Connecting the world with excitement. Toward creating an entertainment space that transcends national borders

Ryuta Yamada leads the Creative Direction Department at CIC. Driven by his desire to excite people through space, he has achieved outstanding results in the field of entertainment spaces. Yamada, who says "Entertainment space concept design knows no borders," talks about what he has consistently valued and what can only be realized at NOMURA Co.,Ltd.

Experience more excitement than you can imagine. What an entertainment creative director aims for

Yamada belongs to the Creative Direction Department of the Content Integration Center (CIC) (*), which implements spatial implementation based on content. We oversee the entire creative field of space creation.

Yamada: ``The Creative Direction Department handles all types of spaces, but the moment a customer mentions the keyword ``entertainment,'' it's our turn.In recent years, we've been working a lot to implement character content such as manga and anime in spaces. I am working on it.

I position myself as an entertainment creative director, and while I leave the actual concept design to the designers, my role is to direct the entire space from a broad perspective."

Yamada's specialty is creating production spaces that evoke a sense of excitement rather than stylish spaces. We have aimed to create an impression that goes beyond the imagination of visitors.

Yamada: ``In this day and age, many people have prior information about the spaces they visit through social media and other means.Therefore, if people who actually visit the space say, ``It was just as I imagined,'' it doesn't exceed their expectations.

For example, we make the characters that appear in the story actual size, and we enhance the production with lighting, sound, and moving gimmicks. We strive to create an experience full of emotion and surprise that can only come from visiting a space.”

The key to bringing excitement and thrills to life lies in proven track records and experience. Yamada says there are things that only NOMURA Co.,Ltd. can do.

Yamada: "NOMURA Co.,Ltd. has a vast track record built up over a long history, and we have people with diverse experiences and sensibilities. When ideas or questions arise, such as 'Wouldn't it be amazing if we incorporated this kind of mechanism?' or 'It would be amazing if we could make this, but how do we make it?', our strength lies in the fact that we always have designers, production managers, and other people with experience and skills in that area."

I feel confident that I have many friends who can work with me to accomplish things that I would never be able to do alone.”

What Yamada always values is "experiencing" various spaces himself. As a visitor, I spare no time and effort in providing input from the field.

Yamada: ``I look at the reactions of the people in the room in real time, imagine how they feel, and sometimes even talk to them, and think about mechanisms and devices that will create surprise and excitement.A shortcut to creating a space. is about experiencing space.In order to keep my senses sharp, I spare no time in visiting real places.

I recently visited an exhibition, and I was overwhelmed by a 90-meter-long artwork created on an iPad. While the exhibits have predetermined contents, the way they are displays greatly changes how they are perceived and the emotions they evoke. I believe that actually experiencing the space can provide clues to creating excitement and wonder."

*CIC (Content Integration Center: A group dedicated to implementing imaginative ideas)is a creative team at Nomura Co., Ltd. that, starting with a deep understanding of content, transforms exciting "imagination" into new experiential value and "implements" it in all kinds of spaces and in NOMURA Co.,Ltd..

Childhood memories are the starting point. A career at the forefront of entertainment space concept design

▲“Takehiko Inoue’s last manga exhibition”

Yamada spent his childhood overseas. He says that a visit to Disney World in Florida when he was 3 years old was the origin of his creation of spaces.

Yamada: ``I don't have a clear memory, but I do have vague memories of going to fun places.After returning to Japan, I invited friends to go to Tokyo Disneyland almost every week to relive those memories.'' Ta.

I was fascinated by the extraordinary atmosphere, and I would record the background music that played in the park and enjoy the atmosphere of being there even after I got home. Looking back, I think I may have been interested in creating entertainment spaces even back then."

Influenced by his father, Yamada aspired to become an engineer who creates robots for theme parks and studied mechanical engineering at university. However, a turning point came when he learned about "spatial concept design" in a general education class. Wanting to pursue a career in creating theme parks themselves, he went to another university and majored in environmental design. The company he chose to work for, on the recommendation of his supervising professor, was NOMURA Co.,Ltd.

After joining the company in 2002, the opportunity to realize the passion for entertainment spaces that I had cultivated up until then came along. At the end of his first year, Yamada was selected to be part of the production team for a haunted house attraction in Hokkaido.

Yamada: "I was involved in every process, from concept design the space, props, and ghost sculptures, to creating the lighting, background music, and dialogue scripts, and then bringing them to life."

I remember feeling a real sense of accomplishment when I witnessed the facility's opening and saw the children coming out crying in fear. At the time, there were hardly any concept design projects for entertainment spaces, but I solidified my resolve to be involved in creating spaces that bring joy to people."

