A sakura wonderland
A cherry blossom-inspired digital art showcase lights up lalaport BBCC in Kuala lumpur.
IF you have yet to experience Japan’s world-renowned cherry blossom season, you’ll now be able to take a stroll at Lalaport BBCC mall in the heart of Kuala Lumpur to check out the digital blooms in the “Sakura Festival” art experience, which opened last Saturday.
The showcase is powered by Naked, Inc, a Tokyo-based outfit that will be marking its first-ever digital art and projection mapping display in Malaysia, after successfully presenting shows across Japan as well as in Paris and Shanghai.
Its most recent immersive art showcase was at the World Heritage Site Nijo-jo Castle in Kyoto for this year.
Naked, Inc’s Sakura Festival in KL will run until May 19, held nightly at the Central Rooftop Garden, Level 4, Lalaport BBCC. This outdoor venue, previously hosting teamlab’s Resonating Microcosms exhibition in 2022, drew crowds of thousands during the festival’s opening.
“The primary reason we chose this location is that many Malaysians are familiar with Japanese culture, and we wish to deliver one of Japan’s most iconic seasonal experiences of cherry blossoms,” reads a statement from Naked, Inc.
“For this project in particular, where we used the staircase at the rooftop space of Lalaport, we needed to map the projection surfaces in detail for each step of the staircase.”
For Malaysians, this showcase presents an opportunity to experience “sakura season”, while seeing how projection mapping technology can transform ordinary spaces. Besides the illuminated cherry blossoms, visitors will also be able to smell the fragrant sakura flower through bubble machines that carry it across the garden space, while appreciating installations reminiscent of Japan’s sakura season.
During the weekends, the Central Rooftop Garden will transform into a Sakura Market, boasting 30 bazaar booths with a pink theme. The bazaar operates from 4pm to 10pm.
Here, visitors can explore a vibrant fusion of Malaysian and Japanese cuisine, alongside an array of crafts. You can even rent the yukata, a traditional Japanese garment, for a more immersive experience.
During the first weekend, large crowds picnicked in the evenings before enjoying the light display.
The showcase, open daily, is free admission. It begins on the ground floor of Lalaport BBCC for registration and a seasonal menu special at WOW Plaza, before guiding visitors to the outdoor garden.
The Sakura Festival, rooted in Japan’s Hanami tradition, celebrates the fleeting beauty of cherry blossoms.
Annually, Japan’s meteorology department forecasts the blossom period (typically late March to early May), prompting locals to arrange outdoor activities like picnics. Tourists eagerly seek out prime viewing spots across Japan as the blossoms only grace the landscape for a brief week or two.