This paper examines the present conditions of and the functional change of the office agglimeration in Makuhari New City. The office-buildings in Makuhari New City opened for tenants in 1989, during the "bubble economy" era. These buildings were initially almost fully occupied due to the well-equipped facilities. After the beginning of the 1990s when the bubble economy collapsed, however, many tenant offices moved out, resulting in a sharp increase in vacancy. To resolve this situation, the building management companies lowerred the office rent to re-attract tenants. During the bubble economy era, the offices in Makuhari New City were typically functional extensions of their headquarters in the central area of Tokyo. But in the post bubble economy era, many offices in Makuhari New City originated from Chiba City, and functioned as branch offices of Chiba-based firms. For these firms, reasonable office rent and favorable images of the Makuhari area were some of the most important criteria in selecting this location. In short, the officers in Makuhari New City went through a functional change in the post bubble economy era from back offices of corporate headquarters in the central Tokyo to regional branch offices for Chiba-based firms.
