There is more to Shibuya than crowds and signs. Tokyu has announced Jin Hasegawa’s Shibuya to Mori at Hikarie Deck from October 31 to November 8, 2026, daily from 10am to 6pm. Existing planting becomes a small forest, bringing city birds, bats, raccoon dogs and people together through colourful images and making. For visitors pausing between shops, it offers another way to read Shibuya through a public space.
Seeing station-side planting as a shared habitat
The site is the outdoor fourth-floor deck north of Shibuya Hikarie, rather than a separate enclosed forest venue. Wooden structures, sign-like lettering and creature panels sit among the plants, turning a place usually passed through into something to notice. Supplied photographs show the relationship: bright signs retain Shibuya’s lively visual language, while animals suggest that human life is not the city’s only story.
Born in Hokkaido in 1972, Hasegawa has a background encompassing product and social design. Participation extends the work beyond a finished object for photographs: designated workshops let visitors place their own drawings into its moving route. The creatures here are images and creations, not live-animal exhibits, and the presence of planting is no promise of spotting wildlife.
Three workshops put your drawings on a train
Workshops take place November 3, 7 and 8, from 1pm to 4pm, with last reception at 3:45pm. Participants draw creatures associated with Shibuya on acrylic keychains, then let a small toy train carry them around the plants. Official samples show bats, raccoon dogs and birds in varied shapes and colours. Drawing becomes both a souvenir-making activity and a way for a personal creation to briefly join the public work.
A toy train carries acrylic creature charms; the interaction is scheduled for the workshop sessions.Sample acrylic keychains featuring bats, raccoon dogs and several birds.
Participation costs ¥100, which the organiser says will be donated through the artist for nature conservation; no specific recipient organisation is promised here. There is also scope to exchange creations with others and take work home, subject to the on-site arrangements. The train is part of the workshop, not an all-day performance throughout the nine-day installation. Families coming specifically for it should choose one of those three afternoon sessions.
Exhibition dates, registration and access
Registration is on site on the day, with no advance reservation required. Light rain will not stop the activity, but severe weather may cause cancellation. The installation begins October 31, whereas the connected Shibuya Art Festival 2026 runs November 2–8. Those opening dates differ. Separating the artwork’s dates from its participatory sessions avoids arriving when the installation is visible but the workshop is not running.
Hikarie Deck is at 2-21-1 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, near the station and Hikarie shopping complex. The route depends on the railway used; some Tokyu and Tokyo Metro services connect via exit B5, while passengers on other lines should follow station signs. All times are Japanese local time. Look at the work first and return for a workshop if that suits your walk, checking weather and current on-site notices before setting out.
