JStories ー In Ginza, one among Tokyo’s hottest locations for inbound vacationers, it’s now a well-known sight to see guests strolling the streets, having fun with buying and eating experiences. But on this densely built-up space, public areas the place folks can pause or relaxation are restricted. For vacationers on their ft for lengthy hours, the shortage of benches and relaxation spots has grow to be a persistent subject.
Daisuke Nagano, president and consultant director of Sony Group Corp., explains that the park was created to convey rhythm to the Ginza expertise.
“Earlier than, if somebody was drained after buying however nonetheless needed to go to a pair extra shops, they may have simply gone dwelling. Now they will take a break at Ginza Sony Park and preserve going afterward. Like a musical relaxation image, it offers folks an opportunity to pause or get re-energized by what they see. The park helps folks swap between ‘on’ and ‘off’ modes, making a rhythm for the town,” stated Nagano.
Reveals within the area rotate often. In April 2025, the park was internet hosting a themed exhibition with the idea of reboothing the senses.
The displays contained in the park are rotated often, and as of spring 2025 (on the time of the interview in April), the “Ginza Sony Park Exhibition 2025” is underway. The exhibition highlights six key enterprise areas that Sony is engaged in: Music, Semiconductors, Finance, Gaming, Leisure Expertise, and Movie. Every of those is reimagined by a unique experiential lens: Journey, Science Fiction, Poetry, Social Area, Road, and Forest. The result’s a group of distinctive interactive installations, created in collaboration with six totally different artists or inventive groups — together with in style acts like BABYMONSTER and Creepy Nuts.
Ginza Sony Park presents this as a means of “rebooting the senses,” providing a dynamic and immersive public area that blends expertise, creativity, and rest.
Nagano emphasizes the significance of mixing “exercise” with “respiration area.”
“If there’s solely exercise, it turns into an amusement park. If it’s just for rest, then it’s only a common park. What makes Ginza Sony Park distinctive is the combination — an area the place pleasure and rest coexist.”
The park is designed accordingly: it options interactive, high-tech installations alongside calm areas for unwinding to sound and visuals. Within the B2 stage, guests can take pleasure in a customized rhythm sport impressed by songs from in style lady group BABYMONSTER, or create a customized avatar with 3D seize expertise and have it dance to music.
On the third ground, guests are immersed in a stay live performance expertise of hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts, surrounded by eight high-resolution LED shows and round 20 audio system. Benches are geared up with haptic expertise, permitting friends to really feel music by vibrations.
In distinction, the fourth ground gives a forest-themed rest zone curated by composer Kensuke Ushio. Visitors can sit in chairs and pay attention to chose soundtracks from 20 movies by way of headphones in a peaceable ambiance.
The park additionally features a informal eating space referred to as “1/2 (Nibun no Ichi)” which gives Western-style dishes in smaller parts — half-size and even quarter-size — permitting friends to pattern quite a lot of objects with out feeling too full.
“Typically you simply desire a gentle chunk earlier than dinner. Or perhaps you are in Ginza and need to strive plenty of locations, however this one catches your eye — then it’s superb to simply eat a little bit. That’s why we provide smaller parts,” Nagano defined.
Nagano sees Ginza Sony Park as one other step in Sony’s historical past of introducing new worth to the world — very like the Walkman, which took music outdoors the house; the PlayStation, which remodeled kids’s play into grownup leisure; and AIBO, which redefined relationships with robots.
“Ginza doesn’t want Ginza Sony Park to exist — however it turns into extra attention-grabbing with it. We need to provide new worth to the world,” he advised JStories.
For now, the Ginza location is the one one among its form. However Nagano hints at potential worldwide enlargement:
“If the chance arises, I’d like to convey profitable occasions from Ginza to cities like London, Paris, or Shanghai.”
Whereas no concrete plans are in place, he stays open to future collaborations.
“If there’s curiosity from a metropolis, we’d be completely satisfied to discover it.”
Nagano concludes by underscoring the park’s alignment with the humanities.
“Artwork can attract new folks when it blends right into a metropolis. Ginza Sony Park is a pure match with artwork and music, and we need to proceed constructing actions round these themes.”
Translated by Anita De Michele | JStories
Prime video: Alexander Cas, Moritz Brinkhoff, Jeremy Touitou | JStories
For inquiries concerning this text, please contact [email protected]
