World’s largest projection mapping event is Tokyo’s newest nightlife hotspot

J-STORIES - Tokyo's presence as a global tourist city has been boosted by the loosening of pandemic restrictions and the steep depreciation of the yen since 2022.

In a ranking of the top tourist cities worldwide conducted by a market research firm, Tokyo catapulted from 20th place in 2022 to 4th place in 2023. In addition, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, both the number of foreign tourists and their spending reached record highs.

Tokyo has begun using projection mapping to further strengthen its competitiveness as an international tourist city. Through the use of digital technology -- a field Japan takes pride in -- it is creating new tourist attractions.

Projection mapping in Tokyo (June 24, 2024) The video by Adelina Vancea

This massive projection can be seen on the eastern face of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No. 1. It's free of charge, and is shown several times every day after sunset, weather permitting.

A large sumo wrestler, a representative of Japanese tradition, is projected onto the building.     The pictures by Adelina Vancea — A large sumo wrestler, a representative of Japanese tradition, is projected onto the building. The pictures by Adelina Vancea

Forty projectors are used to display an image on a huge wall that is 110 meters wide and 126 meters high (about 14,000 square meters). The Guinness World Records recognized it as the "Largest architectural projection-mapped display (permanent).”

The 120-meter-high projection mapping display on the side of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku has been recognized as the ”Largest architectural projection-mapped display (permanent)" by Guinness World.

There is a variety of projection content. Ten films have been produced so far, including "Godzilla: Attack on Tokyo," in which a nearly 100-meter-tall Godzilla destroys the city as it walks across it, and "Synergy," a new film on the theme of harmony between nature and mankind.

“Godzilla: Attack on Tokyo” appears on the city's homepage.      Source: Tokyo Metropolitan Government — “Godzilla: Attack on Tokyo” appears on the city's homepage. Source: Tokyo Metropolitan Government

The most popular projection, "Godzilla," attracts about 10,000 visitors a day, making it a new tourist attraction in Tokyo. It drew a total of 240,000 visitors in the first four months after the project began.

Most of the people who come to the projection mapping site are foreign tourists.

A visitor uses a smartphone to take a picture of the illuminated Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

Sam Medliest, a tourist from Austria, said: "We went sightseeing at Skytree during the day and decided to go sightseeing here at night after hearing rumors about this place. I really enjoyed the show."

Chang Yu from Taiwan, who came to see the show with a Turkish friend after reading about it on the website, said, "This is the first time I have seen projection mapping on such a large scale." Chang added, "I would definitely recommend it to my friends.”

However, producing and projecting the visuals is expensive, costing as much as 700 million yen a year. Some on social media have complained this is a waste of money.

So far, 10 projection mapping works have been projected using 40 projectors.

In response to the criticism, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government argued in an interview with J-STORIES that projection mapping is "Japan's killer content that enhances the value of the city with its high level of artistry and world-leading technology, and it is essential to utilize it as a powerful tourism resource for Tokyo.”

In the "World City Competitiveness Ranking,” Tokyo ranks third overall, but its "Nightlife satisfaction" is ranked 30th. To further enhance Tokyo's appeal, they stressed the need to "activate the promotion of nighttime tourism.”

Since the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building is covered with blackout curtains throughout the day, the projection mapping does not seem to interfere with their business operations. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government employees, who continue to work after sunset, notice the event starting from the light and sound leaking in through the gaps in the curtains, but they work overtime without paying particular attention to it.