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The face of Tokyo is always changing: buildings are frequently torn down and rebuilt to meet revised earthquake safety guidelines, serve new purposes, or simply to keep up with the cutting-edge aesthetic of a city famous for its futuristic architecture. Take the Sony Building: debuted in 1966, it was razed in March of 2017 to begin a two-tiered reintroduction process. The first of those stages is Ginza Sony Park, which opened on August 9, 2018. While the site’s previous inhabitant towered high into the sky, its current incarnation stretches underground into a series of subterranean attractions. From September 2020, season 2 of the redevelopment are planned to start.
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At street level, Ginza Sony Park lives up to its name with an interesting array of greenery. But the most interesting thing about this garden is that its for sale. That’s right; plants can be bought directly from their from the park–though some of them are awfully big, so make sure you’ve rented a vehicle or brought a friend with a sturdy set of pipes. Any flora that’s taken away is quickly replaced, meaning the park is always changing. It’s a little like a living gallery that doubles as a gift shop.
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Once you’ve called dibs on that ficus, head down to another type of gallery beginning on B1. Artscape Ginza uses your a free app for your smart phone to bring you works of art through augmented reality. It’s an interesting an suitably high-tech way to explore art and culture without having to queue for a fine art museum. To coincide with Ginza Sony Park’s launch, Artscape Ginza included special digital exhibitions of Louvre portraiture and Japanese sculpture and illustration.
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If all that beauty has activated your appetite, pop by Mimosa Ginza, a Hong Kong-style snack and tea stand from Michelin-star chef Toshiro Minami, with a drool-worthy assortment of treats to hold you over ’til dinner. If you like your meal with a side of kitsch, The Conveni is a high-concept convenience store curated by Hiroyuki Fujiwara. Down on B3, Toraya Cafe serves a cool menu of enormously popular shaved ice topped with sweet red beans. Ginza Sony Park’s lowest level (B4) is home to a deli-cum-brewery operated by Spring Valley Brewery, where patrons can nosh on grilled meats and cold suds.
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Much of Ginza Sony Park has a modular and industrial feel, which makes it an especially versatile event space. Pop-up events take place on every floor, from quirky takes on video games to live music performances. If you’re feeling nostalgic, take a free spin around their cement roller rink (or rent a pair of old-school roller skates if you truly want to transport yourself to the era of the Walkman). Depending on when you go, your skate may be accompanied by live DJ sets or broadcasts from Sony Ginza Park’s in-house radio station studios.
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Instead of covering this high-traffic corner in scaffolding, Ginza Sony Park is a creative way to activate the space in advance of the two-year construction of the new Sony Building beginning in 2020. If you’re in the area, it’s definitely worth a visit underground.
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THE GATE HOTEL TOKYO by HULIC
2-2-3 Yurakucho,Chiyoda-ku Tokyo
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