Hello everyone! Miyanaga from GP here.  

Are you familiar with the complex facility “GATEWAY NARITA”, scheduled to open at the end of March of 2027? The recently-unveiled master plan is nothing short of spectacular, and it’s certain to become a major venue in the future.

The Large-Scale Complex “GATEWAY NARITA”

“GATEWAY NARITA” is a large-scale complex scheduled to open at the end of March of 2027. Although the opening is still a bit far off, it’s worth paying attention to now. The sheer scale of this facility suggests that it will become a major venue in the future.

Located just three minutes by car from the Narita Airport, this facility will be built on an expansive site, equivalent to about ten Tokyo Domes. It is expected to serve as a value creation hub with global specifications, focusing primarily on the international expansion of Japanese cuisine and the development of the food and beverage industry and culture.

The “DigiDome”, an arena, will be established as a landmark, designed for not only entertainment, but also international conferences and business usage as a showroom. The plan is to provide various views and perspectives from Narita to the rest of the world!

Expanding the Export of Japanese Food and Sending Fresh Produce Overseas

Speaking of Narita, the first thing that comes to mind is Narita Airport, the hub of Japan’s imports and exports. One of the key concepts of GATEWAY NARITA is to expand the export of Japanese food and to export fresh produce overseas, while maintaining high quality. By utilizing rapid freezing technology for domestic fresh produce, Narita aims to develop and promote a “cold chain from Narita”, solidifying its role as an international hub and increasing recognition. Another major initiative is to create more employment opportunities in the Narita area.

Another aim is to create a new hub for promoting Japanese food culture. The facility will feature a test marketing restaurant with the world’s largest screen, at 2,500 square meters, allowing diners to enjoy their meals without any language barriers, thanks to a multilingual menu system supported by digital technology.

The menu will include new products from food tech companies conducting research and development at R&D facilities, and customers can enjoy ingredients preserved using rapid freezing technology, regardless of the season—a fantastic display of technology!

The Three Features of “GATEWAY NARITA”

The Landmark: The High-Spec Arena “DigiDome”

The landmark of GATEWAY NARITA will be the DigiDome, an arena boasting a screen area of 6,000 square meters and over 5,000 seats. Equipped with world-class sound systems and high resolution, designed to be carbon-neutral, this high-spec arena is expected to host not only music events, but also international conferences and business showrooms, appealing to international artists with high environmental awareness.

The Largest Number of Guest Rooms in the Narita Area! A Digital Hotel with a Wellness Ring

The digital hotel, equipped with the latest technology, will have the largest number of guest rooms in the Narita area. Each room will be equipped with a large display for enjoying DigiDome content. The “Wellness Ring”, which connects the hotel with the commercial complex, is a 500-meter circular track where guests can compete with digital avatars.

A Japanese Version of the Food Valley

To create a Japanese version of the Food Valley, R&D facilities for food tech companies, a test marketing restaurant, a kitchen stadium for distribution purposes, and an international conference hall will all be established! Research and development aimed at building a “global cold chain”, necessary for expanding Japanese food exports, will also be conducted—truly impressive!

The Master Plan and Overview of the Main Facilities of GATEWAY Narita

Let’s introduce the recently-announced master plan and the overview of the main facilities here.

Predictive Analysis for Eliminating Congestion and Wait Times

A common challenge for large multi-purpose facilities is congestion and waiting times, but there’s a solution here! To enable smooth movement, congestion points will be visualized, and language-compatible concierges will be placed throughout the area. Modern technology tools will also be used to provide information via devices.

Infrastructure Plans to Update Japan’s Environmental Issues

One of the most globally-important factors is environmental sustainability. At GATEWAY NARITA, rainwater will be collected and filtered across the entire site to be reused for watering plants, and other purposes. This initiative is expected to reduce the burden on water and sewage systems, as well as cut electricity usage and greenhouse gas emissions.

“Improving Transportation Infrastructure” to Revitalize the Narita Citywide Commercial Area

When a large facility is built, infrastructure issues in the surrounding area tend to arise. To address these, there are plans to “improve transportation infrastructure”. For example, a large bus terminal will be placed underground in the plaza in front of the DigiDome, securing space for 20 buses. Additionally, efforts will be made to strengthen connections with surrounding stations, and improve access to central Tokyo. Very reassuring! 

Conclusion

It won’t be long before Narita becomes a global hub for the dissemination of food-related technology and culture, as well as the provision of experiential value. Today, we introduced the spectacular “GATEWAY NARITA”, which will be built on a large site, equivalent to about ten Tokyo Domes. Since the opening is in 2027, which is still a ways off, we will share detailed information with you when it becomes available! Now then, until next time.