A park in the city: Ginza Sony Park.

As you descend the stairs facing the street, the sounds of the bustling crowd gradually fade away. You catch glimpses of the structure from the Sony Building era and the blue tiles, while the breeze through the promenade invites you further underground.

How will artists and writers color this promenade?

Kyotaro Hayashi as a collaborator to reveal the scenery seen through his eyes.

――――
I feel as though I’ve lived my life guided by my own name. This realization has come from the scenes I’ve captured from around the world over the past few years. The wind rustles the trees, glides over my skin, and brings a sense of calm to my heart. I layered Ginza’s soft breeze over the joyful scenes I encountered, and trusted the impulses that rose within me—capturing them instinctively in photographs and video.

Kyotaro Hayashi
―――

Program

The promenade leading to the underground floor of Ginza Sony Park is adorned by an installation from filmmaker and photographer Kyotaro Hayashi. Newly captured scenes of Ginza are printed on soft fabric, inviting visitors from Sotobori Street to B3. Within B3’s 1/2 [Nibun no Ichi], you can also enjoy videos that have been re-edited for this program.
* The video works within 1/2 [Nibun no Ichi] will end on February 17 (Tue).

Overview

Title:
“Melodious.” Kyotaro Hayashi – Parkscape
Date:
February 7 (Sat.) – February 23 (Mon.,/Holiday), 2026
Opening Hours:
11:00 A.M. – 7:00 P.M
Venue:
Ginza Sony Park B3/B2/B1
Admission:
Free

Collaborator

Kyotaro Hayashi

Filmmaker / Director of Photography / Photographer
Born in Tokyo in 1989. After graduating from the Information Design Course at Tama Art University in 2013, he joined DRAWING AND MANUAL. He is a part-time lecturer in the Design Course at Tama Art University, creating visuals that capture light with his unique sense of color. At the same time, he utilizes 3DCG, VFX, and interactive media, engaging in various creations not only in video but also in installations and performing arts.
He has worked on numerous brand commercials for major companies and directed music videos for famous artists. He supervised “the Japanese Pavilion” at the 2016 Venice Biennale and the “SWFC 8th Anniversary Promotion” held in Shanghai. He was the video director for the special video “Visionaries Making Another Perspective” at the “Jump Exhibition / Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art” and directed the video for the art exhibition “The Fitting Room / POLA Museum ANNEX” by Bangal Dawson, among many other video expression installations. He held his first solo exhibition, “Hogaraka ni,” at Canon Gallery S in June 2025.
Published works: “Hogaraka ni.” Kyotaro Hayashi Photography Book

Web：KYOTARO HAYASHI
Instagram：@kyotaro_photo

Let’s read books at Ginza Sony Park. Let’s think about books.
If you find a book you like, pack it in a tote bag and take it home.

Ginza Sony Park has transformed into a “HON – NO KOEN”
for a limited time in collaboration with the podcast program “Planet of Books.”
Feel free to pick up a book and enjoy reading.
Additionally, if you purchase a tote bag available at the reception,
you can take home the books you like.

“Planet of Books” is a popular podcast hosted
by book coordinator Shintaro Uchinuma,
where he discusses various topics revolve around books every week.
The books displayed in the park are collected
as part of the “Books We Don’t Want to Throw Away” project,
led by Value Books, a company based in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture,
specializing in buying and selling second-hand books.

Value Books receives approximately 30,000 books daily from across Japan.
About half of these books are assigned a purchase price and delivered
to new readers through online sales.
However, the remaining half, regardless of their content,
are often left without a price due to the balance of supply
and demand in the second-hand book market and many are inevitably recycled.

Yet, the value of a book should not be determined by its price.
If a book gains meaning for the first time when it resonates with someone’s interest,
then the moment it catches someone’s attention and is picked up,
it can always become a “new release” for that person.

At Value Books, some of the books initially destined
for paper recycling are carefully selected
by hand and given a chance for new encounters as
“Books We Don’t Want to Throw Away.”

During the event period, there will also be live recordings of “Planet of Books.”
In an era where everyone scrolls through social media and uses AI,
what significance does a physical book hold?
Thoughts and dialogues about the future of media will unfold
as part of the scenery of this park.

Let’ s explore these ideas together.

Program

In collaboration with Shintaro Uchiuma, a book coordinator and host of the podcast “Book Planet,” we will gather approximately 20,000 carefully selected second-hand books that are difficult to price for various reasons, transforming Ginza Sony Park B2 into a “Book Park” where visitors can freely immerse themselves in reading.
The books available for reading can be found anywhere within Ginza Sony Park. Additionally, if you are interested in any books, you may purchase an original tote bag (1,800 yen including tax) available at the venue, which allows you to take home up to five books per tote bag.
During the exhibition period, there will also be a live recording of the podcast “Book Planet,” where we will think together about the future of printed books.
*One book only when reading on other floors.

