at The Park House Shin Urayasu Marine Villa, newly built condominiums for sale that meet the ZEH-M Ready standard. The aim of the event was to consider and take action with children to reduce CO2 emissions in homes and to prepare for natural disasters, which are increasing due to global warming. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has selected Mitsubishi Estate Residence as a business for “CO2 reduction action (zero emissions action) movement — A sustainable society created by consumers and businesses,” and this event formed part of these activities. Mitsubishi Estate Residence will continue to focus its efforts to create even more opportunities for children who are the next generation to learn about sustainability.

Disaster Resilient Urban Development Leveraging Collaboration Between Industry and Academia

Mitsubishi Estate Residence and Kyorin University are collaborating on disaster prevention initiatives, contemplating what universities, local governments, and businesses can do to develop contingency plans for the local communities. Together with Portland State University in the U.S., Kyorin University has worked on the Disaster Resilient Urban Development fieldwork program since 2017 in the Sanriku region affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and in Tokyo in preparation for an earthquake directly striking the capital. A part of this program entailed a tour in June 2019 of a condominium in Kanade no Mori, a residential district offered by Mitsubishi Estate Residence in Narashino, Chiba Prefecture. At this location, visitors studied the efforts by the Mitsubishi Estate Group and shared ideas on urban development focusing on disaster resilience. The company also held a workshop where local residents were invited to the university to work together and discuss disaster contingency plans for the town.

In February 2020, a disaster contingency partnership agreement was signed as a way to further enhance disaster preparedness. In addition to emergency drills, workshops, and lectures, this initiative resulted in participants working together to create English versions of disaster preparedness tools designed for foreign nationals living in Japan, including Sonaeru Drill (a disaster preparedness workbook) and Sonaeru Karuta (a disaster preparedness card game).

In 2021, we strengthened our cooperation utilizing such occasions as a lecture as part of Community and University, a compulsory subject for first-year university students, and the university’s Program for Training Coordinators of Community Revitalization in an Aging Society, a course designed for working adults, to work with Kyorin University students and other individuals to discuss local disaster preparedness.

In November 2022 and again in May 2023, Craft Market @ Kyorin University was held at the university’s Inokashira Campus. With the aim of creating a resilient community, the market offered a range of fun programs designed to foster disaster preparedness, including, among many other choices, a workshop using Sonaeru Drill, a tool for parents and children to think about disaster preparedness together. Industry, government, and academia collaborated in order to increase urban disaster preparedness and created an opportunity for local residents to consider preparedness.

Going forward, we will collaborate and cooperate with various industries through disaster preparedness and sustainability initiatives to realize resilient communities and urban development in a sustainable society.

Portland State University-Kyorin University fieldwork
(Sharing Mitsubishi Estate Group initiatives)

The English version of Sonaeru Drill was released to the general public on March 9, 2020.

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