【Report】1st Anniversary of Tokyo Metropolitan Government Projection Mapping (February 26) What is the actual situation that has been quietly welcomed?

Projection mapping using the walls of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building will celebrate its first anniversary on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. This project was promoted by Governor Koike as a catalyst for the night economy, and a large amount of tax money was invested. Currently, there is almost no talk of it, the number of spectators has plummeted, and the scene seems to be deserted. (Photo: In front of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government / February 26, 2025)

The budget for fiscal 2025 of about 800 million yen is expected to be approved in March. I visited the site for the first time in about a year to check the situation.

Projection mapping started one year ago, and the contractor is "Dentsu Live"

On February 26, 2024, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government began projection mapping, and what attracted attention was that the contractor of the project was the Dentsu Group's " Dentsu Live It was.

Although Dentsu itself was disqualified from participating in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's public works due to the Tokyo Olympics bid-rigging scandal, Dentsu Live, a group company, was entrusted with the project, which sparked a debate about the fairness of the project.

Combined with the size of the budget, even if there was no legal problem, it was regarded as a "Dentsu project" with a negative connotation, causing a big stir in society.

Governor Koike's Claims and the Lack of Transparency of Economic Effects

In response to the criticism, Tokyo Governor Koike emphasized at a press conference that "projection mapping contributes to the promotion of inbound tourism." The economic impact for FY2023 is estimated to be 1.8 billion yen, 2.5 times the budget of 700 million yen. The effect was appealed.

However, although a budget of about 950 million yen has been allocated for FY2024, the economic effects have not been announced at this time.

A PR strategy to erase the presence of the first anniversary?

On February 26, 2025, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's projection mapping program will mark one year since its inception. However, there were no events or special excitement to commemorate this milestone. On the day of the event, the reporter himself happened to see a post pointing out the struggle of projection mapping to attract customers on "X", and realized that it was the first anniversary around 4 p.m.

Previously, Tokyo Governor Koike emphasized at a press conference that "it has attracted 390,000 visitors and has become a new tourist attraction in Tokyo," but is the actual situation on the ground far from that?

We contacted the Tokyo Projection Mapping Executive Committee Secretariat in Tokyo and asked about the events to commemorate the first anniversary. Perhaps because it was an unexpected inquiry, the person in charge seemed surprised and replied, "It is true that today is one year, but we will not hold any special events."

In projects in which the government invests a large budget, it is common to hold a commemorative event to coincide with the first anniversary, or at least send out a press release. However, there was no such movement in projection mapping.

If you really want to claim that the nighttime economy is booming, it is essential to carry out public relations activities to inform the citizens of Tokyo about the milestone of the first anniversary. Rather, I think that a public relations strategy was taken that did not make people aware of the first anniversary.

If I were in charge of the project, it would be difficult for me to propose holding an anniversary event at the governor's rec based on the current situation. Based on the judgment that "we should concentrate on PR for foreign tourists visiting Japan at present," the strategy of "eliminating the presence of projection mapping for Tokyo residents" can be said to be a relatively easy direction to consider.

On February 26, 2024, around 7:30 p.m., I arrived at Tokyo Citizen's Square for the first time in a long time. I sensed the situation at the site where there were doubts about whether projection mapping was functioning as a centerpiece of the nighttime economy.

Seeing that about 150 spectators were scattered around the square, it was clear that the ability to attract customers had decreased significantly. When I saw that about 500 people gathered last year, I wondered about the cost-effectiveness, but this time there were only about 1/5 of that.

What is the effect worth the cost of 2.6 million yen per day? Situation on the ground

If the budget of 950 million yen for FY2024 is divided by the 365 days of operation throughout the year, the cost per day will be about 2.6 million yen. The cost of the equipment would have been reduced by the lease contract, and it is questionable whether the cost is reasonable when the venue is free, the reception tent is closed, and there is no staff other than the security guards.

Compared to the beginning of projection mapping (pictured), it is natural that the number of visitors is decreasing now that one year has passed. However, the budget for this project is higher in FY2024, and since it is held all year round, it is required to attract stable customers throughout the year.

In addition, even if a decrease in the number of Japan tourists is expected, a significant decrease in the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan will deviate significantly from the concept of the project. Even so, most of the audience were foreign visitors to Japan, and they rarely heard Japanese.

Compared to last year, there are fewer people and photographers taking pictures with smartphones, and it seems unlikely that there will be a reaction on social media. There was little response after the screening, and the audience seemed to be obliged to stop by.

They will be visiting with the understanding that "the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is putting effort into it." On the other hand, it cannot be said that the atmosphere is meeting these expectations, and it seems that the situation is in danger of damaging the reputation of Tokyo.

Actual economic effects, continuation of budgets, and invisible results

Tokyo Governor Koike estimated the economic effect to be 1.8 billion yen against the budget of 700 million yen for fiscal 2023. However, the economic effects corresponding to the budget of 950 million yen for FY2024 have not been shown at this time.

Looking at the situation in Tokyo Civic Square, it seems that there is a big gap between the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's estimates and the reality. When asked about the timing of the release of the estimates, Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials did not give a clear answer.

Nonetheless, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government projection mapping project is scheduled to continue in FY2025. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has allocated a new budget of 790 million yen, which is expected to be approved by the Special Committee on the Budget in March.

However, as customer attraction continues to slump, it remains unclear how this budget will be used and how it will produce tangible results.

There are few indicators to measure how much this project, which was originally intended to promote tourism, actually contributes to the influx of tourists to Tokyo and the economic ripple effect. When I visited the site, there were no staff members who counted visitors or collected questionnaires, and there was no movement to grasp the trends of the audience.

Over the past year, have sufficient efforts been made to attract customers to achieve the promised economic effects to the people of Tokyo? Despite investing a huge amount of money, the results have been poor at the time of the first anniversary, and interest from Japan in particular has declined significantly.

Who benefited from this business?

It has been one year since the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Projection Mapping Project started. The company that has benefited the most from this business is Dentsu Live, which has been entrusted with the project for two consecutive years in 2023 and 2024. In this project, which will be held throughout the year, there is a high possibility that "Dentsu Live" will continue to be entrusted in FY2025.

The projects of the past two years have not been able to build social consensus, and it is difficult to say that they have achieved sufficient results in terms of attracting customers, and the specific economic ripple effects are unclear. If the contract for FY2025 is decided, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will also be required to produce more concrete results.

In the past, the Dentsu Group has been criticized for its "middle groundout" due to its multi-layered subcontracting structure, but this time it can be pointed out that it is "cutting corners" that call into question the quality of its work. In order to overcome the disagreement building with society in the projection mapping business, high-quality deliverables are indispensable.

Next Nighttime Economy Project—2.6 billion yen "Odaiba" fountain show

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government projection mapping will continue in FY2025, but its presence is fading due to the decline in spectators. On the other hand, Tokyo Governor Koike plans to invest 2.6 billion yen in Odaiba as the next centerpiece, the "ODAIBA Fountain" (to be completed by the end of FY2026). The Tokyo Metropolitan Government intends to attract tourists to Japan with a fountain show with the Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Tower in the background.

On February 26, 2026, the first anniversary of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Projection Mapping, it was reported that the ODAIBA Fountain is expected to be viewed by 30 million people per year, and the economic effect will be 9.8 billion yen. It is said that the return is expected to be about 3.8 times for the construction cost of 2.6 billion yen.