Japan’s first national facility dedicated to sharing the history and culture of the Ainu people, Upopoy, opened in Shiraoi, Hokkaido, on Sunday, July 12, 2020. It consists of a folk museum, an interactive field museum, and an Ainu coexistence park, and has drawn attention as a base for reviving and developing the fading Ainu culture. What JKD was in charge of this time was the highlight of Upopoy’s nighttime program starting on Saturday, July 18, 2020: a large-scale show combining projection mapping and lighting. It depicts the Ainu creation myth through a delicate yet dynamic hand-drawn full animation running for just under 14 minutes, synchronized with soul-stirring music and sound design. The visual work is projected mainly onto the walls of the dome-shaped Experience Exchange Hall, as well as the surrounding hills, river, and statues. Lighting placed throughout the vast grounds is tightly synchronized with the music and mapped visuals, creating a mystical spatial experience that draws viewers into the story. Among the audiovisual works JKD has produced so far, this is one of the top three. The music is by OKI, a musician internationally acclaimed for his work with the OKI Dub Ainu Band, and Kuniyuki Takahashi, also based in Sapporo and known worldwide for his activities. To pursue truly authentic expression, the four animators, Ryoji Yamada, Hana Ono, Yutaro Kubo, and Tatsuhiro Ariyoshi, took part in this serious collaboration. The opening and ending motion was handled by Shotaro Tomiyama and Ko Kudo of the JKD visual team, and the overall visual direction was by Shane Lester. The story unfolds through the Ainu creation myth in a vast site facing a beautiful lake. We believe we were able to create an experience that draws viewers in. If you ever have the chance to visit Hokkaido, please be sure to see it.

Description: As landscapes and memories layer over one another, the relationships between people shift gradually. Entrusting that change to light and time, I sought to portray the beauty of continuing to exist within a world that is always in flux. BANNY BUGS, moving back and forth between past and present, between solitude and sharing, eventually dissolves into a time that makes even the act of being alive feel somehow nostalgic. In this work, through the attempt to traverse different moments within a single shot, I depicted the instant when memory and the present quietly blend together. From within that continuum, BANNY BUGS’s own resolve emerges, elevated into a prologue to “unveil,” which leads into the album.

I was deeply drawn to the song and lyrics, so I was careful not to break their atmosphere and to make sure the lyrics could be felt clearly. The key point is that I used all of the lyrics again at the end.

This dance video was produced as a visual work featuring BELL. It cinematically and coolly portrays him—also active as a backing dancer for artists such as Chanmina and EXILE ATSUSHI—as he keeps dancing through the urban night, holding his passion deep within.