New Business Born from "Musashino Valley Incubation Studio" 0th Term! "Playground+" Held for a Limited Time in Shibuya

Sakurazawa Kei, a participant in the 0th term of the practical incubation studio "Musashino Valley Incubation Studio" (hereinafter referred to as MVIS) conducted by Musashino Valley Inc., has realized the Shibuya expansion of "Playground+", a place-making project conceived and practiced by urban architect Ken Shigematsu and others, which was provided in the program.

Specifically, the limited-time event "Playground+ in Shibuya Sakura Stage", where adults and children can play healthily, will be held from July 10, 2026 (Fri) to July 16, 2026 (Thu) on the "Nigiwai STAGE" on the 3rd floor of Shibuya Sakura Stage, adjacent to Shibuya Station.

MVIS is a practical startup studio that connects "high-quality ideas" with "challengers who want to create businesses", and provides comprehensive support for commercialization by top-tier instructors and mentors. The "Playground+" this time is the first business to be commercialized, based on an idea from Mr. Shigematsu by Mr. Sakurazawa, who proposed a business plan in the "0th term", the prototype of MVIS conducted from September to December 2025, and has undergone repeated verification and preparation.

What is "Playground+"?

"Playground+" is an "adult playground" where people can enjoy drinks and food, play sports and games, and connect with others through natural conversations. It is a place-making project that has been repeatedly conceived and practiced by Ken Shigematsu and Zenta Mochizuki, President and CEO of Green Display Inc., which handles landscape and space production. It is also permanently deployed at "Mitz Kanazawa", which opened in May 2026 in collaboration with JR West Group and others.

It aims to be a place where people of all ages, occupations, and nationalities can meet on an equal footing, combining the elements of "playing", "drinking", "eating", and "talking".

The venue will feature areas where you can experience "Mölkky", a sport originating in Finland, and "Cornhole", a sport originating in the United States where you throw corn bags at holes in a board, as well as various board games including Giant Jenga and Connect 4.

We will create a space where a wide range of people, including nearby business people, families, young people visiting Shibuya, creators, and foreign visitors, can easily participate and interact through the same games.

The "Nigiwai STAGE" on the 3rd floor of Shibuya Sakura Stage, the venue, is an open space connecting Shibuya Station and the Sakuragaoka area.

"Playground+" transforms urban spaces, which people usually just pass through, into "destinations" that they can't help but stop by, by adding functions of play and interaction.

We aim to create new vibrancy and community in the city by having people stop and spend time with others of different generations and backgrounds, sparked by games. By accumulating these small points of contact, we aim to create new vibrancy and community in the city.

Ken Shigematsu's idea and Kei Sakurazawa's challenge meet at MVIS and lead to commercialization

Mr. Shigematsu has accumulated a vast number of business ideas born from observing cities, architecture, and public spaces around the world. At MVIS, these ideas are made available to participants, who then select themes they wish to realize as businesses.

Mr. Sakurazawa, who participated in the 0th term of MVIS, chose "Playground+" from the ideas presented by Mr. Shigematsu. Within the program, he considered the business model, customers, value proposition, operational structure, and profitability, and fleshed out the business proposal through dialogue with instructors, mentors, and other participants.

The holding of "Playground+" is the first case to achieve the MVIS objective of creating businesses by connecting "high-quality ideas" with "challengers who want to create businesses".

"Playground+ in Shibuya Sakura Stage" Event Outline

Event Name: Playground+ in Shibuya Sakura Stage

Event Period: July 10, 2026 (Fri) - July 16, 2026 (Thu)

Event Hours: Weekdays 17:00-21:00 / Weekends 15:00-21:00

Venue: Shibuya Sakura Stage 3rd Floor "Nigiwai STAGE"

Location: Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Main Contents: Mölkky, Cornhole, Giant Jenga, Connect Four Various board games, children's activities, food and drinks, etc.

Price: General ¥1,500 / University Students ¥1,000 / High School Students & Under 18 ¥500 / Preschoolers Free

Usage Conditions: One order per person (excluding preschoolers).

Organizer: Sakurazawa-sha Inc. Cooperation: Shibuya Sakura Stage, Green Display Inc., Pillars Inc., et al. Sponsorship: Musashino Valley Inc., NEULO Inc., Wayway Inc., et al. Notes: Canceled in case of rain. Official Instagram: @PLAYGROUND_PLUS_JP

* Event details may be changed or canceled due to weather or other circumstances.

Comments from Stakeholders

Kei Sakurazawa, Representative, Sakurazawa-sha Inc.

When I encountered Mr. Shigematsu's idea at MVIS, the word "idle assets," which I was also exploring in another business, came up, and I decided, "This is what I will do."

However, there is a big gap between an idea and its commercialization. In the program, we considered the business model, revenue, customer value, and necessary partners one by one, and received many opinions from mentors and other participants.

This event is still in the nature of a demonstration experiment, and it will be the first practice to gain customer acceptance and evaluation as a business. I want to create a place where adults and children, even strangers, can connect naturally through play. Please come and experience "Playground+" at the venue.

Ken Shigematsu, Idea Owner

Even my own ideas will remain just ideas if I don't meet someone to execute them. I am very happy that Kei Sakurazawa chose "Playground+" through MVIS, thought it through as his own business, and has reached this event.

There are many places in cities where people come and go, but there are not enough places where people can connect naturally. Play has the power to flatten people, transcending age and title. I expect this practice to create a new landscape in the city.

Yoichi Ito, Representative, Musashino Valley Inc.

MVIS is not just a place to learn about ideas. It is a place for practice, where you decide "I will do this," take action, gather colleagues, and challenge yourself to deliver it to society.

Mr. Sakurazawa took Mr. Shigematsu's idea and continued to act on his own will. It is truly wonderful that he approached companies and collaborators and actually brought it to fruition in a prime location like Shibuya.

When ideas and challengers meet, new businesses are born. I hope that this "Playground+" will be an opportunity to convey this to many people.

About "Musashino Valley Incubation Studio"

Musashino Valley Incubation Studio is a practical incubation studio that connects "high-quality ideas" with "challengers who want to start businesses" to foster human resources and support business creation.

Participants select themes they wish to commercialize from the 2TB of business ideas accumulated by Ken Shigematsu, an urban architect living in New York. Under the guidance of instructors and mentors actively involved in business creation, they learn about business models, finance, marketing, business plans, presentations, and more.

Another feature is the continuous support from the conceptualization stage to commercialization through a dedicated Slack channel and individual mentoring.

In the 0th term, which was conducted as a prototype from September 2025, 7 people participated, and 2 businesses were born. The "Playground+" this time is one of them.

Currently, the 1st term is underway, with 11 participants aiming to launch new businesses.

Official Page: https://www.musashino-valley.jp/incubation-studio-1

About Musashino Valley Inc.

Company Name: Musashino Valley Inc. Established: November 2022 Representative: Yoichi Ito, Representative Director & CEO Location: 1-15-9 Sanno, Ota-ku, Tokyo URL: https://www.musashino-valley.jp/ E-mail: mvp@musashino-valley.jp

Musashino Valley Inc. was established mainly by faculty members of Musashino University's Entrepreneurship Department (Musashino EMC). Leveraging the network built through industry, government, and academia, and the know-how of entrepreneurship education cultivated at Musashino EMC, we operate "Musashino Valley", a place where people who are taking a step forward for a vibrant future of this country gather, learn, and act.