cluster and Meiji Open Free Areas in Virtual Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato Worlds, Launch Prize Campaign for “That House”

Cluster, Inc. and Meiji Co., Ltd. will open parts of their jointly developed virtual spaces for Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato, titled “FOREST HILLS KINOKONOYAMA” and “FOREST TOWER TAKENOKONOSATO,” as free public areas from 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12. The move is intended to let more customers experience the feeling of “tasting a place that should not exist.” The free areas will be available until Saturday, March 10, 2029. The two projects were launched as attempts to expand the worlds of long-loved brands. “FOREST HILLS KINOKONOYAMA” began on March 31, 2026, and “FOREST TOWER TAKENOKONOSATO” began on April 14, 2026, as virtual real estate projects that brought “that house” from the product packaging into a virtual space. Until now, access had been limited to property purchasers, but the companies decided to open free areas to offer this new experiential value to a wider audience. The free areas will be open from Tuesday, May 12, 2026, to Saturday, March 10, 2029. Visitors can travel from the entrance by helicopter, explore the expansive worlds, visit photo spots with friends, and search for hidden motifs. Details of the “FREE areas” are available on the dedicated site. Starting Tuesday, May 19, Meiji will also launch a campaign in which participants can win ownership of “that house” shown on the product packaging by purchasing eligible products and applying. The winning units will be Superior grade. Winners will receive a physical card key and certificate of ownership, and will be able to invite friends into the virtual space and enjoy social experiences until Saturday, March 10, 2029. Eligible products include various items from the Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato series. Applications are submitted via LINE, and participants must purchase at least 500 yen worth of eligible products. The receipt upload period runs from Tuesday, May 19, to Tuesday, August 11, with applications accepted until Tuesday, August 18. Prizes include 200 virtual “that house” properties operated by Kinotake Real Estate: 100 FOREST HILLS KINOKONOYAMA SUPERIOR units and 100 FOREST TOWER TAKENOKONOSATO SUPERIOR units, with physical card keys and certificates of ownership sent to winners. In addition, 10,000 winners will receive selectable digital points totaling 2 million points. The project is based on the ideas “What if Kinoko no Yama really existed?” and “What if Takenoko no Sato really existed?” It reconstructs the imaginary landscapes depicted on the packaging through modern technology and interpretation. “FOREST HILLS KINOKONOYAMA” lets users experience the mysterious scenery long shown on Kinoko no Yama packaging, including the nostalgic yet new atmosphere of “that house.” “FOREST TOWER TAKENOKONOSATO” is built around the story that Takenoko no Sato existed beyond Kinoko no Yama, recreating the beloved scenery in virtual space with towering bamboo groves and carefully crafted views. Users can freely explore the worlds with their avatars. Users can participate by downloading the free cluster app in advance on a smartphone, tablet, PC, or VR device. After setting up an account, they can access the “FOREST HILLS / FOREST TOWER” virtual space through the designated link. cluster is a virtual space creation platform that allows users to freely materialize and share the worlds imagined by creators. It supports browsers, smartphones, and VR, and offers features such as World Craft for collaborative creation and a store for buying and selling 3D assets, avatars, and items. Beyond games and event spaces, it also supports use cases such as digital twin construction in manufacturing and architecture. Cluster, Inc. is a technology company that develops and operates one of Japan’s largest metaverse platforms under the vision of “creating an OS for co-creative spaces that connects all people, things, and technologies.” Centered on its proprietary large-scale concurrent connection infrastructure, the company provides infrastructure that merges real and virtual spaces, supports multiple devices including smartphones, PCs, and VR, and can build real-time spaces for up to 100,000 simultaneous users. The company also operates an internal research institute focused on user behavior analysis, virtual AI agents, and AI-driven automation for 3D creation, continuing to advance the future of virtual experiences.