100 Stories1950 Hibiya, the City of Dreams

In 2018, the headquarters of Asahi Kasei was moved to Mitsui Tower in Hibiya, Tokyo Midtown. In commemoration of this event, former employees who had supported Asahi Kasei were invited and they looked back on the time when former Vice President Keita Tsudzuki first moved to Hibiya.

“This reminds me of the time Asahi Kasei first moved from Nihonbashi to Sanshin Building in Hibiya long ago. I admired Hibiya and how bright it was. It felt like a countryside company turned into a major company, and it made me truly happy. And it has now developed into a company where we can enter such a great building. It has come a long way.”

Sanshin Building was completed in 1929. It has two steel-reinforced concrete underground floors and eight above ground. The second to eighth floors were used as offices. At some point, the major talent agency Watanabe Productions moved into the building. After that, Asahi Kasei moved to Hibiya Mitsui Building in 1960. After the redevelopment of the Hibiya district, the two adjacent buildings reopened as Midtown Hibiya in 2018.

Half a century ago, Asahi Kasei was not big enough to be considered a major company. We are now reminded that the company is where it is today thanks to the pioneers who loved the company and repeatedly fought through challenges.

Tsudzuki currently walks with a cane and his physical condition hinders him from walking long distances without breaks, but he still visited the company saying, “I wanted to see it no matter what.” It must have been a valuable experience for the current employees to see the passion of former employees.

The current employees are responsible for the next 100 years. They will continue to build on what former employees have built so far, and pass it down to the next generation.
(Tsudzuki passed away on May 17, 2021, at the age of 98.)