Hello, this is the Realworld Experience Trend Letter. In our March Experience Trend Letter, we shared news about the opening of 'Immersive Fort Tokyo,' the world's first 'immersive theme park' in Tokyo, Japan. To experience this still-unfamiliar concept of an immersive theme park firsthand, members of UniqueGood Company, a leader in the experience industry, visited the park directly.
We conducted interviews to share the on-site experience of our UniqueGood members. The interview participants included Team Leader Baek Jung-hyun and J (nickname) from UniqueGood Company's New Business Planning & Development Team, Team Leader Heo Seung-hee and Senior Manager Jeon Da-seul from the Business Growth Team, and Team Leader Shin Ye-na and Designer Park Su-hyun from the Design Solution Team.
What is 'Immersive Fort Tokyo'?
'Immersive Fort Tokyo' is the world's first 'immersive theme park' that opened in March 2024. It's a new project by CEO Morioka Tsuyoshi, who previously improved Universal Studios Japan's performance by introducing 'The Wizarding World of Harry Potter' during the park's financial difficulties. The park operates by repurposing 'Venus Fort,' a closed shopping mall. Immersive Fort Tokyo spans 30,000㎡ across two floors, equivalent to about four soccer fields, and features around 10 different attractions.
Q. What was your first impression of Immersive Fort Tokyo? Could you tell us about the overall scale and atmosphere?
Su-hyun) It felt like being in an indoor theme park. The high ceilings and European-style theme made it feel even more so. The ceiling itself was designed with massive lighting that created a sky-like effect, giving it a more grandiose feeling.
J) Having heard beforehand that it was previously operated as a shopping mall, it felt like a shopping mall with a very clear concept. Since I didn't know what it looked like before, I couldn't tell what differences there were from when it was previously operated, but perhaps due to preconceptions, it felt more like being at an outlet rather than a space designed for performances, which left me feeling a bit puzzled at first.
Ye-na) There were still many areas that weren't fully open, so it felt like about 1/4 the size of Lotte World's indoor area. I think you could walk around the first floor in about 15 minutes at a brisk pace.
Q. How much did you spend? How many themes did you experience?
Seung-hee) We spent about 200,000 KRW per person. This included a one-day pass and paid content like 'The Sherlock' and 'Edo Oiran Kitan.' Along with the paid content, we also experienced four free attractions (Identity V Immersive Chase, Oshi no Ko, Jack the Ripper, and Immersive Stories).
Q. What was the atmosphere like on-site? Were there many visitors?
Da-seul) Since it was a weekday, there weren't that many people. Most of the content that required waiting could be accessed within 10 minutes, so it was spacious and comfortable. Still, I thought, 'There are quite a lot of people even for a weekday.'
Seung-hee) Since it was a weekday, it wasn't crowded with people. There were many Japanese visitors, and some people came in cosplay. There were about 3-5 people enjoying it alone. There were also quite a few foreigners. The atmosphere was great because when the actors approached people or talked to them, everyone happily participated in the role-play and blended well into the concept and setting.
Su-hyun) Looking at the on-site atmosphere, I was surprised by how subdued the audience reactions were. The cast members were so energetic that I thought everyone would go with the flow, but the audience reactions were smaller than expected. As a musical fan, I knew that the performance atmosphere varies depending on the audience each time, but I was surprised to see such passive reactions even to active interactions.
Q. Since it's early after opening, did you feel it was operating well?
Su-hyun) I think this will be a common opinion among all of us - we felt it was being operated hastily. The interactions also felt unfriendly to foreigners despite being promoted as a landmark, and the performances and experiences seemed primarily targeted at Japanese people. There were many inexperienced aspects in guiding paid performances and managing crowds. Because of these issues, the admission fee felt a bit wasteful. Since it's still early, I hope these aspects will improve.
Da-seul) Um... the operational inexperience was very visible everywhere. Especially when experiencing 'The Sherlock,' I understood there was supposed to be separate audio service for foreigners, but that wasn't the case. During the performance, staff kept coming over asking 'English? Chinese?' trying to inform us of something, which was very distracting and created an uncomfortable experience. There were operational details that needed attention throughout. Maybe I was looking at it too much from a work perspective.
Jung-hyun) If targeting Japanese people, it's operating very well. If you speak Japanese well, you could definitely have quite a fun time there.
Q. Was each theme's space uniquely designed?
Seung-hee) The overall space concept is Western medieval style, creating a unified village atmosphere that provides consistency and immersion. Since the paid content each has different concepts, new spaces appeared like secret rooms opening, which was very good.
Jung-hyun) The spatial composition varies greatly by theme. While thinking of it as an amusement park would be appropriate, 'Edo Oiran Kitan' was decorated in Japanese style, making it feel like a completely different world.
Ye-na) The space overall maintained the mood of the former Venus Fort shopping mall, so the central fountain plaza (Golden Plaza) and architectural style evoke medieval European streets. For each theme, I think they tried to capture the tone and manner of the content. For 'The Sherlock,' they seemed to want to show the scale of the performance from the outside with red curtains and large banners, and the interior was well-decorated as a proper theatrical stage space in the large area. For 'Edo Oiran Kitan,' since the initial storyline involves moving from the present to the past (Edo period), there was nothing decorated at the entrance to suggest the Edo period, which was a bit confusing. However, the dramatic device for transitioning from present to past was very well done, so when the Edo period hanamichi (stage runway) first unfolded before my eyes, I felt enchanted.
▼To be continued in the next edition▼