“KAGUYA” and “MYSTERIO,” performed aboard the cruise ship Asuka III, won the Platinum Award in the international creative awards “MUSE Creative Awards 2026.”

Asuka III Original Performing Arts “KAGUYA” and “MYSTERIO,” produced by HITOHATA, INC. and now in a long-running production at the Lumiere Theater aboard the cruise ship Asuka III, have won the Platinum Award (Platinum Winner) in the “Experiential & Immersive - Hologram / Projection” category of the international creative awards “MUSE Creative Awards 2026.”

The “MUSE Creative Awards” is an international award established in 2015 by the U.S.-based international awards organization International Awards Associate (IAA) to honor outstanding creative work from around the world in the fields of advertising, design, and digital media. The MUSE Creative and Design Awards together receive more than 10,000 entries a year from around the world, and “KAGUYA” and “MYSTERIO” (ASUKA III Original Performing Arts "KAGUYA" & "MYSTERIO") were selected for the Platinum Award (Platinum Winner), the highest of the three levels of Platinum, Gold, and Silver.

Asuka III Original Performing Arts is an entertainment program in a long-running production at the Lumiere Theater, the entertainment space aboard Asuka III, the newly built cruise ship of NYK CRUISES CO., LTD. that entered service on July 20, 2025. Making full use of cutting-edge digital technology, it is a new kind of immersive performing arts that fuses fantastical, dynamic digital art on holographic and LED screens with dance performances.

“KAGUYA” is an original work that pays homage to Taketori Monogatari (The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter), written in the Heian period and said to be the oldest extant Japanese tale, weaving a fantastical story through dance and uniquely Japanese, evocative beauty such as the moon, bamboo groves, the Milky Way, and the world of folding-screen paintings.

“MYSTERIO” is an original work themed on the ancient civilizations of Mexico, full of mystery and romance, weaving a mysterious story through captivating culture and dance featuring the sun, the jungle, animals in vivid primary colors, and prayers to the gods.

Since their premieres in July 2025, both programs have continued their long runs at the Lumiere Theater aboard Asuka III, and each has now surpassed 100 performances.

This award at an international creative awards program reflects the high overall evaluation, by international creative standards, of the experience design, use of space, ideas, and innovation of this onboard immersive performing arts, which brings stories inspired by Taketori Monogatari and the ancient civilizations of Mexico to life through a fusion of digital art on holographic and LED screens and dance performances.

HITOHATA, INC. will continue to share the appeal of Japan’s traditional culture and the world’s diverse cultures in Japan and around the world through cutting-edge technology and creative direction, contributing to the creation of new value in tourism and entertainment.

• About the MUSE Creative Awards 2026

The “MUSE Creative Awards” is an international award that recognizes outstanding creative work in the fields of advertising, design, and digital media. Open to advertising agencies, brands, and creators around the world, it honors work that has enhanced brand value and made a real-world impact through innovative ideas and outstanding expression, with the aim of setting new standards for creativity.

• Award Details

[Award] MUSE Creative Awards 2026, Experiential & Immersive - Hologram / Projection Category: Platinum Winner

[Winner] HITOHATA, INC.

[Client] NYK CRUISES CO., LTD.

[Award-Winning Work] ASUKA III Original Performing Arts "KAGUYA" & "MYSTERIO"

[Work Overview]

Asuka III Original Performing Arts is an entertainment program presented at the Lumiere Theater, the entertainment space aboard Asuka III, the newly built cruise ship of NYK CRUISES CO., LTD. that entered service on July 20, 2025.

As a new kind of immersive performing arts that makes full use of cutting-edge digital technology to fuse fantastical, dynamic digital art on holographic and LED screens with dance performances, it presents “KAGUYA,” an homage to Taketori Monogatari, said to be the oldest extant Japanese tale, and “MYSTERIO,” themed on the ancient civilizations of Mexico, full of mystery and romance.

Asuka III Original Performing Arts “KAGUYA”

“KAGUYA” is an original work that pays homage to Taketori Monogatari (The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter), written in the Heian period and said to be the oldest extant Japanese tale, weaving a fantastical story through dance and uniquely Japanese, evocative beauty such as the moon, bamboo groves, the Milky Way, and the world of folding-screen paintings.

[Title] Asuka III Original Performing Arts “KAGUYA”

[Performance Period] July 21, 2025 (Monday, national holiday) – long-run performance
*The program may vary depending on the cruise schedule.

