"MANGA in New York", which fuses Sony's technology with manga, will be held in New York, USA, from October 27. This project is the first overseas exhibition undertaken by the Ginza Sony Park Project (Sony Park), which has developed a variety of interactive programs since its opening in 2018 as an ever-changing park experience. For this edition of the Sony Corporate Blog, we spoke with Daisuke Nagano, head of the Ginza Sony Park Project, which communicates the appeal of Sony Group in a variety of places, not just Ginza.

Sony Park, a place to showcase Sony's appeal

——Why did you decide to hold "MANGA in New York"?

Nagano: I believe that the goal of the Sony Park team is to use the place to expand the scope of Sony Group's activities and increase the value of its brand. Currently, the company continues to hold experimental program at a pop-up space in Ginza called "Sony Park Mini", a cozy space of around 30m², which functions on the concept of "being a place to continually launch diverse programs." Last year, we held the "Sony Park Exhibition KYOTO" in Kyoto, away from Ginza, which was fortunately a great success on each day of its duration. The successful experience in Kyoto gave us a boost, and our idea of expanding Sony Park's activities overseas to further convey the appeal of Sony began to take shape.

Sony Park was originally a project to create a new park within the city, and I thought that it would be great to do a project in a global city like New York where attracts visitors from all over the world. After that, we considered various locations in New York for the venue, and finally decided on a gallery in the Chelsea area.

A park is a place where people can "changes mode"
and alter the rhythm of the city

——How did you decide on manga as the theme for the event?

Nagano: The Chelsea area is an art center with many world-famous art galleries. Many people visit the galleries on the weekends, and I thought it would be interesting to provide people with a different experience from the usual art viewing by creating a venue themed around Japanese manga.

I believe that in essence, parks are places where a "mode change" takes place. They are undefined free spaces, essentially a blank canvas whose use is left to the user, where people can change their mood or take a break. They are places that can alter the rhythm of people and the city. That is why we want to create a new experience that uses Sony's technology to provide people with the opportunity to "change modes" by immersing them manga, one of Japan's leading forms of pop culture in the middle of the art town of Chelsea.

Just read one manga and you'll get a feel for the current Sony Group

——What kind of experiences can visitors have at the venue?

Nagano: At the venue, you will be able to enjoy original manga titles created in collaboration with six Japanese artists based on the following themes drawn from Sony's Purpose & Values: "Pioneer," "Dreams," "Diversity," "Creativity," "Curiosity" and "Sincerity."
We are also considering a variety of new experiences that combine the latest technologies to provide an experience that goes beyond reading, such as "Tensor Valve™" odorant control technology, which enables visitors to read manga while experiencing scents and aromas that match with the story and world, or extending the science fiction feel of manga by "Active Slate" quipped with Haptics has been installed in the floor. Although the exhibit itself can be experienced in a realistic three-dimensional world, it is structured in such a way that fully embraces the unique 2D aesthetic of manga. We will also be hosting workshops for children and family, and live drawing, so the everyone can have fun.

A collection of all six manga in one volume is available at the venue, and reading the entire volume will provide you with a comprehensive picture of the current Sony Group. It would give too much away to explain the stories here, so I hope everyone will be able to read the manga for themselves and have their own unique experience. During the "MANGA in New York" period, you can read the same original manga at the Sony Park Mini in Ginza, so we hope you will be able to visit.

——Some of the artists chosen for this event don't normally draw manga. Can you explain how the selection process went?

Nagano: To find out what kinds of manga would be accepted locally, we researched various music videos and other forms of culture prevalent in the United States. We then decided on six artists to invite to draw manga for the project, while trying to take into account a balance of gender, generation and style. Indeed, some of the artists had never drawn manga before, but this time we asked them to draw an original story from scratch. I think it was quite a challenging and labor-intensive project for the artists, but I am very grateful that they worked with us and found this project interesting.

We want the new Ginza Sony Park to be a place
to convey the appeal of the Sony Group to the world

——Finally, is there anything you would like to share with readers of the Corporate Blog leading up to the completion of the new Ginza Sony Park next year?

Nagano: When it comes to Sony Group branding activities, I believe there are several ways to go about it.
Sony Park is first and foremost a place to express the Sony Group as a whole, as well as its Group architecture by breaking it down into the six business domains. When we said that we were going to use manga as a theme, some people thought that we could attract more visitors if we used a popular animated film as the theme instead. But that would just be an advertisement for a single product or service. While that is important, we would like to provide an opportunity for more people to become familiar with Sony Group's overarching technology and brand through the medium of manga.

We want to make the new Ginza Sony Park, scheduled for completion in 2024, a place where we can share information and convey the appeal of the Sony Group to the world. The current project in New York is an experiment in this direction. Ginza attracts many visitors from Japan and abroad, and we are aiming to make Ginza Sony Park a place that visitors feel they must check out Ginza when they come to the area. We hope that you will look forward to seeing "MANGA in New York", as well as the many projects that will be held at the new Ginza Sony Park starting in 2024.

<Overview of "MANGA in New York" *All dates and times listed are local time>

Name: MANGA in New York presented by Ginza Sony Park Project
Period: October 27, 2023 (Friday) - November 5, 2023 (Sunday)
Time: 10:00-18:00
Venue: Studio 525 (525 West 24th Street, NYC)
Price: Free admission
Web: MANGA in New York presented by Ginza Sony Park Project (Japanese)
MANGA in New York presented by Ginza Sony Park Project (English)
Hashtag: #MANGAinNY

Starting October 28th (Saturday), Sony Park Mini in Ginza, Tokyo will become a satellite space to experience the atmosphere of "MANGA in New York" and read original MANGA. You can also experience what the place is like through live photos and videos directly sent from New York.

<"MANGA in New York" at Sony Park Mini in Ginza overview>

Opening Hours / Duration: 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. / Sat., Oct 28 - Mon., Nov 6, 2023
Venue: Sony Park Mini
Admission: Free