Towards a Town Where Knowledge Comes Alive: "Todai Week @ Marunouchi" to be Held

The University of Tokyo (Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo; President: Teruo Fujii; hereinafter referred to as "The University of Tokyo") and Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. (Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo; President: Atsushi Nakajima; hereinafter referred to as "Mitsubishi Estate") signed an industry-academia collaboration agreement on October 21, 2022, and launched "MEC-U Tokyo Lab" (hereinafter referred to as "the Lab"). The Lab is pleased to announce that it will hold "Todai Week @ Marunouchi," a talk event where participants can experience The University of Tokyo's cutting-edge knowledge while enjoying a drink at various locations in the Marunouchi area, as detailed below. This event, which began in 2022, will be held for the fifth time.

[Event Overview]

Date and Time: Tuesday, July 28, 2026 - Wednesday, July 29, 2026 <Specific Schedule>

Tuesday, July 28: 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Wednesday, July 29: 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

*Locations and detailed time slots vary by date.

Organizer: MEC-U Tokyo Lab

Content: University of Tokyo faculty members will step off campus to give lectures at various locations in the Marunouchi area.

This event offers an opportunity to experience The University of Tokyo's cutting-edge knowledge and gain inspiration for new ideas.

Event Official Website: https://todaiweek-marunouchi.jp/

How to Apply: Pre-registration via Peatix on the above website.

*Applications accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until 12:00 PM the day before each date.

Event Details

July 28 (Tue) Keynote Speech & Cross Talk *7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Networking (Reception)

Venue: "3x3 Lab Future" on the 1st floor of Otemachi Tower/ENEOS Building

6:30 PM - 7:00 PM

Keynote Speech*1

"The Ever-Changing Kanda, the Enduring Kanda: Historical Assets and the Memory of the Town"

Speaker: Yo Matsuda (Associate Professor, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo)

Kanda has developed as a town where diverse cultures converge, including universities, vocational schools, preparatory schools, hospitals, publishing houses, used bookstores, and musical instrument shops. Its charm lies in the layers of urban memory cultivated over a long time, such as festivals, place names, long-established businesses, alleys, and neighborhood cultures. This lecture will explore the history and culture that Kanda has nurtured. Focusing on the fact that The University of Tokyo was born in this area 150 years ago, we will also consider what this means for Kanda today.

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Cross Talk

"Let's Talk About the Future of Kanda -- Towards a Town with History, Art, and a Place to Belong"

Facilitator: Yo Matsuda (Associate Professor, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo)

Panelists: Makoto Yokochō (Project Professor, The University of Tokyo)

Tatsuya Ito (Director/Professor, Center for Social Collaboration, Tokyo University of the Arts)

Kanda is imbued with a unique culture cultivated over a long time, including used bookstores, universities, long-established restaurants, festivals, alleys, and sloping streets. At the same time, new businesses, community activities, and people's interactions are being added, and the town continues to change. This cross talk will discuss the charm and future of Kanda from different perspectives: history, cultural assets, art, town development, and urban planning. What kind of town allows people to gather, learn, express themselves, and find a place to belong in a changing urban landscape? We will consider the future possibilities of Kanda while utilizing history as a resource for the future.

▲ Associate Professor Yo Matsuda ▲ Project Professor Makoto Yokochō ▲ Professor Tatsuya Ito

*1 This session is held as part of the "The University of Tokyo 150th Anniversary Related Events."

