Launch of Construction Hoarding Art Project at Shibuya Upper West Project

Tokyu Corporation, L Catterton Real Estate, and Tokyu Department Store will launch the construction site hoarding art project 'Shibuya Shotoku Wall Gallery' (hereinafter, the project) at the 'Shibuya Upper West Project' site, being developed through the Shibuya Nishi Development Special Purpose Company jointly established by the three companies.

The project aims to pass on the rich cultural heritage cultivated in the 'Shibuya Upper West Area'—stretching westward from the former Tokyu Department Store main store site to Shotoku, Tomigaya, Uehara, and Komaba—to the next generation. It is being advanced through collaboration between Shibuya City and the Shibuya Upper West Project, with cooperation from Bunkamura and the Shibuya City Shotoku Museum of Art located within the area.

The theme of the project is 'the flow and accumulation of time,' where the memory of the former Tokyu Department Store main store intersects with the ongoing redevelopment journey into the future. Within the once-in-a-century redevelopment timeline of Shibuya, the project expresses the intersecting flows of time experienced by long-time residents of Shotoku and first-time visitors alike. It is a limited-time gallery using construction hoardings, designed to leave a lasting legacy and weave new history and culture.

The first phase, launching on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, features internationally acclaimed photographer Rinko Kawauchi. For this project, Kawauchi has newly photographed the surrounding area, delicately capturing the daily lives emerging in the fleeting light of dusk and the ever-changing cityscape. The installation will create a space where passersby can pause and feel the serene beauty and subtle presence of accumulated time in the area.

Additionally, the first phase is a联动 project with the exhibition 'Miracles of Gaze: Adventures of Japanese Women Photographers' by Bunkamura The Museum, opening on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at 'Hikarie Hall' inside Shibuya Hikarie. This initiative offers opportunities to enjoy 'photography' from various angles across the entire Shibuya district.

Through this project, the construction site hoardings will be transformed into a high-quality cultural platform, aiming to make the entire area a symbol of culture.

Overview of the First Phase of the Shibuya Shotoku Wall Gallery

Period: From Wednesday, July 1, 2026 Until Thursday, September 30, 2027 (planned)

Location: Shibuya Upper West Project New construction site hoardings

Organizers: Shibuya City, Shibuya Upper West Project

Cooperation: Tokyu Corporation, Bunkamura, Shibuya City Shotoku Museum of Art

Photography: Rinko Kawauchi

Design: Hayashi Takuma Design Office

About 'Another Shibuya' – The 'Shibuya Upper West Area'

The 'Shibuya Upper West Project' is located in a unique area of Shibuya—a place that integrates diverse values in urban development. It serves as a nexus between the energetic Shibuya Scramble Crossing and the surrounding station area, and Shotoku, one of Tokyo's representative high-end residential districts. This area stands apart from the large-scale redevelopments rapidly advancing in front of Shibuya Station, and can be described as 'another Shibuya.'

Shotoku originated in the early Meiji era, when the former Saga Domain lord, the Nabeshima family, opened a tea plantation named 'Shotokuen.' It later became a residential neighborhood where cultural figures and dignitaries settled. Today, it is a cultural hub hosting institutions such as Bunkamura, the Shibuya City Shotoku Museum of Art, and the Tonokura Museum of Art. To the west lie refined neighborhoods like Tomigaya, Uehara, and Komaba—home to the University of Tokyo's campus—making it a region where the history of 'cultural living' has been continuously passed down.

Overview of the Shibuya Upper West Project

Developer: Tokyu Corporation, L Catterton Real Estate, Tokyu Department Store Co., Ltd.

Location: 2-24-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Uses: Retail, hotel, residences, museum, etc.

Site Area: Approx. 13,675㎡ (including Bunkamura)

Total Floor Area: Approx. 119,000㎡ (including Bunkamura)

Floors: New construction: 34 above ground, 4 below ground Bunkamura: 7 above ground, 2 below ground

Height: 155.7m

Design Architect: Snøhetta

Executive Architect: Nikken Sekkei Ltd.

Construction Contractor: Obayashi-Tokyu-Seibu Construction Joint Venture

Completion: Fiscal year 2029 (planned)

▲ Exterior Image by Mir, Copyright Snøhetta and NIKKEN SEKKEI LTD

▲ Use Distribution Diagram

Profile of Rinko Kawauchi

Born in 1972 in Shiga Prefecture, currently residing in Chiba Prefecture. She received the 27th Kimura Ihei Photography Award in 2001 for her photo books 'Utatane' and 'Hanabi' (Littlemore). Her works, which subtly reveal dualities such as life and death, light and shadow, within soft light and gentle tones, are highly acclaimed both in Japan and internationally. She received the Minister of Education's New Artist Encouragement Prize in 2013 and became the first Japanese recipient of the Sony World Photography Awards Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award in 2023. She held a major solo exhibition 'Rinko Kawauchi: M/E On the Sphere Infinite Continuity' at Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery and Shiga Prefectural Museum of Art in 2022–2023. She will participate in the exhibition 'Miracles of Gaze: Adventures of Japanese Women Photographers' opening in Shibuya on July 4, 2026.

Overview of Bunkamura

Opened in 1989 as Japan's first large-scale integrated cultural facility where diverse genres of culture and art can be enjoyed in one space. Since then, Tokyu Culture Village Co., Ltd. has operated it as the central cultural hub of the Tokyu Group.

Since its opening, Bunkamura has served as a cultural platform, disseminating numerous art and cultural works. Although currently closed except for Orchard Hall, the organization views this closure period as an opportunity to pursue new challenges with creative freedom. It continues to create and disseminate culture and art that move people's hearts at facilities along the Tokyu lines, including Shibuya, and within the Tokyu Group.

Additionally, to pass culture on to the next generation, it actively discovers new talent and creates learning and experiential opportunities that help individuals discover their potential and support their future growth.

Overview of the Shibuya City Shotoku Museum of Art

Established in 1981, the Shibuya City Shotoku Museum of Art was the second municipal museum in Tokyo, following the Itabashi Art Museum. The museum's construction was decided in 1973 as part of the Shibuya Ward Long-Term Basic Plan to promote education and culture. The design by Shinohara Soji, known as the 'philosopher architect,' was chosen for its suitability to a residential neighborhood. The museum hosts special exhibitions, open-call exhibitions, and salon exhibitions across all fields and eras—including painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, dyeing, weaving, and calligraphy—while also conducting research and educational outreach activities.