[Event Report] Regional Revitalization Project "ARG x Experiential Mystery" Set in Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture, Kicks Off! Press Conference & Special Experience Session for 'The Detective Who Lost Memory' Held
CreatorsNext Inc. held a press conference and media-exclusive immersive experience session for the regional revitalization project "ARG x Experiential Mystery 'The Detective Who Lost Memory'" in Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture. This project aims to transform Nishikawa Town's unique "Three Mountains faith" and "vacant houses" into tourism resources through the power of entertainment, with general public participation starting from April 26th.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 30, 2026 at 23:08
- 🔍 Collected: April 30, 2026 at 14:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 1, 2026 at 01:42 (11h 10m after Collected)
CreatorsNext Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Nozomu Kubota) held a press conference and an immersive experience session for media for the ARG (Alternate Reality Game) x Experiential Mystery 'The Detective Who Lost Memory' in Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. This project is a regional revitalization challenge that aims to transform Nishikawa Town's unique "Three Mountains faith" and "vacant houses" into tourism resources through the power of entertainment. Details, previously shrouded in mystery, were unveiled ahead of the general public launch on April 26th.
'The Detective Who Lost Memory' Official Website
▼Click here for the archive video of the press conference
■Nishikawa Town Aims to Attract Tourists from the Tokyo Metropolitan Area with Mystery Solving and Mysteries
At the beginning of the press conference, Nishikawa Town Mayor Taishi Sugano took the stage and spoke about his expectations for the project. Nishikawa Town has also released AI mystery-solving games produced by CreatorsNext Inc. in 2023 and 2024. These have accumulated 8,716 participants and recorded an economic ripple effect of 360 million JPY.
The online ARG (Alternate Reality Game) already released as part of this project has already attracted over 10,000 participants, garnering significant interest. Mayor Sugano stated, "As Yamagata Prefecture has been selected as one of the '25 places in the world to visit,' we want to leverage this momentum to promote this project as high-value-added tourism content that attracts visitors to Nishikawa Town from all over the country."
Nishikawa Town Mayor Taishi Sugano speaks about his expectations for the project
■"Reality or Fiction?" An ARG Experience Where SNS and Real-Life Spots Intersect
Many media outlets from not only within the prefecture but also from the Tokyo metropolitan area rushed to the press conference.
Nozomu Kubota (Representative of CreatorsNext Inc.), who served as the overall producer, explained the mechanism of the "ARG (Alternate Reality Game)" which is the core of this event. The biggest feature of this event is that it attracted mystery fans from all over the country solely through a "mysterious online game." The entry point to the story was a "too scary name stroke count diagnosis" introduced by a fictional radio program. This diagnostic site, secretly launched on an SNS account with only 3 followers, spread by word of mouth through SNS, and has already surpassed 10,000 players.
Nozomu Kubota, overall producer
As participants pursued "unexplained information" online, they realized that the incident they thought was fiction was actually unfolding in a real place called Nishikawa Town. By using the ARG (Alternate Reality Game) method, which blurs the boundaries between reality and fiction, an immersive experience was realized where the town itself transforms into a giant game board. According to a survey, many young people in their 20s and 30s, who are active digital natives, played the game, and the NPS recorded a high level of 52.0.
ARG (Alternate Reality Game) that blurs the boundaries between reality and fiction
ARG (Alternate Reality Game) is available here
You can play by registering for West River Radio! official LINE
■Maximizing Local Resources. "Immersive Tourism" Created by All Townspeople
Many townspeople and facilities have fully cooperated with this project. In addition to the Nishikawa Town Historical and Cultural Museum, Gassan Toraya Winery, and the town hospital, vacant houses cleaned and managed by volunteers and renovated by artists from Tokyo University of the Arts are also utilized as mystery spots. The guides are Mari Osako and Jun Fukushima, who moved from Osaka and Tokyo for this project and were appointed as members of the regional revitalization team. Furthermore, the detective costumes worn by participants were designed by Mizuki Hasegawa (regional revitalization team member), and rare "Gassan Agate" crafted by artisan Akira Ueno is used for buttons and brooches.
Guides Mari Osako and Jun Fukushima Mizuki Hasegawa, who created the detective costumes Akira Ueno, artisan of Gassan Agate Artists from Tokyo University of the Arts and volunteers
Kaori Onuma, the first discoverer of the "Tenku Ishibashi" (Sky Stone Bridge), which holds the key to the mystery, also took the stage.
Regarding the real-life mystery spot "Tenku Ishibashi," which holds a crucial key to the story, its first discoverer, Kaori Onuma, took the stage. She appealed to its mystique, saying, "A stone bridge that suddenly appears at an altitude of 1,733 meters, with no one knowing when or by whom it was built. This mystery (blank space) is perfect for a mystery."
