"Visualization of Regional Resource Circulation in Minatomirai 21" Released
The Minatomirai 21 district in Yokohama, designated a "Decarbonization Pioneer Region," has published the results of an initiative to visualize resource circulation. The project, which began with 13 facilities and expanded to 30, has produced the world's first city-wide material flow diagram referencing the Global Circularity Protocol for Business (GCP), highlighting key waste categories and a circularity rate of 31-67%.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 7, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 7, 2026 at 11:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 18, 2026 at 10:08 (262h 36m after Collected)
The Minatomirai 21 district was selected as a "Decarbonization Pioneer Region" by the Ministry of the Environment through a joint proposal by Yokohama City and the Yokohama Minatomirai 21 Association, and is working on promoting the circular economy in addition to decarbonizing electricity.
Starting in February 2025, efforts have begun to grasp and "visualize" the flow of resources generated within the district. The number of participating facilities expanded from an initial 13 to 30, and the results compiled have now been published.
1. Publication of Resource Circulation Visualization
In the Minatomirai 21 district, we are advancing efforts to understand the amount of resources entering and being discharged within the district, as well as the amount that is circulated, and to visualize the state of resource circulation. This initiative aims to identify priority areas and create new initiatives by grasping the types, quantities, and flows of resources generated within the district and engaging in dialogue with stakeholders based on the obtained data.
This time, based on data collected from participating facilities, we have created the latest "Material Flow Diagram" for the Minatomirai 21 district. This diagram visualizes resource circulation on a city-wide basis, referencing GCP*, and is the world's first such case.
* GCP (Global Circularity Protocol for Business): A global standard framework for "measuring, managing, and disclosing" corporate resource use and circularity in an internationally comparable manner. Developed primarily by WBCSD and UNEP, its first edition was published at COP30 in 2025.
Minatomirai Circular Economy HP https://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/kurashi/machizukuri-kankyo/ondanka/etc/MinatomiraiCircular.html
■ Features revealed from the official version of the visualization
・ High-emission categories: ① Combustible waste ② Food waste ③ Waste plastics
・ Circularity Rate: 31-67% * An indicator showing overall circularity, calculated by averaging the input rate of circular resources and the output rate of circular resources.
2. Introduction of Participating Facilities for Visualization
The 30 facilities cooperating in this initiative cover a wide range of business types, including office buildings, commercial facilities, hotels, and cultural facilities. The number of participating facilities has expanded from 13 at the start of the initiative to 30, and the participation of facilities with diverse business types has led to a more accurate reflection of the district's reality and improved data reliability.
Participating Facilities:
Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse
MARINE & WALK YOKOHAMA
YOKOHAMA COSMOWORLD
Anniversaire Minatomirai Yokohama
PACIFICO YOKOHAMA
Yokohama Grand InterContinental Hotel
Minatomirai Museum Yokohama
Queen's Square Yokohama Tower B, Tower C
Minatomirai Tokyu Square
Yokohama Bay Hotel Tokyu
Yokohama Landmark Tower
Yokohama Bank Main Building
Minatomirai 21 Heat Supply Center Plant
Minatomirai 21 Clean Center
Minatomirai Business Square
MM Park Building
MARK IS Minatomirai
Yokohama Museum of Art
Minatomirai Grand Central Tower
Kanagawa University Minatomirai Campus
MUFG Global Learning Center
Yokohama i-MARK Place
Yokohama Nomura Building
Yokohama Grand Gate
Keikyu Group Headquarters
Shiseido Global Innovation
Yokohama Gate Tower
FUJIFILM Business Innovation Yokohama Minatomirai Office
Sky Building
Yokohama Porta
(Reference) What is a Decarbonization Pioneer Region?
Aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050, this is a region publicly solicited by the Ministry of the Environment based on the "Regional Decarbonization Roadmap," and is a region that achieves requirements such as "practical zero CO2 emissions from electricity consumption in the civil and commercial sectors (residential, business, and other sectors) by FY2030" according to regional characteristics.
For initiatives in the Decarbonization Pioneer Region and by the 45 participating facilities/businesses, please see here: https://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/kurashi/machizukuri-kankyo/ondanka/etc/senkouchiiki.html
Starting in February 2025, efforts have begun to grasp and "visualize" the flow of resources generated within the district. The number of participating facilities expanded from an initial 13 to 30, and the results compiled have now been published.
1. Publication of Resource Circulation Visualization
In the Minatomirai 21 district, we are advancing efforts to understand the amount of resources entering and being discharged within the district, as well as the amount that is circulated, and to visualize the state of resource circulation. This initiative aims to identify priority areas and create new initiatives by grasping the types, quantities, and flows of resources generated within the district and engaging in dialogue with stakeholders based on the obtained data.
This time, based on data collected from participating facilities, we have created the latest "Material Flow Diagram" for the Minatomirai 21 district. This diagram visualizes resource circulation on a city-wide basis, referencing GCP*, and is the world's first such case.
* GCP (Global Circularity Protocol for Business): A global standard framework for "measuring, managing, and disclosing" corporate resource use and circularity in an internationally comparable manner. Developed primarily by WBCSD and UNEP, its first edition was published at COP30 in 2025.
Minatomirai Circular Economy HP https://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/kurashi/machizukuri-kankyo/ondanka/etc/MinatomiraiCircular.html
■ Features revealed from the official version of the visualization
・ High-emission categories: ① Combustible waste ② Food waste ③ Waste plastics
・ Circularity Rate: 31-67% * An indicator showing overall circularity, calculated by averaging the input rate of circular resources and the output rate of circular resources.
2. Introduction of Participating Facilities for Visualization
The 30 facilities cooperating in this initiative cover a wide range of business types, including office buildings, commercial facilities, hotels, and cultural facilities. The number of participating facilities has expanded from 13 at the start of the initiative to 30, and the participation of facilities with diverse business types has led to a more accurate reflection of the district's reality and improved data reliability.
Participating Facilities:
Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse
MARINE & WALK YOKOHAMA
YOKOHAMA COSMOWORLD
Anniversaire Minatomirai Yokohama
PACIFICO YOKOHAMA
Yokohama Grand InterContinental Hotel
Minatomirai Museum Yokohama
Queen's Square Yokohama Tower B, Tower C
Minatomirai Tokyu Square
Yokohama Bay Hotel Tokyu
Yokohama Landmark Tower
Yokohama Bank Main Building
Minatomirai 21 Heat Supply Center Plant
Minatomirai 21 Clean Center
Minatomirai Business Square
MM Park Building
MARK IS Minatomirai
Yokohama Museum of Art
Minatomirai Grand Central Tower
Kanagawa University Minatomirai Campus
MUFG Global Learning Center
Yokohama i-MARK Place
Yokohama Nomura Building
Yokohama Grand Gate
Keikyu Group Headquarters
Shiseido Global Innovation
Yokohama Gate Tower
FUJIFILM Business Innovation Yokohama Minatomirai Office
Sky Building
Yokohama Porta
(Reference) What is a Decarbonization Pioneer Region?
Aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050, this is a region publicly solicited by the Ministry of the Environment based on the "Regional Decarbonization Roadmap," and is a region that achieves requirements such as "practical zero CO2 emissions from electricity consumption in the civil and commercial sectors (residential, business, and other sectors) by FY2030" according to regional characteristics.
For initiatives in the Decarbonization Pioneer Region and by the 45 participating facilities/businesses, please see here: https://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/kurashi/machizukuri-kankyo/ondanka/etc/senkouchiiki.html