Two Days of Light, Sound, and Art at the Thousand-Year-Old Nezu Shrine: 'Wrapping The Earth in Nezu Shrine' to be Held on Saturday, May 23rd and Sunday, May 24th

For Immediate Release

May 13, 2026

Chronos Conservation Foundation

The Chronos Conservation Foundation will hold an experiential digital art festival, 'Wrapping The Earth in Nezu Shrine,' at Nezu Shrine (1-28-9 Nezu, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo) for two days on Saturday, May 23, and Sunday, May 24, 2026.

The stage is a thousand-year-old forest that retains the atmosphere of Edo. During the day, the shrine grounds will feature workshops to create art by touching the sacred tree, a 3D archiving experience to preserve cultural properties for the future with a smartphone, a game to weave stories with AI, and the ONE WORLD booth, previously exhibited at Haneda Airport and Tokyo Tower. At night, light and sound will overlap, focusing on the Romon gate and the azalea garden, revealing a different expression of Nezu Shrine from the daytime.

What this event aims to deliver is not just 'viewing,' but an experience of touching culture with one's own hands and sharing time with others. Since ancient times, shrines have been not only places of prayer but also places where local people gather, talk, and feel the seasons. From Nezu Shrine, a place open to the community, we will create a new opportunity for local parishioners, visitors, artists, companies, and vendors to interact and pass culture on to the next generation.

◾️ Event Highlights

1. Art Workshop to Touch the Sacred Tree and Give Shape to Your Feelings

The 'Sacred Tree Art Workshop,' which can be enjoyed on the shrine grounds during the day, is an experience of creating a small work of art related to the sacred tree of Nezu Shrine with your own hands. While touching the warmth of the wood in the quiet precincts, you will put your wishes and feelings into works such as ema (votive pictures).

Advance reservations prioritize residents of the shrine's parish area (Yayoi, Nezu, Sendagi, Mukogaoka, Honkomagome, Hongo, Nishikata, Ikenohata), with a total of 100 participants over the two days. The advance reservation slots on the official website have already reached capacity, indicating high interest from the local community. On the day of the event, people from outside the area can participate on the spot, provided that sacred wood is still available.

2. 3D Archive Conservation Experience to Preserve the Culture Before Your Eyes for the Future

This is an experience where visitors themselves use their smartphones to record the shrine buildings and grounds of Nezu Shrine as a 3D digital archive. Under the supervision of Professor Hidenori Watanabe of the Graduate School of the University of Tokyo, you can experience being on the 'preserving for the future' side of cultural properties that you usually just look at.

No special equipment is required to participate. By recording each part of the precincts while walking and looking up, the conservation of cultural properties becomes much more familiar. The required time is about 15-20 minutes, and participation is free. No reservation is necessary, and you can participate at any time on both days from 14:00 to 18:00.

3. As the Sun Sets, Nezu Shrine Transforms into a Stage of Light and Sound

In the evening session starting at 18:30, a light and sound production will be implemented, focusing on the Romon gate, the symbol of Nezu Shrine, and the azalea garden, which has been popular since the Edo period. The time when the daytime bustle gradually calms down and lights overlap in the precincts is a unique highlight of this event.

The historic architecture, the shadows of the trees, and the reverberation of the sound will overlap, creating a view of Nezu Shrine that is different from a usual visit. We will deliver a night that will make both local people and first-time visitors feel, 'I'm glad I came at this time.'

4. 'ONE WORLD' Booth, Also Exhibited at Haneda Airport and Tokyo Tower

The ONE WORLD booth, also exhibited at Haneda Airport and Tokyo Tower, will appear at Nezu Shrine. In the ONE WORLD project 'ONE WORLD ~Wrapping The Earth~ to Protect and Connect Traditional Culture through Bonds,' Shingo Suetsugu, May J., Kucci, GACKT, SAYAKA, Saou Kurama, Juichi Yoshikawa, and Daisuke Nasu have written 'ONE WORLD' with their respective feelings. The exhibition, which has attracted many visitors so far, will also be introduced on the grounds of Nezu Shrine.

On the day, message videos from participants associated with ONE WORLD, including actress Jiyoung, a member of KARA, will be shown on a monitor. Furthermore, a photo spot with life-sized panels of GACKT and others will be set up. It is a booth where you can not only see the works but also take pictures, receive messages, and take home the worldview of ONE WORLD as your own memory.

5. Stage Program by Artists and Guests

On Saturday, May 23, a special talk is scheduled with Shingo Suetsugu, who has won medals at both the Olympics and the World Athletics Championships, and Miu Miyoshi, the junior high school Japanese record holder for the women's 100m. Through the words of these two, who continue to take on challenges across generations, we will deliver the charm of sports and a gaze toward the future. From 17:00, there will be a Live & Talk by Kucci, who debuted with the theme song 'Tokimeki' for the movie 'True Beauty.' Marika Sera, who is active as a model and talent, will serve as MC, and the Japanese remake of the Thai drama 'Girl from Nowhere,' which became a global topic on Netflix...