Tokyo, March 30, 2021 -- Keio University, one of Japan's top private educational institutions, and Mori Building Co., Ltd., Japan's leading urban landscape developer, announced today that they have concluded a basic agreement on the relocation and expansion of the Keio University Center for Preventive Medicine (currently located in Shinjuku, Tokyo) to the site of the Toranomon-Azabudai District Urban Redevelopment Project, scheduled to open in central Tokyo in 2023. The two entities also announced the launch of the "Hills Joint Research Laboratory for Future Preventive Medicine and Wellness," which is set to open on April 1.
Since the establishment of the Keio University School of Medicine and Keio University Hospital in the early 1900s, Keio University has conducted research and academic studies on preventive medicine, positioning it as one of the foundations of its medical philosophy. With an increasing trend for longer healthy life expectancy in aging societies such as Japan, Keio University has been pursuing the latest forms of preventive medicine to realize a more prosperous society where all people can lead healthier lives.
The Toranomon-Azabudai Project, which Mori Building aims to complete in 2023, will be built on the central pillars of "Green" and "Wellness" to facilitate a healthy living and working environment for people of all ages, with all aspects of the development contributing to the true wellness of everyone living and working there. The advanced urban complex will also provide comprehensive solutions to meet various urban environmental needs, such as low-carbon cities, biodiversity protection, and energy conservation.
Under the basic agreement between the two entities, the Center for Preventive Medicine will be relocated and expanded to the Toranomon-Azabudai Project. Under close coordination between Mori Building and Keio University, the development will provide preventive care that meets personalized needs on an individual basis and medical checkup services that incorporate the latest examination and diagnostic technologies.
To establish a system that allows those living and working in the Toranomon-Azabudai Project to maximize their wellness, Mori Building will offer a membership program centered on medical checkups offered by the Center for Preventive Medicine. The program will also be linked to the development's spa, fitness clubs, food market, restaurants, central square, and vegetable gardens.
From April 1, a joint research laboratory will conduct research based in the Hills properties that Mori Building manages and operates in central Tokyo, where it will advance the potential of preventive medicine in collaboration with the Center for Preventive Medicine. Findings gained through these initiatives are expected to be applied toward further developing preventive medicine and wellness services. The program will also function as a training ground for personnel who will help drive new industry-academia collaborations and, based on the research results, implement preventive medicine and wellness throughout society.
Akira Haseyama, President of Keio University, said: "Keio University is engaged in research, education, and professional development based on its mission of 'Realizing a society where people live better, longer lives' to enable a healthy longevity society for all. Together with Mori Building, we look forward to applying our academic findings toward the advancement of preventive medicine in society. Our goal is to demonstrate the future potential of preventive medicine by supporting the health of people living and working in the Toranomon-Azabudai Project community with enhanced wellness and wellbeing."
Shingo Tsuji, President and CEO of Mori Building, said: "Wellness, a core concept of the Toranomon-Azabudai Project, is a global theme that has gained increased importance due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic. Collaborating with Keio University, which has been a leader in the advancement of preventive medicine through clinical and research activities, Mori Building is committed to enhancing urban wellness and contributing to the magnetic power of Tokyo, one of the world's greatest cities."
Keio University and Mori Building will collaborate under a common goal of realizing a society where people can expect to enjoy more active, healthier and longer lives, both in body and mind, looking ahead to the future of a healthy longevity society over the next 50 to 100 years.
Relocation/Expansion of Keio University Center for Preventive Medicine
The Keio University Center for Preventive Medicine opened in 2012 in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo. The center supports the early detection and treatment of illness in 6,000 people per year through medical checkups that incorporate advanced examination, diagnostic technologies, and patient aftercare in collaboration with various clinical departments. Relocation and expansion to a 3,600m2 site occupying the 5th and 6th floors of the A District Tower in the Toranomon-Azabudai Project will enable the center to examine more patients and meet their individual needs by easing congestion and providing more suitable examination equipment.
The center will also provide an advanced medical checkup program designed to extend healthy life expectancy. Backed by the center's history with medical examinations, checkups will be adjusted to accommodate the specific needs and risks of individual patients.
Furthermore, in collaboration with the joint-research laboratory, the center will advance the quality of diagnostic and examination methods for increasingly enhanced preventive medicine going forward. As the core medical facility of the Toranomon-Azabudai Project, the center will offer the latest comprehensive preventive medicine and wellness services integrated with various facilities and services located within the Toranomon-Azabudai community.
Joint Research Laboratory Targeting Preventive Medical and Wellness
This April, Keio University and Mori Building will launch a joint research laboratory with the aim of creating a society where people can enjoy wellness throughout their lives.
The laboratory will collaborate with the Center for Preventive Medicine to better understand health issues at various life stages, using data collected from residents, tenants, and visitors to Hills properties managed and operated by Mori Building. The lab will advance the potential of preventive medicine on an interdisciplinary basis and apply the research outcomes toward new initiatives in society. It will also serve as an educational and research base for industry-academia collaboration, recruiting research partners to support the program's goals.
Research will focus on utilizing wellness and wellbeing in new models for urban life. Masayuki Amagai, Professor and Dean of the Keio University School of Medicine, will head the program. Principal research themes will include the future potential of preventive medicine, workstyles that promote wellbeing, and the impact of diversity on health. Specific activities will include: 1) research into health diagnostics to realize individualized preventive medicine; 2) research into workstyles, corporate policies, and office/district environments that promote wellbeing; and 3) digital platforms and data technologies that facilitate the integration of the research mentioned above. The laboratory will operate from April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2026.
The joint research laboratory expects to support practical, interdisciplinary education in a wide range of fields through industry-academia collaboration. Through research and educational activities, the joint research laboratory will promote the professional development of the people who will be the driving force being new forms of industry-academia collaboration.