Projection mapping created by students of the Faculty of Policy and Information Studies at the opening event of the outer ring road

An opening event for the Tokyo Outer Circular Road, which connects Takaya Junction in Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture, to Misato Minami Interchange in Misato City, Saitama Prefecture, was held on Friday, June 1st. Students studying in the seminar of Professor Kurizawa Jun of the Faculty of Policy and Information Studies (specializing in Western art, oil painting, printmaking, media arts, computer graphics, animation, and video) performed a projection mapping exhibit.

The concept of the event, titled "Tokyo Kanpai Expressway," was "connection." Therefore, the theme of the projection mapping was "connecting with the future," and the "future world" that can be seen beyond the tunnel was expressed. In addition, they also attempted to express something unique to projection mapping that uses a tunnel as a theme, such as transforming the tunnel walls and opening holes so that the sky can be seen even while underground. Each student planned and produced the images, and then put them together.

The projection mapping was projected onto the walls of the tunnel during the event. On the day, two third-year students from the Kunizawa seminar, Tomoki Nakano (graduated from Niigata Commercial High School) and Yui Hanawa (graduated from Matsuo High School), participated as event staff.

*We would like to thank Hibino Media Technical Corporation for providing equipment for the projection mapping.

Production team

• 3rd year student in the School of Policy and Information Studies
  Tomoki Nakano and Yui Hanawa
• Second year student in the School of Policy and Information Studies
  Yoshifumi Tada (from Chiba Commercial High School), Yasuzo Imura (from Ikuhama High School), Takumi Hamada (from Yasuda Gakuen High School), Yuta Uchioke (from Uekusa Gakuen University High School), Ryoga Komiya (from Nagareyama Minami High School), Terunori Kaneko (from Ishioka Second High School), Motoaki Shibata (from Satte Sakura High School)

Student Voices

After careful site inspections and meetings, we spent about a month working on the project. This time, unlike previous projection mapping projects, we took advantage of the characteristics of the tunnel walls, which are almost flat like a projector, with few irregularities or features, and struggled to create an expression that is unique to projection mapping, rather than just projecting a video. We also had almost no opportunities to do test projections on site, so it was difficult to imagine what colors would appear when projected. This project was jointly produced by third-year and second-year seminar students. It was the second-year students' first video production, but they were able to work together despite the short production period.

Tomoki Nakano, 3rd year student in the School of Policy and Information Studies (graduated from Niigata Commercial High School)