Another turning point for Yamada was in 2008, his seventh year in the business, when he was in charge of `` Takehiko Inoue's Last Manga Exhibition''. Despite facing the difficulties of creating a space based on manga, a lot of dedication was put into creating a space that exceeded fans' expectations.

Yamada: ``In order to convert a two-dimensional manga world into a three-dimensional space, we need to carefully extract the elements from the story and incorporate them into the space one by one.

In "The Last Manga Exhibition," we created a sense of depth in the space by using mirrors on the back wall of the displays room, dynamically portraying the long-lasting nature of a story. We also expressed the rhythm of turning pages by displaying works on a screen-like wall. We incorporated various techniques to synchronize the act of reading manga with the movement within displays space.

Additionally, in the scene where the main character in the manga looks back on his childhood, by painting the curved walls black and dimming the lights, we attempted to reflect the state of his mind when he looks at himself.

In the room that serves as the highlight of the exhibition, Mr. Inoue came up with the idea to place the wooden sword that the protagonist in the manga drops in the actual displays space. I still remember how we made sure to make it look like it was floating on one side, capturing the moment it hit the floor."

The success of the "Attack on Titan Exhibition" and its aftermath. Becoming a bridge between Japan and overseas through space creation

▲“Jeddah Events Calendar 2023 -Anime Village at City Walk”

After that, Yamada continued to be active, taking on the role of overall direction for a haunted house in a Korean theme park in an international competition, which was well received. In 2014, I was involved in the "Attack on Titan Exhibition."

Yamada: "In the original artwork displays, we illuminated the brutal scenes of humans being attacked by giants in red, and positioned the frames at an angle to express the dynamism of the battles. We poured all the entertainment concept design we've cultivated since joining the company into this exhibition."

We also created an immersive opening theater because we wanted people who don't know the manga to feel the real fear of being attacked by a giant. In addition to sound and light, we also incorporate wind and movable mechanisms to create a performance where you can feel the presence of an attacking giant."

At that time, the manga "Attack on Titan" was at its peak of popularity. Although the project was fought under great pressure, the exhibition ended on a high note. The great response it received led to later overseas projects.

Yamada: “As a result of working on the Attack on Titan Exhibition, I also became involved in the Attack on Titan Exhibition FINAL, which expressed the worldview of the story afterward.Not only in Japan, but also in Saudi Arabia, Singapore, It is touring Taiwan, Indonesia, and South Korea.

The fact that it was well received by people all over the world who love Attack on Titan made it a very memorable and important project for me."

In 2022 and 2023, he provided creative direction for the entertainment event "Anime Village at City Walk" held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Yamada says that his success in the Middle East, which was previously an unknown world, gave him great confidence.

Yamada: "Even though we're from different countries, the desire to feel excited and thrilled is the same. I was deeply moved to realize that by sticking to the entertainment concept design I believe in, I was able to bring joy to people from different cultural backgrounds, just as I was captivated by American theme parks when I was a child."

I see great potential in bringing Japanese manga and other content into the physical world, not just in Asia. Making people smile across borders, while respecting their respective cultural backgrounds, is exactly what I want to do. When people are smiling, there is no conflict. I feel a great sense of fulfillment in this project, as it allows me to see how far the entertainment concept design skills I have cultivated so far can take me."

Bringing inspiration and wonder to life through the power of teamwork. Carrying NOMURA Co.,Ltd. 's DNA into the future.

Yamada says that he would like to continue working on creating spaces that are exciting and exciting. Let me draw a picture of the future like this.

Yamada: "Entertainment concept design knows no borders in the sense that it can be communicated even if you don't speak the same language. I want to continue to deliver spaces that evoke excitement and thrills without needing any explanation to as many people as possible, both domestically and internationally."

"I hope to become someone who people talk about, like, 'There's this guy named Yamada in Japan who does entertainment concept design.'"

Yamada will be in his 22nd year with the company in 2023. From the perspective of a veteran employee, he speaks about the appeal and potential of NOMURA Co.,Ltd. as follows:

Yamada: "I've heard that the founder of NOMURA Co.,Ltd., which used to be in charge of stage props, created a mechanism that made a prop horse shed tears, surprising and moving the audience. Since then, the desire to 'entertain and surprise people' has been passed down through our company. I believe I have also inherited that DNA."

And to reiterate, I believe the charm and potential of NOMURA Co.,Ltd. lies in its ability to bring together the combined strengths of people with diverse expertise to create spaces that could never be achieved by one person alone. That is also why I continue to work for this company."

In order to pass on the DNA of NOMURA Co.,Ltd. to the next generation, Yamada will continue to dedicate himself wholeheartedly to creating exciting and thrilling spaces, centered on his unwavering desire to "entertain and surprise people."

*The contents are as of December 2023.