WOW participated in the BLUE OCEAN DOME at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. At this pavilion, where visitors can learn about the sustainable use of marine resources and the protection of marine ecosystems, WOW was responsible for the direction and production of the video content. BLUE OCEAN DOME consists of three spaces under the theme of “the revival of the ocean.” It includes an installation expressing the spectrum of water, a video installation depicting the miracles and crises of Earth as the planet of water, and a space that presents a path toward restoring the ocean through documentary footage. WOW developed a hemispherical LED visual device about 10 meters in diameter together with Azlab. Through this one-of-a-kind, ultra-high-definition giant hemispherical LED screen, it brought Earth as seen from space to life. —The beautiful Earth, a miraculous water planet, is on the verge of being gravely damaged by human activity. This work depicts the ocean, where the brilliance of the chain of life and pollution progress simultaneously, across a range of scales from a vast view like looking at Earth from space to the cellular level. By fusing realistic depictions so true to life they could be mistaken for the real thing with dreamlike imagination, the piece sought to create an audiovisual experience as a “device for transforming consciousness” that appeals to the senses of visitors. The footage, supervised after fieldwork in biologically diverse marine areas and by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, vividly portrays everything from vibrant life to the realities of marine pollution through the meticulously crafted 3DCG for which WOW is known. In addition, Hatis Noit’s voice, resonating as if with the voices of all beings living in the sea, gave the imagery multidimensional depth. The hemispherical screen, covered by a parabolic cover, was precisely designed down to the number and arrangement of its supports, realizing two distortion-free curved surfaces. For the parabolic cover serving as the backdrop for the LED screen, a special paint that appears darker than black by absorbing light was used. A smooth base finish achieved through plasterwork and painstaking hand-applied painting created a jet-black screening space. The hemispherical screen itself was fabricated by hand, one small panel at a time. This ultra-high-definition display, with approximately 160,000 LED chips arranged at a 2.5 mm pitch, supported the overwhelming visual experience.

About the Project As part of a technical tutorial on video production for the “PLATEAU” project promoted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, WOW was responsible for planning, producing, and directing a video work themed around Niigata Prefecture. PLATEAU provides 3D city models from across Japan as open data, helping to drive digital transformation in urban development and foster open innovation. In this project, we created a film, tutorial, and hands-on video using Niigata Prefecture’s 3D city model. Through this effort, we explored the creative potential and expressive possibilities of PLATEAU. Video Work “NIIGATA WONDER by PLATEAU” With the ظهور of a dragon, the god of water, mysterious gigantic objects begin to appear in various places across Niigata Prefecture. Their true identities are Niigata’s famous local specialties: Tochio Aburaage, sasadango, poppo-yaki, hegi soba, and snow crab. Guided by the dragon, these giant local delicacies eventually gather at Bandai Bridge in the center of Niigata City—. Combining a 3D model of Niigata City, live-action footage, and VFX, the work portrays the character and unique qualities of the city on a grand scale as a “fictional PR video.” PLATEAU PLATEAU is a project to realize digital twins of cities across Japan, promoted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in collaboration with a variety of stakeholders. It develops 3D city models as platform data for urban activity and creates use cases across diverse fields. In addition, PLATEAU provides 3D city models as open data so that anyone can freely access urban data. By advancing the development, utilization, and open-data deployment of 3D city models, PLATEAU aims to realize digital transformation in urban development and generate open innovation.

This video work is an attempt to speak, through the medium of film, to the ambiguity and beauty held within the word “desire.” Aisho Nakajima’s GANGBANG is not mere provocation, but an anthem to the moments where human instinct and intimacy intersect, and I sought to depict it as a “visual orchestra.” The stage is a sealed, sensual room where shadow and light intertwine. There, the boundaries of gender and identity dissolve, and kisses and embraces emerge as a single fluid language. As the 360-degree rotating camera slowly traverses the space, the audience is led not into the feeling of “peeking” into this world, but into the sensation of “being there together.” What matters is not the correctness of the gaze, but the honesty of sensation. The extensive use of close-ups brings into focus the air drifting between bodies and the fragility that resides in exchanged glances. The lighting is pared down to the extreme, quietly illuminating the contours of the skin and the rhythm of breath. The shadows themselves become the blank space of desire. GANGBANG is a visual poem that affirms someone’s sexual being as sensual beauty. It is political, and at the same time deeply personal. By hovering on the knife-edge between “showing” and “making one feel,” this work once again asks what it means for us to “connect.”