Tokyo National Museum
The Tokyo National Museum (hereafter referred to as “Tokyo National Museum”) is a temple of Japanese beauty, boasting a vast collection of approximately 120,000 items, including 89 national treasures, and the building itself is designated as an Important Cultural Property. Although the Tokyo National Museum usually has a solemn atmosphere , approximately 20 giant dinosaurs, including Tyrannosaurus and Giganotosaurus, will appear in the courtyard in front of the main building! The unexpected event “Dinosaur Night Parade” , in which the dinosaurs will make a night parade while letting out primitive roars, will be held for two days on Friday, September 27th and Saturday, September 28th, 2024.
I attended the press conference held prior to the event.
“Dinosaur Night Parade” is a night event organized by “DINO-A-LIVE,” an experiential dinosaur live show project featuring “DINO-TECHNE,” a dinosaur-shaped mechanical suit developed by ON-ART Co., Ltd.
■Introduction video for “DINO-A-LIVE”
“If dinosaurs were alive, if they were resurrected in the present day, how would we feel about them?” – “DINO-A-LIVE” was born from such a simple question. It is a project that started in 2011 to deliver a sense of wonder that can only be created by witnessing and experiencing “living beings” with your own eyes, not through words, information, or knowledge.
The main attraction, the self-walking dinosaur-shaped mechanical suit “DINO-TECHNE”, was developed by ON-ART using the technology it has cultivated in the production of special artworks and realistic balloons, in order to realize a realistic dinosaur live show unlike any other in the world. (Currently patented in 14 countries around the world)
“Our dinosaurs are brought to life as if they were alive. We have created them as if we were putting our souls into them,” says Kaya Kanamaru, CEO of ON-ART.
The aim of the live show is to provide edutainment (a portmanteau of education and entertainment) that allows visitors to have fun while learning about the natural environment and the world of living creatures. Although no one has ever seen a real dinosaur, they have repeatedly improved the sculptures by incorporating the latest theories and opinions of experts, and are extremely particular about reproducing every aspect of the dinosaurs, including their skeletons, skin, and joint movements. In addition, they synthesize dozens of biological sounds for each species using sampled sounds such as the cries of living animals. They express the “dinosaur sounds” by synchronizing them in real time with the dinosaurs’ movements.
The lively dinosaurs, so lifelike that it’s hard to believe they are being controlled by humans, stalk before your eyes, wagging their tails and screaming, sometimes even baring their fangs at the audience. The dynamic and lively “DINO-A-LIVE” has been so popular in recent years that it has successfully completed an arena tour in five major cities in Japan, and has also been in the spotlight overseas, having been invited to the Royal Opening Ceremony of the Royal Museum in Kuwait and to a popular Italian TV show.
Some may wonder, “Wouldn’t a dinosaur event be more appropriate to hold at the National Museum of Nature and Science next door?”
In fact, the Tokyo National Museum is holding an exhibition entitled “National Treasures 150 Years from Now” in 2022-23 to commemorate its 150th anniversary, and the dinosaurs from “DINO-A-LIVE” participated in the corporate section as candidates for national treasures 150 years from now. Through this connection, Kanamaru and his team were appointed as “Tokyo National Museum Ambassadors.” The ambassador project “Dinosaur Night Parade” was planned to spread the greatness of Japan’s manufacturing spirit and to raise interest in the Tokyo National Museum, which is a collection of the best of manufacturing culture.
“The Great Dinosaur Night Parade” is inspired by the “Night Parade of One Hundred Demons,” a grand procession of monsters and demons that has been depicted in Japanese picture scrolls and letters since ancient times. This will be the project’s first outdoor event.
Kanemaru said, “The idea is to have the dinosaurs have a big parade every night in the courtyard in front of the main building,” and explained the concept as follows:
“There is a huge lily tree in the courtyard. It is a species that has survived since the age of the dinosaurs without changing its shape much. The tree speaks every night, inviting the dinosaurs to come. The idea is for all the guests to join in and let out a wild roar towards the future together with the dinosaurs! We hope to create a performance that combines the valuable art and culture created by humans with a primitive sensibility.”
The two-day performance will last about an hour each. The first 30 minutes will be spent playing various ethnic instruments, and the last 30 minutes will be a dinosaur parade. About 20 popular dinosaurs representing each era will gather, including 8-meter-long Tyrannosaurus and Giganotosaurus, as well as Triceratops, Stegosaurus, and Allosaurus.
In the second half of the press conference, a Tyrannosaurus and a Giganotosaurus burst in early, creating a frenzy in the venue! They paraded around the venue swinging their long tails, and sometimes even biting the reporters.
Not only was the design amazing, but the movements were so lifelike that when it opened its mouth wide in front of me, I felt a chill as I thought, “I’m going to be eaten!” Even though I knew it wasn’t real. This movement of the heart, which makes you aware of the primitive “will to live” from your senses rather than your head, may be the true joy of “DINO-A-LIVE.”
The Tokyo National Museum Ambassador Project “Dinosaur Night Parade,” where visitors can experience the fusion of the history of traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology, will be held for two days on Friday, September 27th and Saturday, September 28th, 2024. Depending on the weather, the number of dinosaurs may be limited, the content of the event may be changed, or it may be canceled, so we can only hope that the weather will be good on the day.
Seats and ticket prices will be announced at a later date, so please check the special page for details.
Article provided by: Kokosil Ueno
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