Fantas Aquarium

Welcome to the World of Fantas Projection

The Fantas Aquarium

Fantas projection is a visual production technique that uses Epson projectors to create a fanciful world within a given space. The idea for the Fantas Aquarium arose as we were exploring possibilities for Fantas projection. It was sparked by a comment from a nurse who had seen one of our projection shows and wished that the performance could be made accessible to children who are confined to a hospital or a hospital room. The Fantas Aquarium was created in response. Epson uses the distinctive qualities of projection to transform a space into a fun, gently stimulating immersive experience for people of all ages, but especially to those with few opportunities to engage the world beyond the walls of their facility.

Epson has visited special-needs schools, hospitals, and other institutions to stage the Fantas Aquarium since 2015. The project is underpinned by basic human kindness and the wish to bring joy to others. Preparation involves more than just Epson. We obtain vital input and involvement from scores of people, from teachers and staff at special-needs schools and other institutions, from medical and psychology professionals, from aquarium and zoo personnel who generously make their facilities available for shooting. Finally, there are the members of the creative staff who produce the video and music that are essential components of the whole Fantas Aquarium production.

Past Fantas Aquarium Performances

The Fantas Aquarium has been enjoyed by some 21,000 people at 69 locations in Japan since 2015. In the 2017 fiscal year, Epson brought the Fantas Aquarium to 28 facilities across Japan.

Case 1

Tottori Medical Center


In 2017, Epson arranged to present the Fantas Aquarium at the Tottori Medical Center. Some 300 people flocked to the venue. The show was designed particularly for patients in a wing of the hospital for people with serious disabilities, but we also welcomed many family members, hospital staff, and other visitors. There were some patients for whom moving to the venue would have been a challenge. So instead of having them come to us, we took the show to them, in their rooms, using Fantas Cars (mobile carts outfitted with video projectors).

Comments from a childcare worker


The family of one of our patients found out ahead of time that the Fantas Aquarium was coming, so they arrived at the hospital early and eagerly waited for the show to begin. The patient normally spends most of the day with eyes closed, but when the show started, he and his family became entranced by the images swimming on walls and ceiling. The nurses and I were touched by a moment of tenderness that the performance engendered between the father and child.

Case 2

Kamisugeta Special-Needs School


In 2016, about 400 people, including the entire student body and faculty of Kamisugeta Tokubetsu Shien Gakko, a special-needs school in Yokohama, along with their families, experienced the Fantas Aquarium. A gymnasium served as the main venue, where visitors could touch the soft pieces of cloth that act as screens and position themselves to enjoy dynamic images projected on the walls, ceiling, and floor. Fantas Cars (mobile carts outfitted with video projectors) were used to project images of jelly fish and other forms of aquatic life on walls and ceilings that some visitors excitedly chased.

Excerpts of comments from a member of the Kamisugeta Special-Needs School faculty

  • It was as if the entire space was suddenly under the sea. It was incredibly calming. Children with hearing loss, entranced by the light and images, enjoyed the atmosphere with their entire bodies.
  • The big fish gliding across the screen were a sight to see. It was as if we were in the ocean with them. It was wonderful. The show also seemed to relax the kids.

Involvement in the Fantas Aquarium

The Fantas Aquarium is underpinned by the wish to bring joy to others. It is our desire to spread involvement in the project worldwide.

An Event Run by Epson Volunteers

The Fantas Aquarium is run with the support of Epson volunteers.

Since the program was launched in 2015, a total of about 700 employees from nearly every corner of the company have participated as volunteers at one of the 94 sites in Japan where the event has been held.

Every year before the first event, all volunteers and staff members gather for a kick-off meeting. They learn how to set up for an event, and they share ideas for ensuring that all visitors can enjoy the Fantas Aquarium experience.

Once on site, the volunteers set up the projectors, screens, and other equipment, ensure safety, and support visitors. Motivated by the desire to help, our employees are eager to deliver the best visual experience possible to special-needs schools, hospitals, and wherever else they can help.

Award

In November 2019, the Fantas Aquarium won the Global Corporate Sustainability Best Practice Award*1 at the Global Corporate Sustainability Forum, which is sponsored by the Alliance for Sustainable Developments Goals, an organization made up of groups from Taiwan's industry, government, academia and NGOs. The Fantas Aquarium was selected for this award in recognition of its contributions to society through employee volunteerism in a program that uses an original projection technique called "Fantas Projection." In addition, the Fantas Aquarium has opened in Taiwan under the same name "Meng Huan Le Yuan" and provides Taiwanese children with an exciting visual experience.

*1 This award is aimed towards global companies that have sites in Taiwan.

Videos from Past Fantas Aquarium Events