Chiikawa Takes Over Shinjuku 3D Billboard with Usagi Chasing Butterflies
Extended Reality
2 minutes read
Whoa! I'm seriously thinking about heading to Shinjuku now.
That's because the Chiikawa Land Tokyo Shinjuku Store officially opened on April 25th! To celebrate this exciting event, Shinjuku rolled out its most iconic welcome: Chiikawa, Hachi, and Usagi, those adorable little characters, took over the "Cross Shinjuku Vision" 3D billboard, pushing aside the famous Shinjuku East Exit Cat to claim the spotlight on the 3D video wall!
Here's a bit of background: the "Cross Shinjuku Vision" wall is located at the East Exit Plaza of Shinjuku Station, a must-see spot for tourists. Usually, the screen is dominated by the Shinjuku East Exit Cat, a massive, lifelike calico cat that looks like it might just leap off the screen. This cat, with its playful antics like knocking over pens and startling people at night, has become a pilgrimage site for cat lovers.
だから！猫が上がるところに大事なモノを置かないでって！あんなに言ったじゃないですか！ pic.twitter.com/RjRA0FH0E9 — クロス新宿ビジョン (@xspace_tokyo) August 12, 2024
But during that period, this giant kitty had to step aside, because from April 25th to May 11th, a special Chiikawa 3D short film played four times an hour, each lasting 15 seconds. Usagi was chasing his favorite butterflies right on the streets of Shinjuku! Check it out!
This short film, though only 15 seconds long, used 3D projection technology and boasted 4K quality, creating a dynamic, action-packed atmosphere on the glasses free 3D video wall. Our energetic Usagi didn’t disappoint, pulling off stunts that were even more thrilling than the cat’s pen-knocking antics!
＼📣ただいま放映中／ 4月25日(金)から5月11日(日)までの期間、ちいかわらんど新宿店のオープンを記念して、スペシャル3D映像が #クロス新宿ビジョン で放映中✨ 元気よく飛び出す、ちいかわたちを要チェック❣️ pic.twitter.com/IPa6kb4pIM — クロス新宿ビジョン (@xspace_tokyo) April 25, 2025
The animation kicked off with Usagi poking through the big screen with a stick (audience reaction: "Hey! Watch out!"), then leaping off a high building to chase butterflies—not once, but twice! It almost gave Chiikawa and Hachi a heart attack!
Usagi's daring leap was shown at the "Cross Shinjuku Vision" four times every hour during the campaign. If you were in Tokyo between April 25th and May 11th, you might have caught it at these times: 3:45, 17:15, 33:45, and 47:15. With Usagi's butterfly-chasing action playing 48 times a day, it's hard to miss. But even if I can't be there in person, this adorable video has already captured my heart!
