Marketing Japan: Star Wars Type Holograms Impossible? Not for Japan

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers

Remember in the first Star Wars movie when Princess Leia input that holographic distress message into R2D2? Remember thinking how cool that was and just how much you wished we could do that today?

Well, get this... Japan has promised that if it is allowed to host the 2022 World Cup games, then Japan will develop the technology to make holographic images and broadcast them around the world to over 360 million people in over 208 countries...

No kidding.

The plan is called The Universal Fan Fest and it even has its own Wikipedia entry. Here's a snippet to prove to you that I am not making this stuff up:

Japan has pledged that if it is granted the rights to host the 2022 World Cup games, it will develop technology enabling it to provide a live international telecast of the event in 3D, which would allow 400 stadiums in 208 countries to provide 360 million people with real-time 3D coverage of the games projected on giant screens, captured in 360 degrees by 200 HD cameras. Furthermore, Japan will broadcast the games in holographic format if the technology to do so is available by that time. Beyond allowing the world's spectators to view the games on flat screens projecting 3D imaging, holographic projection would project the games onto stadium fields, creating a greater illusion of actually being in the presence of the players. Microphones embedded below the playing surface would record all sounds, such as ball kicks, in order to add to the sense of realism.

You might think that this is all pie-in-the-sky nonsense, but Japan already demonstrated holographic display technology at the 2009 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show. 

Japan is perfect for developing this technology, not only do we have the geeks to do it, we also have the "Otaku" who will use it for the ultimate purpose: Dressing up in high school girl uniforms for "Cos play."

See Wikipedia "Universal Fan Fest" here.

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Keywords:

Marketing Japan, holographic, NAB, Japan, HD cameras, 2022 World Cup Games, technology, Star Wars, Princess Leia, Mike Rogers, 3D imaging, holographic projection, Mike in Tokyo Rogers, broadcast