We created a concept movie for “EXPO WORLDs – Osaka-Kansai Expo OPEN DESIGN PROJECT.” As multiple “worlds” resonate with one another to co-create a new future—EXPO WORLDs is an open design project that aims to infuse the entire Osaka-Kansai Expo venue with the color and vitality of “life,” while designing for open participation. To visualize the philosophy and vision of this project, we built a world through visuals and sound and expressed it as a movie. People, nature, and technology meet, overlap, and resonate. Please take a look at this landscape of co-creation.

The natural landscape of Hokuriku, filled with a strong sense of vitality, and the Gassho-zukuri houses that have stood unchanged for centuries. We were responsible for producing the still photography and promotional video for the Only on Airbnb project, which offers a special stay in one of the houses in Suganuma Village, Gokayama, a hidden area surrounded by towering, rugged mountains along the Shogawa River in Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture. The nine Gassho-zukuri houses standing amid untouched, rich natural surroundings, along with the atmosphere of the area, are truly a quintessential Japanese landscape. We focused on how to capture, in an authentic and compelling way, the history and culture handed down here, as well as the scenes created by the lives of the people who live there. The photographer was Satoshi Nagare, who has received high acclaim for interior and exterior shots in domestic and international media, including Casa Brutus. The video DP was Jin Ito, and the drone footage was shot by Tetsuichiro Kitagawa. The work was distributed to news media around the world at a press event held on site on 6/21, and received an excellent response from media outlets in various countries.

We created a brand film for ALPINE, a premium car audio brand from Japan with fans around the world. With the concept “SOUNDWARDS / Toward great sound,” we expressed a simple yet powerful brand message through dynamic visuals and music: where the best sound resonates, the best people gather and the best spaces are born. A great live performance and the audience drawn to it create the ultimate atmosphere. We captured that sense of being irresistibly drawn in with dynamic camerawork, making extensive use of drones. The music was created by KAITO, also known as Hiroshi Watanabe, whose work is released worldwide through Germany’s largest record label. The film direction and DP were handled by Senzo Ueno, and the overall planning and production were a collaboration with the creative agency Drill.

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.