The Entire Hibiya District Becomes an Art Space! Tokyo Midtown Hibiya Hall Reopening Opening Performance: Contemporary Artist Yuichi Hirako’s “HUMAN AND NATURE” Press Preview | We Went to See It

Hello, everyone!I am Takeshima from SUNNY SIDE UP.

This time, we are pleased to share a report from the press preview of contemporary artist Yuichi Hirako’s exhibition “HUMAN AND NATURE,” held to commemorate the renewal of “Tokyo Midtown Hibiya Hall,” a new hub in Hibiya—where arts and culture, entertainment, and business intersect!

As the PR office for this exhibition, SUNNY SIDE UP provided comprehensive PR communications support—from advance media outreach to planning and operating the press preview, inviting influencers, and handling media relations on the day.

Takeshima, who was in charge of this project, will report on the event!

A breathtaking scale that draws in the entire Hibiya district! What is “HUMAN AND NATURE”?

“HUMAN AND NATURE” exhibition view / The no land © Yuichi Hirako photo by Osamu Sakamoto

Yuichi Hirako is a contemporary artist drawing major attention in Japan and abroad, creating works around the theme of coexistence between plants/nature and humans, and the ambiguity and questions that emerge within that relationship.

From the spatial expansion at Hermès Hong Kong’s flagship store “Six Trees,” to a collaboration with UNITED ARROWS’ “H BEAUTY&YOUTH,” and a large-scale project at Hankyu Umeda Main Store, he has transformed numerous top brands and commercial spaces, earning high acclaim.

Making the most of the open new hall—reborn with a total event-space area of over 1,200 m²—this exhibition is a large-scale installation featuring some 300 works, including new pieces and a group of mobiles up to approximately 3.5 m tall being unveiled for the first time.

Moreover, the works are not confined to the hall: they also appear at the first-floor “Tokyo Midtown Hibiya Hibiya Step Plaza” and even in the adjacent “Hibiya Park.” With the entire Hibiya district—where the city and nature blend—as its stage, the exhibition poses a profound question: “How do we, in our everyday lives, engage with nature?”

“HUMAN AND NATURE” Tokyo Midtown Hibiya
Hibiya Step Plaza outdoor exhibition view / Sacred Tree 01 *1

“HUMAN AND NATURE” Hibiya Park
Outdoor exhibition view / Mirror Plant 01 *1

All © Yuichi Hirako photo by Osamu Sakamoto

*1 Credits
Organizers: Tokyo Midtown Hibiya, Hibiya Area Management
Co-organizer: Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association (Designated Administrator of Hibiya Park) “HIBIYA PARK TERRACE”
Supervision/Planning: Yuji Akimoto, Yuichi Hirako Studio

Speakers discuss “a city where the urban environment, nature, and art coexist”

On the day of the preview, contemporary artist Yuichi Hirako, Yuji Akimoto (Artistic Director of GO FOR KOGEI and supervisor of this exhibition), and Takekazu Nakamura (Executive Officer, Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.; General Manager, Hibiya Urban Development Promotion Department) took the stage for a talk session.

In his opening overview, Mr. Nakamura spoke passionately of his desire “to make this hall not merely an event space, but a hub for exchange and dissemination—where people from culture, society, industry, and the arts gather, discover value, and share it with the wider world.”

He also commented on the significance of holding Mr. Hirako’s exhibition in verdant Hibiya, saying he “hopes people will encounter nature and contemporary art within their everyday urban experience, and that a world of arts and culture unique to Hibiya will continue to expand,” expressing his enthusiasm for Hibiya’s urban development.

Mr. Hirako shared the thoughts behind the exhibition, saying, “By doing this in the heart of the city, something may change. As long as I am human, I can only see nature as something that begins with people—so I would like to think about that together with everyone.”

Mr. Akimoto also offered an expert perspective, explaining that “the world developed within an imagined pictorial space is increasingly coming to engage with the real world. One highlight is how the relationship between imagination and the real world expands.” The media gathered at the venue listened intently.

A spectacular live painting and a hugely popular venue tour

After the artwork explanations, the much-anticipated live painting took place.

As Mr. Hirako put brush to the wall and began drawing, many cameras were trained on this rare moment. It became a dynamic program that allowed attendees to experience his brushwork up close.

Afterward, Mr. Akimoto and Mr. Hirako led a tour-style explanation of the works. As they moved through the overwhelmingly large-scale pieces—such as the massive mobiles and the curved wooden structures—they shared the background and behind-the-scenes stories of each work, one by one. The way the characters from the paintings appear as three-dimensional forms in the real world, creating a single landscape across the entire space, was truly breathtaking.

Limited-edition collaboration goods were also a big hit! Art becomes part of everyday products

As a special initiative unique to this exhibition, a distinctive collaboration symbolizing the fusion of art and culture was also unveiled.

The limited-edition collaboration donuts with the hugely popular fresh donut specialty shop “I’m donut?” were specially crafted in the shape of a “tree,” a signature motif in Mr. Hirako’s work. An original “assorted box of four,” “special collaboration donuts,” and stickers—featuring designs newly created by Mr. Hirako for this exhibition—were also prepared, drawing strong interest from the media.

In addition, a collaboration T-shirt with the wellness brand “NEUTRALWORKS.” and plush keychain mascots featuring cute “dogs and cats” as official original goods were unveiled. The multifaceted rollout—expanding Mr. Hirako’s world into food and fashion as well—received an enthusiastic response.

We asked the team in charge about the PR work behind the scenes!

—At the “HUMAN AND NATURE” press preview, what were the points you focused on most, and what were the biggest hurdles?

This was an important opening performance event to commemorate the renewal opening of the new hall, reborn with a total event-space area of over 1,200 m². We began by putting into words the overall concept: “What value and appeal of Hibiya as a district should we deliver to the public through this press preview?”

At the planning stage, we proceeded while placing the client’s desire—“to make Hibiya a hub for cultural dissemination”—above all else. We consistently proposed concrete PR measures, refined them through feedback, and thoroughly maintained a collaborative style of building the overall plan together.

On the operations side, a major challenge was managing complex traffic flow—while fully conveying “the passion behind Hibiya’s urban development,” we also had to consider “how to guide media and influencers” and “whether we could proceed on a tight schedule” within an exhibition space packed with roughly 300 works. We held multiple on-site meetings with the client company and repeatedly aligned on detailed timekeeping with the MC and guidance procedures.

On the day, we were also able to receive highly positive feedback from the media.

—Please tell us about the response from the media.

We were delighted to hear comments from the media such as, “Although it was an art exhibition, it was an extremely satisfying preview that also let us enjoy walking around the district!” In addition, by incorporating a talk session featuring Mr. Yuichi Hirako, Mr. Yuji Akimoto, and a representative from Mitsui Fudosan, we received many favorable remarks such as, “We were able to learn deeply, from multiple perspectives, not only about the appeal of the works but also about the coexistence of the city and nature that Hibiya aims for.”