Wednesday, November 5, 2025
- 1 A baton of light connecting to the future. Projection Mapping Night 2025 depicts "co-creation" and "spirit of harmony."
- 2 Fourth year of "co-creation" with Hokkaido Information University
- 3 Rain turns injury into blessing
- 4 Students talk about the "soul" of their work
- 5 A warm "spirit of harmony" connects us to the future
- 6 YouTube videos
- 7 Other photos
- 8 Related articles
A baton of light connecting to the future. Projection Mapping Night 2025 depicts "co-creation" and "spirit of harmony."
For two days, November 1st (Sat) and 2nd (Sun), Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen was enveloped in a mystical light. This was the "Projection Mapping Night 2025" event, held in collaboration with the Hokkaido Information University School of Information Media Studies.
Event Overview
- Date:
- Saturday, November 1, 2025 18:00-20:00
- Sunday, November 2, 2025 18:00-19:00
- place:Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen
- Organizer:Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen
- plan:Hokuryu Town Community Supporter, Hokuryu Town Regional Revitalization Cooperation Volunteer
- cooperation:Hokkaido Information University, Hokuryu Junior High School, Hokuryu Town Sunflower Chorus
- Sponsored by:Hokuryu Promotion Corporation, Hokuryu Town Sunflower Tourism Association
- Opening a store:Minamina, welcome, welcome, Kitchen Ruri-chan
This event was planned by Hokuryu Town Regional Revitalization Support Team member Nobuyuki Murakami, and was made possible through collaboration with Hokkaido Information University.
Fourth year of "co-creation" with Hokkaido Information University
This wonderful initiative is now in its fourth year. Associate Professor Keitaro Oshima of Hokkaido Information University, who supervises the project, smiles as he talks about its progress.
Students' new challenge
"Every year, third- and fourth-year university students participate. It is the third-year students' first time participating, while the fourth-year students inherit the know-how from those who have participated last year.
This year, many third-year students were particularly keen to try new things, so the video content was a little different from previous ones.
- Visual expression techniques:In addition to computer graphics (CG), the liquid was filmed in close-up and projected live.
- Participatory works:This is an interactive work in which the video reacts to the viewer's gestures.
- High-quality CG:This is a beautiful 3D CG sunflower video created after extensive research into sunflowers.
A story of light woven with the local community
"Also, at Murakami's suggestion, we filmed a collaborative chorus between the Himawari Chorus and junior high school students at the junior high school festival in the summer. We plan to screen that footage at the end of the event, and I think this will be something completely new and different from anything we've done before. The students really worked hard," says Oshima with a smile.
The harmony of the region that transcends generations will be sublimated into a story of light through the students' skills.
Rain turns injury into blessing
Nobuyuki Murakami (Hokuryu Town Community Supporter), one of the main planners, said:
"Now in our fourth year, everyone seems to have become quite accustomed to the event. However, it was really unfortunate that it rained today."
Food trucks and other events were originally planned, but due to rain the event was moved indoors. However, this change led to an unexpected discovery.
"The teacher came up with the idea for this indoor venue, and we found a great location (the wall on the second floor above the entrance hall of the building). I feel that this wall could be used for various events in Hokuryu Town in the future, and I think that's great."
Even an accident can be turned into a blessing in disguise, uncovering new possibilities. This was made possible by Hokuryu Town's flexible response and the strong relationship of trust between the town and the university.
Students talk about the "soul" of their work
At the venue, the students involved in the production spoke about the thoughts they put into their respective works.
The challenge of diverse expression
"I used a 3DCG software called Blender to create the sunflower field scenery. I aimed to create the atmosphere of a summer vacation spent at an idyllic summer villa, and added sounds such as cicadas to create an immersive video."
"I was in charge of the video, which uses a technique called 'liquid light.' It's created by dripping ink into a beaker of water. This is a live performance, so I hope that viewers can enjoy the live feeling of the moment, such as how the ink mixes."
Participatory video "enjoying it with the audience"
"Our work was created by three people. We were inspired by the recently popular 'Design Ah! neo' exhibition, and have created a video piece that is not just something to look at, but that viewers can enjoy together."
