The Making of

From getting to know the “reborn EGG”

Marunouchi is one of the world’s leading business areas and the center of not only Tokyo but also the Japanese economy. I was in charge of preparing illustrations of “EGG,” a business support facility for startups in the Shin-Marunouchi Building, which is located right in the heart of the Marunouchi district.
EGG, operated by Mitsubishi Estate, is a base for business growth, mainly for overseas growth companies, and it provides support for their entry into the Japanese market.

EGG’s history dates back to 2000when Marunouchi Frontier was established as a precursor to EGG JAPAN with the intention of cultivating many venture companies out of Marunouchi district. EGG JAPAN was subsequently opened on the 10th floor of the Shin-Marunouchi Building in 2007, and it expanded to the 9th floor in 2013. Further, in November 2022, EGG JAPAN was renamed EGG and underwent floor expansion, renewal, and rebranding, expanding the overall site from approximately 570 tsubo (roughly 3.3 m2 or 35.5 ft2) to approximately 690 tsubo, enhancing the facility’s common areas and transforming it into an open space with a thoughtfully lit atmosphere.

EGG 10F Lounge Area

EGG 10F Office Area

EGG’s 10th floor area, which comprises the 9th and 10th floors, is divided into a lounge area and an office area. The lounge area is a large, living room-like space that includes a café, event space, and meeting rooms. The lounge area is an area where people can enjoy a conversation over a cup of coffee in the café, invite guests or business contacts to meetings, or host events. The office area consists of private rooms and common areas that include several meeting rooms and phone booths where one can concentrate on work or relax at the Tea Point (a counter where one can eat and drink), working in a way that suits their work style. One floor below, on the 9th floor, is an area with an atmosphere emanating the warmth of wood, consisting of private rooms and common areas, including a lounge.

Not just a building, but the people who use it

In mid-2022, we received an email from Mitsubishi Estate requesting an illustration of EGG for remodeling.
“We want illustrations that convey not only the attractiveness of the building but also the thoughts and personalities of the people who work there and use the space. We want to increase the number of people wishing to enter EGG by conveying, through pictures, that EGG provides not only the place but also the services of comfort and that it has a rich community.” This was the essence of the message I received.

I was delighted to receive the e-mail, but at the same time, I felt the weight of responsibility as the floor space was larger than any facility I had ever worked on before; the commission was from a major company, and the work would be seen not only by people in Japan but also by  people from all over the world. However, as I felt a strong desire to live up to the expectations of those who appreciated my illustrations and believed in their appeal, I shook off my negativity and anxiousness about the stakes of the task before me and proceeded to hear the voices of the people at EGG.

Vision of EGG’s developers

Mr. Hiraguchi and Ms. Ikeda, who oversaw the renovation project

Yoshi Hiraguchi (left) and Maiko Ikeda (right) from Mitsubishi Estate were in charge of EGG’s remodeling.

The two were involved in renovation and rebranding of EGG as the owner and project manager.

Several factors were key in their work on remodeling in collaboration with the British design firm March and White Design. First, the view from the windows facing east-southwest was to be utilized: from the Shin-Marunouchi Building, where EGG is located, one can see Tokyo Station to the east, the Imperial Palace to the west, and Gyoko-dori (avenue) to the south. The plan was devised such that this view could be enjoyed by not only those who use the private rooms but also those in the common areas.

Second, all the private rooms have a view of the window. Previously, there had been a long corridor with private rooms on both sides, and the corridor side of the rooms facing the windows had been a wall. After renovation, however, the corridor was combined, and the upper half of the corridor is made of glass instead of walls; thus, the inside offices can also welcome natural light.

Finally, they aspired to create a comfortable space that would “make people want to come to the office rather than stay at home.” The COVID-19 pandemic began to spread in the midst of weighing options for the renovation. As construction progressed, telework became more normalized. Thus, to entice people to work in the office rather than at home, Hiraguchi and Ikeda were mindful of creating a space that would rival not only other serviced offices but also people’s own homes.

EGG is a space not only for the tenant companies but also for the members of The M Cube (formerly the 21c Club, an innovation community operated by Mitsubishi Estate launched in 2002), who use the lounge area as a base for their activities. Therefore, March and White Design, which has experience in designing the Arts Club, a long-established members-only club in London, was asked to design the space. One of their achievements—the knowledge of luxury condominiums—was also leveraged when creating the space.

About a year has passed since the 10th floor reopened after renovation. When asked about the future prospects for EGG, the pair replied, “The hub of the Shin-Marunouchi Building is the 9th and 10th floors. In particular, the 9th floor is  where everyone gathers, with convenience stores, tenant’s lounge, and conference rooms. If word gets out that there are cool offices and innovative companies gathered there, we think there will be even more potential for development. We believe that EGG has great potential to expand not only within the facility but also throughout the entire building.”

Management team members Ms. Takahashi, Ms. Kunimoto, and Ms. Morita

Next are Hiromi Takahashi (left), Riona Kunimoto (center), and Shiori Morita (right) of Mitsubishi Estate, who are responsible for the smooth operation of EGG’s facilities. Specifically, they manage EGG’s facilities, provide business support to tenant companies by introducing potential customers and supporting PR, and plan events to connect tenant companies with each other. Although this is a broad job description, in sum, creating an encouraging environment for startups to expand their business in Marunouchi is at the core of their work.

All have been involved with EGG for a long time: Ms. Takahashi started 10 years ago, Ms. Kunimoto 4 years ago, and Ms. Morita 5 years ago. For those of you who were involved with EGG before renovation, we asked for their thoughts on the new EGG after renovation. We also asked them about the spaces they typically use.

