YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition NAGOYA – Imagination of Japan –

HITOHATA,INC. produced “YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition NAGOYA – Imagination of Japan –,” which was held from Sat, Jul 19, 2025, to Tue, Sep 23, 2025 (public holiday) at Kanayama Minami Building (Former Nagoya/Boston Museum of Fine Arts) (Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture). The event was organized by the YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition NAGOYA Executive Committee (TV Aichi, HITOHATA, Jiji Press).

This event was the world’s first immersive digital art museum, allowing visitors to experience Japan’s proud tradition of yokai (supernatural creatures) through Edo and Meiji period artworks, including Hyakki Yagyō Emaki (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons), Hyaku Monogatari (One Hundred Ghost Stories), oni (demons), tengu (goblin-like beings), kappa (water spirits), and tsukumogami (animated household objects). These legendary creatures were brought to life through cutting-edge visual technology and immersive three-dimensional installations.

Born from the rich imagination of ancient Japanese myths and folklore, yokai have transcended time to captivate audiences worldwide. Their humorous and mysterious depictions in traditional paintings and caricatures were dynamically animated using 3DCG, projection mapping, and holographic screens, while three-dimensional sculptures recreated a realistic yokai world, making the experience even more immersive.

Additionally, with the cooperation of the Yokai Art Museum in Shodoshima and Japan’s first antiquarian book museum, Nishio City Iwase Bunko, the exhibition featured precious yokai paintings, caricatures, and art. Through detailed exhibits and explanations, visitors could uncover the cultural and historical roots of yokai and their influence on modern pop culture.

During the exhibition period, a participatory Hyakki Yagyō parade was also held, allowing visitors to walk alongside yokai in an immersive art space.

As a new form of art entertainment where visitors of all ages could enjoy, learn, and experience Japan’s renowned yokai culture, the exhibition welcomed more than 120,000 visitors during its run.

[YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition Official Website]

https://www.yokaiimmersive.com

YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition NAGOYA Concept movie

Event Overview

[Title]
YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition NAGOYA – Imagination of Japan –

[Dates]
Sat, Jul 19, 2025 – Tue, Sep 23, 2025 (public holiday) 9:30 AM – 8:00 PM (last admission 7:30 PM)
*Open every day during the exhibition period.

[Venue]
Kanayama Minami Building (Former Nagoya/Boston Museum of Fine Arts)
(1-1-1 Kanayama-cho, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Aichi)

[Exhibition Details]

This event was the world’s first immersive digital art museum, allowing visitors to experience Japan’s proud tradition of yokai (supernatural creatures) through Edo and Meiji period artworks, including Hyakki Yagyō Emaki (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons), Hyaku Monogatari (One Hundred Ghost Stories), oni (demons), tengu (goblin-like beings), kappa (water spirits), and tsukumogami (animated household objects). These legendary creatures were brought to life through cutting-edge visual technology and immersive three-dimensional installations.

Born from the rich imagination of ancient Japanese myths and folklore, yokai have transcended time to captivate audiences worldwide. Their humorous and mysterious depictions in traditional paintings and caricatures were dynamically animated using 3DCG, projection mapping, and holographic screens, while three-dimensional sculptures recreated a realistic yokai world, making the experience even more immersive.

Additionally, with the cooperation of the Yokai Art Museum in Shodoshima and Japan’s first antiquarian book museum, Nishio City Iwase Bunko, the exhibition featured precious yokai paintings, caricatures, and art. Through detailed exhibits and explanations, visitors could uncover the cultural and historical roots of yokai and their influence on modern pop culture.

During the exhibition period, a participatory Hyakki Yagyō parade was also held, allowing visitors to walk alongside yokai in an immersive art space.

[Tickets]

<Ticket Prices>

Advance Tickets: From Fri, May 23, 2025 at 10:00 AM to Fri, Jul 18, 2025 at 11:59 PM

Same-Day Tickets: From Sat, Jul 19, 2025 at 12:00 AM to Tue, Sep 23, 2025 at 7:00 PM

*Admission is free for children aged 3 and under. (No ticket required)

<Discount for Persons with Disabilities>

<Group Discount>

Groups of 20 or more were eligible for admission at the advance ticket price.

