Sumisho Urban Kaihatsu Co., Ltd.(hereunder SUK) provides property management services ranging from planning and development to operation and administration, with a focus on commercial facilities. The company operates nationwide under the slogan of seeking to "Back to my hometown, Another Day , Another Classe!!" One of the retail facilities operated by SUK is Mikage Classe, a shopping mall housing some 70 specialty shops and restaurants. Located in Kobe's Higashinada Ward, the mall recently entered into a partnership agreement with nearby Konan University to encourage neighboring community. This is Hyogo Prefecture's first broad-based partnership between a commercial facility and a university and one of only a handful throughout the entire country. With a smaller-scale cooperation agreement including the provision of spaces for student events already in place, Mikage Classe agreed to the recent tie-up with the aim of making a greater contribution to the development of the local community, in particular with regard to education and culture.

The first event under the new agreement was held on Saturday, May 22 and consisted of a children's dance performance as well as stage performances of jazz and light music. The children's dance performance was put on by local children along with the university's cheerleading squad. Mikage Classe lent out the mall's community center as a rehearsal space, thereby facilitating exchange between university students and children living in the surrounding area.

In addition to student events, Mikage Classe plans to organize a variety of events and programs including internship programs, open seminars by university professors and events for local residents. The shopping mall is expected to play a greater role in promoting more active interaction within the community as well as enhancing education and cultural aspects of local life by offering opportunities for town and gown interaction that will give university students, academics and local residents the chance to get to know each other.

Events scheduled (up to September 2010):
 Saturday, June 26     Live concerts 
 Saturday, July  24     "Science Cafe"--university professors give special classes for children
  Saturday, Aug 21     Art workshops for children
  Late September       Seminars on child-raising for local residents and Mikage Classe staff
 *Dates and events are subject to change.