Explore Japan — Season 1, Episode 15: The Captivating World of Escape Games

Episode synopsis

The Japanese are captivated by a game with one simple rule: Solve the puzzle and escape the room. What began as an online escape game has evolved into the “real-life” escape game, an in-person experience filled with adventure and entertainment. In this program, Arisa reports on the masterminds behind these captivating real-life escape games. Also, learn about the very first junior high school in Japan to incorporate the real-life escape game into their entrance exams. We interview the faculty, as well as students who took the exams. In addition, Arisa tries her hand at a game that has been created by first-year junior high school students. Join us as we visit the game creators in their workplace, interviewing Kato Takao, one of the people responsible for the game’s popularity. We were also allowed a peek into the atelier that is the birthplace of the intriguing special effects such as bombs and treasure chests. Join Arisa as she experiences the mysterious items for herself!

About Explore Japan

Japan continues to thrive as it incorporates cultural elements of music, fashion, cuisine, sports, arts and science from around the world. People’s encounters trigger the fusion of Japan’s and the world’s diverse culture, unceasingly producing a myriad of new phenomena and events. This series will feature how various culture in modern Japan and overseas blend together and influence each other.

More episodes from Season 1

• E1Koshu: The Miraculous Wine
• E2Japan-discovery, Self-discovery: Exchange Students in Tokyo
• E3My Life with Aikido
• E4Delivering to Space
• E5Peru & Japan Fusion of Cuisine
• E6The Somin Naked Festival
• E7The World of Miniatures
• E8The Manufacturing Spirit and Sustainability
• E9Japanese Gardens, Aesthetic Encounters
• E10Going Beyond Tradition: The Challenge of Craftspeople in Kyoto
• E11Innovative Japanese Bread
• E12Capturing Masters’ Workmanship