Exhibition Details Announced for “Ghost in the Shell The Exhibition”!
The Ghost in the Shell Exhibition: Ghost and the Shell Production Committee (Kodansha Ltd., Mori Building Co., Ltd., KDDI Corporation, Production I.G, Inc., PARCO Co., Ltd., and Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc.) will present “Ghost in the Shell The Exhibition” at TOKYO NODE, the information hub within Toranomon Hills, from January 30 (Fri.) to April 5 (Sun.), 2026.
Since its debut in 1989, Ghost in the Shell has stunned creators around the world with its visionary depictions of cybernetic bodies, cyberbrains, and AI, while continually posing the universal question: What does it mean to be human?
Now, as the story’s fictional setting of 2029 draws near, the future it envisioned is rapidly converging with our reality, amid the widespread adoption of AI and the rise of the cloud era. Across its animated iterations, directed by Mamoru Oshii, Kenji Kamiyama, Kazuchika Kise, Shinji Aramaki, and others, the series has continuously rearticulated its core themes through diverse expressions, always pointing toward the cutting edge of its time.
The exhibition Ghost and the Shell is a large-scale retrospective that looks back over the franchise’s 37-year history while deliberately separating the concepts of the “Ghost” (mind, consciousness) and the “Shell” (body, vessel) to reveal the essence of Ghost in the Shell and its inquiry into the fundamentals of human existence. As fiction increasingly overlaps with reality, what do we perceive as the “Ghost,” and how far does the “Shell” extend? This exhibition confronts each visitor with these questions, offering new perspectives for thinking about the future.
Ahead of the opening, this press release announces details of the exhibition’s structure—most notably the DIG section, a central highlight of the largest Ghost in the Shell exhibition ever held—along with a partial reveal of participating creators and collaborating artists.
Note 1: The DIG section allows visitors to explore and interpret the franchise’s archives and information in their own way through a wide range of analog, digital, and AR-based experiences.
◇Exhibition Structure
The exhibition begins with “NODE (A Nexus of Thought)”, an ultimate search experience that allows visitors to dive into the worlds of all animated works in the Ghost in the Shell franchise.
From there, it moves into “STORY (An Introduction to the World)”, where successive directors reflect on their own interpretations of the exhibition’s central themes: Ghost and Shell.
At the core of the exhibition is a vast archive of more than 1,600 original drawings spanning the entire Ghost in the Shell series, accompanied by immersive installations in the “DIG Section,” which invite visitors to delve deeper into these worlds through hands-on exploration.
The exhibition concludes with showcases by collaborating artists whose works have been influenced by Ghost in the Shell, expanding the dialogue between the series and contemporary creative expression.
● GALLERY A
“NODE” (Nexus of Thought): A Dive into Information
Serving as the entrance to the exhibition, “NODE” offers an immersive experience in which visitors themselves connect to the information network of Ghost in the Shell created across its various series, becoming a “nexus of thought.”
Two key installations transform the entire space into a vast cybernetic realm: the “Nerve Net,” a giant cyber-network visualizer that spreads throughout the gallery, and “World Tree: Ghost and the Shell,” a “relic of knowledge” positioned at the center of a dome-shaped space. Together, they envelop visitors in a single, expansive digital mindscape.
An image of exploring the Giant Cyberbrain Network Visualizer “Nerve Net”
・Giant Cyberbrain Network Visualizer “Nerve Net”
An ultimate search experience that allows visitors to “dive” into the entire world of Ghost in the Shell.
Within a vast projection-mapped space covering the gallery walls, visitors swim through an ocean of information, awakening iconic scenes from across the series as the space itself transforms and pulses as if breathing.
This omnipotent search installation turns the participant’s own thoughts and exploration into part of the exhibition itself.
・“Ruins of Knowledge” “World Tree: Ghost and the Shell”
An iconic Ghost in the Shell scene—the wired connection—rises into the physical world.
Countless cables descend from a 15-meter-high darkness, linking to monitors like bundles of nerves and activating a vast cyber network.
Visitors can physically experience the moment when information pulses and the city awakens.
In addition to its permanent experiential display, this space will host events that form a gentle community inspired by Ghost in the Shell, including talk sessions by creators and researchers influenced by the work, as well as DJ and live events that further expand the series’ worldview.
● PATH A “STORY” (An Introduction to the World): Approaching the Directors’ “Ghosts”
What do “Ghost” and “Shell” mean to each director, and what has Ghost in the Shell represented to them?
