WOW has directed and produced Okage Yashiki, a new experiential museum opening on Friday, July 3, 2026, at Okage Yokocho—the historic street market in front of the Inner Shrine (Naiku) of Ise Jingu. Working alongside a team of cross-disciplinary partners, WOW joined Isefuku Corporation, the operator of Okage Yokocho, in the renewal of its former facility, Okage-za Mythical Hall, to create an immersive venue unique to Ise that visitors of all ages can enjoy. WOW has long explored the rich cultural traditions passed down across Japan through works such as BAKERU, YADORU, Inori no Katachi, and Festival Cornucopia—each reinterpreting customs and traditions through a contemporary visual lens and reconstructing them with the studio’s distinctive visual language. For Okage Yashiki, set in Ise, a place where Japan’s history and spirituality have been nurtured for centuries, the experience is anchored in the spirit of kansha—a deep, heartfelt gratitude for all that life receives from the divine. By layering Japan’s long-rooted and richly woven spiritual culture with okagesama no kokoro—the tradition of expressing thanks to people, things, nature, and even unseen forces—the museum offers exhibits that visitors can enjoy and experience through video and interactive experience. The goal is to create a space that prompts visitors to notice the many blessings woven into everyday Japanese life.

About Okage Yokocho Ise Jingu, home to Amaterasu-Omikami enshrined at its Inner Shrine, has commanded the deepest reverence in Japan for more than 2,000 years. During the Edo period, despite the difficulty of travel, pilgrimages to Ise grew into a nationwide phenomenon. The people of Ise are said to have welcomed these travelers with a spirit of shinon kansha—heartfelt gratitude to the divine—and because pilgrims felt they had completed their journey safely “thanks to” (okage) these blessings, the pilgrimage became known as “Okage Mairi.” To carry this spirit of okage into the present day, Isefuku Corporation opened Okage Yokocho in 1993 to coincide with the 61st Shikinen Sengu, Ise Jingu’s periodic renewal ceremony. Faithfully recreating the atmosphere of the roads to Ise as they appeared from the Edo through the Meiji periods, the area now draws approximately five million visitors each year.

About Okage Yashiki When Okage Yokocho first opened in 1993, Okage-za was established as a facility dedicated to the history and culture of Edo-period Okage Mairi. In 2013, to mark the 62nd Shikinen Sengu, it was renewed with an exhibition themed on Japanese mythology. Now, looking ahead to the next renewal ceremony in 2033, the facility has undergone a full rebranding—reborn as Okage Yashiki, a space dedicated to conveying the spirit of okagesama through the culture and landscape of Ise. In Japan, rice cultivation has been deeply intertwined with daily life since ancient times. Whenever a harvest was safely gathered—despite of weather and forces beyond human control—people expressed their gratitude with the phrase “okagesama de,” meaning “thanks to your grace.” In Ise, that spirit has been passed down through festivals and prayers at the shrine, forming an unbroken thread from the Edo-period “Okage Mairi” all the way to today’s Okage Yokocho. At Okage Yashiki, these twin themes of rice cultivation and kansha serve as the conceptual core of approximately 13 areas exploring Japan’s four seasons, its festivals, food culture, and the history of pilgrimage to Ise. Through an interplay of film, shadow art, sound, and interactivity, visitors can experience the reverence for nature and the spirit of gratitude that have long defined Japanese life.

The Mysterious Inhabitants of the Museum: “Okagesama” The belief long held by the people of Ise—that “everything in daily life is owed to something, to the divine”—has been given form through a cast of original characters called “Okagesama.” A total of 30 Okagesama appear throughout the museum, each inspired by the things that sustain everyday life or shape the rich culture and landscape of Ise. Visitors can interact with these characters in a variety of ways—through installations that respond to movement and shadow, fortune slips, stamp collecting, and more. Each encounter with the diverse cast of Okagesama offers an opportunity to rediscover, through play, the many unseen blessings (okage) hidden within ordinary life.

Highlighted Areas Opening Theater An introductory area that unpacks through film the origins of Okage Mairi and the spirit of okagesama, introducing humankind’s connection with, and coexistence within, the natural world. This theater serves as the gateway into the world of Okage Yashiki. Okage Shadow Play An interactive installation in which visitors engage with the customs, folk tales, and regional lore of Japan and Ise through shadow play. The shadows visitors create come alive on screen, playfully introducing the wishes and elements associated with rice cultivation. Okage-inu’s Pilgrimage to Ise A mini-game inspired by the legend of the “okage-inu”—dogs said to have made the pilgrimage to Ise on behalf of their owners. Visitors follow the dog’s journey, encountering the events it faced along the way and experiencing the kindness it received from the people of Ise. Okage Omikuji It is said that simply making the journey to Ise is itself the greatest good fortune. Each Okage Omikuji fortune slip contains glimpses of the history of Ise and recommendations for Okage Yokocho. Hold your hand over the pillar, listen for the bell, and receive your fortune as it descends from above.

Okage Yashiki Overview Opening Date: Friday, July 3, 2026 Hours: 10:00–17:00 (Last entry: 16:00) Location: 52 Uji Nakanokiricho, Ise City, Mie Prefecture (within Okage Yokocho) TEL: 0596-23-8844 Planning & Operations: Isefuku Corporation Official Website: https://okageyashiki.com/

Production Team Produce: WOW, Tateito Yokoito Creative Direction / Planning Direction: WOW Art Direction / Graphic Design / Character Design: TAKAIYAMA inc. Exhibition Design Direction / Spatial Design: DENBAK-FANO DESIGN, mumedesign, e/qual Experience Content Design / Technical Direction: siro Exhibition Production Management: Total Media Development Institute Ise-Fuku Co., Ltd. Ise-Fuku operates Okage Yokocho, located in front of the Inner Shrine (Naiku) of Ise Jingu. Established in 1993, Okage Yokocho is a recreated townscape lined with more than 50 shops. It faithfully reflects the atmosphere of the Ise Road from the Edo to Meiji periods, offering visitors a place to experience Ise’s food culture, traditional crafts, and history. Visitors can enjoy seasonal events, architecture and scenery inspired by the Ise region, carefully selected local specialties and souvenirs, and regional cuisine. The area also hosts performances such as traditional picture-story shows (kamishibai) and Shin’on Taiko drumming. Okage Yokocho welcomes approximately 5 million visitors annually.