[Organizer]
YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition NAGOYA Executive Committee (TV Aichi, HITOHATA, Jiji Press)

[Co-organizers]
The Chunichi Shimbun, Nikkei

[Support]
Aichi Prefecture, City of Nagoya, Nagoya City Board of Education, FM AICHI, ZIP-FM

[Special Cooperation]
Iwase Bunko Library (Nishio City, Aichi), Yokai Art Museum (Shodoshima, Kagawa)

[Cooperation]

YAMAHA, kyarainnovate

[Planning & Production]
HITOHATA, TV Aichi

[YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition Official Website]

https://www.yokaiimmersive.com

[Official Instagram of YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition]

＠yokaiimmersive

[Official X of YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition]

https://x.com/yokaiimmersive

#動き出す妖怪展 #yokaiimmersive

[Official Photos]

Message

About “YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition – Imagination of Japan –”

YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition NAGOYA Executive Committee

(TV Aichi, HITOHATA, Jiji Press)

“YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition – Imagination of Japan –” is the world’s first immersive digital art museum that allows visitors to dive into the world of yokai artworks, caricatures, and supernatural-themed art created by a wide range of artists, mainly from the Edo and Meiji periods, using cutting-edge visual technology, immersive soundscapes, and three-dimensional installations.

Yokai such as oni (demons), tengu (goblin-like beings), kappa (water spirits), and tsukumogami (animated household objects), born from Japan’s rich imagination, have captivated people across generations and borders. Today, they enjoy global popularity as part of Japanese art and culture. In this exhibition, these yokai are brought back to life through dynamic immersive visuals and highly detailed sculptures, offering a new kind of art entertainment experience.

With the support of Japan’s first antiquarian book museum, Nishio City Iwase Bunko, and the Yokai Art Museum in Shodoshima, the exhibition also sheds light on the cultural and historical background of yokai through valuable materials and insightful commentary. It offers visitors of all ages the opportunity to enjoy, learn, and experience the deep and fascinating world of Japan’s yokai culture.

We hope this exhibition serves as an invitation for both domestic and international visitors to discover the richness and uniqueness of Japanese yokai traditions.

Finally, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported the realization of this event.

On the Production of “YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition – Imagination of Japan –”

Producer & General Director: Higashiyama Takeaki (President, HITOHATA,INC.), Nakagawa Nodoka (Chief Director, HITOHATA,INC.)

“YOKAI”—these mysterious beings from Japanese folklore have now become an internationally recognized term, transcending generations and borders to captivate people around the world. With “YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition – Imagination of Japan –,” our goal was to reconstruct yokai culture through cutting-edge immersive production, crafting an extraordinary otherworldly space that both children and adults can dive into.

To realize this vision, we brought together a wide range of advanced technologies: 3DCG animation, Live2D, holographic screens, projection mapping, spatial surround sound systems, and finely crafted three-dimensional sculptures. Through this fusion of technology and art, traditional yokai paintings, caricatures, and supernatural artworks—once confined to two-dimensional surfaces—are revived as dynamic, immersive, and multidimensional art experiences.

Visitors find themselves walking alongside yokai from the classic Hyakki Yagyō Emaki (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons), searching for hidden tsukumogami (animated objects), or facing the looming giant skeleton from Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s “The Haunted Old Palace at Sōma.” With over 300 unique yokai, this is a journey into an experiential world of supernatural art.

But this exhibition offers more than just thrills—it also invites reflection. Through ancient myths, legends, and historical context, we explore the deeper meanings of yokai and their cultural significance, while tracing their influence on modern pop culture. By stepping into the “otherworld” and encountering these creatures up close, we hope visitors will rediscover the richness of Japan’s imaginative spirit and the universal appeal of yokai culture.

This exhibition—an artistic culmination of Japanese imagination, culture, and entertainment—aims to ignite a new movement in yokai appreciation. And we sincerely hope that the curiosity and creativity sparked by these strange yet fascinating beings can become a small but meaningful step toward peace in our world.

We invite you to immerse yourself in the world of moving YOKAI.

