Ginza Wako × Heralbony Presents “GOOD LOOP 2026”! A Report from the Scene That Captivated Luxury Media | We Went to Check It Out

Hello, everyone! This is Nagumo from SUNNY SIDE UP.

This time, we’re bringing you a look at the media preview for the special exhibition “Wako Sustainability Month GOOD LOOP 2026: Seeing Beauty Beyond Repeated Time. Feeling ⇄ Living,” held at the Ginza Wako Main Store from Thursday, August 6 to Wednesday, August 26, 2026.

This exhibition is a co-creation project realized through the partnership of two companies. The first is Wako, a specialty store that has delivered essential richness from the streets of Ginza since its founding in 1947. The second is Heralbony, a creative company founded in 2018 under the mission “Shine with your own uniqueness.” Heralbony primarily licenses artwork created by artists with intellectual disabilities, aiming to create new culture through business.

SUNNY SIDE UP served as the PR secretariat for this project, primarily handling media communications. On the day, we welcomed coverage from a wide range of media outlets, with a particular focus on luxury media whose readership aligns with Wako’s target audience.

Nagumo, who was in charge of this project, will now report on how the day unfolded!

Media Preview Event Held

The preview opened with a greeting from Mr. Kawai of Wako Co., Ltd.

He introduced “GOOD LOOP,” the key communication phrase behind Wako’s ongoing sustainability initiative “Wako Sustainable Month,” which has been underway since 2023, and shared the company’s vision of fostering sustainable value—not just the circulation of goods, but the passing down of people, culture, and feelings to the next generation.

According to Mr. Kawai, “GOOD LOOP” refers to an initiative that goes beyond simply circulating goods—it’s about passing people, feelings, and culture on to the next generation, nurturing sustainable and essential richness.

The circulation of sensibility (GOOD LOOP) created through the experience of encountering art, learning the stories behind it, and carrying those feelings forward is exactly the new form of cultural luxury that Wako aspires to achieve.

Wako, which has long delivered what is “genuine and essential,” and Heralbony, which aims to create culture 100 years into the future by transcending the preconceptions and conventions embedded in the word “disability”—the values both companies hold dear resonated with one another, bringing this project to life as a way to carry sensibility into the future through art.

Through the atmosphere of the venue, we could clearly feel Wako’s passion for expanding beyond mere art appreciation or purchasing—toward a cultural luxury that enriches people’s hearts by engaging with the artwork, learning the stories behind it, and receiving and passing those feelings on to others.

Cross-talk Session Introduces the Background of the Collaboration

A cross-talk session was also held, featuring Mr. Musashi, who has long overseen Wako’s interior and exterior design, Heralbony account planner Mr. Ando, and Mr. Fujii from the account division.

Mr. Musashi of Wako first shared the story behind the collaboration with Heralbony, as well as the affinity between the repeating flower-field motifs in the work of featured Heralbony contracted artist Willy De Smedt and the precise, repetitive techniques of Japanese craftsmanship.

Next, Heralbony’s Mr. Fujii spoke about how, for contracted artists with disabilities, creating art is an important daily routine that brings them peace of mind, and how this exhibition’s theme of “repetition” deeply overlaps with their everyday lives and creative backgrounds.

Heralbony’s Mr. Ando then introduced the appeal of the exhibition, which displays items borrowed from the artists or items that inspired them, allowing visitors to sense the background behind each creation.

Hearing directly from those involved about the background of this collaboration deepened our understanding of the project as PR representatives, and being moved by their passion made us feel even more strongly connected to this project—a truly valuable experience!

Artwork by Heralbony Contracted Artists Brightens the Ginza Wako Building

This exhibition features a total of 18 original works by six Heralbony contracted artists from Japan and abroad.

One highlight is “Untitled” by Belgian artist Willy De Smedt, featured for the first time in this collaboration. De Smedt’s geometric artwork, created by layering rectangles, serves as the key visual for this exhibition, vibrantly decorating the window displays and interior of the Wako Main Store.

The exhibition also features an impressive lineup of works, including those by Evelyn Postic, grand prize winner of the “HERALBONY Art Prize 2025″—an international art award hosted by Heralbony for artists with disabilities from around the world—as well as Shiraku Mizukami, recipient of the JAL Award at the same event.

At the preview, the 18 original works and limited-edition collaboration items were introduced in a guided “cruise-style” tour, with commentary provided as attendees made their way through the exhibition and products on display.

Media attendees expressed great joy at the rare opportunity to view original artwork not often seen by the public. This exhibition offered a particularly valuable chance to see the actual materials used by artists living overseas, and the display conveyed each artist’s personality so vividly that it created new fans of Heralbony.

Visiting a Solo Exhibition at a Ginza Gallery! Delighted Reactions from Media

We then guided media attendees to Heralbony’s gallery in Ginza, “HERALBONY LABORATORY GINZA.”

The gallery regularly hosts exhibitions featuring different artists and themes. At the time of our visit, it was showcasing “Mebuki: Budding,” a solo exhibition by Haruka Asano, the inaugural grand prize winner of the “HERALBONY Art Prize.” (Exhibition period: June 13 to August 10)

Being able to tour both Wako’s and Heralbony’s galleries and view original artwork across two locations in Ginza proved to be a valuable opportunity. Media who had long been interested in both companies shared comments such as “what a wonderful opportunity,” and it was impressive to see them covering the event with smiles throughout.

Heralbony aspires to change perceptions of disability, with the mission of “creating culture 100 years into the future.”

Meanwhile, Ginza Wako launched GOOD LOOP with the vision of “nurturing sustainable value, where not just goods but people, culture, and feelings are passed down to the next generation.”

By directly conveying, through this press event, the story born from the overlapping visions of both companies, we felt the project gained a much deeper sense of conviction and understanding.

Rather than presenting a single company’s perspective, having both companies share their own distinct viewpoints allowed media to understand the project’s intent and full scope from multiple angles.

This impact was clearly reflected in the resulting coverage: rather than simply quoting the press release, each outlet thoughtfully conveyed the project’s context in their own original writing.

SUNNY SIDE UP handles PR and communications for a wide range of products and services, including media preview events like this one.

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