Ms. Takahashi:

“The whole place is brighter, and the customers seem to be more energetic. Until now, there has been no place where they could meet and talk by chance. When I see tenant companies talking with each other in a shared space such as Tea Point, I am glad to see that they have established natural communication. I often talk with clients on the sofa in the office area. I like this environment because I can talk with them easily.”

Ms. Kunimoto:

“Before, the event space and the common area were in the same place, so when someone held events, other tenant companies could not use the common area, and as soon as you entered the building, there was a wall, and it felt a bit closed. After renovation, the space is much more open, and we have more tenants working in the common area. I have the impression that after COVID-19, the number has increased even more. I myself spend most of my time in the office area, Tea Point, where I can see companies using the space in various ways, such as talking with each other and having dinner.”

Ms. Morita:

“I felt that the facility itself was getting a bit run down, so we renovated it to give it a more open and spacious feel. Also, the private rooms now have glass walls, which makes it easier to see how tenant employees using their office. I often find myself in the event space. I can talk with people coming out of the office area, and I can see who has come in. It’s an easy place to talk to and be talked to.”

After renovation, the new EGG has become an open and inviting space where it is easy to interact with others. What kind of place would you like EGG to further evolve into in the future?

Ms. Takahashi:

“I would like to create an attractive space so that overseas companies will say that EGG is the first place they should look if they want to expand their business in Japan.”

Ms. Kunimoto:

“I joined EGG because I wanted to create unique encounters through various interactions, but I am still in the process of creating such encounters. We are connecting the tenant companies through events, but I would like to create a place where people can talk naturally in a more relaxed atmosphere.”

Ms. Morita:

“It has become easier to interact in the space than before. However, there are still some awkward aspects, and the 9th and 10th floors are still separated from each other. Ideally, we would like to create a natural and unified atmosphere there.”

The three women are always there to help the companies that have moved in, not only with their problems but also with their work worries and day-to-day activities. When asked about how fulfilled they feel with their work, they tell us, “We are so excited to be able to meet with all the employees of the tenant companies—not only those in a particular department or role—and also seeing them spend their time around the space and directly hearing their grateful words. We feel that it is a wonderful attitude to try to create a place where people can connect more comfortably, rather than just settling for a better environment after renovation.”

Ms. Wakamatsu, Community Coordinator

Ms. Yuka Wakamatsu is the “community coordinator” at EGG. She helps to energize the community so that people who come to EGG do not merely use the space but also connect with it to innovate and create. One can typically find her listening to the people who use the space, creating opportunities for many people to get together for lunches and events and connecting the participants of those events.

Ms. Wakamatsu:

“This role is rewarding in that I can talk to anyone. There is no one who is not interesting of both staff and users, and everyone has something cool to share. I get to meet a lot of people that I would never meet by simply going through the motions, and that’s what I love about this place.”

When asked about renovation EGG, she tells us, “It’s a wonderful space that really wows you when you visit it for the first time. It has an air of luxury, but the people inside prize communicating in a casual way and creating a collegial, friendly atmosphere. I think it’s a good match.” Ms. Wakamatsu, who values the time she spends talking with the people at EGG, always sits at a long table overlooking the entire lounge. Whether people are coming from the office area or in the lounge, she tries to keep comfortable communication by being as attentive as possible to those spending time with her.

Ms. Wakamatsu:

“I would really like to establish a situation where people who come to the lounge can talk to each other about what’s going on without the need for a community coordinator. I would like to create relationships that transcend the boundaries between companies and employees, where people who share the space start talking on their own. When that relationship is realized, the community will become the attraction of EGG, and existing members will bring in new people because ‘we have a great community.’ Since The M Cube is the oldest of the communities that Mitsubishi Estate operates, it has the potential to become a community that symbolizes the Daimaru-Yu area with the richness and depth of time that it has accumulated. If that happens, I think it will lead to sustainable operations, both as a place and as a community.”

Ms. Wakamatsu is particularly friendly; she will make you feel as if you could talk to her all day. Still, I see great passion in her eyes, which I find cool.

Mr. Eto at the café

Leona Eto is in the café in the lounge area. When asked about his job title, he says, “You can just call me Eto at the Café.” He is already friendly and talking as if we were old friends at this point.
Mr. Eto is always making sure that EGG is a comfortable place to be, while taking care of various tasks such as playing background music that reflects the weather of the day, adjusting the light in the lounge, making drinks, and even planning and serving food and beverages during events.
“I hope that people will think about that guy with the glasses who is always acting like a goofball at the café,” Mr. Eto tells us. He explains that he always try to be natural so that the café is a place where people can feel comfortable to speak their mind if something is on their mind.

Mr. Eto is close to the people of EGG through the space. We asked him about the moments he enjoys and finds rewarding in his work.

Mr. Eto:

“I am genuinely very happy when people tell me that the coffee they bought for their break tastes good. I also love it when people gradually open up to me, like when someone who didn’t make eye contact with me when I first greeted them gradually comes over to sit at the counter.”

Mr. Eto:

“I really want it to be a place where people can connect after breaking the ice and setting aside things like job titles and their exploits up to then. Personally, I want to create a space where people don’t even feel the need to exchange business cards. Not just ‘Mr. A from (company),’ but just ‘Mr. A.’ There are titles, cultures, places you grew up, genders, and probably many more things, but I think it would be much nicer if there was a place where people could mingle without really having to deal with those kinds of labels and categories and their preconceived notions.”

Mr. Eto shares his passion and enthusiasm with us. Finally, he concludes, “To create such a place, I think it would be good if we could take small steps one by one with care observing the circumstances.”