All Nippon Airways Launches IS JAPAN COOL? Campaign

All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd (President and C.E.O.: Osamu Shinobe) announces the launch of new web content "IS JAPAN COOL? MATSURI"at the "IS JAPAN COOL?" website - ANA's promotional media especially for potential international visitors to Japan.

Following this year's Rio world Championships, expectation rises for Tokyo Olympics 2020 hosted by Japan. In fact, Japan's many festivals (matsuri) attract visitors year-round with their celebratory feeling, dynamic spirit, scenic locations, and beauty of style. Now, the new "IS JAPAN COOL? MATSURI" website introduces the world to many facets of Japanese festivals - for energy and excitement beyond expectation.

The latest "IS JAPAN COOL?" web project includes special content called "IS JAPAN COOL? MATSURI with KODO" - featuring Kodo Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble, which constantly recreates music centering on traditional wadaiko (Japanese drum) and gives performances worldwide.

In addition, our project team covers six representative Japanese matsuri from the preparation stage, producing original 360° movies called MATSURI GUIDE that share fascinating commentary by festival organizers and insiders. The new website includes major features with intriguing insights into costumes, floats, and festive culture. Moreover, a web section called MATSURI TRIP provides ample information on Japanese festivals held throughout four seasons and different local regions. Overall, this web content captures "physical sensation and presence" to give viewers the feeling of actually being in spectacular Japanese festivals.

Kodo Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble focuses on recreating Japanese traditional music today and actively performing throughout the world. Our project team commissioned Kodo to compose a completely new original song on the theme of Japanese matsuri. Kodo is based in Sadogashima Island, Niigata, a treasure trove of performing arts and has a profound understanding of Japanese festive music from all over Japan. We have created a movie featuring Kodo's powerful performance - entitled "IS JAPAN COOL? MATSURI with KODO" - and are releasing it to the public.

The movie concept is "bodily sensation and presence." The real atmosphere of Kodo's performance - full of festive energy and intense excitement - is reproduced through 3D sound technology, taking advantage of the latest audio innovation. This assures viewers the stunningly experience of sensational music and visuals, providing a feeling of actually being in the midst of performance.

Please note: Tamasaburo Bando, a kabuki actor and Guest Director of Kodo, is not part of "IS JAPAN COOL? MATSURI with KODO" movie content production.

Kodo's team performance in precise order is captured through meticulous planning in one long continuous take. Kodo members emerge from darkness. The studio floor is filled with water to show reflected images of the performers' imposing postures and immense energy. Carefully directed performance reproduces precise teamwork, captured in one long continuous take. Viewers can savor vividly realistic sensation, like witnessing a stage performance through sound heard from any direction. To maximize enjoyment of stunning 3D sound sensation when viewing via PC, headphone or earphone use is advised.

Kodo is a performing arts group that finds limitless possibilities in traditional drum-centric music and recreates it in the modern world. Since the group's debut at the Berlin Festival in 1981, Kodo has given over 5,800 performances in 48 countries on five continents. Pronunciation of "Kodo" is the same as "heartbeat" (in Japanese) - the most fundamental human rhythm, heard by everyone in mother's womb. The kanji character of "do" means "child", reflecting members' desire to continue playing drums like children with innocent freedom of heart.

Three-dimensional audio is attracting popular attention due to recent popularization of the virtual reality (VR) market. 3D sound technology with binaural processing is fully utilized in producing "IS JAPAN COOL? MATSURI with KODO" content. Binaural system technology enables a listener to experience audio like being on the spot where the sound is recorded, with 3D sounds played back through earphones or headphones. The new 3D sound recording technique used for this content separately controls sounds heard from right ear and left ear and fine-tunes sound levels and latency to produce binaural sound. Thus, Kodo's performance movie can be experienced through both eyes and ears.

Some people say that 3D sound technology can deliver more realistic sensation than a real environment. Recently, this technology is being proactively used to enhance sounds in live performance, DVD recording, VR image experience, fashion shows, and various other events. While this has been called quasi-reproduction of space through sound, further improvement of sound quality through this technology is anticipated.

"IS JAPAN COOL? MATSURI" introduces six distinctive matsuri as Japan's representative festivals in our website pages as MATSURI GUIDE. This year, we conducted field reporting by visiting six locations where actual matsuri are held and produced six documentary movies covering local people who live with matsuri and bring their passion and commitment to these celebrations. We shot 360° movies - sending video staff into the middle of ongoing matsuri using 360° camera equipment, thus enabling viewers to "experience" the intense excitement of festivals like being in the midst of events. This movie content definitely helps deepen understanding of Japanese matsuri.

With stunning festive sensation, these movies provide rare and valuable comments and opinions from people deeply involved in festivals - insights rarely experienced through real festival events.

Each website page of MATSURI GUIDE also provides background information on each matsuri and main features, including mikoshi portable shrines, music, dances, costumes, and other festival items for better understanding. It also gives viewers related data including the official website and event specifics like festival timing.

Six Japanese Festivals:

MATSURI 1: Sanja Matsuri | Tokyo

MATSURI 2:
Nachi No Ogi Matsuri | Wakayama

MATSURI 3:
Aomori Nebuta Matsuri | Aomori

MATSURI 4:
Awa Dance Matsuri | Tokushima

MATSURI 5
Nanaura Aki Matsuri Menburyu | Kashima City, Saga

(scheduled to be issued in November 2016)

According to a rough estimate, there may be as many as 300,000 festivals in Japan, from tiny events to huge celebrations drawing visitors around the world. Among all those, ANA has selected 32 famous matsuri - notable for local culture, long tradition, or tourist popularity - for this MATSURI TRIP feature. Japanese matsuri usually reflect local character and history. Thus, the more international visitors know about local heritage, traditional costumes, unique attractions, music and dance, etc., the better they can appreciate and enjoy Japanese local tradition. MATSURI TRIP covers matsuri timing, features, symbols, and more information, allowing visitors to explore the diversity of matsuri in Japan. Then, if an intriguing festival attracts interest, a site visitor may wish to take a trip to "cool Japan" - and come to the matsuri.

Enjin Inc. is a creative agency that moves people's emotions by employing all types of media (digital, movies, graphics, real events, etc.) without discrimination or bias, instead of conventional advertising schemes, and with a sense of spirited freedom under the "fun work, fun company" banner. EnJin Handled planning of the Flying Norlin Project, the world's first in-the-air store, which employed a number of drones. Other major projects have included the presentation movie for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics/Paralympics campaign bid, ANA "IS JAPAN COOL?", and OKINAHOURS for Okinawa Prefecture. The company has earned numerous domestic and international ad awards from Tokyo Interactive Ad Awards, ADFEST, Mobius Awards, and FWA (Favourite Website Awards) annual Grand Prix. en-jin.jp

BIRDMAN is a progressive production team handling cutting-edge digital promotions. It handles not only web creative, but also interactive installations and various types of production including events. BIRDMAN always tackles challenges to create totally new experiences in any production format, regardless of software and hardware. The team has won more than 120 awards in Japan and abroad, including the Silver Award at Cannes Lions, the Gold Award at OneShow, two Grand Prix awards at Dentsu Advertising Award, an award at the Code Award Grand Prix, the Gold Award at ADFEST and the Silver Award at Spikes Asia. birdman.ne.jp

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