The Art Research Center (ARC) of Ritsumeikan University was founded in 1998 with the aim of researching, analyzing, recording, sorting, preserving the tangible and intangible Japanese culture, mainly art, entertainment, technology, and skills, from the historical and social point of view. From the beginning as a research institute in the university at historical Kyoto, we are promoting collaborative project type researches and gathering the wisdom of researchers in different fields. It is very rare case on the humanities research organizations in Japan.

On the project utilizing the 3D virtual space, the new sensory characteristic brought by the physicality called avatar and the space property of the Metaverse are important key factors. The virtual space, like a Second Life developed by Linden Lab, is not only alternative analog information system, but also be a device that may use across digital archiving and digital exhibition. It will become an important architecture to preserve the past enormous Japanese design sensibility.

And on the other hand, another project utilizing the Augmented Reality, even though it is difficult to improve its branding image overnight, but even for general consumers, the value of traditional craft that is finely divided into the manufacturing process will be able to make clear and intuitive by utilizing this technology.