Four Works to See in the Onboard Theater of the Cruise Ship “Asuka III,” Including “KAGUYA” and “MYSTERIO”

NYK Cruises’ cruise ship “Asuka III” entered service on July 20, 2025. In its onboard theater, the “Lumière Theater,” four original works produced by HITOHATA, INC. are performed and screened for passengers in long runs. “KAGUYA,” an homage to “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,” and “MYSTERIO,” themed on ancient Mexican civilization, are performing arts combining video and dance. “Deep Ocean” and “Timeless Japan Art” are immersive arts (video works) of about 30 minutes each.

Based on official information from the operator and HITOHATA, INC., this article sorts out the ship and theater, the content of the four works and how to see them. All are presented on board, so seeing them requires being a passenger on an Asuka III cruise.

*Disclosure: The four works introduced in this article were produced by HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE (About us).

What are Asuka III and the Lumière Theater?

Asuka III is a cruise ship operated by NYK Cruises. According to the operator’s official website, its naming ceremony was held on July 11, 2025, and it entered service on the 20th of that month. Its home port is Yokohama, its gross tonnage is 52,265 GT, and it is 230 meters long and 29.8 meters wide. It has 351 staterooms, all with ocean-view balconies, and carries 680 passengers and about 490 crew.

Of the ship’s name, the operator explains that it carries on the value of the first “Asuka” and “Asuka II” and expresses a determination to open up the future of cruising in Japan. On board are six restaurants, bars, a spa, pools and more, and the hub of entertainment is the Lumière Theater.

According to the operator’s entertainment page, the theater has a large LED screen and a holographic screen. It is a venue for “performing arts” that combine the images shown on them with dance on stage. In an introductory article published by the operator in April 2024, before the ship entered service, the theater was described as located at the front of Deck 6. The number of seats is not given on the official pages we checked.

Art is also one of the elements the ship has emphasized. In an introductory article in November 2023, before entering service, the operator explained that Asuka III would be adorned with artworks and crafts like a “floating museum at sea.” It said works by Hiroshi Senju would be hung in the restaurants and café, and a large lacquer work by Kazumi Murose, about 9 meters tall and 3 meters wide, in the atrium. The idea is that, apart from the theater’s video works, passengers can encounter artworks throughout the ship.

Performing arts: “KAGUYA” and “MYSTERIO”

HITOHATA, INC.’s two works layer dance performances over digital art imagery on holographic and LED screens. Each runs about 30 minutes, and HITOHATA, INC.’s own works page introduces them as a new kind of immersive performing arts. Before the ship entered service, the operator also explained in an introductory article that HITOHATA, INC.’s works would take stories everyone knows as their subjects, express their worlds with images and music and combine them with dance.

“KAGUYA”

Performed in a long run since Monday, July 21, 2025 (national holiday), it is an homage to “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,” written in the Heian period and regarded as the oldest surviving Japanese tale. It depicts the moon, bamboo groves, the Milky Way, the world of folding-screen paintings and more through the beauty of Japanese sentiment and dance. About 100 performances a year are planned.

“MYSTERIO”

Performed in a long run since Thursday, July 24, 2025. Its theme is ancient Mexican civilization, full of mystery and romance. Elements such as the sun, the jungle, animals in primary colors and prayers to the gods are expressed in dance and woven into a mysterious story. About 70 performances a year are planned, and the performers vary by cruise.

For both works, the general producer is Takeaki Higashiyama, president of HITOHATA, INC., the director is Junya Yamada, the creative director is Takaki Nagao and the choreographer is MIWA. The video director is Takeshi Dewa for “KAGUYA” and Naohiro Yako for “MYSTERIO.”

The two works received the Platinum Award (Platinum Winner) at the “MUSE Creative Awards 2026,” organized by the IAA (International Awards Associate), described as the highest honor in the “Experiential & Immersive - Hologram / Projection” category. The operator, NYK Cruises, also announced the award on September 28, 2026. As for cumulative performances, HITOHATA, INC. announced that “KAGUYA” passed 100 performances in July 2026 and “MYSTERIO” in September. Details are in our article on the 100-performance milestone and the creative team.

Immersive arts: “Deep Ocean” and “Timeless Japan Art”

As video works, HITOHATA, INC. also created two immersive arts pieces. Both have been screened in a long run at the Lumière Theater since Wednesday, July 23, 2025, and each runs about 30 minutes. They tell their stories with three-dimensional digital art imagery on holographic and LED screens.

“Deep Ocean”

An homage to Jules Verne’s science fiction novel “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas.” It imaginatively depicts the mysterious world of the sea, from the deep ocean and coral reefs to ancient ruins on the seabed, and the strange creatures that live there, inviting viewers into a mysterious story of exploration. It is also a work depicting the world of the sea in a cruise ship’s theater. About 50 screenings a year are planned.

