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About:The cat meowing at the east exit of Shinjuku Train Station

It’s the giant 3D cat that made an unexpected appearance on Cross Shinjuku Vision during a preliminary testing period in July, 2021 and instantly went viral online across the globe.

In the morning the cat wakes up when the screen turns on. It talks to passersby during the daytime. It falls asleep at the end of the day. The cat’s cute gestures have become a super-hot topic of conversation as if a real big cat lived in a room.

In addition to the “Good Morning,” “Cat's Talk” and “Good Night” versions, the latest “Zero Gravity” version is now being screened. A special collaboration TV commercial is also in the works.

Mechanism どうして３Dに見えるの？

The key is the cat’s room.

Using an optical illusion, the room is so meticulously calculated and designed as to make it look 3D when Cross Shinjuku Vision is seen from the square in front of the Shinjuku Station’s east gate.

By arranging for the cat’s ears, tail, etc. to protrude outside the background white room, our brain automatically perceives the depth, and the cat looks 3D.

Episode 「新宿東口の猫」誕生秘話

  • Initial idea

    Omnibus Japan participated in a competition for 3D content to be projected on a huge 8m (height) x 19m (length) curved screen with several proposals including the “giant 3D cat.” The idea of “a cat is just there lounging around a room” resulted in this proposal.

  • The reason for this competitive proposal’s win

    Tokyo’s busy Shibuya and Ikebukuro Stations are famous for their iconic animal characters – “Hachiko (dog)” and “Ikefukurou (owl),” respectively. In search of the adorable one for Shinjuku, a cat is given thumbs-up, with a wish of making the building Shinjuku’s new landmark.

  • In pursuit of realistic movements

    Based on a thorough research on feline behavioral patterns, movements of bones and muscles are reproduced in 3D. The cats’ gestures are carefully reviewed one by one from autonomous motion of tip of the tail to the size of the pupil that changes depending on an amount of light. All of them are fully reflected in visualization.

  • The secret of the cat

    The cat is a male mikeneko (calico cat), which is very rare as calico cats are almost exclusively female. Japanese traditional touch is added to the cat as a collar put around its neck is made of the traditional braided cords with a crepe bell. In addition, it has a black-colored pattern that is shaped like Shinjuku Ward as a reminder that one can meet the cat when visiting Shinjuku.

Special 360度猫

Staff

Production: Omnibus Japan Inc.
Creative Director: Synichi Yamamoto
Producer: Masakazu Kagami
CG Supervisor: Hirokazu Aoyama
Animation Supervisor: Yusuke Akita
Animator: Tatsuya Hiramatsu
Lighting Artist/Compositor: Masaaki Nakae

Rigging Artist: Takashi Yamazaki
LookDev Artist: Takashi Nishida
Digital Artist: Yuto Kawashima
Designer: Yuriko Katagi
Sound Design: Intercity-Express
CG Production manager: Airi Iwata

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