Discover 400 Years of Osaka’s History in an Engaging New Way – Perfect for a Summer Outing for All Ages!
※Japan’s First VR Content to Recreate 400 Years of Urban Development and Daily Life Using 360-Degree Fixed-Point Animation
Using immersive 360-degree animation from a fixed perspective, this groundbreaking experience vividly depicts the transformation of Osaka’s cityscape and lifestyle over four centuries—marking the first VR experience of its kind in Japan.
Osaka Metro Group AdEra Co., Ltd. (President and CEO: Masashi Oya) is thrilled to announce the launch of Osaka Momoyo, a new XR (Cross Reality) experience set to open on Friday, July 18, 2025. It is hosted at the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living (hereafter referred to as “the Museum”), a historical museum operated by the City of Osaka that explores themes of everyday life, housing, and urban development in Osaka. Using XR technology, this interactive experience enables visitors to learn Osaka’s 400-year history in an entirely new and immersive way.
This One-of-a-Kind XR Experience Brings 400 Years of Osaka’s History and Urban Transformation to Life
Osaka Momoyo is the first XR content of its kind in Japan. It invites visitors on an unforgettable journey through Osaka’s evolving cityscape, culture, and people – from the Edo period to the present Reiwa era – all through immersive entertainment. Using 360-degree fixed-point animation, the XR experience recreates life in Osaka across various eras with a vivid realism that makes you feel like you’re truly there.
Created under the supervision of the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living and other historical experts, the 10-minute VR animation captures 400 years of Osaka’s history, culture, lifestyle, and urban development, from Edo to Reiwa, across 12 historical scenes. The story begins with the Summer Siege of Osaka and the Tokugawa Osaka Castle and the City, then moves through pivotal moments such as Oshio Heihachiro’s Rebellion, the Greater Osaka Era, World War II, and the High Economic Growth Period in the Showa era, culminating in the present day. This dynamic storyline combines historical turning points with a deeply immersive experience, successfully blending educational value with engaging entertainment.
The entire experience is viewed from the intersection of Sakaisuji and Hiranomachi Street. This location was selected for its historical significance – it overlooks Hiranomachi Street, a bustling area since early modern times, and Sakaisuji, which rose to prominence as a major thoroughfare in modern Osaka. The surrounding area has played host to major historic events, including the Summer Siege of Osaka, Oshio Heihachiro’s Rebellion, and the Air Raid on Osaka. It is also home to key architectural landmarks, such as Sawanotsuru, a modern building that was once a rice shop, and the Ikoma Clock Shop, a historic building that has stood for 95 years. Both embody the city’s transformation over time.
Through this XR experience, visitors can witness how Osaka’s cityscape and lifestyle have evolved over the course of history. It also offers a special opportunity to explore the relationship between place and culture, and to experience the resilient spirit of Osaka passed down through the ages.
Project Vision
The aim of this project is to enhance the theme and content of the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living – “The History of Urban Living in Osaka” – by leveraging advanced XR technology, and to offer a new experience that seamlessly blends learning with entertainment.
Content Overview
Theme
A VR animation that tells the story of Osaka’s urban living that has evolved through the centuries
Summary
This immersive XR experience condenses 400 years of Osaka’s history, culture, lifestyle, and urban transformation – from the Edo period to the Reiwa period – into approximately 10 minutes.
Osaka Momoyo’s Official Website
https://www.osaka-angenet.jp/konjyakukan/xr
(Scheduled to go live on Monday, July 14, 2025)
VR Preview Videos
Scene Titles & Descriptions
Scene 1 / 1615
“Summer Siege of Osaka”
Osaka Castle was engulfed in flames after being overrun by Tokugawa forces, and the surrounding castle town was reduced to ashes.
Scene 2 / 1665
“Tokugawa Osaka Castle and the City”
Fifty years after the Summer Siege of Osaka, the city had been rebuilt and was once again bustling with life. The reconstructed Osaka Castle stood tall in the distance.
Scene 3 / 1724
“The Great Fire of Myochi”
The largest fire of the early modern period destroyed two-thirds of the city. As residents fled for their lives, some brave firefighters stayed behind to battle the flames.
