We look forward to seeing you at "Peace of Light" and the "Ueno Hirokoji Hiroba Social Experiment"!
Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Tokyo Metro") will be holding a workshop in collaboration with the City Arts Cultivation Association (hereinafter "Arts Cultivation Association") at "Peace of Light," hosted by the Ueno Tourism Federation on Saturday, November 1st, and at the "Ueno Hirokoji Hiroba Social Experiment," hosted by the Ueno Urban Development Council on Sunday, November 2nd. The workshop will focus on plastic umbrellas that were scheduled to be discarded as lost property within Tokyo Metro.
One type of waste generated through railway operations is plastic umbrellas left behind on Tokyo Metro trains and in stations. In fiscal 2024, approximately 9,000 plastic umbrellas were recovered as lost property, but of these, approximately 8,500 were not collected by customers (number of umbrellas returned: approximately 500 (return rate: approximately 5.6%)).
"Peace of Light: Art Metro of Light," to be held on Saturday, November 1st, is a project in which participants who apply in advance are invited to decorate 500 plastic umbrellas that were scheduled to be discarded with LED lights as they like, and then parade through Ueno Park at night holding their homemade umbrellas.
The "Ueno Hirokoji Hiroba Social Experiment" will be held on Sunday, November 2nd, and two types of craft workshops will be held at Hakamagoshi Square in Ueno Park. Participants will be able to work with artists from the Geikukai Association to create a doll called "Reborn from Forgotten: Discarded Umbrella Kapparoid" by freely combining parts of discarded plastic umbrellas, and will also be able to decorate the discarded plastic umbrellas as they like.
The aim of this workshop is not only to contribute to reducing CO2 emissions caused by discarding plastic umbrellas, but also to highlight the power of art and encourage people to develop an attachment to their plastic umbrellas, thereby encouraging them to reconsider the habit of leaving their umbrellas on trains and other places, and to become aware of the importance of using things for as long as possible.
Tokyo Metro will continue to uphold the goal of "realizing a decarbonized, circular society," and will continue to make railways an even more environmentally friendly means of transportation. We will also promote various initiatives that encourage behavioral change in each individual while ensuring the enjoyment of our passengers, thereby contributing to the realization of a sustainable society.
About the "Peace of Light: Ueno Hirokoji Hiroba Social Experiment" Workshop
1. Peace of Light "Light Art Metro "
(1) Overview
This event involves participants (500 people in total) decorating plastic umbrellas that were scheduled to be discarded with LED lights in their own way, then lighting up the completed umbrellas as they parade from Ueno Park to Shinobazu Pond. The parade will begin with a signal of "All aboard!" from a current Tokyo Metro station employee, and will then parade in a line that resembles a train through the tunnels of Ueno Park and along the banks of Shinobazu Pond, while listening to subway-related background music.
(2) Date and time: November 1st (Saturday) 14:30-17:30
*Participants will be divided into three groups (starting at 14:30, 15:30, and 16:30) to create their own original LED umbrellas.
(3) Workshop location: Hakamagoshi Square in Ueno Park
(4) Parade time: 18:00-18:30
*Meet at 17:45 (meet next to the statue of Saigo Takamori)
(5) Parade route: Statue of Saigo Takamori – Kiyomizu Kannon Hall – Gojo Tenjin Shrine – Lakeside of Shinobazu Pond – Lotus View Deck
*Routes may change depending on congestion.
(6) Supervising Artist: Kenta Ichinose (Moderator: Yunosuke Oka)
(7) How to participate
A. Eligibility: Anyone can participate
Capacity: 500 people (excluding accompanying persons)
*Preschool children must be accompanied by a companion.
C) Application period: October 16th to October 30th
D. Participation fee: Free
How to participate: Please apply using the application form below.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSccyBXQnn65Zj2QuFwMJMIXl_vSEnyL1ijpSLwszQFENj3CbA/viewform
* Advance registration is required. Registration will close once capacity is reached.
*Please check Geikukai's X (formerly Twitter) for application status.
(8) What to bring
Nothing in particular
(9) Notes
Please use public transportation on the day
2. Ueno Hirokoji Hiroba Social Experiment (Craft Workshop)
2-1 Let's make "Born from Forgotten: Discarded Umbrella Kapparoid"!
(1) Overview
This workshop involves working with artists from the Art Education Association to create a doll (Kapparoid) from umbrellas that have been broken down into bones and vinyl. There are a variety of parts that can be freely selected and arranged. The aim is to foster a "mind that values things" and "free creativity" through creative work. A vinyl umbrella that would have been discarded will be reborn as a special, one-of-a-kind figure.