“Timeless Japan Art”

Through ukiyo-e, the work traces the aesthetics and inner landscapes of the artists and depicts the appeal of movement and stillness woven by Japanese dance and shamisen. HITOHATA, INC.’s works page introduces it as an original video work that immerses viewers in a space colored by Japanese culture. About 60 screenings a year are planned. On land, HITOHATA, INC. also holds video exhibitions on ukiyo-e in various places, and their history is compiled in our feature on the “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition” series.

How can you see them? Onboard entertainment for passengers

All four works are performed and screened in the onboard theater for passengers. According to the operator, the Lumière Theater stages shows by either “HITOHATA, INC.” or “Shiro A” on each cruise. Shiro A is introduced as a performance group of video, music and dance using projection mapping. Its works are “TECHNO CIRCUS,” set to YMO’s signature songs, and “GENJI,” depicting the Genpei War.

Shows are staged several times during a single cruise, and passengers can choose the time they like. Performance schedules can be checked on the tablets in the staterooms and on the ship’s digital signage. HITOHATA, INC.’s works page also notes that the program may differ depending on the cruise schedule.

In other words, which works can be seen depends on the cruise. The operator’s entertainment page does not mention fees or whether reservations are needed (as of October 19). If you have a particular work in mind, check with the operator before boarding.

Besides the theater, live music is also performed at four places on board: the Albatross Pool and the Vista Lounge (both on Deck 11), the Mariner’s Club (Deck 6) and Asuka Plaza (Deck 5), with jazz, pop, classical music and more. Performers change from cruise to cruise.

Editor’s perspective

HITOHATA, INC. has so far produced exhibitions such as the “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition” and projection mapping at castles, temples, shrines and government buildings. The Lumière Theater on Asuka III can be seen as an example of bringing those video techniques into a cruise ship’s theater and incorporating stages of video and dance into the passengers’ stay. The planned numbers of performances, about 100 and about 70 a year, show that these are not short-term events but works performed repeatedly as part of the ship’s program.

The choice of subjects is also distinctive. Works dealing with Japanese culture, such as “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,” ukiyo-e, Japanese dance and shamisen, stand alongside works based on ancient Mexican civilization and “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas.” It is a lineup that alternates Japanese subjects and stories from around the world aboard a Japanese cruise ship.

The operator’s concept for Asuka III is “The happiest time for each and every one of you,” promoting a personalized cruise life that guests can enjoy as they like. The theater’s practice of staging shows several times per cruise so that passengers can watch at a time of their choosing can be read as following that idea. On the other hand, unlike a permanent venue on land, whether one gets to see a work depends on which cruise one takes, a condition unique to a theater at sea. For immersive forms of expression in general, see also our explainer on immersive art.

Frequently asked questions

What is performed at the theater aboard Asuka III?

The onboard Lumière Theater stages and screens four original works produced by HITOHATA, INC.: the performing arts pieces “KAGUYA” and “MYSTERIO,” which combine video and dance (about 30 minutes each), and the immersive arts pieces “Deep Ocean” and “Timeless Japan Art” (about 30 minutes each).

Can I see them without boarding the ship?

No. All four works are performed or screened for passengers in the ship’s theater, so you need to be on an Asuka III cruise to see them. Each cruise features either HITOHATA’s stage or that of Shiro-A, so which works you can see depends on the cruise.

Where can I check the performance schedule?

The works are performed several times during each cruise, and the schedule is shown on stateroom tablets and the ship’s digital signage. If you want to see a specific work, check with the cruise operator before boarding.

Overview

Name: Asuka III Original Performing Arts “KAGUYA” and “MYSTERIO”; Asuka III Original Immersive Arts “Deep Ocean” and “Timeless Japan Art”
Period: Long runs (“KAGUYA” from Monday, July 21, 2025, a national holiday; “Deep Ocean” and “Timeless Japan Art” from Wednesday, July 23, 2025; “MYSTERIO” from Thursday, July 24, 2025)
Running time: About 30 minutes each
Venue: Lumière Theater aboard the cruise ship “Asuka III”
Viewing: Onboard entertainment for passengers. The program may differ depending on the cruise schedule. Performance schedules are shown on stateroom tablets and the ship’s digital signage
Operator: NYK Cruises Co., Ltd.
Producer: HITOHATA, INC.
Official website: https://www.asukacruise.co.jp/asuka3/entertainment/
*Information as of October 21, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: “Asuka III” Original Performing Arts “KAGUYA” (from a press release by HITOHATA, INC.)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on official announcements by each organizer and facility (as of October 21, 2026).

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team

A note from the publisher

*Disclosure: The four works introduced in this article were produced by HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE (About us).

The latest information on events produced by HITOHATA, INC. is available at HITOHATA, INC.’s event information. Inquiries about planning immersive shows and spatial staging are accepted through the company’s contact form.