Bringing Vibrancy to Gifu City's Nightscape

Background

Creating a New Winter Tourism Attraction

Gifu City in central Japan, known for its fascinating tradition of using cormorant diving birds to catch fish, wanted to create a new attraction during the winter off-season. As a result, the city launched the Gifu Light Story, a winter evening light-up event featuring traditional Gifu wagasa (umbrellas) and lanterns. Held annually in Gifu Park, the event uses projection mapping to create captivating content based on local themes. This year's event lasted nine days and attracted some 15000 visitors. Now in its fifth year, Gifu Light Story 2025 was planned, designed, produced, installed and managed by KSG Create Co., Ltd., which selected 15 1-Chip DLP^® laser projectors for illuminations in selected venues.

Breathtaking 20-meter-high projection on Miracle Cliff depicting Gifu's rich history.

Reason for Choosing Panasonic

15000-lumen Projection Capability Achieved with 100V

Mr.Kuroiwa, Representative Director of KSG Create, said: "After using Panasonic's PT-RZ120 projector for years, we decided to purchase 10 units of Panasonic's latest projector, the PT-REQ15, for this event. Panasonic projectors are outstanding in terms of image quality and stability, and the new model's 100V power compatibility is a great advantage. Setting up projection mapping in a park can be challenging due to power constraints, but we didn't want to compromise brightness. The ability to achieve 15000-lumen projections with 100V was an incredible advantage. In addition, Panasonic's Geometry Manager Pro software for PCs greatly streamlined the setup process and allowed us to make precise screen adjustments at no extra cost."

Projection mapping of historical figures Saito Dosan and Oda Nobunaga on Miracle Cliff.

Benefits

Stunning Visuals Achieved with New Projectors and Ultra Short Throw Lenses

At the main entrance, two PT-REQ15 projectors were paired with the Ultra Short Throw Zoom Lens (ET-C1U100) to create an immersive display. Mr. Kuroiwa explained, "We projected a 12m by 8m image of a pond onto a gravel surface from two directions using projectors mounted on scaffolding. By combining the excellent brightness of the PT-REQ15 projectors with the new Ultra Sort Throw lens, which is equipped with a lens-shift function, we were able to minimize the shadows of people. This allowed us to achieve the desired effect without having to use a large number of projectors." Also, Mr. Hiramatsu, an engineer at KSG Create, noted, "We used the PT-REQ15's built-in grid projection function for remote adjustments at the entrance. The projector is very intuitive, so the fine-tuning process was exceptionally smooth."

Projection of a pond's surface at Koisuru Kabukimon using
two PT-REQ15 projectors on scaffolding.

Projection using five PT-RZ120 projectors at Ennichi Sandou,
a 50-meter pathway.

Advanced Adjustment Software Simplifies Installation

For the six PT-REQ15 projectors installed at Miracle Cliff, the team used Panasonic's free software tool, Geometry Manager Pro, to correct geometric distortion and edge blending via a remote computer. Mr. Hiramatsu explained, "The cliff's uneven surface made this the most challenging projection. Additionally, coordinating three projectors on each side required high-precision alignment. But the software allowed us to harmonize all six projectors from one PC, which made the detailed adjustment process highly efficient." Mr. Kuroiwa added, "Despite various challenges, including snowfall on installation day, the software greatly reduced our adjustment workload, allowing us to complete everything on schedule. Furthermore, since the projectors operate on readily available 100V power, the time for electrical installation was short, another big advantage."

Projection of a pond's surface at Koisuru Kabukimon using
two PT-REQ15 projectors on scaffolding.

Projection using five PT-RZ120 projectors at Ennichi Sandou,
a 50-meter pathway.

Six PT-REQ15 projectors on two scaffolds (three on each side)
at Miracle Cliff.

PT-REQ15 projectors at Miracle Cliff, easily set up using
remote control software.

In the Customer’s Own Words

More Extensive Use of Panasonic Projectors for Future Events

"After using Panasonic projectors in a large event for the first time, I was impressed by their durability and reliability. Using Panasonic's latest projectors for Gifu Light Story 2025 has given us new insights for future projects. Based on this experience, we expect to plan even more extensive events going forward," said Mr. Kuroiwa.

Mr. Takahiko Kuroiwa
Representative Director
KSG Create Co.,ltd

Note: Job titles at time of implementation