Transcription
Last week, Uzumasa Eigamura reopened after renovations. With the concept of "getting lost in the Edo period of today," the space faithfully recreates the townscape of that era, offering a variety of unprecedented experiences.
It's aerial, so it's done vertically. Yes, more inside, wholeheartedly, wholeheartedly, big, wholeheartedly. It feels like an immersive experience, it's amazing. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
Business hours have been extended from the previous 5 PM to 9 PM. The night has a different atmosphere. [Screams] The Torture Mansion, which recreates Edo period interrogations, is for adults only. [Laughter] A night-only event, not for those under 18, where you can experience being both the torturer and the tortured.
It's an experience you can't easily have, and I've never been tortured, so it feels like a special privilege for adults, and I'm really enjoying it. This is also not for those under 18. Ah, please, sir. Death. I'm coming in. Please. Well, well, please.
You roll the dice and bet on the number that comes up. You can bet on half the amount. You can experience the atmosphere of a thrilling gambling den with wooden tokens instead of money. I think it's not my own money. I thought I'd try it as an experience, so [Laughter] Everything was done together, and I was able to experience things I wouldn't do in real society, so it was super great. [Laughter] Who was it? This is a bold move that changes the image of the film village, which has been family-oriented. [Applause] There was a reason for that. Uzumura opened in 1975. It began by opening to the public to preserve the studios that had existed since the Edo period, and it became popular for allowing visitors to see actual filming locations. At its peak in 1982, it attracted 2.5 million visitors. However, with the decline of period dramas, visitor numbers stagnated, and despite other areas of Kyoto bustling with inbound tourism, it couldn't catch the wave.
So, approximately 15 billion yen was spent on a complete renovation. Ichiro Minami, a member of the team. He is a producer who has been involved in the establishment and planning/operation of theme parks for over 25 years. He believed that the key to overcoming the decline was to attract more foreign visitors. And of course, the younger demographic. To firmly attract the younger generation. We need to create more and more things that allow people to enjoy themselves actively, rather than passively. We want to make it a place that makes people excited just by coming.
The exhibition, which previously focused on showing parts of the studio, is shifting to a theme park that adults can enjoy. Please. First, preparations. One month before opening. At the Kyoto Studio, adjacent to the film village, rehearsals were underway for the live show that would become the new attraction. We humbly ask for your long and deep protection. The story is that in a town where visitors come and go, a bridal procession is attacked by villains, leading to a fight. Experienced veterans of period dramas instruct young actors on fine details and movements. "If you hand this over, you hand it over and step back like this." "Last time, you all worked hard." The ending incorporates elements of traditional Japanese performing arts, adopting the high-pitched singing style of Noh's representative celebratory songs. Although the actors are accustomed to period dramas, they struggle with Noh's unique rhythm and accent. [Singing] "Raise this to your chest, to your chest." [Singing] [Singing] [Singing] "A little more energetic." "It would be nice if you sang, Ms. E." "Yes, we'll do it from now on." "You were singing so well earlier." "Are you nervous?" "I came on my day off." [Music] [Singing] 12 days until opening. On this day, a rehearsal for the show was held. "We've taken down the train." "We've changed the set." Unexpected trouble. "If I'm going to disgrace myself as a samurai's daughter, then I, this me..." "The sound is broken, isn't it?" "Is this quite broken?" "The bottom is vibrating, so the noise from there..." "If noise enters, the atmosphere will be ruined." They immediately check with the person in charge and investigate the cause. "It's just anxiety. But, after all, the most important thing is..." [Music] "It's the 28th, so it's customers. So, as long as we work safely and properly, we want to do our best to propose the best things." And on the 28th of last month, the first phase of the renovation and reopening day arrived. The first phase of Uzumasa Eigamura's renovation and reopening was on the 28th of last month. Over 700 people lined up before opening, a strong start. At 1:30 PM, the main live show, "Bridal Procession: Cherry Blossom Banquet," begins. "First, this white bride. She abandons the color of the house she was born in and is dyed in the color of the house she marries into. The white family also means the determination of a daughter who will spend her life in that house." The story unfolds dynamically throughout the town. Visitors can feel as if they have entered the world of period dramas. "Don't let them escape." [Screams] The approximately 30-minute performance concludes with a high-pitched song that has been practiced repeatedly. "Taya, this ura-fune ni ohame." [Singing] "Ni tsuki, hayai yasumi no ni tsuki." [Applause] [Music] "This atmosphere, it's amazing, vertical action, you can see it from anywhere in 360 degrees." "Yes." The bustle doesn't stop even at night. Minami felt a sense of accomplishment. "In Kyoto, what we can do, what our facility can do, I really feel that expressing it properly is the right path." "To attract more and more customers, we are seriously thinking about what we need to do from now on and want to take action." [Music]