* "Design Ah neo" is an exhibition that develops the concept of the program "Design Ah neo" currently airing on NHK Educational TV into an experiential space. Works on display allow visitors to experience with all five senses the thought process of "seeing," "thinking," and "making" the designs around them.
"In the participatory piece, I was in charge of the part where the humanoid characters gave instructions to the audience in an easy-to-understand way."
Each individual's attention to detail shines through
- I created a piece that incorporates the image of rain into music and video so that it can be enjoyed even in the rain.
- Taking advantage of the arch of Hokuryu-mon Gate, we created a video that flows from left to right.
- I hope you will experience the nostalgia and immersion of summer by creating a sunflower field in 3DCG.
- I hope you enjoy the colorful animations of the shapes.
- The video is in black and white and is made to fit the window frame.
- This piece allows you to enjoy the flow of ink by dropping it into a beaker of water in real time.
- I'm in charge of humanoid animation.
- I made this video by incorporating "Himawari Saki-chan," a character unique to Hokuryu Town, so I hope you will enjoy moving along with the video.
- I created a geometric design video by combining simple shapes.
The nine students (including those working in groups) created works that fully demonstrated their individuality and skills. Each piece was filled with their love for Hokuryu Town and their desire to entertain the audience.
A warm "spirit of harmony" connects us to the future
At the beginning of the event, Mayor Sasaki Yasuhiro gave a warm greeting.
Mayor Sasaki expresses his gratitude and introduces the "connection"
"Good evening, everyone. Thank you very much for coming today. This is the fourth time we've held a projection mapping event, so we're really looking forward to seeing the students use their skills to bring to life the photos they've taken of Hokuryu Town over the past year."
After expressing his gratitude to Professor Oshima, the mayor introduced Murakami, the person who came up with the idea for the event, as "Santa Uncle," putting the audience at ease.
Then the mayor pointed to the two young men.
"The result of doing this over the past four years is Takatsuki and Arai. These two have taken a liking to Hokuryu Town. Since April, they have been working hard as community revitalization volunteers to build the town. They are really helping to liven up the town, so I would like to introduce them to you again."
Two people who once participated in this event as students are now active members of Hokuryu Town. The collaboration of technology is weaving connections between people and creating the future.
Then, Mayor Sasaki introduced the exhibitors, saying, "Since you've come all this way, please say a few words, too."
Vendor: "Yes, this is Grandma. Yes, I work at Kitchen Ruri-chan. I bake rice flour chiffon cakes."
Vendor: "Yes! I run a shop called 'Welcome Welcome.' My connection to Hokuryu Town is that I'm a relative of Mr. Masakazu Tamura (who works at the town hall)." (Audience: "Wow!" "Amazing!")
"Please enjoy your time today, and we hope you will continue to support Hokuryu Town," said Mayor Sasaki.
Projection mapping broadcasted onto the wall!
Stores and exchanges that add color to the local area
The venue was bathed in warm light, and there were delicious food stalls and a fun space for interaction.
- minamina:Sandwich, dried fruit, caramelized walnuts
- Kitchen Ruri-chan:Rice flour chiffon cake
- Welcome Welcome:Rice flour muffins, rice flour quiche (opening in July 2024 at the former site of "inacafe Mame")
* "Cafe Welcome Welcome" will reopen in July 2024 after revamping the former "inacafe Mame." They sell gluten-free muffins made with 100% rice flour.
Souvenir delivery corner
There will also be a board game experience corner and souvenir candy distribution for children. Lots of candy will be given away.
Board game experience (2nd floor multipurpose room)
People gathered indoors on a rainy night. They enjoyed the fantastic lights created by the students, the delicious local food, and the laughter that resonated across generations.
This event was a ray of hope for the future, a wonderful co-creation of digital technology and the warm, harmonious spirit of Hokuryu Town.
The students' passion and the emotions of the townspeople resonate with each other, and the early winter festival "Projection Mapping Night 2025" is woven with the light of "co-creation" and digital art that transcends generations and positions, with boundless love, gratitude, and prayers.
YouTube videos
Other photos
Related articles
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◇ 🖋️ Content planning, article writing, photo selection, and video creation: Ikuko Terauchi
Photography, editing, and website management: Noboru Terauchi
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