Scene 4 / 1832
“The Liveliness of the Merchant City”
The city, rebuilt after the Great Fire of Myochi, had become a thriving hub of commerce, filled with bustling crowds. Buildings featured uniform mushiko-mado (plaster-covered windows) and tiled roofs.
Scene 5 / 1837
“Oshio Heihachiro’s Rebellion”
Signs of unrest emerged in this seemingly peaceful era. Rebel forces attacked the estates of wealthy merchants.
The uprising led by Oshio Heihachiro marked the beginning of a turbulent period leading into the final years of the Edo era.
Scene 6 / 1882
“Signs of Modernity”
Following the Meiji Restoration, modernization rapidly progressed. Gas lamps illuminated the eaves of buildings, and storefronts were remodeled in Western styles. People dressed in Western clothing and foreigners were commonly seen on the streets.
Scene 7 / 1913
“Trams, Buses, Department Stores, and the Tenjin Festival”
During the Taisho era, streetcars ran along the newly widened Sakaisuji street, and department stores bustled with activity. Fireworks from the Tenjin Festival lit up the night sky.
Scene 8 / 1932
“The Greater Osaka Era”
In this era, Osaka became the most populous city in Japan. Hiranomachi Street was further expanded, and large buildings such as the Ikoma Clock Shop and the Sawanotsuru Building were constructed.
Scene 9 / 1945
“The Air Raid on Osaka”
Osaka was devastated by major air raids. Amid the ruins, the main tower of Osaka Castle, miraculously spared, stood shrouded in the rain.
Scene 10 / 1969
“High Economic Growth”
A quarter-century after the end of the war, Osaka had been rebuilt and entered a period of rapid economic growth.
Scene 11 / 2018
“The Crossroads of Business and Heritage”
Modern Osaka was lined with skyscrapers, where businesspeople strode through the city that still carried echoes of its historical roots.
Scene 12 / 2024
“At a Street Corner, After Dark”
Late at night, the soft glow from a bar spilled gently onto a quiet street corner.
Concept of the Experience
Markers of Time. A Flow of Time.
History is a vast stream of time. The streets of Osaka have carried people through ages, bearing silent witness to their lives. At this place, where the flow of history and the paths of the city intersect, the motif of “markers of time” is expressed through three-dimensional pillars. Flowing between them, soft and dynamic textiles such as fabric or cords represent the passage of time.
As you step into the space filled with pillars of various sizes, textiles sway gently in motion. From the moment you enter, before even putting on the VR headset, the Osaka Momoyo experience begins.
Through this immersive setting, the XR experience invites visitors to feel the flow of history, the weight of key turning points, and the sensation of becoming a “witness to history.” This unique experience is designed to be enjoyed by people of all ages and backgrounds, regardless of nationality.
What is XR?
XR stands for Extended Reality or Cross Reality. It is a collective term for cutting-edge technologies that merge the real and virtual worlds to create new experiences beyond what can be perceived in everyday life.
XR encompasses technologies such as:
- VR (Virtual Reality) – fully immersive environments that place users inside a virtual world,
- AR (Augmented Reality) – virtual elements overlaid on the real world, and
- MR (Mixed Reality) – interactive environments where real and virtual elements blend together.
These technologies are expected to see wide application across various industries in the near future.
※This content uses VR (Virtual Reality) technology.
Service Information
Title
Osaka Momoyo (Japanese reading: Osaka Momoyo)
Admission Fees
- Standard Rate
- Adults (age 13 and above): ¥1,500 (incl. tax)
- Children (under 13): ¥600 (incl. tax)
- Osaka City Resident Discount
- Adults (age 13 and above): ¥1,000 (incl. tax)
- Children (under 13): ¥400 (incl. tax)
Schedule
- Sessions start every 20 minutes at :00, :20, and :40 past the hour.
- First session: 10:20 AM / Final session: 4:40 PM
Duration
- Approximately 10 minutes per session
Capacity
- Up to 16 participants per session
Notes
- To receive Osaka City resident discount, please present proof of residence in Osaka City (e.g., My Number Card, driver’s license, health insurance card, etc.) at entry.
