Japan is working hard to make a name for itself when it comes to metaverse technology. One of the ways they’re doing this is by hosting conferences discussing the latest tools and trends. Since 2019, one conference has been hosted by the company Mogura Inc, the largest virtual reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) news organization. The conference, called XR Kaigi, focuses specifically on VR technology and Metaverse industries. XR, also known as extended reality, is an umbrella term describing many metaverse products.
This year’s conference is especially important for Mogura Inc. as it will be the first conference opened to other countries around the globe. Mogura Inc. is hoping to foster more international partnerships at their new conference, called XR Kaigi Mini. “There are many unique initiatives in the Japanese XR industry,” explained Magura Inc. CEO Shun Kubota. “By communicating with people in the industry and the media overseas, we hope to promote networking between Japanese and international companies and use this as a stepping stone for Japanese companies to be successful in the global market.”
Mogura is no stranger to discussing new innovations and technology. With over 8 million visitors to their online publication, the company gets the most exclusive insights into this industry. They plan to use these insights to generate more investment for Japanese metaverse companies. According to Kubota: “All of these companies in Japan have unique metaverse projects and are worthy of special mention. However, the amount of investment in the XR/Metaverse field is still very small in Japan, and it would be great if this webinar could be a starting point for attracting investment and partnerships from overseas.” As much of the technology sector is already internationally collaborative, it will be no surprise if similar collaborations arise in the metaverse industry.
This webinar will not only promote partnerships but also host some of the biggest names in the Japanese metaverse industry. “6 companies from the Japanese metaverse industry will be speaking at this event,” explained Kubota. “Cluster, the platform behind the Virtual Shibuya and Pokemon Virtual Fest events; HIKKY, known for its Virtual Market conventions and its recent funding round of 6.5 billion yen (approx $57M); Ambr, responsible for the creation of Tokyo Game Show VR; MonoAI, which holds exhibitions in a virtualized representation of an actual stadium; Sony Music Entertainment, which created virtual worlds for the anime series Sword Art Online and Devilman; and VirtualCast, which its VR platform and avatar systems are being used for school education on a daily basis.” The variation in companies allows the conference to cover different aspects of the metaverse, from gaming to entertainment. All of these companies have developed significant XR technology which can be applied to a future metaverse. The webinar will be streamed on YouTube and begins December 3nd at 5 pm-8 pm PST.
Having a designated conference for metaverse technology not only encourages more social acceptance but can significantly speed up technological development. With more ideas being shared, products can be designed and created faster, allowing the metaverse to launch sooner. But there are still many things to work on before we get there. “I think we need innovation in XR devices that allow us to experience the metaverse spatially, computing power to ensure high-quality graphics and multiplayer communication, and backend technologies such as cloud rendering,” Kubota stated. “Of course, not only the technology, but also the platform, the development ecosystem, and the content are all still lacking to achieve the ultimate metaverse.” This webinar will hopefully bring in many more companies to discuss ways to grow the metaverse ecosystem and encourage more investment.
To join the webinar, click the link here.
