Nomura Real Estate Development will hold the grand opening of "GEMS Ichigaya" on November 13th. An opening event was held ahead of the event on the 11th.
The GEMS series selects locations in commercial areas centered around major train stations in Tokyo and features a lineup of carefully selected stores that become "regular hangouts" for office workers and local residents. This facility, the second in the series following the Shibuya store that opened in October 2012, is located in front of Ichigaya Station, which is served by the JR Chuo Line and Tokyo Metro.
Based on the concept of "A Tower of Food Arrives in Ichigaya," the opening of this commercial facility in an area that previously had few restaurants relative to the working and residential population aims to propose a new lifestyle for the area and establish the GEMS brand. The commercial area is set within a 500m radius, and the store has introduced restaurants suitable for lunch and business entertainment, with average customer spends ranging from 3,500 to 5,000 yen.
From the basement to the ninth floor, there are 10 stores, one per floor, seven of which are new business formats. The building features a unique exterior finish that changes depending on the store occupying it. The first and second floors have a warm brick look, with large windows that make it easy to see inside. The third floor has an open balcony, creating an airy space. The fourth to seventh floors have a Japanese feel, while the eighth and ninth floors have chic glass walls. The popular Minowa yakiniku restaurant, Sumibi Yaki Shichirin, has been renamed Nakahara, and the cafe-bar Le Cafe, which is opening for the first time in Japan, is another notable addition to the lineup. The building also offers a wide variety of dining options, including Thai restaurant Old Thailand, yakitori restaurant Bancho, and shabu-shabu restaurant Ginza Shabusen. Tadashi Nakajima, Representative Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer of Nomura Real Estate Development, who appeared at the business briefing and press conference, outlined his future plans, saying, "GEMS is a major pillar of Nomura Real Estate Development and will be a business we will continue to focus on. It will be operated in a consistent Nomura Group style, and we plan to open new locations in Shiba-Daimon in spring 2016, followed by Kanda and Shinjuku." Executive Officer Hiroshi Kurokawa also commented, "GEMS Ichigaya is in a great location from a real estate perspective. When I first visited two years ago, I wanted to somehow turn it into a business, so it's very moving to see it come to fruition. We have a selection of restaurants with excellent flavors and atmosphere, so we hope our customers will use them on a regular basis." Actress Sayaka Kunio was the guest of honor for the event, and she held a special talk show with the owners and chefs of each restaurant. Kunio savored the recommended dishes and commented, "I was able to interact with the owners today, so I would like to contact them directly, make reservations, and visit each restaurant privately in the future." An unveiling ceremony was also held for a ten-tiered box symbolizing GEMS Ichigaya, and a gold knife and fork were presented to Kunio from inside.
As part of promotional activities prior to the opening, the facility has set up a dedicated Facebook page to post information about each store. Posters with tote bags attached have also been placed in JR and Tokyo Metro stations. These tote bags are printed with images of the ingredients each store carries, and if you peel them off and bring them into a store, you can receive a complimentary drink and more. They apparently sold out soon after being put up, indicating the high level of attention they have attracted.
