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The phenomenon of 3D billboards in Japan (and worldwide) cannot be understated.
Huge crowds gather to watch as these anamorphic 3D billboard ads and screens spring to life with cartoon characters and imaginative, immersive features.
We’ve seen 3D billboards in countries such as South Korea, Taiwan and the UK but nowhere has quite taken them to heart as much as the iconic 3D billboards in Japan, in high footfall areas such as Shinjuku and Shibuya in Tokyo.
As of 2024, there are four huge and popular 3D billboards in Tokyo:
- the calico cat in Shinjuku
- the adorable akita inu puppy in Shibuya
- a playful panda near Shibuya Crossing
- a 3D billboard in Harajuku
From cute colourful characters to how the ads work, here is our guide to 3D billboards in Japan:
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What is a 3D Billboard Advertisement?
Used by advertisers and local authorities for engaging and immersive ad campaigns (or even just for fun), anamorphic 3D billboards are usually installed high on the sides of buildings or department stores with moving ads (often animated) which from afar, seemingly spring from outside the confines of the screen walls.
This life-like ad campaign often engages quirky characters such as cute cats or pandas which seem to move out of the ad, often getting the attention of passersby, causing them to stop (and such create a successful ad campaign or screen primed for social media attention).
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How Do 3D Billboards in Japan Work?
These awesome anamorphic 3D digital billboards use high definition LED screens which run a pair of images / animations simultaneously shot from different angles but combined together in a single film.
These two images combine but viewers will see slightly different perspectives between two eyes creating a slight different perspective between the two.
The more modern 3D billboards in Japan also have curved screens to enhance the effect plus make good use of the space they are in recreating the walls of the building within the animation so that it looks like the character or object is sitting within the recess of the wall.
These modern 3D billboards have to be seen to be believed so check out our clip below of the famous Shinjuku 3D cat billboard in Tokyo:
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What was the first 3D billboard in the world / Japan?
As recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world’s ‘first’ 3D billboard, the huge Coca Cola immersive ad in New York Time Square set the standard and is several stories high!
The first 3D billboard in Japan is the Cross Space billboard located in Shinjuku, best known for its colossal cat which we’ll come onto miaow….sorry…now.
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The Most Famous 3D Billboard in Japan – Cross Space Shinjuku
Perhaps the most famous 3D animated billboard in Japan has to be the Cross Space billboard in Shinjuku, which has clocked up thousands of posts and millions of views across social media.
The Shinjuku 3D billboard went viral in 2021 when a huge animated cat (neko) appeared to seemingly jump from the billboard as though it was really on the side of the building – we guess kind of like King Kong for the 2020s!
The immersive billboard at Shinjuku initially featured a larger than life 3D calico cat in 4K to draw attention to the billboard by the advertising company to demonstrate its potential.
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The Cult of Shinjuku’s 3D Cat
We went to see Japan’s cat billboard in Shinjuku several times both day and night, and it always draws a huge crowd even a couple of years after launching.
It is also a nice diversion whilst waiting to cross the busy Shinjuku road below it. The best time to watch the Shinjuku Japan 3D cat billboard is at night by the way as it really pops off the screen.
Such is the phenomenon of the Shinjuku 3D cat billboard, it now even has its own Twitter page (@ xspace_tokyo) which is updated most days and has around 9,000 followers (as of early 2024).
There was also once a ‘GIANT 3D CAT CAFE’ located just below the 3D billboard where you could buy memorabilia and merchandise but as of early 2024, the Giant 3D cat cafe appears to be closed.
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Japan’s 3D Cat Billboard Schedule
Such is the popularity of the famous 3D cat screen in Shinjuku, Cross Space Tokyo (the owners of the billboard and technology) regularly post on Twitter a schedule for the 3D cat appearances (so you know when it will appear between the other ads).
The 3D cat generally appears several times an hour from around 7am in the morning until 1am in the evening – the longer 3D cat segments generally appear on screen 4 times an hour.
On National Cat Day in Japan (February 2022), the billboard also has a special schedule with even more catty content.
In 2024, staff were present to hand out limited edition ‘Shinjuku East Exit Cat” Cat Day tin badges. There were only 150 given out to lucky observers (kind of like the cat that got the cream eh).
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How to find the Shinjuku Cross Station 3D billboard / 3D Cat
The nearest staton to the Shinjuku 3D billboard and cat screen is Shinjuku Station – take the Shinjuku East exit and follow the green line marked on the floor towards Kabukicho.
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Shibuya 3D Billboards
Another two famous 3D billboards in Japan can be found in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, perhaps most famous for its Shibuya Scramble Crossing (Japan’s busiest pedestrian crossing), and Hachiko dog memorial statue (amongst many other things to do in Shibuya).
As of 2024, there are two huge Shibuya 3D billboards to enjoy and marvel at:
3D Panda Billboard in Shibuya
We first discovered the Shibuya 3D billboard quite by chance after tackling the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing.
As we walked down the side-street towards the main shopping district, we were taken aback by a huge playful panda appearing on the screen above.
Easy to spot and one of the smaller 3D billboards in Japan, the 3D panda is at the start of Shibuya Center Gai, a few steps from the Starbucks Shibuya Tsutaya (which incidentally is the best place to view the craziness of Shibuya Scramble Crossing).
This particular 3D billboard in Japan is also famous for having appearances from famous characters or Japanese personalities for a limited time.
When we visited, there was a regular pop-up performance from a famous Japanese chef, and BIGBOSS – a former Japanese professional baseball player.
Recently, singer Sayuri Ishikawa could be seen entertaining crowds with enka singing.
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3D Dog Billboard in Shibuya
The Shinjuku 3D billboard cat is soooo ‘last year’ / passe (probably) – the current billboard whipping up a social media storm is the 3D puppy dog billboard in Shibuya.
Close to Shibuya Scramble Crossing, this awesome Akita Inu bounds about the screen playing frisbee, bursting out of a clock and generally getting up to fun and mischief.
What makes this advert really stand out from other Japanese 3D billboards is that is based over two screens, meaning the characters can leap and bound between the two.
So for instance, one of the most impressive features is when the Akita Inu puppy seemingly arrives by hitching a ride on an elevator before leaping into the huge screen on top – and it looks seamless.
As Shiubuya is also associated with Hachiko, the dog who patiently waited for his master at the station every day for years (even after he had passed), it is cool that this playful pup is the same breed (Akitu Inu) and a nod to Hachiko.
Head to Shibuya Station and Shibuya Scramble Crossing, join the crowds and look up to this playful pup pop out of the screen.
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Harajuku 3D Billboard – Town Musicians of Bremen
A reimagining of the German folklore tail ‘Town Musucians of Bremen’ (no, us neither), this fourth 3D Tokyo billboard appears near the famous Takeshita Street in Harajuku, and depicts a motley crue of cute pets (a chicken, cat, dog and donkey) whose intention in life is to have fun (plus also promote the Japanese clothing company Beams).
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