http://www.mintetsu.or.jp/association/mintetsu/pdf/59_p08_11.pdf
Railway’s role : To gathering people in city center
Q: Takamatus’s “Compact Eco City Vision” relies on collaboration with Kotoden.
Japanese citizens give off the images that they rely mostly on automobiles to commute in local areas, but I’ve seen many people in Europe using public transportation such as the tram as a primary way to commute on top of walking and riding bike in cities smaller than Takamatsu. Local governments provide it in response to citizens’ demand.
In Takamatsu, it’s important not only the Government but also we as a transportation company maintain a continuous dialogue with the citizens to be more aware of their needs.
I think the “Compact Eco City Vision” is a great option for Takamatsu and I want to cooperate with that in every way possible.
Currently, our main business domain are train and bus but buses are operated by a company other than Kotoden, but we still have a responsibility to offer convenient connections between trains and buses so as to create an easy to use public transportation system as soon as possible.
Q:The vision predicts that Kotoden stations will become focal points connecting congested areas through public transportation. What is the currently role of the main stations?
Local people call the area between Kawaramachi station, which is where Kotoden’s 3 lines meet, and Takamatsu Chikko station near JR Takamatsu station “city center” and that is the main location for business and office buildings.
Kotohira line runs through Busshozan station, next to our train factory and the new Takamatsu city hospital will be established in that area 2 years from now. The number of houses and population density are increasing in the area between Kawaramachi and Busshozan station, so the latter is expected to become the core of southern Takamatsu. Our plans for the restructuring of Takamatsu’s public transportation include the addition of 2 new stations, making it easier for residents in this area to commute to the city center.
In 2013, we added Ayagawa station to Kotohira Line, and the number of passengers has been increasing every year since then. We had set a fairly high target from the start, but the results were better than what we expected. Although the huge shopping mall nearby is one of the reasons, many new houses and apartments were built after the station opened, which is a rare case when it comes to local cities.
Roads are the main contributor for the sprawling of Takamatsu. On the other hand, the role of trains is to bring people to the city center. I think that what we should see as the new ideals for Japanese local cities is based on how well public transportation and cars keep the city center and the suburbs tied together.
In addition, Takamatsu’s flat landscape and dry climate make it easy for commute by bicycle. We offer a service that allows passengers to bring their bicycles onboard and have bicycle parking at various stations. Our aim is for Takamatsu to become a city that gives the public as many commuting options as possible.
Q:Kawaramachi Flag was originally department store and that was later converted into a commercial building.
When the department store at the Kawaramachi station building closed, I wanted us to manage the building ourselves instead of leasing to another department store. In this day and age, we can order books and clothes at home with just one click and receive it the next day, so the need to ride the train to go shopping will keep on decreasing. Then we should give customers other reasons to ride the train other than shopping.
There are around 100 tenants in Kawaramachi Flag, including clothes shops and other goods as well as space for health studios and educational areas. One of our floors is occupied by the City Office. We want to create a new model of station buildings based on a flexible and quick response to consumer trends and take its purpose beyond shopping.
Our Area Development Division operates the building with the support of an external company. I think being closer to consumers will greatly benefit our railway business.
Q:What kind of changes did Kawaramachi Flag bring to passengers and stations?
I really wanted Kawaramachi to go back to being crowded, lively place. Nowadays, many high school students gather at the open garden on the top floor of Kawaramchi Flag to talk, have tea, fiddle their smartphones and so on ー we were able to create a place like a public square where many young people spend their time however they like.
We also opened children’s goods shop in order to bring families back to the city center, because suburban shopping malls attract many families in many local cities. With that, more families started riding Kotoden bringing strollers or small children, which, in turn, had a good influence on our performance as a railway company: station staff and conductors have been more mindful towards the presence of children in the area while they attend to passengers and the opening and closing of doors. I think we are growing greatly as a service industry.
Kotoden is mainly for commuters and students, but now with families and older people riding with us more often, we have come to realize that we are supporting a more diverse range of customers.