The Future of XR Creation

The summer 2026 edition of this Tokyo XR gathering centers on a talk by Akihiko Shirai, Ph.D., entertainment systems researcher and founder and CEO of AICU Inc. Drawing on nearly 30 years of work spanning RenderWare, NHK Enterprises, ENSAM in France, Miraikan, and GREE VR Studio Laboratory, he traces a path from immersive VR for children and science museum exhibits through VTubers and smartphone metaverse platforms to AI-driven UGC and the AI manga YOUKAI, then asks what is worth building beyond XR and generative AI. The talk is delivered in English, with real-time subtitles available on your phone through a QR code link. The evening also carries open lightning talk slots of two to three minutes, useful for introducing yourself, a project, or a demo. Slots are limited and organizers ask that you message ahead to secure one. Three hands-on demos are lined up: Amanda Parks shows Busy Buds, a mixed reality productivity prototype that placed third globally in the Utility and Design Experiences category at the 2024 Meta Quest Presence Platform Hackathon; Yusuke Yamazaki brings the Hapbeat wearable haptic device, which turns audio into body-felt vibration and drives directly from a Quest 3 over an ordinary Wi-Fi access point with Unity and Unreal SDKs; and Manabu Iekame showcases new and upcoming features of DeoVR, a high quality video streaming platform for XR. Doors open at 19:00, the program runs from 19:25, and socialising and demos fill the block from 20:15 until the 21:45 finish. Entry is free, light drinks and snacks are provided, and you are welcome to bring your own. The venue is the third floor meeting room of the Shinjuku office of STYLY, the event's sponsor and a long time partner of the group.