On a rainy Christmas Eve, a surreal scene unfolds in front of the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno: Lifelike dinosaurs, led by handlers with paper lanterns, walk while traditional taiko drum music plays in the background.
This is a special performance by the Dino-A-Live team, known for its realistic dinosaur shows ranging from educational exhibitions to thrilling spectacles. Coming back for a second year due to popular demand, the show takes place every night until Dec. 28 at the museum.
¡°The Tokyo National Museum is a very special place, bringing together outstanding examples of craftsmanship from Japan and across Asia,¡± says Kazuya Kanemaru, CEO of On-Art, the company behind Dino-A-Live. ¡°In Japan, there is a belief that tools which are used for many years come to possess a spirit, becoming tsukumogami (artifact spirit). We felt that having the dinosaurs of Dino-A-Live ¡ª which represent a form of Japanese craftsmanship ¡ª come to life in this setting, as if they had acquired a spirit, could express this idea in a dramatic and symbolic way.¡±
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