Ukiyoe Immersive Art Aomori

The exhibition turns woodblock prints into something you can step inside. Drawing on more than 300 works by some of the most celebrated ukiyo-e artists – including Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Utagawa Hiroshige, Kitagawa Utamaro, Toshusai Sharaku, and Utagawa Kunisada – the show uses 3DCG animation and projection mapping to reimagine them as graphical digital artworks. Visitors move through several spaces of three-dimensional projected imagery, immersed in the scenes the prints depict. It is designed to appeal to adults and children alike.

The experience is not purely digital. Alongside the projected works, the exhibition displays famous prints made during the Edo period as well as reproduction prints, with explanations of the history of ukiyo-e, the culture of Edo, and the artists themselves. The Aomori edition also includes material that looks at everyday life and entertainment in the Edo period, presented in an accessible way. In a touch unique to the Aomori venue, visitors who arrive dressed in a kimono – including furisode, hakama, and yukata – or in a Nebuta haneto costume receive a discount. The reduction is 100 yen off the same-day ticket price, and it applies only to the person wearing the outfit. It runs for the full length of the exhibition, and the discounted same-day ticket is purchased at the venue. It cannot be combined with other discounts or offers.

Photography and video are permitted throughout the venue, so visitors can take pictures from within the projected scenes.

Tickets

Advance tickets are on sale until 11:59 on Friday, 10 July; same-day tickets are available from the opening day onward.