New interactive theme park in Tokyo lets you become the star of the show

TOKYO – Watching men and women voluntarily put on voluminous, red and black cancan skirts and participate in a lively kick line onstage is not exactly a typical day in Japan.

But that is just one of the things you are almost guaranteed to see at Immersive Fort Tokyo, a new interactive indoor theme park by Katana Inc, whose chief executive Tsuyoshi Morioka brought to life the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan.

Open since March on the “entertainment island” of Odaiba, Immersive Fort Tokyo spans two floors and 30,000 sq m with about 10 attractions. Each contains its own interactive storyline, be it the candy-swirled cottages of Hansel and Gretel, strewn with dessert buffets inside; interactive dining at the all-red Cabaret; or murder mysteries that, like an elaborate escape room, require collaborative puzzle-solving. Think of it as New York City’s immersive theatre production Sleep No More, times 10.

In a country where public transport is nearly silent and people rarely strike up conversations with those they do not know, spontaneous public performances seem quintessentially un-Japanese. But Katana is learning how to get over the cultural hurdles, and it seems to be working.

On a visit in mid-May, people were coming out of their shells, interacting with actors and other guests, and even getting onstage to show off their moves. By the end of each attraction, nerves had given way to wholehearted participation, adding to the many ways that the interactive sets – which richly layer costumes and props with light effects and surround sound – blur the line between reality and fiction.

“People were a bit more hesitant than we expected in terms of having the courage to take the first step,” says Mr Koh Tamura, senior partner in marketing at Katana. “But we’ve made lots of changes since opening, and I think now we’ve pretty much solved that problem.”

He adds that actors have learnt to actively push and help guests overcome jitters by guiding them and taking the first step together. And people may keep coming back for more, since every storyline will reveal unique outcomes, depending on how individuals and teams decide to navigate each time.

The concept is resonating especially with 20- and 30somethings, who are showing up in the greatest numbers, says the company. Tickets cost upwards of 6,800 yen (S$58.45) for adults – not including food and beverages at the restaurants, or special attractions like a Sherlock Holmes-themed walkthrough theatre – making it comparable with Tokyo Disneyland’s ticket prices. The company says it hopes to achieve a similar sales volume as Japan’s big-name theme parks.

Tokyo is no stranger to immersive experiences. This is, after all, the birthplace of the ethereal digital art studio teamLab – which itself runs an immersive art museum near Immersive Fort – and many high-tech virtual-reality games. But the way Immersive Fort Tokyo turns the audience from spectators into participants makes it unlike those.

Once guests step inside the theme park, they are transported to a small European town lined with charming Romanesque-style buildings. Actresses draped in long, maid-like dresses greet visitors with “Ciao” when they pass, sharing town gossip like they are old friends. Each of the attractions stems from the central village; some require a queue to get in, while others are carried out in open spaces in and around the central plaza.

In one attraction based on the popular video game Identity V, participants are assigned to groups of about a half-dozen and dropped into a maze; the goal is to escape before getting hunted by hungry, giant clowns. Finding safe spaces and hiding from the nightmarish giants is a quick and heart-pounding way to bond with strangers, it turns out. (It should be noted that this experience may not be suited to children – a few left crying and clutching at their parents.)

Wherever there is spoken language, it is Japanese. Given the emphasis on interaction and collaboration, that makes participation a challenge for the average international tourist. Translations, so far, are lacking; even buying a ticket online can be cumbersome for a non-Japanese speaker.

Mr Tamura says Katana is working on solving the language gap. Now, an app offers real-time translation in Chinese, English and Korean for an attraction that drops you into the story of Hansel and Gretel; making sure guests know of the app and expanding such translations to other parts of the park are among the next steps. On a visit, non-Japanese speakers stared blankly at images as they sought context clues for the broader plot. In some instances, they struggled to communicate with teammates.

“We want to make it so the number of foreigners is about the same or above the percentage at Universal Studios Japan,” says Mr Tamura, indicating a desire to grow the share of international guests from 5 to 15 per cent.

Katana may be wise to double down on attractions where language is not a barrier. Take the twinkle-lit Cabaret restaurant, where feather-clad dancers, bedazzled singers and soulful trumpeters playfully glide among the tables performing modern-day hits like American pop star Beyonce’s Single Ladies, prompting diners to join the action.

This, it seems, is how you get a bunch of otherwise reserved Japanese folks to don extravagant outfits and perform that kick line – a type of energy release that serves as a much-needed antidote to Japan’s famously conservative and hard-working culture.

“People are usually so stressed out from working or going to school that they can’t really be themselves,” says Mr Tamura. “This park is not only changing people’s environments, but also who they can be. Just spending one day here can really get rid of that stress and energise people.”

To that point, visitors left each attraction with wide smiles. Many patrons gushed to their friends and to strangers about how much fun they had.

Of course, stress relief is a need felt by people in many cities around the world, and that is exactly the point.

“We want to take this idea to cities that are renowned for their entertainment, like New York, London, Las Vegas or Paris,” says Mr Tamura, noting the large demand for Japanese or anime-related attractions abroad. “I think people abroad will definitely love this.” BLOOMBERG