DNP to Exhibit at HYPER JAPAN Festival 2017, UK's Largest Cool Japan Event

Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP) will exhibit manga and animation virtual reality (VR) contents at the HYPER JAPAN Festival 2017 to be held in London, UK, from July 14 to July 16, 2017. HYPER JAPAN Festival is the major Cool Japan event in the UK, celebrating J-culture with traditional and contemporary exhibits and performances, including manga, animation, food, fashion and music.
On this occasion, DNP will collaborate with publishing companies, Shueisha Inc. and Kodansha Ltd. to create Japan Character VR Matsuri, a special booth designed to introduce popular manga and animation contents from our partners in a VR format, along with a series of high definition reproductions of original illustrations.

[HYPER JAPAN Festival 2017]

[DNP Exhibits]

Japanese manga and animation have developed a firm reputation overseas, with a huge following expected to expand further. In conjunction with multiple contents holder companies, such as publishers, DNP has, since 2014, been engaged in activities that apply the latest VR technology to convey the attraction of Japanese manga and animation characters to the world. In partnership with Shueisha and Kodansha, DNP operated the Japan Character VR Matsuri special booth in the Anime Expo held in Los Angeles, U.S.A from July 1 to July 4, which has proven to be popular with visitors. The three partners aim to follow up on this success with exhibits at the JAPAN EXPO being held in Paris, France from July 6 to July 9, and further participation at the HYPER JAPAN Festival 2017. Apart from providing a new experience based attraction that offers users the chance to gain an immersive manga world experience through the use of VR contents based on the original manga illustrations, DNP will also introduce reproductions of original illustrations using high-definition printing techniques.

- JUMP Cube from Shueisha

Using Oculus Rift, the VR head-mounted display (HMD) visitors can read famous scenes from the popular manga Shonen Jump, including Boku no Hero Academia (My Hero Academia), Haikyuu!!, NARUTO and Gintama via a hands-on life-sized big screen in a VR space. DNP also introduces contents allowing visitors to assemble a 3D puzzle of Kon, the popular character from BLEACH.

- One Piece Cube from Shueisha

Using Oculus Rift again, it is also possible to enjoy reading famous scenes from the popular manga One Piece in a VR space via a hands-on life-sized big screen. It is also possible for visitors to enjoy 3D puzzles of the popular character Chopper.

- JUMP Art Gallery from Shueisha

JUMP Art Gallery is a virtual art gallery contents allowing visitors to enjoy the many eye-pleasing illustrations from Shonen Jump in a VR space by using the VR HMD Gear VR.

- Death Note VR from Shueisha

Death Note game contents make use of Gear VR to provide the experience of taking on the guise of Misa Amane, a Death Note character, who must escape from creepy basement chamber before it is totally immersed in water. 

- Hop Step Sing! from Kodansha

Using the VR HMD HTC Vive, it is now possible to fully enjoy the computer graphics-driven idol characters Niina Nijikawa, Shikiri Shiishiba, and Mikasa Minowa, as they perform a concert for you in a VR space.

[DNP Contents Business Targeting Overseas Users]

DNP plans and operates online media and events held overseas, that target an overseas audience, transmits contents, including Japanese arts and culture, and is engaged in providing these as new ad media to Japanese companies seeking to appeal products and services to overseas users. The Company is also engaged in the planning and production of cutting edge augmented reality (AR) and VR-based contents for transmission. In addition, DNP is also promoting a business to support the global penetration of the superior contents in the ownership of Japan-based contents holders, including the provision of a service for matching Japan-based contents holders with overseas contents users along with license management.