Osaka Science Museum to Host Limited-Time Exhibition of 'Gocha-maze Orchestra' AR Cards from the Expo 2025 Jellyfish Pavilion

The Osaka Science Museum has announced that from March 26 (Thursday) to April 12 (Sunday), it will exhibit a selection of cards used in the 'Gocha-maze Orchestra' (Mixed-up Orchestra) AR experience, a key component of the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai Signature Pavilion 'Playground of Life: Jellyfish Pavilion' (hereinafter 'Jellyfish Pavilion'), as part of its current 'New Acquisitions Exhibition: Expo Experience Partners, Handheld Device Exhibition.' Additionally, during the exhibition period, there will be irregular sessions where visitors can experience the 'Gocha-maze Orchestra' using these AR cards (a curated set of 5). The 'Gocha-maze Orchestra' AR experience was planned and developed by steAm, Inc. (Location: Toshima-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Sachiko Nakajima; hereinafter 'steAm') in collaboration with the Jellyfish Pavilion team and Hikarinokuni Co., Ltd. (hereinafter 'Hikarinokuni').

The 'Gocha-maze Orchestra' was permanently installed last year on the ground floor of the Jellyfish Pavilion, 'Fluctuation of Life,' as a playful, interactive installation engaging the five senses. It is an expansion of the 'Augmented Music Playground' concept developed by pavilion producer Sachiko Nakajima during her time working on media art in New York. At the Jellyfish Pavilion, it became a highly popular space where people of different generations gathered to hold multiple cards in front of a camera to enjoy the resulting collaborative sounds and visuals. Following the Expo, this mechanism was partially inherited through the AR version of the picture book 'Clara and the Tree of Imagination' and the commercialization of AR picture book cards, making it accessible for everyone to enjoy in daily life. The cards were provided by Hikarinokuni, featuring diverse illustrations by various artists, including picture book authors. The AR software was provided by steAm (in cooperation with T&S, Inc.), and the audio uses recordings by musicians centered around the KURAGE Band (steAm).

About the 'Gocha-maze Orchestra' AR Experience

Overview of the New Acquisitions Exhibition: 'Expo Experience Partners, Handheld Device Exhibition'

The Osaka Science Museum has urgently collected the notable 'handheld devices' that transformed exhibition viewing into an 'active experience' at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. Through the display of these actual items, the exhibition explores the transformation of exhibition styles prompted by the Expo.

Dates: February 18 (Wed) – April 12 (Sun), 9:30 – 17:00 (Last admission to the exhibition hall is 16:30...)