Shinobu Minamikawa Interview

Shinobu Minamikawa
Chief Research Fellow & Real Estate Appraiser, REA-Tech Research & Development Group, Japan Real Estate InstituteAfter graduating from Waseda University, Minamikawa worked at an IT company and a real estate appraisal office, and later joined Japan Real Estate Institute. Minamikawa started her current job after being engaged in measures against vacant houses. She currently conducts research and development on social issues and real estate as a member of the real estate tech team.

1) What is your role and what activities do you do as a ULI NEXT Japan advisor?

NEXT conducts research and promotes dialogue on the theme of sustainable regional revitalization, asking, “Is it possible to contribute to regional revitalization through the real estate industry?” The members have arrived at the paradigm that improving the quality of life of residents and the medium- to long-term business development of companies is key to considering measures for regional revitalization with sustainability in mind, and are about to begin implementing these measures.

When NEXT was established, the co-chairs asked me to support its activities as a public interest organization, especially in research and advocacy, to foster reporting and presentation skills and to be its first and biggest supporter. In reality, each member brings diverse, high-level skills to the table, so activities have been smooth.

2) What do you focus on when guiding the organization as an advisor or leader?

I try to make people aware of the preconditions, limitations and possibilities of working as a public interest organization, and encourage them to maintain their position as real estate professionals when researching and offering recommendations. I believe that by doing this, our activities and results naturally show our identity and knowledge.

3) What kind of proptech is in demand for regional revitalization? What is required for implementation?

I have high expectations for Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and space sharing, as the key is to reduce travel and contract costs and to uncover latent supply and demand.

If MaaS apps can reduce the travel burden for travelers and residents and expand their range of activities, it will expand the range of real estate that can be utilized. Space sharing, meanwhile, will help uncover latent supply and demand for vacant land, houses and stores, helping eliminate the supply-demand mismatch. This may sound like a grassroots activity, but the tech that contribute to business activities works like this.

The first thing we want to focus on in implementing this technology is sustainability. We discuss how to use tech in a way that considers measures to improve resident quality of life, such as the potential for residents, workers and travelers to all use the same services. The second is to make the best predictions and invest in tech on a scale that matches the best predictions. I recommend starting with existing, familiar services such as payment via social media.

	4) NEXT’s activities involve members contributing after they’ve finished work, and meetings can go late. What is the key to maintaining a good work-life balance when you are busy with your day job and volunteer work?		My impression has been that at NEXT there is an atmosphere of respect for each other’s non-work lives, sleep and life stages. It is accepted that members will have pets cross their screens during meetings, need to mute to take care of kids and tone down activities for physical or family reasons. A system arose in which tasks are shared by two or more people and projects progress despite including those who cannot produce results on their own. I also got the impression that each of us used COVID–19 as an opportunity to deftly position NEXT between our work and private lives. NEXT appears to be a constructive diversion when the fun of meetings and field surveys is greatly restricted.
	5) What should we look for in NEXT’s upcoming activities?		NEXT is planning and gathering information on activities in municipalities in Chiba and Tokushima prefectures. I think the members unintentionally chose these municipalities largely because of regional ties. The specifics will differ from region to region, but the paradigm brought about by members’ activities can be used as a reference in other regions. We the advisors hope to continue supporting NEXT and play a role in passing on these lessons learned to other regions.

*MaaS: Mobility as a Service. For example, a route search app that covers everything from local taxis to rental bicycles and allows users to reserve and pre-pay for each with a click. Reservation and contract costs fall to next to nothing, and users need only to show the app to arrive at their destinations.