DJ Shadow “Slingblade”

WOW participated in the signature pavilion “null²” at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai as part of the creator team, contributing to the planning, visuals, sound, and overall direction system. The pavilion’s theme is “Polishing Life.” WOW joined as a direction member from the earliest planning stages and, together with Expo producer Yoichi Ochiai, spent several years creating a wide range of creative elements, from the pavilion’s interior visuals, sound, robot control, and experiential flow to the exterior visuals. A Pulsating Sculpture, a Conversational Space For this pavilion, Ochiai established “two mirrors” as a key concept. The first refers to the sculpture itself, which generates unfamiliar landscapes. Its mirror-finished exterior absorbs the surrounding scenery, pulsating as it repeatedly transforms like a living organism, even as a building. The second refers to the experience inside the pavilion. In a space where mirrors and imagery are integrated, visitors confront “kigō*” and engage in dialogue with a digital human. WOW was primarily responsible for this interior experience. The space confronting “kigō” is a cube measuring 8 meters in width, depth, and height, with mirrored surfaces on all sides. Projection systems on the ceiling, floor, and walls, together with a vertical video object called the “Monolith” standing at the center, work in response to one another to depict “kigō,” creating endless reflections. In addition, the cube-shaped mirrored “goshintai,” which symbolizes the space, moves freely overhead, shifting perspectives and stirring the visitor’s mind and thoughts. Using mirrors as a medium, the experience moves back and forth between meaning and matter, self and other, reality and virtuality, encouraging visitors to reconsider and reinterpret what life is and offering a prompt to “polish life.” *Elements that constitute a person’s individuality, such as their name, hobbies, preferences, voice, and appearance Two Types of Experiences, Two Different Perspectives The experience is offered in two modes: “Dialogue Mode” and “Installation Mode.” Dialogue Mode centers on the world of “computational nature,” as proposed by Ochiai, and the story connected to it, allowing visitors to let go of their “kigō” through verbal communication. In Installation Mode, visitors view simple patterned visuals, along with the Monolith and goshintai moving throughout the space, from the outer corridor, creating a non-verbal experience that lets them intuitively sense the structures at the essence of life. In both experiences, the story, visuals, sound, goshintai, and Monolith are all intricately linked, so WOW worked closely with Ochiai to craft a precise direction. Direction Where Technology and Expression Merge On the technical side, to create a more three-dimensional and densely layered experience, WOW integrated a wide range of direction elements, including AI-generated real-time video, display of 3D Gaussian splatting, sound generation, image effects, as well as the display and speech of MirroredBodies created by visitors in a dedicated app, and robot control for the goshintai and Monolith. In collaboration with various companies, WOW developed the main system that aggregates and controls these elements. In addition, the carefully designed sound direction, which makes use of characteristics across different frequency ranges, contributed to a unique auditory experience. Logo Design and Design Guidelines That Create Organic Expression WOW also handled the logo design for null². For the dynamic logo, multiple fonts were used to create a design that transforms into various forms. The static logo was refined from the dynamic logo as the official version. In both cases, the aim was to maintain a certain degree of legibility while pursuing a fluid, life-like design tone through verification and rule setting. In this project, the participating teams, including WOW, brought together all of their technical capabilities and creativity to create the work “null²,” something that could only have been realized at the Expo.

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.

In March 2025, TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY, a new urban district directly connected to JR Takanawa Gateway Station and one of the largest in central Tokyo, opened to the public. On the same site, THE LINKPILLAR 1 and Takanawa Gateway Station also fully opened. The remaining buildings will be completed and the grand opening will take place in spring 2026. From March 27 to June 28, the “Future Experience Theater” was open to the public at THE LINKPILLAR 1. WOW was responsible for planning, directing, and producing the film screened in this theater. Under the mission of “experiencing TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY through film,” we chose an approach centered not on explanatory direction, but on storytelling that encourages emotional engagement. Featuring a modern-day boy as the protagonist, the story is set as a time-travel journey through Takanawa’s memories and the future envisioned for this city. Through the boy’s eyes, it portrays urban life and human connections born from history and culture, with the aim of creating a story that would inspire people who may one day live here to feel hope and anticipation for TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY. The music was commissioned from the alternative rock band hitsujibungaku. The immersive experience of the full 3DCG film projected in a 180-degree cylindrical theater, combined with the world of the film woven by hitsujibungaku’s music, created an even more emotional viewing experience. (Courtesy of JR East)

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.