Ginza Sony Park
Photo: Kisa Toyoshima外観
Photo: Kisa Toyoshima

5 things to do at the new Ginza Sony Park

Kick back and get your creative juices flowing at Ginza’s newest park

Translated by: Shota Nagao
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Glitzy Ginza has a new hotspot – and this one’s enjoyable without having to dig deep into your wallet. Opened on January 26, Ginza Sony Park is a hard-to-define structure right in the heart of Tokyo’s most storied destination for luxury shopping. Occupying the site of the original Sony Building from the 1960s, the multi-storey ‘park’ was built by the company behind the Walkman and PlayStation in an attempt to present the Sony brand’s philosophy in physical form.  

But why set up a mixed-use public space without shops or other permanent tenants in a place like Ginza, where the surroundings are all but entirely dedicated to commerce? Ginza Sony Park tackles this question head-on, aiming to encourage revaluation and redefinition of the use of urban space in its neighbourhood.

The facility is composed of three subterranean floors and five above-ground floors, and will host a regular programme of music and art events on the B2, third and fourth floors. Meanwhile, the B3 floor is occupied by a chic casual restaurant serving half-portion dishes – ideal when you’re looking for a quick bite. Aspiring to the status of urban oasis, the park boasts a spacious vertical interior where anyone can spend time as they like.

Read on for five ways to enjoy this newly opened landmark.

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Admire the unique architecture

Before entering the concrete cavern that makes up the entrance to the ‘park’, step back across the street and take a good look at the entire building from the adjacent Sukiyabashi Police Box. Sticking out in the Ginza landscape where skyscrapers stand shoulder to shoulder, the facility is about half the height of the surrounding buildings. The low-rise architecture lends Ginza Sony Park a special presence and a sense of openness between the Hermès Ginza Store and Tokyu Plaza Ginza. The grid-like frame that envelops the building’s facade is also noteworthy and will be used as a canvas for future exhibitions and art installations.

Satisfy your soul with a dainty meal

Going down the stairs leading from the subway concourse to the Ginza Sony Park basement, you’ll soon come across ½ Nibun no Ichi, a casual eatery operated by Sony. The restaurant has an open kitchen in the centre, giving it an airy feel, but the portion sizes are the real draw here. Each plate is served with two dishes, each sized at about a quarter of a single serving. The menu features Japanified ‘Western’ dishes like pork cutlet sandwiches and ketchup spaghetti and changes with the seasons, with a rotation of 10 different dish combinations. 

The new eatery is a far cry from the lavish multicourse menus offered by Maxim’s de Paris, the restaurant that occupied the former Sony Building. Per Sony, the portions at Nibun no Ichi are a response to ‘modern needs’, catering to those who want to appease their appetite without overindulging.

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Stimulate your imagination

Aspiring to become an art hub of sorts, too, Ginza Sony Park is hosting a variety of programmes that fuse culture and technology. The first, ‘Sony Park Exhibit 2025 Part One, features the work of six artists from January 26 to March 30.

The creatives highlighted as part of the inaugural exhibition include J-pop superstars Yoasobi, fellow musician Vaundy and alt-rockers Hitsujibungaku. Visitors can experience an interactive exhibition that combines the aforementioned trio’s music with Sony technology, created around the themes of the Sony Group’s six businesses: games, music, movies, electronics, semiconductors and finance.

The second batch of artists to be featured (April 20 to June 22) includes Babymonster, Creepy Nuts and Kensuke Ushio.

Explore slivers of urban history

Ginza Sony Park’s exposed concrete facade makes the building an immediate standout in Ginza. The Brutalist-inspired building gives off a solid and powerful feel with its angular columns and straight edges. It faces Harumi-dori, Sotobori-dori and Sony-dori on the ground floor and is connected to the Ginza subway station on the second basement level and the Nishi-Ginza underground parking lot via the third basement level. 

The building also retains its connections with its past. In the basement area, parts of the former Sony Building’s frame are left intact. Another artefact from the past can be found on the second basement level, where you’ll be able to spot a preserved blue tile wall from more than 50 years ago, excavated during demolition work on the previous building.

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Make Ginza Sony Park your own urban garden

The idea of creating a park in Ginza goes back to Akio Morita, one of the founders of Sony, who built the former Sony Building with the hope that it would become a ‘Garden of Ginza. The original Ginza Garden, which was a public space of only 3.5 square metres, held non-profit events every season. Inheriting Morita’s wishes to create an urban commons, the original Garden of Ginza concept was expanded to the Ginza Sony Park we see today.

Daisuke Nagano, the current president and chief branding officer of Sony Enterprises, says he sees parks as people’s personal territories. Quoting starchitect Fumihiko Maki, Nagano describes public space as ‘a collection of private spaces’, and says he hopes that Ginza Sony Park will be a garden-like sanctuary for all who visit.

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