[Leaflets]

[Event Logo]

Staff

Creative Staff

Producer & General Director　

HIGASHIYAMA TAKEAKI, NAKAGAWA NODOKA

Creative Director 

NAGAO TAKAKI

Art Director 

HAYASAKA NOBUYA, KOBAYASHI HITOSHI

Chief Designer 

MATSUDA ARISA

Technical Director 

TAKEUCHI FUMIYA, WAJIMA YOHEI

Video Creator 

ADACHI TOMOAKI, NISHIZAWA KOKI, SASAKI FUGA, KITAGAWA AKIYOSHI, KATO YUTA, MORIBE MASAKI

3DCG Designer 

KURACHI SHUN, MASUDA NAOYA, YOSHIDA HIRONORI, KIKUCHI KOTOE

Graphic Designer 

SATO MITSURU, KAWASE KAEDE, CHEN ZHEHONG, KIKUCHI KEIICHI, IWABUCHI ASAKO, KIKUCHI RISA, SUZUKI MOEKA

Assistant Director 

KIMURA MAO

Video Assistant 

FUJIWARA MAI, YADA NANAHO

Interactive Programmer

FUNATO DAISUKE, KUSAKA TAKASHI

Sound Effects Designer

SHINEHA CHIHARU, KATO YUSUKE

Sound Technical Adviser

NAGAO TATSUYA, KANNO SHIGENOBU

Technical Engineer

SAITO HIROSHI, TERAMOTO KAZUAKI, NOMURA CHIKA

Event Staff

Event Producer

FUJITA TEPPEI

Event Assistant Producer

NAGATA KAZUKI, KIKUI WATARU, KITO SHUTA

Yokai Object & Attraction Director

KATO SHOW

Production Director

MAENO TADAHIKO, KIKUCHI DAISUKE, ISHIHARA KAHO

Operation Director

OKUNISHI HIROKI

Merchandising Director

KITO TOSHIYA, FUNAHASHI SHIGEKI

Digital Marketer

TANABE RENA

Production Manager

KIKUCHI DAIKI, IMAIZUMI EMI, KONDO MEI, ITO YUZUKI

PR Planner

HARADA MAHO, NODA MOMOKA

Art Cooperation

KAGAWA AYAKO

Promotion Video

KANOUCHI TAICHI, OMURA HAYATO

Promotion Photo

NISHIKAWA CHISATO

Web Designer

YOSHIMURA YUICHI

Special Art Cooperation

YAGYU CHUBEI, SATO SHUJI, SATO MIKI

Editorial Supervisor

SHIMADA NAOYUKI

YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition NAGOYA Executive Committee

TV Aichi

FUJITA TEPPEI, NAGATA KAZUKI, KIKUI WATARU, KITO SHUTA

HITOHATA

HIGASHIYAMA TAKEAKI, NAKAGAWA NODOKA, KIMURA MAO

Jiji Press

YUGE HIROKI, TSUJIUCHI MEBAE, NAKAGAWA SHARUKU YOSUKE

Co-organizers

The Chunichi Shimbun, Nikkei

Support

Aichi Prefecture, City of Nagoya, Nagoya City Board of Education, FM AICHI, ZIP-FM

Special Cooperation

Iwase Bunko Library (Nishio City, Aichi), Yokai Art Museum (Shodoshima, Kagawa)

Planning & Production

HITOHATA, TV Aichi

[Media Coverage and Publications]

TV Aichi

“YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition, where yokai come to life through the latest technology, tops 100,000 visitors”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICpjLqVSsyg

TV Aichi

“YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition, where yokai come to life through the latest technology, reaches 50,000 visitors”

https://news.tv-aichi.co.jp/single.php?id=7716

The Chunichi Shimbun

“YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition, with digital visuals and three-dimensional sculptures, opens July 19 at Kanayama Minami Building”

https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/1101911

Jiji.com

“Experience the world of yokai through digital art: YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition—Nagoya”

https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2025071800929&g=eco

Yahoo! News

“After ukiyo-e comes yokai! The second smash hit from Nagoya, YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition, is astonishingly immersive”

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/expert/articles/dc0b72de6d72227d328d0be2363ddc71d5c72993

AICHI NEWS

“The yokai procession Hyakki Yagyō rendered digitally—the point is that it is not too scary: YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition opens in Nagoya”

https://news.tv-aichi.co.jp/single.php?id=7550

Panasonic Connect (Professional Projector Catalog)

https://content.connect.panasonic.com/jp-ja/fai/file/52376

Panasonic Connect

https://connect.panasonic.com/jp-ja/case-studies/yokaiimmersive-nagoya

YAMAHA

https://jp.yamaha.com/news_events/2025/proaudio/case/yokaiimmersive.html

Japaaan

“Recreating the world of yokai! YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition NAGOYA, fusing yokai art with cutting-edge visual technology”

https://mag.japaaan.com/archives/244136