Immersive Journey @ Asobuild, Yokohama Station

The other day, my wife and I visited "IMMERSIVE JOURNEY" at Asobuild, which is directly connected to Yokohama Station.

We went there with a casual mindset, thinking, "It looks kind of interesting, let's check it out." However, what we experienced there was a "journey to another world" that exceeded all expectations.

An otherworldly experience you can easily step into

The appeal of this facility is, above all, its "accessibility." You don't need any preparation and can just drop by in your everyday clothes, but the moment you put on the VR headset, you are enveloped in a sensation as if you have stepped into a movie world.

The VR system is wonderful and truly immersive. Or rather, it makes you feel like you are actually in Egypt. The production, visuals, lighting, and sound... everything is extraordinary. I completely forgot about reality and felt like I was traveling through ancient Egypt.

To the Pyramid of Khufu

The story begins in ancient Egypt. The setting is the famous "Pyramid of Khufu." We actually get to "enter" its interior.

The interior is majestic, and the level of detail in the murals and decorations is so high that it hits you not just as an exhibit, but as an "experience."

There were passages where you had to hunch over to get through, and moments where you walked along cliffs that felt like you might slip if you weren't paying close attention.

And the one guiding us on this tour is Mona, the tour guide. As a historian, she drew us into the world of Egypt with her calm tone and detailed explanations.

A spectacular view from the top of the pyramid

We climbed up inside the pyramid and finally reached the top. The view from there was breathtaking. The desert spread out below us. We could even see two other pyramids. Even though I knew it was VR, I enjoyed the thrill of being able to have such an experience, repeating "Wow, this is amazing" over and over.

We attended the funeral of King Khufu. The solemn music, the people offering prayers, the smoke of incense rising up. In the funeral hall, you could hear the sound of people sobbing in grief. It was so realistic, it felt like we were truly there.

I felt anxious, wondering if I should really be there.

Reunion with the black cat

However, an incident occurs in the middle of the story.
Mona, who had been guiding us until then, suddenly disappears.

"Wait, where did Mona go?"

Just as I was feeling abandoned and uneasy, a black cat appeared. Strangely enough, the black cat spoke in human language and began to guide us.

This black cat is the Gayer-Anderson cat (the Bastet statue).

We met this black cat at the British Museum in London in the autumn of 2024.

I remember now. That cat I definitely met at the British Museum. To think that the mysterious gaze I felt back then would connect to this moment here...

Guided by the black cat, the tour began to move once again.

Adult entertainment that lets you step into the story

Immersive Journey is high-quality entertainment that can be enjoyed precisely because we are adults. Actually, I think it is also a perfect space for students to learn.

If I were to suggest one area for further improvement, I would have preferred to enter the VR world immediately without seeing the actual venue first. During the VR tour, I still had memories of the real venue's walls, which felt like a missed opportunity. It would have been even better if I could have been surprised by thinking, "Wait, was I here?" after it ended.

Even so, my wife and I said, "We'd like to participate in a different story, too," and we bragged about it to our sons after we got home.

Article featuring the Gayer-Anderson Cat (Statue of the Goddess Bastet) ↓