Immersive Experience Event 'Urban Cave Esoragoto ver.1' to be Held at Hibiya OKUROJI from June 20 to July 13, 2026

Astrum Co., Ltd., the company behind the stationery brand 'Pentel', along with PLUS Corporation Stationery Company, Nippon Note Co., Ltd., and Sailor Pen Co., Ltd., will jointly host an immersive experience event titled 'Urban Cave Esoragoto ver.1' at Hibiya OKUROJI starting June 20, 2026. This event is part of the PLUS Group's collaborative project among four stationery brands, 'Let’s Give Humanity Esoragoto', designed to allow visitors to experience the project’s core concept firsthand.

In December 2025, the four brands—PLUS Stationery, Pentel, Nippon Note, and Sailor Pen—united under the name 'Team Esoragoto' to launch the 'Let’s Give Humanity Esoragoto' project. This initiative poses a question to society: in the age of AI, could the ability to imagine the impossible be the very seed that propels humanity forward?

'Urban Cave Esoragoto' was conceived as a symbolic space where the project’s intentions can be tangibly experienced. In January 2026, under the supervision of Takayuki Ohira, a pioneering planetarium creator known for continuously pushing boundaries, an invitation-only 'Urban Cave Esoragoto ver.0' was held for select guests. This event transformed Hibiya into an urban cave, posing profound questions such as: What makes us human? What human qualities will be essential for thriving in the future? Approximately 1,000 attendees immersed themselves in this unique sensory world.

Building on the experience of ver.0, Team Esoragoto now returns with 'Urban Cave Esoragoto ver.1', unveiling an even more immersive environment. Visitors will open their five senses, enveloped in light and sound, gazing at stars and reflecting inward, returning to the origins of imagination and creativity.

■ Event Overview ■

Period: June 20 (Sat), 2026 – July 13 (Mon), 2026

Hours: 10:00–18:30 (11 sessions per day; each session lasts 40 minutes)

Supervision: Takayuki Ohira (Planetarium Creator, CEO of Ohira Lab Inc.)

Music: Eric Aron (Composer, Pianist, Improvisational Artist)

Academic Cooperation: Jeanne Igarashi (Ph.D. in Prehistoric Studies, Part-time Lecturer at Tokyo University of the Arts)

Spatial Design: HAKUTEN

Venue: Hibiya OKUROJI, Plot H05 & G13 (Registration at H05) 1-7-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0011

Access: https://www.jrtk.jp/hibiya-okuroji/access/

Approximately 6-minute walk from Hibiya, Ginza, Uchisaiwaicho, Yurakucho, or Shimbashi Stations

■ How to Participate ■

Please register via the event and community platform Peatix.

(Advance reservation required; first-come, first-served)

Participation Fee: 500 JPY

URL: https://esoragoto2026v1.peatix.com

■ About Planetarium Creator Takayuki Ohira ■

Takayuki Ohira is a renowned planetarium creator and representative director of Ohira Giken Co., Ltd. and Ohira Lab Inc. From elementary school, he began building his own planetariums. In his third year of university, he successfully developed the lens-projector-type planetarium 'Astroliner', previously considered impossible for individuals to create. In 1998, he unveiled 'MEGASTAR' at the IPS (International Planetarium Society) London Conference, capable of projecting 1.5 million stars (later refined to 1.7 million)—over 100 times more than conventional models. In 2004, 'MEGASTAR-II cosmos' installed at Miraikan (The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation) was recognized by Guinness World Records for projecting 5.6 million stars.

In 2023, 'MEGASTAR-IIA (GIGAMASK-equipped model)' installed at Hamagin Children's Space Science Museum was certified by Guinness World Records for 'most stars projected (one-off)'. That same year, the new planetarium projector 'GIGANIUM', capable of projecting onto domes with a diameter of approximately 500 meters, was publicly demonstrated at Belluna Dome (home of the Saitama Seibu Lions) to an audience of 10,000, earning Guinness World Records recognition for 'largest projection area in a planetarium'.

His creed: 'Humans can prove the possible, but cannot prove the impossible.' He received the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award for Science and Technology (Promotion of Understanding) in 2006. He is a visiting professor at Osaka University of Arts and founded Ohira Lab Inc. in 2025.

■ About Composer Eric Aron ■

Eric Aron is a composer, pianist, and improvisational artist from France. He began classical piano at a young age and entered the French Conservatoire (National Conservatory of Music) at 16. He has released over 25 CDs, spanning genres from classical to healing and electronic music. He has composed numerous original pieces for French brands such as Lancôme, Payot, and Thalgo, and has provided hundreds of compositions for commercials, television, films, and planetarium programs.

A rare performer capable of beginning a solo piano concert from a completely blank slate, he has recently composed 'MEGASTAR Symphonies' inspired by MEGASTAR. He has frequently composed music for planetarium programs created by Takayuki Ohira.

In collaborative concerts with MEGASTAR, he explores a new genre that harnesses the synergy between visual and auditory experiences.

■ About Prehistoric Studies Doctor Jeanne Igarashi ■

Born in Chiba Prefecture, Jeanne Igarashi graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Tokyo University of the Arts and completed her graduate studies at Osaka University’s Graduate School of Letters. She earned her Ph.D. in Prehistoric Studies from the French National Museum of Natural History. She served as an academic advisor for the 'World Heritage Lascaux Exhibition' (2016–2017) held at the National Museum of Nature and Science, Kyushu National Museum, and Tohoku History Museum. She is a part-time lecturer at Tokyo University of the Arts, Keio University, Rikkyo University, Meiji Gakuin University, Jissen Women’s University, and Bunka Gakuen University.

Her publications include 'Why Did They Paint Cave Murals? – A Journey to Discover the Origins of Art' (Shisen-sha, 2021), 'On Cave Murals' (Seidosha, 2023), and co-authored 'Why Are We Captivated by Art?' (edited by Watanabe Shigeru, Kyoritsu Shuppan, 2025).

Basic Information on Hibiya OKUROJI

[Address] 1-7-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Approximately 6-minute walk from Hibiya, Ginza, Uchisaiwaicho, Yurakucho, or Shimbashi Stations

[Official Website] https://www.jrtk.jp/hibiya-okuroji/

[Official Instagram] @hibiya_okuroji_official