Thursday 8 October 2015

Projection Mapping Event in the Traditional Garden

EMU Keihan 2400 series arrives at Shichijo Station on the Keihan Main Line

Projection mapping is an advanced technology using a computer and a variety of objects in place of a screen. These objects may be walls of buildings or complex landscapes. Projection mapping is currently very popular in Japan. I recently saw one such event in a unique venue... a Buddhist temple in Kyoto City.

Kodaiji was established in 1606 by Kita-no-mandokoro, who was a widow of a pre-eminent Daimyo, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. This historical temple is famous for its traditional Japanese style garden, and popular among tourists. The projection mapping was held in the temple garden using karesansui (a traditional dry landscape garden), a garden gate and hedges. I could enjoy the fantastic projected scenery one after another with live violin music. A half-moon was also beautifully shining in the clear night sky.

To visit this event, I took the Keihan Main Line and got off at Gion-Shijo Station. My vehicle was the EMU 2400 series, a standard commuter train launched in 1969. A total of 6 sets, 42 units have been built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The 2400 series is known as the first commuter train with air-conditioners in the Kansai (Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe) area.

For your information, Keihan is one of the major private railway companies in the Kansai area. The route extends to the eastern part of the Kansai area including Kyoto, Shiga and Osaka Prefectures. The track is electrified (1,500 V DC, overhead) and the gauge size is 1,435 mm.

Projection mapping event is held in Kodai-ji temple near Gion-Shijo Station

Official information about rolling stock of Keihan Electric Railway (in Japanese):