Tokyo, June 16 (Jiji Press)--East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, held a ceremony Tuesday to kick off a project to remake Ueno Station in Tokyo as a cultural innovation hub. The project, which follows the completion of renovation work at the station, a long-standing gateway linking Tokyo with northern and central Japan, is being carried out in partnership with local governments and nearby cultural institutions. The initiative will offer visitors opportunities to view artworks and interact with digital art at the station in the Japanese capital's Taito Ward, turning it into a venue for cultural experiences. Ueno Station's expanded concourse outside the central ticket gates features a large digital screen showing videos including one on its history. JR East is also introducing quick response, or QR, codes that provide information on eight artworks displayed at the station, including two statues of women by Japanese sculptor Fumio Asakura. The company plans closer collaboration with leading museums and art galleries located in Ueno Park as well as with Tokyo University of the Arts, which has a campus in the area. "We want to build, together with the local community, a district people will want to visit again and again," JR East President and CEO Yoichi Kise said at the ceremony. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]