| Title | CHO-KABUKI |
| Brand | DWANGO |
| Product / Service | CHO-KABUKI LIVE-STAGE |
| Entrant | DWANGO Tokyo, JAPAN |
| Idea Creation | DWANGO Tokyo, JAPAN |
| Production | DWANGO Tokyo, JAPAN |
| Name | Company | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Daisuke Yokosawa | Dwango | Chief Creative Officer |
| Ippei Noma | SHOCHIKU | corporate officers |
| Shido Nakamura | SHOCHIKU | Actor |
| Hatsune Miku | Crypton Future Media | Virtual singer |
| Ryo Matsuoka | SHOCHIKU | Theatrical Business Division |
| Kanjyuro Fujima | the Fujima school of traditional Japanese dance | Kabuki choreographer |
The classic Kabuki program"YOSHITSUNE-SENBONZAKURA" and the Vocaloid music ;"SENBON-ZAKURA" which was popular among youths, make collaboration and made a new original work. Its CHO-KABUKI problem was "HANAKURABE-SENBONZAKURA". An interactive production that connected online viewers and the live stage was realized by incorporating the viewers’ real time comments to the live performance, which collaboratively hyped-up the stage. Many latest technologies were used to realize this performance. -Augmented Reality Augmented reality that makes Hatsune Miku appear to actually be on stage. -Kirari: an immersive telepresence technology.It creates a real-time 3D representation of the performer. -Sound Source Localization Sonic tricks that make her lines sound like they actually come from her mouth. And other new technological wizardry.
It was performed at the annual “Niconico Chokaigi”, an event where Japan’s cultural artifacts gather at one place, which was also live streamed to mesmerize 160 thousand people. April,29th-30th, 2016 In an annual festival that attracted the Japanese present popular culture that 150, 000 people arrived, it was staged.
Not only many youths, but also creators and many people concerned with a classic Kabuki fan, entertainment praise it highly. Just only 5times stages during two days, A repeat performance is expected. By the screening of five times of two days, 26,000 people went to visit the meeting place, and live streamed to mesmerize 160 thousand people. The goal of this new style of Kabuki was to appeal to a younger audience by including the popular virtual performer, creating interest in traditional culture, and having a new generation experience the wonders of Kabuki.
We suggested new entertainment stage; “Cho-Kabuki”. Traditional Japanese Kabuki theater and the latest technology have come together to create a whole new style of Kabuki: Cho-Kabuki.
I usually devised Kabuki because it was felt to be difficult to approach to have many youths enjoy Kabuki. Through casting Hatsune Miku, a virtual idol popular among the young generation, this entirely new form of Kabuki performance seeks to cultivate interest and communicate the magnificence of Kabuki to the younger audience. This new form of Kabuki performance allowed even the younger audiences, who saw Kabuki for their first time, to shout the actors’ house names and easily enjoy the show. The venue of this sellout performance was filled with pink glow sticks like a music concert, which concluded with a standing ovation and sing-along by the audience.