June 23, 2025

On Tuesday, June 10, our university welcomed President Randy Peers, Senior Vice President Dina Rabiner, and Global Affairs Specialist Nayun Ko from the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce (BCC) in New York, and launched a collaborative initiative focused on “community support and small business assistance.”

Up to now, our university has deepened partnerships with local shopping streets and regional communities through the development of the Gamall Marche, based in Sugamo, Tokyo. Meanwhile, the BCC has been actively supporting small businesses in the Brooklyn area and working to revitalize the local economy through the “Brooklyn Made” brand. Based on the shared philosophies and achievements of both parties, this relationship was established in conjunction with the opening of our university’s New York–Brooklyn Satellite Campus.

On the day of the event, our university introduced an overview of the institution and its initiatives in the Sugamo area, while the BCC explained the characteristics of the Brooklyn region and the activities of the Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, Chairman Hiroyuki Watanabe and Executive Director Go Ishii from the Toshima Branch of the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry participated, providing reports on the current state of Toshima Ward and the Chamber’s initiatives and challenges. This was followed by an exchange of opinions aimed at concrete future collaboration.

Afterward, a field visit was conducted in the Sugamo area, including tours of the Gamall Marche and Gamall Shigakutei, as well as visits to the Sugamo Jizo-dori Shopping Street and the Sugamo Station Shopping Street, allowing the guests to experience local commercial activity firsthand.

Based on these discussions, we will strengthen our cooperative framework toward conducting test marketing of “Brooklyn Made” products in Sugamo. Furthermore, we will continue discussions to develop activities linked to educational programs in New York in the next academic year, and work to concretize plans for community support and small business assistance.

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Notes:

Gamall Marche:
An antenna shop operated mainly by our university students, introducing specialty products from municipalities across Japan with which the university collaborates, based on a vision of coexistence with regional communities, and presenting these products in Sugamo.

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Gamall Shigakutei:
A unique café/classroom jointly operated by rakugo performer Shirara Tatekawa (Visiting Researcher at our university’s Regional Vision Research Institute) and the university, where visitors can enjoy rakugo performances. Students are involved in store operations and menu development, providing a space that connects the appeal of Sugamo Jizo-dori and the world of rakugo.