A first in the series’ history! Our PR lead reports on the large-scale exhibition spanning the entire Ghost in the Shell anime franchise, “Ghost in the Shell Exhibition: Ghost and the Shell,” and introduces a media-approach strategy that expands its appeal from multiple angles.

I am Suzuki from SUNNY SIDE UP.

This time, we would like to introduce “Ghost in the Shell Exhibition: Ghost and the Shell,” a large-scale exhibition of the globally acclaimed anime series Ghost in the Shell.

Planned by the Ghost in the Shell Exhibition: Ghost and the Shell Production Committee (Kodansha Ltd., Mori Building Co., Ltd., KDDI CORPORATION, Production I.G, Inc., PARCO CO., LTD., and Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc.), the exhibition opened on January 30, 2026, at TOKYO NODE, the information hub at Toranomon Hills.

SUNNY SIDE UP was responsible for the exhibition’s PR and communications. In executing the project, we went beyond simply disseminating information: we organized it into a narrative that would resonate with the media, and built an information architecture and exposure strategy. By designing a phased rollout of topics ahead of the opening and holding a preview event, we generated high-quality, high-volume coverage, including major features of more than 60 pages in both “Pen” and “Geijutsu Shincho.”

What is “Ghost in the Shell Exhibition: Ghost and the ShellGhost and the Shell”?

As the first large-scale exhibition in the franchise’s history, it starts from the original work created by Masamune Shirow and spans the successive animated works produced by Production I.G since the 1995 theatrical film “GHOST IN THE SHELL / Ghost in the Shell.” With the cooperation of Science SARU, which is producing the new anime scheduled to air in July 2026, the exhibition covers the entire series and offers a cross-sectional experience of nearly 30 years of Ghost in the Shell through a wide range of exhibits.

Through visions such as cybernetic bodies, cyberbrains, and AI, Ghost in the Shell has long continued to pose the question, “What does it mean to be human?” Now, as we approach 2029—the year depicted in the story—its worldview is rapidly overlapping with our reality. Against the backdrop of nearly 30 years of the series’ accumulation, this exhibition reintroduces the concepts of “ghost” and “shell” and approaches the essence of humanity. At a time when fiction and reality intersect, what do we call the “ghost,” and how far do we define as the “shell”? The exhibition poses these questions to each visitor.

Over 1,600 production materials: an exhibition bringing together works by successive directors

At the venue, in addition to works by successive directors such as Mamoru Oshii, Kenji Kamiyama, Kazuchika Kise, and Shinji Aramaki, exhibits related to the new anime are also presented. The layout allows visitors to view the works while comparing the themes and worldviews each one embodies.

The exhibition begins with “NODE (a nexus of thought)” as an introduction that invites visitors to “dive” into the world of the works, followed by “STORY,” where successive directors speak about the exhibition’s theme, and then unfolds into sections that delve deeper through more than 1,600 production materials.

By viewing key animation drawings in the context of each work, visitors can gain a deeper understanding of the production process. In animation production, key drawings form the core of the process that reaches completion by layering multiple steps and layers. From the wavering lines and correction marks seen in the materials, one can read traces of the creators’ accumulated thinking and trial and error.

In addition, the production materials are displayed on transparent acrylic panels, allowing visitors to view not only the front but also the back. This makes visible layers of corrections and overdrawn details that are normally impossible to see, enabling a more three-dimensional experience of the “layered” structure of key drawings and the reality of the production process.

Collaboration exhibits by contemporary artists

The exhibition continues into collaboration displays by artists influenced by the works, offering a structure that allows visitors to experience the world of Ghost in the Shell from multilayered perspectives. At the venue, works by contemporary artists were exhibited—including a brand-new sculpture by Hajime Sorayama unveiled to the world for the first time—presenting new expressions derived from the original work.

In the realms of music, video, and digital art as well, creators who resonate with the work participate and reinterpret the Ghost in the Shell worldview from their respective perspectives. Through live performances and video direction, they express the work’s ideas as a living, evolving culture.

With this exhibition structure, the show starts from key drawings yet goes beyond simply looking back on past masterpieces, becoming a place where visitors can experience a “living culture” that continues to be updated by contemporary artists.

Delivering the ideas and social themes behind the works:a multilayeredPR strategy by SUNNY SIDE UP

For this exhibition, which features a wide range of works, SUNNY SIDE UP was responsible for PR and communications.

Rather than stopping at simple information dissemination, we focused on how to communicate the works’ ideas and social themes, as well as the intent embedded in the venue design. Including the passion of the production staff, we organized the story into a context that would reach the media, and built an information architecture and exposure strategy.

Specifically, we implemented a phased topic rollout before the opening. In order to reach not only core fans but also audiences less familiar with Ghost in the Shell, we also considered angles for lifestyle, women’s magazines, fashion magazines, gadget and tech media, and more.

In addition, focusing on must-cover anime and art media, we conducted a media caravan ahead of the opening. Based on each outlet’s editorial policy, past feature trends, and readership, we assessed their affinity with Ghost in the Shell.

Beyond that, to aim for higher-quality coverage, we identified fans of the work within editorial teams and writers with strong interest, and took an approach that emphasized communication beyond simply providing information.

Through this process, we recognized the high level of interest in this content across multiple media outlets and, in addition to securing coverage, developed proposals with feature stories in mind. Starting from this exhibition, we worked to build the groundwork for Ghost in the Shell features to take shape.

As a result, we realized major features of more than 60 pages each in “Pen” and “Geijutsu Shincho.” We brought the plans to fruition through ongoing dialogue with the editorial teams over approximately three months.

Furthermore, we created tasting opportunities for the collaboration menu offered at the venue and also approached food and beverage media. Even for a single piece of content, we subdivided angles and carried out “PR that digs into every last detail.”

Ultimately, we achieved an exposure design that transcended the framework of an “anime exhibition,” engaging media across multiple genres, including art, technology, lifestyle, and food and beverage.

After cultivating interest from multiple angles, we held a preview event. By inviting a wide range of outlets—general news, culture magazines, and specialized art publications—and enabling the media to experience it firsthand, we generated comprehensive, high-quality and high-volume exposure.

A Kansai touring exhibition of “Ghost in the Shell Exhibition: Ghost and the Shell” has been confirmed!

It has been decided that the currently running “Ghost in the Shell Exhibition: Ghost and the Shell” will hold a Kansai touring exhibition in summer 2026 at the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art. For the Kansai tour, the exhibition layout will be reconfigured to suit the spatial characteristics of the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, delivering the experience presented at the Tokyo venue in a new form. Please look forward to the Kansai touring exhibition, which can be enjoyed from a perspective different from the Tokyo show.

*This exhibition runs until Sunday, April 5, 2026.

Conclusion

In this article, we introduced one example of the PR work carried out by SUNNY SIDE UP.

This time, by viewing a single piece of content from multiple angles and subdividing the approaches, we achieved cross-genre exposure. We also believe this was an event that enabled both broader exposure and deeper content by repeatedly engaging in dialogue—from editorial teams to freelance writers—and tailoring our approach to each counterpart.

Going forward, we will leverage the insights cultivated through this project and continue to drive PR and communications that maximize the appeal of content by flexibly selecting the most appropriate approaches.

SUNNY SIDE UP handles PR and communications for a wide range of products and services, including large-scale exhibitions.

What can be achieved through the power of communication? We welcome consultations starting from such questions. Please feel free to contact us using the “CONTACT” button below.