NTT's CHO-KABUKI presentation at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan last month was a major showcase for Japanese culture and how it can be adapted to incorporate elements of Taiwanese theater. But even more than that, it was the public debut of a cross-border collaboration powered by a new kind of communication infrastructure.

Kabuki: traditional, but looking to the future

Kabuki is a traditional Japanese form of theater that dates from the early 17th century. The artform is known for its stylized drama, elaborate and brightly colored costumes, and exaggerated movements, notably the gurning of actors' faces. Dating from the time of Shakespeare, kabuki is possibly not the first thing you might think of as an example of the entertainment and technology of the future. But thanks to the joint efforts of media companies Shochiku and Dwango and their partnership with NTT, that's exactly what it has become.

IOWN's All-Photonics Network

The event was enabled by the IOWN All-Photonics Network (APN), a low-latency optical transmission system developed by NTT and partners at the IOWN Global Forum, and activated internationally with Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom in 2024.

The APN enabled performers at the Expo 2025 in Osaka and the Chunghwa Telecom Activity Center in Taipei to move and interact in perfect sync. Sword fights and choreography appeared to take place in a shared space, even though the two sets of performers were 3,000 kilometers apart. All made possible through incredibly fast transmission speeds, video screens and theatrical magic.

Surely the time lag at that kind of distance must have been huge? You'd think so. But the latency was so low and the transmission so rapid that it was genuinely difficult to notice any delay. All the audience members saw was natural performances from artists who happened to be in two different land masses.

Real-Life and Virtual Performers... and a Kabuki CEO

The show, titled "Hanakurabe Senbonzakura: Expo 2025 Version," took place in a semicircular auditorium at the Expo's "Shining Hat" exhibition hall, with a curved stage, a massive overhead screen, and five-panel digital display at floor level. NTT President and CEO Akira Shimada welcomed visitors in person and with a short video, playfully transforming his face into that of a kabuki actor using digital effects.

The production featured renowned performer Shido Nakamura and virtual pop star Hatsune Miku. Thanks to NTT's glasses-free XR system, Miku appeared via the five-panel digital display in full 3D, visible to everyone without the need for headsets or devices. Their interactions were carefully choreographed and felt seamless, both technically and theatrically.

The Shido Twin

The performance also included Nakamura's digital counterpart, the "Shido Twin," developed using NTT's Another Me body motion generation technology. It's a system that uses the Digital Twin Computing concept, aiming to create alternative versions of individuals in the digital space. The Shido Twin reproduced Nakamura's characteristic gestures using body motion modeling based on deep learning, capturing the precise movements that make up his unique stage presence. Voice synthesis technology made the Shido Twin even more real, mimicking his intonation and expressive tone by using and adapting pre-recorded data. Capable of speaking in Japanese, English, and Chinese, the Shido Twin helped welcome visitors and explain how to use earphones to enjoy the show.

The audience played their part in the show. Multi-colored penlights handed out before the performance were tracked using cross-modal search technology, and as the crowd waved and reacted, cherry blossoms fell in response from the stage's upper screen. Virtual blossoms, sure, but it helped to make the performance feel alive and connected.

Somersaults and Sword Fights, Thousands of Kilometers Apart

Without a doubt, the standout technology was the real-time connection to Taiwan. The performance was shown in Taipei, with a screen setup identical to the one in Osaka. Performers in Taiwan appeared on screen in Japan, and vice versa. Each could see and respond to the other's movements. It was even possible to look at the five-panel display in Osaka and, through it, see the same display in Taipei. Like looking in two mirrors, except that one of the mirrors was thousands of kilometers away.

It wasn't all about shiny new technology, of course. CHO-KABUKI featured a personal, and adorable, element when Nakamura was joined on stage by his sons Haruki (7) and Natsuki (4). The mini-performers joined in with sword fights (which they won, naturally) and won the affection of the audience. A simple, light moment in a production driven by complex technology, but that mix of humanity and high-tech is exactly what held the whole performance together.

The Real Meaning of CHO-KABUKI

For the vast majority of the audience, whether in Osaka or Taipei, CHO-KABUKI just felt like a good show. But behind the scenes, the underlying technology showed what future communication might look like: borderless, real-time, and quietly transformative.

Imagine it! Artists in different countries working together on stage without ever having to get on a plane. Or moving away from entertainment, think about the prospects for remote, live operation of machines using IOWN, whether conducting precise, difficult surgery or working in hazardous building environments where a low-latency video feed is essential. The barriers of geography are beginning to dissolve. CHO-KABUKI at Expo 2025 showed us how natural and human that can feel.

Daniel O'Connor

Daniel O'Connor joined the NTT Group in 1999 when he began work as the Public Relations Manager of NTT Europe. While in London, he liaised with the local press, created the company's intranet site, wrote technical copy for industry magazines and managed exhibition stands from initial design to finished displays.

Later seconded to the headquarters of NTT Communications in Tokyo, he contributed to the company's first-ever winning of global telecoms awards and the digitalisation of internal company information exchange.

Since 2015 Daniel has created content for the Group's Global Leadership Institute, the One NTT Network and is currently working with NTT R&D teams to grow public understanding of the cutting-edge research undertaken by the NTT Group.