July 29 (Wed) Presentations by University of Tokyo Faculty Members *7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Networking (Reception)

Venue: "3x3 Lab Future" on the 1st floor of Otemachi Tower/ENEOS Building

Venue Theme [Decoding the Invisible World ~ The Value of Scent and Deep-Sea Exploration ~]

6:30 PM - 7:10 PM

(1) "The Value and Potential of Scent"

Presenter: Haruki Takeuchi

(Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo)

▲ Professor Haruki Takeuchi

7:20 PM - 8:00 PM

(2) "I Want to Go Where There Are No Maps

― Exploring the Deep Sea"

Presenter: Goko Okino

(Professor, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo)

▲ Professor Goko Okino

Venue: "DMO Tokyo Marunouchi" on the 6th floor of Marunouchi Nijubashi Building

Venue Theme [Origins and State of Human Society Decoded from "Human Evolution" and "International Order"]

6:30 PM - 7:10 PM

(1) "The Path from Monkeys to Humans:

Primate Origins of Human-ness"

Presenter: Hirotaka Koda

(Associate Professor, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo)

▲ Associate Professor Hirotaka Koda

7:20 PM - 8:00 PM

(2) "International Order in the Trump Era and

Japan's Strategic Choices"

Presenter: Daisuke Kawai

(Project Assistant Professor, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo)

▲ Project Assistant Professor Daisuke Kawai

Venue: "Inspired.Lab" on the 6th floor of Otemachi Building

Venue Theme [Thinking About the Future Form from Food and Design]

6:30 PM - 7:10 PM

(1) "Fish That Became Salmon: Ethical Questions of Food Raised by Designed Life"

Presenter: Mayumi Fukunaga

(Professor, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo)

▲ Professor Mayumi Fukunaga

7:20 PM - 8:00 PM

(2) "Drawing the Future"

Presenter: Shunji Yamanaka

(Design Engineer / Special Professor, The University of Tokyo)

▲ Special Professor Shunji Yamanaka

Marunouchi MAP

▲ Wide Area Map *Colored buildings: Event venues

[Reference] About MEC-U Tokyo Lab

MEC-U Tokyo Lab is a collaborative project between The University of Tokyo and Mitsubishi Estate. Through collaboration between The University of Tokyo, whose main campus in Hongo is a hub of outstanding knowledge, and companies located in the Otemachi, Marunouchi, and Yurakucho areas, where Mitsubishi Estate has been promoting town development for 135 years (hereinafter referred to as the "Honmaru Area"), the Lab aims to evolve into a town where innovation is created and growth occurs by exploring the ideal form of next-generation town development, creating new industries, and promoting initiatives to solve social issues.

*MEC-U Tokyo Lab Homepage: https://mect-lab.ducr.u-tokyo.ac.jp/

[Reference] Concept of the "Town as a Workplace" Initiative

<Marunouchi "Town as a Workplace" Initiative>

One of the characteristics of the Marunouchi area is the "convenience and concentration" built over 135 years of town development with customers and various stakeholders.

Based on this characteristic, the "Town as a Workplace" initiative supports tenant companies in achieving what cannot be realized solely within their own offices or through individual company efforts, by having the entire area function as a platform, thereby improving the quality and efficiency of work styles.

▲ Image of "Town as a Workplace"

Launch Release: https://www.mec.co.jp/news/detail/2025/05/22_mec2500522_machi

[Reference] Regarding "MARUNOUCHI SUMMER FEST," Marunouchi Area's Summer Initiative

As part of the "Town as a Workplace" initiative promoted by Mitsubishi Estate, the "MARUNOUCHI SUMMER FEST" will be held, utilizing the entire Marunouchi area as a summer initiative. In the summer, various projects, including "Todai Week @ Marunouchi," have been developed. Starting this year, these initiatives will be expanded and promoted and communicated as a "town-wide" effort, aiming to become a new "summer tradition" in Marunouchi.

Official Website: https://www.marunouchi.com/lp/marunouchisummerfest2026/

~From a Town for Work to a Town for Enjoyment~

MARUNOUCHI SUMMER FEST

As diverse work styles spread, business areas are required to play a multifaceted role that enhances quality of life, not just as "places to work."

In the Marunouchi area, initiatives are underway to improve the attractiveness of the entire town and enhance the satisfaction and QOL of workers by leveraging the connections between companies, shops, public spaces, and people.

We aim to achieve sustainable improvement in the value of the town by allowing workers and their families to experience the enjoyment and richness of spending time in this town, and by deepening their affection for the Marunouchi area.