Shinjuku Giant 3D Cat

Shinjuku’s area is welcoming yet again a new mascot in its urban landscape. After the Godzilla Head in Kabukicho, it is now a giant 3D cat 🐈, perched on a building’s edge at the JR station’s east exit. The cat’s antics have been aired since July 2020, and have been a highlight of the social medias ever since.

The 3D effect is indeed amazing, even more so compared to the experience of in a movie theater, as viewer are still immersed in the bustling city. Cross Space (Unica) is responsible for this technical prowess using a giant curved screen, and it is recommended to choose the viewing angle so as to have the best view, equivalent to a 4K resolution.

Shinjuku’s cat is a 3-colors calico coat and proceeds to play differently with the audience according to the time of the day (between 7 a.m. to 1 a.m.):

• It wakes up and stretches;
• It speaks in a small microphone, plays, rolls on its back or frolics around;
• Then lays down and falls asleep for the night.

All these very cute scenes are interspersed with numerous ads (the primary goal of such giant 3D screens in the city). Event-related characters are added to the animation, such as Pokémon or One Piece. Collabs with famous international brands, such as Nike, or celebrities, like artist Yayoi Kusama, are often displayed in alternance to or with the cat.

Other 3D animals in Shibuya

With the popularity of Shinjuku’s Giant 3D cat, the neighboring district Shibuya has also adopted 2 other animated kawaii mascots:

• The little 3D Akita-inu dog since summer 2022, that plays Frisbee through 8 screens installed around the crossroads, as a homage to Hachiko; and,
• The 3D panda playing with a ball in the streets of Center Gai (Udagawacho), above the noodles restaurant Yamashita Honki Udon (山下本気うどん 渋谷センター街).