- Children under the age of 7 are not permitted to participate.
- A separate admission fee is required to access the permanent or special exhibitions at the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living.
- Operating days and holidays follow the schedule of the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living.
Special Gifts for Participants
To commemorate the launch of the XR experience Osaka Momoyo, special gifts will be offered to all participants.
Every guest will receive a complimentary video guide pamphlet.
In addition, the first 20 guests each day will receive a limited-edition “Witness Commemorative Sticker.”
We warmly invite you to take this opportunity to enjoy a truly unique and memorable experience.
Planning, Production, and Copyright
Planning / Production / Copyright: Osaka Metro Group AdEra Co., Ltd.
Osaka Metro Group AdEra is committed to co-creating with a wide range of local partners to develop new and compelling tourism resources and promote inbound travel to Osaka.
As the starting point of this initiative, we are undertaking the development of tourism content using XR technology. By creating XR content based on themes of popular tourist destinations, we aim to deliver timely and personalized visual experiences that align with visitor interests – enhancing the overall tourism experience with added value.
Supervision, Production, and Cooperation
Supervised by
Osaka Museum of Housing and Living
Produced by
NTT SmartConnect Corporation
NTT DATA NJK Corporation
CinemaLeap Inc.
With cooperation from
Ikoma Clock Shop Co., Ltd.
Sawanotsuru Co., Ltd.
Osaka Metro Co., Ltd.
Director / Screenwriter: Jonathan Hagard – Profile
Jonathan Hagard is a French-Indonesian filmmaker and animator currently based in Kyoto. Inspired by his personal experiences in sprawling cities such as Tokyo and Jakarta, he tells stories through a blend of traditional animation and new media.
His VR directorial work Replacements premiered at the 2020 Venice Film Festival and won the Cristal for Best VR Work at the 2021 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
Message from the Director
Osaka Momoyo invites you to dive into over 400 years of Osaka’s history and ride its dramatic ups and downs like a roller coaster. While the setting remains the same throughout, the eras shift – and so do the people who appear in each one.
Osaka’s history doesn’t follow a straight, linear path. Like a pendulum, it swings through devastating fires, wars, and times of prosperity.
Yet in every era, the vitality of Osaka’s people has supported the city, enabling it to rise again and again.
I hope that those who experience this work can absorb some of that Osaka energy – and walk away feeling uplifted, with a “que sera sera” spirit, ready to face whatever the future may bring..
– Jonathan Hagard
About the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living
The Osaka Museum of Housing and Living is a historical museum that focuses on the themes of urban life in Osaka – centered around the concept of housing, and extending to daily living and urban development.
As a core facility for learning about the history of urban living in Osaka, the museum also serves as an information hub that fosters appreciation for “Osaka as a place to live” and enhances its public image. It plays a key role in the initiatives of the Osaka Housing Information Center.
On the 9th floor, visitors can explore a full-scale recreation of an Osaka townscape from the Edo period. By renting a kimono* and strolling past shops like a bookstore, pharmacy, and kimono shop, guests can enjoy the immersive experience that feels like stepping 200 years back in time.
The 8th floor features detailed dioramas depicting life in the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods. Each figure in the display has its own story, creating an engaging and multi-layered historical experience.
※Kimono rental and dressing service available for ¥1,000 per 30 minutes.
Museum Information
Name
Osaka Museum of Housing and Living (Osaka Kurashi no Konjakukan)
Address
8F, Osaka Housing Information Center
6-4-20 Tenjinbashi, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-0041, Japan
How to Get There
Directly connected to Tenjinbashisuji 6-chome Station
(Osaka Metro Tanimachi Line / Sakaisuji Line, and Hankyu Railway)
Opening Hours
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Last admission at 4:30 PM)
Closed
Tuesdays and New Year holidays (December 29 – January 3)
Please note that closure dates are subject to change.
Admission
- General: ¥600
- High school and university students: ¥300
- For group rates, combined tickets with special exhibitions, and other details, please visit the official website.
Official Website
