The other day, I found out that a circus was being held in my neighborhood, so I decided to go and check it out.
I wasn't particularly interested in the circus to begin with, and in fact I didn't really like it.

This is because, from my childhood experiences, I had the impression that the circus was a little scary, with its dark tents, sudden loud noises, the distinctive smell of animals, and strange performances by unique people.

The reason I decided to visit the local circus was because of an experience I had at a circus show I saw in China earlier this year.

Having seen world-famous circus entertainment before, I honestly didn't have high expectations for the circus in a regional city in China. However, when I actually saw it, I found that the stage sets, direction, show composition, technology, music, costumes, design, humour, and performances making full use of human physical abilities - everything was carried out at an extremely high level, and I could see the essence of a comprehensive art form.

In addition to the artistic quality of the stage direction, comical elements of classical circus performances were incorporated throughout, making it an extremely well-crafted piece of entertainment that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and genders.

Information about the circus show I saw in China has hardly been introduced in Japan, and most Japanese people probably don't know about it. However, its artistry and perfection as a show are undoubtedly world class. Even with the development of communication and media such as the Internet and SNS, there are still many things we don't know or don't have the opportunity to know. It was a moment like this that made me realize that there are still things in the world that you can't know unless you go and see them.

And because of my job, I can't help but imagine what goes on behind the scenes of this show.

They gave a lot of thought to every element, such as the equipment used, construction methods, control systems, stage art, design, structure, safety, durability, costume design, direction, storytelling flow, etc. They also considered the number of cast members and capacity, business costs, profitability, etc. This circus show was a perfect combination of various elements, integrating them into a highly complete program.

Recently, we hear the words "entertainment" and "experience value" in various places. Sometimes we wonder what entertainment really is.

Entertainment can be an experience, a facility, a market, or even content, making it a useful word that can be used in a broad sense. However, I think it is a word that modifies an experience.

And what is an experience? When, in what environment, with whom, and what do you do? Depending on these factors, the value of the same experience can change greatly.

In the near future, with the evolution of AI and technology, we may see a time when this experience value can be quantified and used as data for business and spatial creation. (If the value of an experience could be quantified, the circus show I experienced this time would have generated an extremely high number.)

But will everything be predicted in advance by data, and will we live our lives by choosing rational methods and events? It may be a convenient tool for business, but I think it would be more interesting if we had the opportunity to be thrilled by unexpected encounters, like my encounter with the circus this time.

In order to improve the value of the experience, we often hear requests to "use digital technology..." or "create an immersive experience..." Technology is merely a means to expand or improve the experience, and I believe that the essence of an experience is the content.

However, there are many cases where technology is used to complement the content itself. If the content itself is not appealing, it will not create a rich experiential value. The circus show I saw in China this time had attractive content, and I think that the fact that it communicated to the audience in a simple and straightforward way made the experience highly valuable.

A rich experiential value is whether or not you have an exciting experience that stirs human emotions. That's how I felt. So what is the experiential value that stirs human emotions? It could be the direct feeling of energy emanating from artistic objects or experiences made by human hands, or the welling up of emotions that cannot be put into words.

I also felt that explanatory communication in language is not necessary, and that an experience based on intuitive non-verbal expressions is also important. This is an unchanging sensation that will never be matched, no matter how much technology evolves simulated experiences in the future. This circus show was a perfect fusion of this unchanging sensation with technology that expands content.

Finally, I would like to touch on our Content Integration Center (CIC). We are a team that "uses content as a starting point to implement exciting fantasies with design and technology, creating new experiential value." In a sense, this may be similar to the concept of the circus show introduced here.

A diverse range of talents including designers, planners, directors, various specialized technicians, and promoters work together to create moving experiences with wisdom and passion.

We want to be a true "circus troupe" that entertains people.