Sony Building

Sony Building was a landmark commercial and cultural building in Tokyo’s Ginza district, located beside the Sukiyabashi crossroads on Harumi-dori and directly connected to Ginza subway station through Exit B9. Designed by architect Yoshinobu Ashihara, it opened on April 29, 1966, during a period when Sony was establishing itself as one of Japan’s most internationally visible consumer-electronics companies. The building functioned both as a corporate presence and as a public-facing showroom where visitors could encounter Sony products, technologies, demonstrations, and exhibitions. Its architecture was unusually configured for a showroom. The principal display area used split-level floors extending upward through the sixth floor, with each successive quarter of the showroom raised by approximately 90 centimeters. This produced a continuous, gently ascending interior rather than a conventional stack of isolated floors. The arrangement encouraged visitors to move through the building as a connected exhibition environment. The building also incorporated a small open square at the corner facing the intersection. Architect Yoshinobu Ashihara referred to this space as “Sony Square”; it served as a visual, performance, and display area and helped connect the building’s commercial program with the surrounding public streetscape. The exterior was originally distinguished by a large light installation made from numerous five-inch cathode-ray tubes. This element made the building especially recognizable at one of Ginza’s busiest intersections and expressed Sony’s identity through an architectural display of electronic technology. A substantial renovation in 1992 restored the exterior toward its original appearance while replacing exterior louvers and tiles, installing new entrance doors, and refurbishing the corner square. The cathode-ray-tube light display was replaced by 74 aluminum panels, and the interior was renovated as well. Sony Building closed permanently on March 31, 2017, and was demolished later that year. The site subsequently became a temporary public park known as Ginza Sony Park, created as an interim use before redevelopment. The temporary park was associated with Sony’s effort to keep the prominent site accessible to the public during the transition and was intended to operate through the period surrounding the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, whose events were ultimately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. A replacement structure, referred to as the Sony Park Building, was constructed on the same site and was scheduled to open on January 26, 2025. The original Sony Building therefore remains significant as an architectural landmark, a historic Sony showroom, and an example of corporate branding integrated into Tokyo’s urban public realm, even though the original structure is no longer standing.

Sony Building was conceived as a highly visible architectural expression of Sony’s presence in central Tokyo. Designed by Japanese architect Yoshinobu Ashihara, it occupied a prominent position at the Sukiyabashi crossroads in Ginza, on Harumi-dori. The site was also readily accessible from Ginza subway station through Exit B9, giving the building a steady connection to pedestrian and transit traffic. It opened on April 29, 1966, at a time when Sony was expanding its public profile through consumer electronics and international marketing. Rather than functioning only as a conventional headquarters or office block, the building was organized around public engagement. Its showroom extended through the lower levels in a distinctive split-level arrangement. Each quarter of the showroom was elevated by approximately 90 centimeters from the preceding section, creating a continuous sequence of exhibition spaces. Visitors could move through the building without encountering a simple series of disconnected floors. This circulation system made the building suitable for product presentations, demonstrations, and displays while giving the interior a strong architectural identity. The building’s relationship with the street was equally important. A small square was left open at the corner facing the major intersection. Ashihara called this area “Sony Square,” and it provided space for displays, performances, and other public-facing activities. The open corner helped prevent the building from becoming a sealed corporate object and made it part of the visual and cultural life of Ginza. Its exterior also served as a large-scale brand statement. The original facade incorporated a light display made from a large number of five-inch cathode-ray tubes, turning electronic components into an illuminated architectural feature. A major renovation took place in 1992. The work sought to restore the exterior toward its original condition while updating both the building envelope and its public areas. Exterior louvers and tiles were replaced, new entrance doors were fitted, and Sony Square was renovated. The original cathode-ray-tube facade display was removed and replaced by 74 aluminum panels. Interior spaces were renovated at the same time, allowing the building to continue serving as a showroom and public venue while retaining its recognizable architectural concept. The original Sony Building closed on March 31, 2017. It was demolished during the same year, ending more than five decades of operation at the Sukiyabashi site. The decision formed part of a broader redevelopment process rather than a product or corporate-brand discontinuation in the usual sense. Sony and the site’s redevelopment planners used the cleared land for a temporary public park, generally identified with the Ginza Sony Park project. This interim use maintained a public function at a prominent urban location while the next building was being developed. The park was intended to remain in use through the summer of 2020, a period originally linked to the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. A successor structure, known as the Sony Park Building, was built on the same location and was announced to open on January 26, 2025. The successor should be distinguished from the original Sony Building: the 1966 structure is the subject of this entry, while the later building represents the redevelopment of the site. Historically, the original Sony Building is best understood as a hybrid of corporate showroom, architectural landmark, and urban public-space experiment. Its importance came not from selling a single product line but from making Sony’s technological image visible through a building that combined exhibition, movement, lighting, performance, and access to the city.

