Opened on June 24, Shibuya VR Land is a new entertainment centre at Tokyo’s Modi shopping centre.
Visitors can enjoy an hour’s worth of virtual reality for ¥2,200 (US$20). Included in the offer are such diverse offerings as a VR bungee ride and virtual declaration of love!
The facility was created by Huis Ten Bosch. The company introduced some VR attractions recently at its Dutch-inspired theme park in Nagasaki. Its owners apparently hope the new outlet in Tokyo will encourage a few extra visitors to travel to the park from the Japanese capital. “We see it as a way to boost name recognition across Japan and globally,” confirms a Huis Ten Bosch PR spokesperson.
Shibuya VR Land offers five VR experiences. Ultra Reverse Bungee uses headsets and moving seats to create the sensation of being shot into the air by a giant catapult. Impending Whisper of Love puts visitors on the receiving end of a declaration of love from one of three handsome young men or a beautiful woman. If only they were real. In addition, Shibuya VR Land offers a musical game, a game where you battle hordes of enemies with a weapon of your choice, and a scenario in which you try to escape from a haunted hospital.
VR and games to feature at more Japanese parks and entertainment centres
Video game maker Bandai Namco will open the J-World entertainment centre in Tokyo’s Shinjuku neighbourhood next month (July). Virtual reality will also be part of the offer there, and Mario Kart will be one of the brands featured. Fans of the Nintendo game will also be excited by the promise of a Mario Kart game at the upcoming Super Nintendo Land at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, opening in 2020.
