On March 19, 2026, Ricoh Japan Co., Ltd. released a case study showcasing the use of its “RICOH Virtual Workplace” platform. The case study highlighted the design work for river management roads in the Shakujii River embankment improvement project being undertaken by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Construction.
(Source: https://jp.ricoh.com/release/2026/0319_1、以下同じ）)
What is “RICOH Virtual Workplace”?
This VR solution has been offered by Ricoh Japan Co., Ltd. since 2023. It creates 3D models that reproduce real environments in a virtual space, allowing multiple people, including remote users, to share images and review designs, thereby reducing rework.
In addition to VR headsets, participation is possible from multiple devices such as PCs and smartphones. Furthermore, since BIM/CIM data and point cloud data, which are widely used in the construction industry, can be used as is, additional man-hours can be minimized.
The official website is here.
River improvement accelerated by construction DX: A case study of VR use on the Shakujii River
In the construction industry, a major challenge is the time-consuming process of reaching consensus among diverse stakeholders. Drawings and documents alone make it difficult to achieve a shared vision of the finished product, potentially leading to rework after construction begins. In urban river infrastructure development, which directly impacts residents’ lives, balancing quality and speed in construction is particularly crucial.
Therefore, in the “Shakujii River Embankment Improvement Project” being promoted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Construction, Dohkon Co., Ltd., which is in charge of the design work, has adopted Ricoh Japan Co., Ltd.’s VR solution, “RICOH Virtual Workplace.”
In this project, stakeholders walked together within a virtual space to verify the visibility of pedestrians and the safety of the surrounding facilities.
Even subtle differences in elevation between the house entrance and the roadside, which are difficult to grasp from drawings alone, were resolved by discussing and annotating improvement images in VR. This realistic experience, similar to being on-site, enabled rapid consensus building, resulting in a smooth and efficient agreement-making process.
Ricoh Japan Co., Ltd. stated that it will continue to deepen its collaboration with partners and promote the use of “RICOH Virtual Workplace” in various areas, including infrastructure.
This article is an English translation of an original Japanese article, translated by the Mogura VR editorial team.
Reference
https://jp.ricoh.com/release/2026/0319_1
