Ito Meikyū takes you through a VR digital labyrinth inspired by Japanese art history and literature.
Produced by Sacrebleu Productions, Les Films Fauves, and Parangon with Boris Labbé directing, Ito Meikyū is a VR title inspired by The Fukinuki Yatai, The Tale of Genji, and The Pillow Book. This short experience aims to “unfold as a large sensory fresco with strong emotional potential,” letting you explore this surrealist animated realm comprised of fractal architectures, plants, people, motifs, calligraphy, and more.
“The virtual wandering space allows us to access different scenes based on the randomness of our choices: a kind of hide-and-seek game with the universe at the center of which we are the omniscient spectator,” says Labbé in a prepared statement.
I recently tried Ito Meikyū during NewImages Festival 2025 through the XR Market for 20 minutes on Quest 3. Because the headset doesn't have eye tracking functionality, movement is based on your headset position by looking towards white circles to advance. No controllers or hand tracking are needed and this frustratingly requires very precise aim, especially for circles further away.
While I enjoyed taking in this world's flavorful visual aesthetic, movement could be challenging, and I soon found myself stuck. A white circle wasn't visible on two occasions and that hampered the immersion, forcing me to go beyond my zone and walk past digital walls. I hope this gets updated to make navigation easier, I'd be curious to see an eye-tracked version on Apple Vision Pro or Quest Pro.