[Venue] Lumiere Theater aboard the cruise ship Asuka III

[Running Time] Approx. 30 minutes

[Production Staff]
General Producer　HIGASHIYAMA TAKEAKI
Stage Director　YAMADA JUNYA
Creative Director　NAGAO TAKAKI
Choreographer　MIWA
Concept Director　NAKAGAWA NODOKA
Video Director　DEWA TAKESHI
Sound Designer　SHINEHA CHIHARU
Costume Designer　HASHIMOTO RYUJI
Art Director　HAYASAKA NOBUYA
Technical Director　TAKEUCHI FUMIYA
Lighting Designer　MARUI MICHINARI
Chief Designer　MATSUDA ARISA
Project Manager　MASUGI NAOKO
Managing Director　TANABE RENA
Assistant Planner　KIMURA MAO
Assistant Director　ITO YUZUKI, HANAZAWA MARINA, HONDA YUZUKI
Video Creator　HOSHIZUKI DILNIGAR, KURAHASHI RYUSEI, ADACHI TOMOAKI, NISHIZAWA KOKI
3DCG Designer　MASUDA NAOYA
Graphic Designer　SATO MITSURU
Makeup Designer　SAKURA, OHORI YUKIKO, TŌ HYŌ
Hair Designer　HAYASHI RUI
Hair Assistant　ISHII RINNA, MORITA NENE
Promotion Videographer　KANOUCHI TAICHI, OMURA HAYATO
Promotion Photographer　NISHIKAWA CHISATO
Photography Assistant　HASEGAWA KANA
Video Technical Support　OOMARU YOSHIHISA, SAKANISHI YASUAKI
Screen Technical Support　OKUMURA HIROFUMI
Senior Manager　KIKUCHI DAIKI, IMAIZUMI EMI
PR Planner　HARADA MAHO

[Dancers]
KISHIDA HINANO
YUKA
megu
MIYAMOTO HARUKA
NODA MOMOKA
OTA YUMIE
SENSHU RIN
NAKAMURA ANNA
KAWAKAMI KOHARU
MARINA
TOIDA RIHO
KONDO AN
*Performers vary by cruise.

Asuka III Original Performing Arts “MYSTERIO”

“MYSTERIO” is an original work themed on the ancient civilizations of Mexico, full of mystery and romance, weaving a mysterious story through captivating culture and dance featuring the sun, the jungle, animals in vivid primary colors, and prayers to the gods.

[Title] Asuka III Original Performing Arts “MYSTERIO”

[Performance Period] July 24, 2025 (Thursday) – long-run performance
*The program may vary depending on the cruise schedule.

[Venue] Lumiere Theater aboard the cruise ship Asuka III

[Running Time] Approx. 30 minutes

[Production Staff]
General Producer　HIGASHIYAMA TAKEAKI
Stage Director　YAMADA JUNYA
Creative Director　NAGAO TAKAKI
Choreographer　MIWA
Concept Director　NAKAGAWA NODOKA
Video Producer　CHIBA YUGO
Sound Designer　SHINEHA CHIHARU
Costume Designer　SAKAI KAZUYO
Art Director　HAYASAKA NOBUYA
Technical Director　TAKEUCHI FUMIYA
Lighting Designer　MARUI MICHINARI
Chief Designer　MATSUDA ARISA
Project Manager　MASUGI NAOKO
Managing Director　TANABE RENA
Assistant Planner　KIMURA MAO
Assistant Director　ITO YUZUKI, HANAZAWA MARINA, HONDA YUZUKI
Video Director　YAKO NAOHIRO
CG Designer　YAMADA HARUHIKO, TANAKA DAIGO, ODAJIMA YOSHIYUKI, REIKA, YAMAMOTO YUMA, NISHIDA RIKUTO
Video Technical Director　INOMATA YOSHIKI, HORII KENTARO
Video Technical Engineer　KAZAMA KAZUKI
Video Project Manager　SAKAI MAI
Costume Designer　MINAGAWA KOTOMI, SAKAI KANON
Costume Pattern Maker　KAWAI YUKIKO
Makeup Designer　SAKURA
Makeup Assistant　OHORI YUKIKO, TŌ HYŌ
Hair Designer　HAYASHI RUI
Hair Assistant　ISHII RINNA, MORITA NENE
Promotion Videographer　KANOUCHI TAICHI, OMURA HAYATO
Promotion Photographer　NISHIKAWA CHISATO
Photography Assistant　HASEGAWA KANA
Video Technical Support　OOMARU YOSHIHISA, SAKANISHI YASUAKI
Screen Technical Support　OKUMURA HIROFUMI
Senior Manager　KIKUCHI DAIKI, IMAIZUMI EMI
PR Planner　HARADA MAHO

[Dancers]
KISHIDA HINANO
YUKA
megu
MIYAMOTO HARUKA
NODA MOMOKA
OTA YUMIE
SENSHU RIN
NAKAMURA ANNA
KAWAKAMI KOHARU
MARINA
TOIDA RIHO
KONDO AN
*Performers vary by cruise.

• About Asuka III

Asuka III is the newly built cruise ship of NYK CRUISES CO., LTD., which entered service on July 20, 2025.
Its port of registry (home port) is Yokohama, and with a gross tonnage of 52,265 GT, it is the largest passenger ship under the Japanese flag. It is 230 m long and 29.8 m wide, with 351 guest rooms and a passenger capacity of 680.

While offering the hospitality and high-quality service unique to Japanese ships that Asuka Cruise has cultivated over the years, Asuka III will pursue services that let the next generation enjoy the freedom they seek.
Through its cruises, Asuka III also conveys the wonders of Japanese culture, connecting guests with it on board in interiors adorned with numerous artworks and crafts by artists who support Japan’s arts and culture.