静岡市中心部で”オフィス不足”　10社程度が進出を希望も60坪以上の”空き”は数える程度　ニーズに合致した物件少なく企業誘致の障壁に

When a company expands into a new location or city, one of the most important factors is the location, size, and other conditions of the office. Meanwhile, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture, which is making an effort to attract companies, is struggling with office space issues. Shizuoka City Mayor Takashi Namba (October 2025): What Shizuoka City needs now is offices. October 2025. Shizuoka City Mayor Takashi Namba pointed out the city's lack of offices. Shizuoka City Mayor Takashi Namba (October 2025): There is almost no new office space in supply. This is now a major challenge in revitalizing Shizuoka City's economy. Shizuoka City is working hard to attract companies to create jobs and revitalize industry in an effort to halt its serious population decline, but the lack of offices could become an obstacle. Why is there a shortage of offices? November 28th. At universities and vocational schools in Shizuoka City, IT companies and organizations from the Tokyo metropolitan area exchanged opinions with students in an effort to discover digital talent. University student: I want to create a service with a human touch, and I want to incorporate glimpses of each student's personality into the service. Shizuoka City, which organized the event, hopes that by giving students a firsthand experience of their potential, they can attract future companies. Driving Force President Maki Tamura: I think it would be best to locate it near a station so employees can easily commute, but if the university were willing to lend out incubation facilities to companies, that would be a good place to locate it. However... Reporter Sakurako Suzuki: This is the city center, close to JR Shizuoka Station. As you can see, there are rows of old multi-tenant buildings, and the impression is that there are few large office buildings. Tech Chao, a game app developer based in a building in Konyamachi, Aoi Ward. It's a bright office, but... Tech Chao President Igarashi Heima: He has a desktop, so the desk space is incredibly small. Employee: It's pretty cramped. If we put everything else here, we can only fit about this much. This is how we make space during lunch breaks. The floor space is about 152 sq. m, and we have 27 employees. Due to the nature of our work, we need a lot of computers and monitors, so the office is quite cramped. Employee: Right now, I feel like we need more space. Employee: Having a company cafeteria and vending machines in the office would help us work more fulfillingly. Our goal is to double the number of employees within the next few years. To achieve this, we need a new office. Tech Chao President Igarashi Heima: I think offices that accommodate staff are extremely important when it comes to hiring new employees. I'm currently consulting with a real estate agent about renting an office space twice this size, but I've been told that it's difficult to find a space that large. Considering the convenience of commuting, I'm looking for a cutting-edge space befitting an IT company within walking distance of Shizuoka Station, but so far I haven't found a property that fits my image. Tech Chao President Heima Igarashi: For the time being, I'm thinking of using remote work in conjunction with other work, but this is causing a lack of unity on-site, so I'd like to somehow switch to a larger office at the right time and grow it. For example, the occupancy rate of approximately 60 offices in Aoi Tower, a 25-story building with two basement floors located directly in front of JR Shizuoka Station, is nearly 100%. Shizuoka City, which is working to attract companies... Shizuoka City Industrial Infrastructure Strengthening Headquarters Section Chief Fumihide Tsunekawa: Good properties fill up quickly when they become available, so we can't provide a large list to many companies. According to Shizuoka City, there are currently around 10 companies considering expanding into the city, but the city has identified approximately 40 vacant offices in the city center. Furthermore, 90% of these properties are between 20 and 133 sq. m (66 to 133 sq. ft.), with only one or two being over 200 sq. m (120 sq. ft.). Tsunekawa Fumiei, Section Chief, Shizuoka City Industrial Infrastructure Strengthening Headquarters: Some companies may look for other cities if there are no offices available when they want to expand, so we want to make sure we don't miss this opportunity. Furthermore, as part of the redevelopment project around the north exit of Shizuoka Station, plans are underway to build a large complex that will house commercial facilities and offices. However, due to rising material and labor costs, the total project cost has significantly exceeded the originally estimated 27 billion yen, and completion is expected to be delayed by two years from the original plan. How can we increase the desire for companies to expand and create a city that attracts people and jobs? A joint public-private strat...