AQ Group Founder Toshiya Miyazawa Receives "Hideo Sugiyama Award" for Pioneering Practice in Advanced Wooden Construction, Especially for "Efforts to Promote Medium- to Large-Scale Wooden Buildings"

Toshiya Miyazawa (currently Representative Director and Chairman), founder of AQ Group Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture, President and CEO: Hiroaki Kato), recently received the "Wood Material and Wood Structure Technology Research Fund Award: Division 1 (commonly known as the Hideo Sugiyama Award)" presented by the Wood Structure Research Association. This award is given to "individuals" who have made significant contributions to the wooden construction industry through dissemination and awareness activities, or who have developed innovative initiatives with a strong impact. Mr. Miyazawa was recognized for his long-standing efforts in the technological development and practice of medium- to large-scale wooden buildings, as well as his reform and promotion activities in the market through the construction of a network of builders. On the 23rd of this month, an award ceremony was held at the University of Tokyo, where Mr. Miyazawa presented his report on the history surrounding wooden architecture and his own activities, redefining the value of wooden buildings and expressing his determination to shape Japan's townscapes together with local builders.

A Pioneer in Academic Research on Wood Structures

Receiving an academic award named after the late Hideo Sugiyama

Chairman Toshiya Miyazawa receiving his certificate at the University of Tokyo

The Wood Structure Research Association is a group of researchers and engineers aimed at promoting research and technological development related to wood, wood materials, and wood structures, and contributing to their correct understanding, development, and dissemination. Founded in 1981, it currently comprises over 300 members, including companies, organizations, individuals, and students. The "Wood Material and Wood Structure Technology Research Fund Award: Division 1," known as the "Hideo Sugiyama Award," is an academic award established to honor the late Hideo Sugiyama, a pioneer in the field of wood structures and holder of honorary doctorates in engineering and agriculture from the University of Tokyo, to commemorate his achievements.

Miyazawa apprenticed as a carpenter after graduating from junior high school. In 1978, at the age of 19, he founded Miyako Kensetsu, the predecessor of AQ Group Co., Ltd. He has pursued the forefront of wooden construction through all the changes from the Showa to Heisei and Reiwa eras, including the collapse of the bubble economy, the IT revolution, multiple major earthquakes, the Lehman shock, and the pandemic. In particular, he has focused on the technological development and promotion of medium- to large-scale wooden buildings since the 2010s, and his long-standing achievements were highly recognized, leading to the receipt of the Hideo Sugiyama Award.

Miyazawa, who founded the company at 19 in 1978, received the Minister of Construction Award in 1995, reforming the market with builders

Lecturing at the University of Tokyo, Japan's premier educational institution

Speaking about the future as a practitioner in the development of wooden architecture

Professor Emeritus Masahiro Inayama (left) presenting the award to Miyazawa, who lectured on "Redefining Wooden Architecture"

On the 23rd of this month, an award ceremony for the Hideo Sugiyama Award and lectures by the recipients were held at the University of Tokyo, Japan's foremost educational institution. Professor Emeritus Masahiro Inayama of the University of Tokyo, a selection committee member for the award and presenter at the ceremony, stated, "Based on his experience as a carpenter and his know-how cultivated in managing a housing business, Mr. Miyazawa holds the conviction that the conventional post-and-beam method using standard lumber and pre-cut components for housing is the most cost-effective construction method while inheriting traditional Japanese techniques. He established the unique technology 'AQ Kinomi Construction,' which extends the conventional post-and-beam method without relying on custom metal fittings, even for mid-rise wooden buildings. This has enabled the realization of fully wooden commercial buildings that can be constructed by local builders and regional builders at a cost comparable to or lower than steel-frame structures. Furthermore, Mr. Miyazawa, while being a businessman, deeply understands the importance of developing wooden construction technology and possesses the decisiveness and execution ability to invest significant funds in technological development for experiments in structures, fire resistance, and sound insulation. We are awarding the Hideo Sugiyama Award not only for his achievements but also in anticipation of his strong leadership in driving the widespread adoption of mid-rise wooden buildings in our country's future."

On the other hand, Miyazawa, taking the stage, listed the history of wooden architecture and the conventional post-and-beam method spanning over half a century, as well as his own challenges. For his future vision, he proposed, "For the dramatic spread of wooden architecture, it is essential to create a market where local builders play the leading role. We will overturn the common notion that 'medium- to large-scale buildings are made of concrete or steel' and redefine Japan's architectural culture. To achieve this, we must update the regional stakeholders for the next generation and create a new trend in wooden construction." He emphasized the importance of "nurturing next-generation builders" and "co-creating next-generation architects."

He further declared powerfully, "Through this network strategy, we will implement new wooden architectural values in society and pass on a sustainable architectural culture to the next generation. Today's lecture is not merely a technical report but a declaration of our resolve to redefine the value of wooden architecture and co-create the future landscape together with designers, builders, and general contractors who support their regions nationwide."

In March of this year, our company, along with experts at the forefront of the wooden construction industry, held a symposium titled "Can Medium- to Large-Scale Wooden Buildings Be Within Everyone's Reach?" Over 10,000 people participated, including online viewers. At the symposium, we announced the "Pure Wooden Hotel Asakusa Project," designed by Sou Fujimoto, a world-renowned architect who also designed the Great Roof Ring for the Osaka-Kansai Expo. Furthermore, we announced our goal to establish a network capable of supplying a total of 20,000 units by 2030, including 12,000 wooden houses, 5,000 wooden apartment buildings, and 3,000 non-residential wooden buildings. The attention on wooden construction is growing daily towards the realization of a carbon-neutral society. Our company will continue to act as a leading company in the promotion of wooden construction, redefining Japan's architectural culture and creating new trends.