Kaori Onuma, the first discoverer of the mystery spot "Tenku Ishibashi"
■The latter half featured an experience session, showing 8 players enjoying the experiential mystery
In the latter half of the press conference, a special experience session was also held, showing 8 mystery fans from Tokyo enjoying the experiential mystery event. A video message from Mayor Sugano was screened, revealing the existence of Phantom Thief Moon, who targets Nishikawa Town's treasure, the "Lunar Meteorite." From the beginning, participants were drawn into the world of the story and actually set out by bus to Nishikawa Town's mystery spots.
'The Detective Who Lost Memory' Official Website
▼Click here for the archive video of the press conference
■Nishikawa Town Aims to Attract Tourists from the Tokyo Metropolitan Area with Mystery Solving and Mysteries
At the beginning of the press conference, Nishikawa Town Mayor Taishi Sugano took the stage and spoke about his expectations for the project. Nishikawa Town has also released AI mystery-solving games produced by CreatorsNext Inc. in 2023 and 2024. These have accumulated 8,716 participants and recorded an economic ripple effect of 360 million JPY.
The online ARG (Alternate Reality Game) already released as part of this project has already attracted over 10,000 participants, garnering significant interest. Mayor Sugano stated, "As Yamagata Prefecture has been selected as one of the '25 places in the world to visit,' we want to leverage this momentum to promote this project as high-value-added tourism content that attracts visitors to Nishikawa Town from all over the country."
Nishikawa Town Mayor Taishi Sugano speaks about his expectations for the project
■"Reality or Fiction?" An ARG Experience Where SNS and Real-Life Spots Intersect
Many media outlets from not only within the prefecture but also from the Tokyo metropolitan area rushed to the press conference.
Nozomu Kubota (Representative of CreatorsNext Inc.), who served as the overall producer, explained the mechanism of the "ARG (Alternate Reality Game)" which is the core of this event. The biggest feature of this event is that it attracted mystery fans from all over the country solely through a "mysterious online game." The entry point to the story was a "too scary name stroke count diagnosis" introduced by a fictional radio program. This diagnostic site, secretly launched on an SNS account with only 3 followers, spread by word of mouth through SNS, and has already surpassed 10,000 players.
Nozomu Kubota, overall producer
As participants pursued "unexplained information" online, they realized that the incident they thought was fiction was actually unfolding in a real place called Nishikawa Town. By using the ARG (Alternate Reality Game) method, which blurs the boundaries between reality and fiction, an immersive experience was realized where the town itself transforms into a giant game board. According to a survey, many young people in their 20s and 30s, who are active digital natives, played the game, and the NPS recorded a high level of 52.0.
ARG (Alternate Reality Game) that blurs the boundaries between reality and fiction
ARG (Alternate Reality Game) is available here
You can play by registering for West River Radio! official LINE
■Maximizing Local Resources. "Immersive Tourism" Created by All Townspeople
Many townspeople and facilities have fully cooperated with this project. In addition to the Nishikawa Town Historical and Cultural Museum, Gassan Toraya Winery, and the town hospital, vacant houses cleaned and managed by volunteers and renovated by artists from Tokyo University of the Arts are also utilized as mystery spots. The guides are Mari Osako and Jun Fukushima, who moved from Osaka and Tokyo for this project and were appointed as members of the regional revitalization team. Furthermore, the detective costumes worn by participants were designed by Mizuki Hasegawa (regional revitalization team member), and rare "Gassan Agate" crafted by artisan Akira Ueno is used for buttons and brooches.
Guides Mari Osako and Jun Fukushima Mizuki Hasegawa, who created the detective costumes Akira Ueno, artisan of Gassan Agate Artists from Tokyo University of the Arts and volunteers
Kaori Onuma, the first discoverer of the "Tenku Ishibashi" (Sky Stone Bridge), which holds the key to the mystery, also took the stage.
Regarding the real-life mystery spot "Tenku Ishibashi," which holds a crucial key to the story, its first discoverer, Kaori Onuma, took the stage. She appealed to its mystique, saying, "A stone bridge that suddenly appears at an altitude of 1,733 meters, with no one knowing when or by whom it was built. This mystery (blank space) is perfect for a mystery."
Kaori Onuma, the first discoverer of the mystery spot "Tenku Ishibashi"
■The latter half featured an experience session, showing 8 players enjoying the experiential mystery
In the latter half of the press conference, a special experience session was also held, showing 8 mystery fans from Tokyo enjoying the experiential mystery event. A video message from Mayor Sugano was screened, revealing the existence of Phantom Thief Moon, who targets Nishikawa Town's treasure, the "Lunar Meteorite." From the beginning, participants were drawn into the world of the story and actually set out by bus to Nishikawa Town's mystery spots.