• 2025

  Replacement Sony Park Building scheduled to open

  [1]Sony Building (Tokyo)en.wikipedia.org

  The successor Sony Park Building on the same site is announced for opening on January 26, 2025.

• 2020

  Temporary park period reaches the originally planned Olympic-era horizon

  [1]Sony Building (Tokyo)en.wikipedia.org

  The former building site is used as a temporary public park during the redevelopment period, with the original plan extending through the summer associated with the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

• 2017

  Original building closes and is demolished

  [1]Sony Building (Tokyo)en.wikipedia.org

  The building closes on March 31 and is demolished later that year as the Ginza site moves into redevelopment.

• 1992

  Major renovation and facade update

  [1]Sony Building (Tokyo)en.wikipedia.org

  The exterior and interior are renovated; the cathode-ray-tube light display is replaced with 74 aluminum panels, and Sony Square is refurbished.

• 1966

  Sony Building opens in Ginza

  [1]Sony Building (Tokyo)en.wikipedia.org

  The Yoshinobu Ashihara-designed building opens on April 29 at the Sukiyabashi crossroads in Tokyo’s Ginza district.

A flagship corporate showroom and urban landmark that used architecture, public display, and visitor experience to express Sony’s technological identity in central Tokyo.

• 2017Ginza Sony Park interim-site project

  Japan

  Following demolition, the former Sony Building site was converted into a temporary public park during the transition to a replacement building.

  Outcome. The site retained a public and recreational role while redevelopment proceeded toward the new Sony Park Building.

  Source
• Sony showroom and public-display program

  Japan

  The building operated as a public-facing Sony showroom in Ginza, using exhibitions, demonstrations, architectural displays, and the Sony Square corner space to present the company’s technology-oriented identity.

  Outcome. The building became a recognizable Sony landmark and a long-running visitor destination, although the original structure closed and was demolished in 2017.

  Source

• 2025

  Redevelop the site with a new Sony Park BuildingStrategy

  Background

  After the original building’s demolition and the interim park period, the site was prepared for a successor structure.

  Action taken

  A new Sony Park Building was constructed on the same location and scheduled to open on January 26, 2025.

  Aftermath

  The redevelopment continues Sony’s presence at the Ginza site, but the new building is distinct from the original 1966 Sony Building.

  Source

• 2017

  Close and demolish the original Sony BuildingStrategy

  Background

  The original structure had reached the end of its operating life and the prominent Ginza site was designated for redevelopment.

  Action taken

  The building closed on March 31, 2017, and was demolished later that year.

  Aftermath

  The land was used temporarily as a public park before construction of a successor Sony Park Building on the same site.

  Source

• 2017

  Use the cleared site as a temporary public parkStrategy

  Background

  Redevelopment created an interval between demolition of the original building and completion of a replacement structure.

  Action taken

  The former building site was made available as a temporary recreational and public-space project associated with Ginza Sony Park.

  Aftermath

  The interim park preserved public access to the high-profile Ginza site during redevelopment and preceded the planned Sony Park Building.

  Source

• 1992

  Renovate the original building while preserving its architectural identityOther

  Background

  The building required modernization while remaining a prominent Sony showroom and landmark at the Sukiyabashi intersection.

  Action taken

  Sony undertook exterior and interior renovation, replaced exterior materials and entrance doors, refurbished Sony Square, and substituted the original cathode-ray-tube facade display with aluminum panels.

  Aftermath

  The building continued operating with an updated exterior and interior while retaining its distinctive showroom and public-display concept.

  Source

1. 1Sony Building (Tokyo)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official Sony Building websitesonybuilding.jp