I served as a judge at the final judging session for the IVRC (Interverse Virtual Reality Challenge), a competition in which teams composed primarily of students plan and create interactive works.

Becoming a cormorant and swallowing a sweetfish, stepping inside the TV, climbing inside a bowling ball and being carried along, stepping into a sauna that actually warms your whole body even though it’s VR, and pulling out a sacred sword using nothing but your concentration.

I've had a truly diverse range of experiences unique to VR that you can't have in the real world. Each one is incredibly well-crafted, which is amazing. Above all, it's a ton of fun!!!

The IVRC is a long-standing competition that has been held since 1993, and believe it or not, the winner of the very first competition was Professor Inami, the current chair of the organizing committee. It’s wonderful to see a community that continues to grow while passing the torch to the next generation.

As I watched the awards ceremony, which was held as a hybrid event combining the metaverse and the real world, I saw that many people were using avatars by default, and it made me want to create my own “other body” and “other life” in the virtual world as well.

The reason is that during today’s VR experience, I apparently threw three consecutive strikes in VR bowling—which seems to be a “first” for a first-timer—and reportedly came in first place by a landslide in an experience where I had to multitask in VR. This made me feel that the VR world might actually suit me better than the real world.

The photo shows Executive Committee Chair Masahiko Inami, who has transformed into a cormorant and is targeting a sweetfish—a gift from Dr. Minamizawa of KMD—and me, who has become a hero and is drawing the sacred sword.

(When I wore a red haori, several people told me, “You look like a Jedi.” I’ve never been told that before. Everyone in this community has such a unique sense of style—I love it.)