KOBE -- The Kobe city government is installing tech infrastructure such as high-speed communications equipment in the nearby Mt. Rokko resort area in a bid to turn the mountaintop above the city into a rock-solid base for corporate offices that the municipality hopes will be part of a new business hub.
Corporate recreation facilities can be seen lining the 931-meter-high mountain, but many of them are vacant these days.
In August, a drone delivered goods to the top of the mountain in a demonstration to show that securing daily necessities is possible in an area with few shops. Such shipments are essential to attracting corporate offices.
The city government and other groups conducted the test to determine whether goods ordered from shops at the foot of the mountain can be delivered during traffic disruptions, such as when roads are blocked due to natural disasters. The drone, which carried heat pads and other medical supplies as well as food that requires temperature-controlled storage, such as pudding and sushi, took off from the middle of the mountain and landed in a spot near the summit about 1 kilometer away less than five minutes later.
"If delivery by drones, which requires less human contact, is put into practical use, it'll be a way to help prevent coronavirus infections as well," a city government official said.
The city government hopes to deliver goods directly from department stores in the central Sannomiya shopping district in the future.
The Mt. Rokko area, which was developed in the Meiji era (1868-1912) as a resort by non-Japanese living in the old Kobe foreign settlement, comprises a golf course, ski slopes, a ranch and other leisure facilities. It is a 30-minute drive from Sannomiya, and a one-hour drive from Osaka's Umeda district.
The mountain range used to be a popular area for corporate rest and relaxation centers. In fiscal 1990, amid the bubble economy, there were 228 companies that owned resort facilities there. However, due to the effects of the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995 and the post-bubble recession, only 53 companies still had centers there in the last fiscal year. Many of the facilities are now vacant.
Since fiscal 2016, the Kobe city government and other groups have been studying ways to utilize the empty structures. In December 2019, the government relaxed development regulations aimed at protecting the mountain's natural environment, which allowed the facilities to be renovated into offices. At least 10 company-owned facilities that are now idle are said to be available for use, and the city plans to complete the installation of fiber-optic cables in December to improve internet speeds on the mountain.
In May, Kobe drew up a "Mt. Rokko smart city initiative" in a bid to attract corporations to the area. The program supports companies in 14 industries that can essentially operate anywhere -- such as IT and design -- granting up to 30 million yen for costs related to renovating and rebuilding existing facilities.
"A rich natural environment is well-suited to build a workplace that can dream up innovative ideas. The area can also be used as a place for 'workation,' a new lifestyle that combines work with leisure activities," a city official said.
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