DAIWA HOUSE INDUSTRY CO.,LTD. is conducting a social experiment around the former site of Osaka Maru Building through the 25th of this month to improve visitor circulation, comparing dwell patterns during normal periods and events by combining nearby retail outlets with music events.
Daiwa House is conducting a social experiment around the former Osaka Maru Building site, opening restaurants in a sunken garden between buildings near Osaka Station and holding music events. It is comparing changes in visitors’ dwell times and movement patterns during events with those during normal periods. The aim is to use the findings in formulating a commercial tenant attraction strategy after reconstruction.
Osaka Maru Building was completed in 1976, and demolition of its above-ground structure was completed in September 2024 due to aging. A plan calls for a 192-meter-high mixed-use building with 40 floors above ground and 4 basement levels to be developed on the site, with completion targeted for around 2030.
After reconstruction, the building is expected to include 2 types of hotels with a total of approximately 280 rooms, as well as a concert hall for classical music and commercial facilities.
Jun Asaka (浅香潤) of Daiwa House’s Urban Development Coordination Department said that the social experiment would use stores from the surrounding area rather than chain stores, emphasizing the balance between future high-rise development and contributions to the local community.