YAESU CORE selected as name for major Tokyo station redevelopment
A major redevelopment rising beside Tokyo Station has been officially named YAESU CORE, with Honda and Chugai Pharmaceutical already planning to relocate major headquarters functions to the project after its scheduled completion in January 2029.
Building logo and exteior CG courtesy of the developers.
The 43-story mixed-use development will contain approximately 389,290 sqm of total floor area and rise about 227 meters above the Yaesu side of Tokyo Station.
The Yaesu 2-Chome Central District Urban Redevelopment Association and participating members Kajima Corporation, Sumitomo Realty & Development, the Urban Renaissance Agency, Hankyu Hanshin Properties and Mitsui Fudosan announced the new name on August 24th.
Honda and Chugai commit to Yaesu
Offices will occupy floors 11 through 38, with floor plates exceeding approximately 6,300 sqm.
The size and location have already attracted major corporate commitments.
Honda announced in August 2025 that it will relocate its global head office functions to the project's high-rise office floors before the end of 2029.
The move will also bring Honda back to an area with historical significance for the company. Its global headquarters was previously located in Yaesu between 1960 and 1974 before moving to Aoyama.
Honda said each office floor at the new location will be approximately 6.8 times larger than at its Aoyama headquarters and about 1.8 times larger than its current temporary office in Toranomon.
The company expects the larger floors to allow more employees to work together on a single level, supporting greater communication and collaboration.
Chugai Pharmaceutical has separately announced plans to relocate its head office functions to the development in spring 2029.
Chugai specifically cited the scale of the new office floors as one reason for the move. Its existing headquarters has employees dispersed across different areas, creating communication difficulties and shortages of workspace.
The company plans to use the new headquarters as a hub for internal collaboration and interaction with external partners.
Nearly 390,000 sqm beside Tokyo Station
YAESU CORE will occupy a site of approximately 19,560 sqm at Yaesu 2-chome in Chuo Ward.
The project will have 43 floors above ground and three basement levels, with approximately 389,290 sqm of total floor area.
It is about a three-minute walk from JR Tokyo Station's Yaesu Exit and two minutes from Kyobashi Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, with underground connections planned to both stations.
YAESU CORE forms part of a much larger transformation of the eastern side of Tokyo Station.
Together with neighboring Tokyo Midtown Yaesu and TOFROM YAESU, it completes a cluster of three adjoining Type 1 Urban Redevelopment Projects in front of the station.
Rather than operating as isolated developments, the projects are being physically linked through above- and below-ground pedestrian networks, commercial spaces and transport infrastructure.
Retail, theater, serviced apartments and an international school
YAESU CORE will combine its large office component with retail, entertainment, accommodation and education facilities.
Approximately 50 stores are planned from the first basement level through the third floor.
The retail areas will connect with Tokyo Midtown Yaesu above and below ground, creating a combined commercial area of more than 100 stores across the two developments.
CG renderings courtesy of the developers.
A theater with approximately 1,300 seats is planned for floors three through six, with performances expected to include musicals, plays, concerts and Takarazuka Revue productions.
Serviced apartments catering to both short and longer stays will occupy floors 40 through 43.
An international school is also planned, with facilities including a gymnasium, swimming pool and outdoor exercise area.
Yaesu's transformation continues
The naming of YAESU CORE comes well before its scheduled January 2029 completion, but the commitments from Honda and Chugai already provide an indication of the role the development could play in the Tokyo office market.
Its unusually large office floors offer major companies an opportunity to consolidate staff close to Japan's most important intercity rail hub, while the surrounding retail, entertainment and accommodation infrastructure is being developed at a district rather than individual-building scale.
By 2029, the three-project cluster of YAESU CORE, Tokyo Midtown Yaesu and TOFROM YAESU will have substantially reshaped the Yaesu side of Tokyo Station - with major corporate headquarters forming part of that transformation.
Further Reading:
Mistui Fudosan Press Release (Japanese only)
