Canon to host "YORU ZEN - Find Your Own Zen" Event

Canon to host "YORU ZEN - Find Your Own Zen" event at Kenninji Temple, a new way to experience cultural treasures made possible with Canon imaging technologies

YORU ZEN key visual

TOKYO, September 15, 2022—Canon Inc. announced today that the company will host the "YORU ZEN - Find Your Own Zen," visual experience event from Saturday, October 15 to Sunday, October 30 at Kyoto's Kenninji Temple1, the head temple of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism.

YORU ZEN is a special visual event led by the Japan Cultural Expo2 (JCE) and hosted by Canon, is one such project that has been adopted for this program. Leveraging the company's advanced imaging technologies, the event features displays that breathe new life into cultural assets through visual displays of natural flora and fauna, and visual expression that conveys Japanese culture and the passion creators have poured into the event.

The lecture hall of Kenninji Temple will feature an audiovisual augmented reality (AR) experience incorporating the Twin Dragon Painting (11.4 m (l) x 15.7 m (w)) depicted on the ceiling (10.8 m). Using proprietary Canon technology, the company has photographed the painting in segments and synthesized them into a single 18.4 megapixel image. When viewing the real-life painting through a smartphone, the dragons, divine guardians of the Buddha come to life, "spreading merciful rains from above." What's more, smartphones can also be used to examine the delicate brushstrokes and other finer details not visible to the naked eye.

Daiou-en (Grand Garden), a Zen garden in the Japanese dry garden style located in the priests' garden of Kenninji Temple, will be the site of a mixed reality (MR) experience. Using Canon's MREAL S1 head-mounted MR system (released in February 2021), 3D CG is superimposed over the dry garden, creating a mystical and immersive visual experience based on the Zen worldview.

A high-resolution facsimile of the "Wind and Thunder Gods" folding screen, a national treasure, will employ projection mapping technology. Two projectors will be used to enact a visually captivating story of the Wind God carrying seeds and the Thunder God bringing rain to create a bountiful harvest of the five sacred grains. The high-resolution facsimile used in the display was created through the Tsuzuri Project3, a joint effort between Canon and the Kyoto Culture Association (NPO), and donated to Kenninji Temple in 2021.

For more information about Kenninji temple, visit https://www.kenninji.jp/ (Japanese only)
For more information about the JCE, visit https://japanculturalexpo.bunka.go.jp/en/
For more information about the Tsuzuri Project, visit https://global.canon/en/tsuzuri/

Event Highlights

1. AR audio-visual experience of "Twin Dragons" ceiling painting using high-resolution image capture technology

• No special software or apps required. Using Web AR, visitors can view the AR display simply by holding their smartphones over the display inside the temple. Users can also view individual portions of the image in high-resolution via their web browser.
• Using its proprietary technologies, Canon has synthesized am 18.4 megapixel digital image of the painting (which measures 11.4 m (l) x 15.7 m (w), ceiling height: 15/7 m) that can be viewed by segment in high resolution.
• Equipment used for image capture: EOS R5 mirrorless camera (released in July 2020) and RF 70-200 mm F2.8 L IS USM lens (released in November 2019).
• Digital content created by comprehensive digital content production firm gumi inc.

*For more information about gumi inc., visit the company website: https://gumi.co.jp/ (Japanese only)

2. Daiou-en (Grand Garden) experience using Canon's MR system

• Mixed reality experience using Canon's MREAL system
• Using the MREAL S1, 3d CG imagery is superimposed over Daiou-en, a Japanese dry garden
• Mystical and immersive visual experience based on a Zen worldview
• Content created in cooperation with CG-ARTS, famed performer Hitoshi Taguchi and Rhino Studios

Canon MREAL S1 

CG-ARTS website: https://www.cgarts.or.jp/english/index.html
Hitoshi Taguchi (GRINDER-MAN) website: https://grinder-man.com/ (Japanese only)
Rhino Studios Inc. website: https://www.rhino-studios.com/ (Japanese only)

3. Projection mapping display with national treasure "The Wind and Thunder Gods" (high-resolution facsimile)

• High-resolution facsimile of national treasure "The Wind and Thunder Gods" and installation site used in a projection mapping visual experience
• Two Canon WUX500ST short-throw projectors (released in April 2017) synchronized with sound system
• Display tells a visually captivating story of the Wind God carrying seeds and the Thunder God bringing rain to create a bountiful harvest of the five sacred grains.
• High-resolution facsimile of "The Wind and Thunder Gods" created by the Tsuzuri Project and donated to Kenninji Temple in 2021.

Event Website
A promotional video for YORU-ZEN can be viewed on the special event website. A video digest of the event will also be viewable during the event period.

Promotional video URL: https://youtu.be/2tW9SFvvjbQ

About the Japan Cultural Expo
The event is part of the Japan Cultural Expo (JCE), a program led by the Japan Agency for Cultural Affairs (JACA) that is recruiting innovation projects featuring culturally significant content. The program's goal is to promote the beauty of Japan both domestically and internationally, as well as encourage the recovery of inbound and domestic tourism. Projects submitted for the program must make effective use of cultural resources, utilize innovative techniques and productions that leverage the know-how of the JCE and create a lasting cultural legacy.

Canon Press Release Source: Global Canon