Microsoft's HoloLens Transports One of Japan's Oldest Temples into the Future in Kyoto

The oldest Zen temple in Kyoto, Japan, is now firmly rooted in the future with the launch of the MR Museum on Thursday.

Produced by hakuhodo-VRAR, a new HoloLens experience at Kyoto's Kennin-ji Zen temple turns what was static imagery and art into living history, including a holographic Zen Buddhist monk to explain what you're seeing.

Using the HoloLens, visitors get to see the 400-year-old painting "The Folding Screen of Fujin and Raijin (Wind God and Thunder God Screens)" by Tawaraya Sotatsu come to life before their very eyes.

hakuhodo-VRAR/YouTube

The temple dates back to the second year of the Kennin Era (A.D. 1202) during the Kamakura Period, making the over 800-year-old temple a kind of time portal into a different era, particularly when paired with the interactive capabilities of the HoloLens.

The 10-minute experience was produced in part at one of Microsoft's new Mixed Reality Capture Studios and includes volumetric performances, map data, animations, and interactive portions that allow visitors to use the familiar HoloLens pinch gesture to engage certain aspects of the presentation.

And while the HoloLens has now made the Japanese temple timeless, you'll need to hurry if you're interested in experiencing the first Japanese HoloLens experience that has harnessed the power of Microsoft's Mixed Reality Capture Studios. The exhibit, which is free to the public, is set to end on March 2.

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Cover image via hakuhodo-VRAR/YouTube