Overview

Title:
HON – NO KOEN
Date:
February 7 (Sat.) – February 23 (Mon.,/Holiday), 2026
Opening Hours:
11:00 A.M. – 7:00 P.M
Venue:
Ginza Sony Park B2
Admission:
Free

Collaborator

Shintaro Uchinuma

Born in 1980. A graduate of Hitotsubashi University, Faculty of Commerce. Book coordinator. President of NUMABOOKS Inc., Director of VALUE BOOKS Inc. In 2012, he opened “B&B,” a new bookstore where you can drink beer and hold events every day, and in 2020, he opened “Nikkiya Tsukihi,” a specialty store for diaries. He also serves as the President of Sanposha Inc., which operates “BONUS TRACK” in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, and as a Director of Kataho Inc., which operates “HOME/WORK VILLAGE” in Ikejiri. His books include “Korekara no Honya Dokuhon” (NHK Publishing), “Hon no Mirai wo Sagasu Tabi Taipei,” “Hon no Mirai wo Sagasu Tabi Seoul,” and “Hon no Gyakushu” (Asahi Publishing). He currently lives in two locations: Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, and Miyota, Nagano. Father of two children. Personality of “HON – NO WAKUSEI.”

Web：NUMABOOKS
Instagram：@numabooks

Program

Chairs beloved by architects, artists, shop owners, and individuals from various fields will gather at Ginza Sony Park, each accompanied by their own story. All displayed chairs are available for purchase and will be delivered after the exhibition period ends.
*Part of the proceeds will be donated to the “Emergency Disaster and Recovery Fund for Children,” co-established in 2016 by Sony Group Corporation (the previous Sony Corporation) in partnership with NGO Save the Children Japan. The donations will be used to provides immediate support upon the sudden onset of natural disasters or humanitarian crises as well as medium- to long-term recovery support to children.

Overview

Title:
“a chair is not alone” The Story of 52 Chairs
Date:
February 7 (Sat.) – February 23 (Mon.,/Holiday), 2026
Opening Hours:
11:00 A.M. – 7:00 P.M.
Venue:
Ginza Sony Park 3F
Admission:
Free

Participants

Mitsunori＋Hiromi Asakura (Bob Foundation), Keiji Ashizawa (Architect / Designer), Satoshi Arai＋Kei Nakatomi (Kii inc.), Yukiko Ishimura (Kuruminoki), Hikaru Ichijo (Illustrator), Kan Ito (Potter), Masako Ito (Stylist), YOICHIRO UCHIDA (Artist), Ed TSUWAKI (Artist / Artistic Director), Tadatomo Oshima (IDÉE Director), Ken Kagami (Contemporary Artist), Shunsuke Kato (NOTA&design), Masaki Kato (Puddle Inc.), Keiji Kaneko (Fashion Director), Kentaro Kabaya (BAL Designer), RYUJI KAMIYAMA (Artist), Taichi Kuma (Architect), Takashi＋Mana Kobayashi (ima), Ryoko Kobayashi (Actor / CEO of AGRIKO Co., Ltd.), Takahiro Goko (SWIMSUIT DEPARTMENT), GORO (MIN-NANO), Felix Conran (Product Designer), Teruhiko Saito (AHIRU STORE), Shuichiro Sakaguchi (Musician / Producer), Kisshomaru Shimamura (Artist / Photographer), Tetsumasa Suda (case study shop), Shinji Sekizuka (Hakimono Sekizuka), Yoshiko Takahashi (Culinary Expert), Shota Tashiro (Pastry Chef), Shizuka Tatsuno (Creative Director / Designer), Jo Nagasaka (Architect), Shinsuke Nakada (Unlikely Director), Yu Nagaba (Artist / Illustrator), Shinichiro Nakahara (The Conran Shop CDO), Keisuke Nakamura (DAIKEI MILLS / SKWAT), Hiroyuki Nagatomi (NEW LIGHT POTTERY), Yuri Nomura (Professional Chef / Founder of eatrip), Akio Hasegawa (Fashion Director / Stylist), Shigeki Hattori (graf), PAJA STUDIO (Print Studio), Kimiko Hiyamizu (Culinary Expert / Food Coordinator), Kazumi Hirai (Flower Stylist), Mariko Hirasawa (Illustrator) Naohiko Hironaga (Hand To Mouth), Harumi Fukuda (Branding Director), Shigeki Fujishiro (Designer), Koichi Futatsumata (Spatial and Product Designer), Yataro Matsuura (Essayist), Daisuke Matsushima (PADDLERS COFFEE), Teruhiro Yanagihara (Teruhiro Yanagihara Studio), Mayumi Yamase (Artist), Reika Yoshida (TODAYFUL Director), Russet Burbank (Vintage Toy Shop)