This section presents newly produced, exclusive interview videos created especially for this exhibition, revealed to the public for the first time.
● GALLERY B “DIG”: Excavation — Over 1,600 Original Works Where Fiction and Reality Intersect
Spanning an expansive space of approximately 1,000 square meters, this core section of the exhibition brings together more than 1,600 production materials that provide access to the entire Ghost in the Shell animated series. Visitors can explore a wide range of materials that shaped the animations, including setting documents, original drawings, background art, and animation cels.
Handwritten notes and traces left in the margins of drawings vividly convey the breath of the creative process itself. The Ghost and Shell dilemmas faced by each character within the series are brought back to life through a carefully curated selection of iconic scenes. These powerful moments, reflecting the characters’ struggles and identities, offer a truly overwhelming and immersive experience.
In the “DIG” section, visitors can immerse themselves more deeply and explore the world of Ghost in the Shell from multiple perspectives through a rich lineup of experiential works. Highlights include *“Cyberbrain VISION”², an AR experience in which visitors wear AR glasses and explore original drawings alongside a Tachikoma; “Laughing Man Mirror,” an installation inspired by the Laughing Man incident from Ghost in the Shell: STAND ALONE COMPLEX; and *“Analog Dig”², a hands-on experience where visitors physically dig through animation cut bags used in production and take home reproduced original drawings. These experiences offer an intense and multifaceted way to truly “DIG” (delve into) the world of Ghost in the Shell, with additional content to be announced.
*² Optional experiences requiring a separate paid ticket.
・Cyberbrain VISION (Paid Experience, Advance Reservation Required)
Visitors wear AR glasses (with cooperation from XREAL and STYLY) and tour the original artwork exhibition while listening to explanations delivered through Tachikoma’s cyberbrain communication. This content allows visitors to experience the “cyberbrain communication” of the anime world within a real-world setting.
Ticket Prices:
Advance online purchase: ¥1,300 (tax included)
Online purchase during the exhibition period: ¥1,500 (tax included)
Same-day purchase at the venue counter: ¥1,700 (tax included)
Please note:
Time-slot reservation required
Limited availability per session
• “Laughing Man Mirror”
Inspired by the cyberterror incident known as the “Laughing Man Case” depicted in the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex series, this work brings the Laughing Man into the exhibition space through AR technology and programming.
In 2025, it recreates a hacking technique that masks faces in real time, offering a disruptive experience that blurs the boundary between “the one who sees” and “the one who is seen.”
Image of “Laughing Man Mirror,” where visitors become the Laughing Man
・Unearthing Memories by Hand: “Analog Dig” (Paid on-site experience)
“Cut bags,” which store production materials for each animation cut and are normally never made public, are revealed through this special experience. Visitors can open and explore these cut bags themselves, offering a rare glimpse behind the scenes of anime production. Participants can take home reproduced original drawings contained within the cut bags, directly touching the memories and warmth of the creators’ hands.
- Ticket price: ¥2,000 (tax included)
- Tickets available for purchase on site after admission
- Available while supplies last
- Images of the reproduced drawings shown are samples; the number and contents included may vary
Image of the replica cut-bag experience
◇ Participating Creators (Partial List)
Daisuke Motoki / DDAA
Architect
Responsible for the overall exhibition space design.
Shuhei Matsuyama
President & CEO, enigma Inc. / Artistic Director
In charge of creating the large-scale cyber-brain network visualizer “Nerve Net.”
Norihiko Terayama
Designer / Visual Artist
Creator of “World Tree: Ghost and the Shell,” the “Relic of Knowledge” installation.
Mutsushi Asai
Representative, Metalium LLC / Installation Artist
Creator of “Laughing Man Mirror.”
Quentin Deronzier
Director & Visual Artist
Responsible for the exhibition’s promotional video and key visual.
Ghost in the Shell The Exhibition
Dates: January 30 (Fri.) – April 5 (Sun.), 2026
Venue: TOKYO NODE GALLERY A/B/C (Toranomon Hills Station Tower, 45th floor)
Address: 2-6-2 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Ticket Sales: Scheduled for Fall 2025
Organizers: Ghost in the Shell Exhibition: Ghost and the Shell Production Committee, Kodansha Ltd., Mori Building Co., Ltd., KDDI Corporation, Production I.G, Inc., PARCO Co., Ltd.
Official Website: https://www.tokyonode.jp/sp/exhibition-ghostintheshell/