(2) Date and time: Sunday, November 2nd
①11:00-12:30 ②14:00-15:30
(3) Venue: Hakamagoshi Square in Ueno Park
(4) Supervising Artist: Chika Toys Kobori Sayaka
(5) How to participate
A. Target: Elementary school students
Capacity: 40 people (20 participants per workshop, excluding accompanying persons)
C) Application period: October 16th to October 30th
Participation fee: Please purchase a participation ticket that can be used for both the workshops held at Hakamagoshi Square.
(500 yen per session)
Time required: 60 to 90 minutes
How to participate: Please apply using the application form below.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScKTeQXKcl_3c_fksRV8TMpuQGeJvfJTxh_h1e3ZqoQX7viyg/viewform
* Advance registration is required. Registration will close once capacity is reached.
*Please check Geikukai's X (formerly Twitter) for application status.
2-2 "Consumption choices that can be taken home"
(1) Overview
Participants can experience positive reuse by customizing discarded umbrellas that are still in good condition with Metro's original numbering stickers and taking them home. This event allows participants to pick up an umbrella from the umbrella box set up in Hakamakoshi Square, wander around the square looking for stickers scattered throughout the square, and create their own special umbrella.
(2) Date and time: Sunday, November 2nd, 11:00-16:00
(3) Venue: Hakamagoshi Square in Ueno Park
(4) Supervising Artist: MAHANA
(5) How to participate
A. Eligibility: Anyone can participate
Capacity: 100 people (first come, first served)
Participation fee: None
How to participate: Anyone can participate on the day
3. Artist introduction
Based in Ueno, Tokyo, and New York, he develops a wide range of expressions with the aim of "making the world happier through art." His signature work, the "Happy Panda Bench" in front of the main gate of Ueno Park (co-created with the Tokyo Ueno Lions Club), is beloved by many visitors to Ueno. He has curated events such as Art Fair Tokyo and Tokyo Gendai, and is also involved in artist production. His wide-ranging activities include artwork creation, exhibition planning, and urban development utilizing art with an emphasis on economics and business. He has also made numerous media appearances, including appearances at "Ad-Machi-Kantei-Ji Temple" (2018) and "Ueno Park" (2022), and playing the role of Geek in King Gnu's "Tokyo Rendez-Vous" (2017). He completed his doctoral studies at the Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School of Fine Arts. He founded the "Geiiku-Kai"*, an organization that supports artists in the Ueno area community, and will serve as its secretary general until 2023.
Sculptor. His works explore the coexistence of AI and humans through futuristic, retro designs. The robots with oddly shaped heads exude a charming sense of humor, and at times a hint of melancholy, in contrast to their rugged, rusted appearance. He reexamines the relationship between technology and humans, and takes a critical view of a sustainable future. His unique worldview invites viewers to consider what it means to be human, through the relationship between society and themselves.
Soft sculpture artist. Believing that "cuteness will save the world," she works to bring healing and hope to people living in oppressive societies. Using high-quality materials such as German-made fur fabric, she is committed to consistently high-end handmade production, from creating patterns to sewing, dyeing, and accessories. Rooted in her childhood as a school dropout and recluse, she learned sewing from her grandmother and mother in order to survive. This was the catalyst that led her to embark on her career as a stuffed animal artist. She explores the possibilities of stuffed animal media through advertising visuals, event booths, and social media posts, primarily using the Uchinoko series.
Creative director of artist/designer brand "fair enough" and sculpture shop MAHANA.
An artist whose work spans genres including fashion, sculpture, and graphics. His approach explores the boundaries of sight, physical sensation, and emotion while addressing social issues, resonating with the viewer's inner self and creating new connections between art and fashion.
A talk artist/host. He began working as a radio personality while still in college, appearing mainly on talk variety shows and news programs. He has also hosted medical conferences and auctions, and acted as a reporter on cable TV programs. He also works as a "talk artist," narrating on stage and demonstrating sales using his special talent for sales pitches, mainly in Ueno, Tokyo. He currently works as an employee of a major consulting firm, while also working irregularly as a radio personality and event host.
* Geikukai: An organization that brings together businesses in the Ueno area, including Ueno, Yushima, Ikenohata, Okachimachi, Nezu, Yanaka, and Akihabara, with the aim of revitalizing the town together with young artists. Ueno is known for art, Yushima for performing arts, Okachimachi for crafts, and Akihabara for technology art. By promoting the appeal of each town as a "town that nurtures the arts," the organization builds an art brand image for the Ueno area. The organization aims to create lasting connections with young artists throughout the town and develop the town with the goal of promoting the arts.
4. Contact details for workshop inquiries
Tokyo Metro Customer Center https://www.tokyometro.jp/support/index.html
5. Details of the Peace of Light Ueno Hirokoji Hiroba Social Experiment
Please check the event page for details.
Peace of Light: https://ueno.or.jp/peaceoflight/
Ueno Hirokoji Hiroba Social Experiment: https://ueno-machi.org/
[Tokyo Metro] Press Release
See other exhibition information
