About Stage Program

Plenty to choose from!

Over 20 programs

Stage performances to stimulate creativity, presentations to deepen understanding of technology, and dialogues to inspire new educational and business ideas. A variety of presenters will grace the stage. This year, there will also be a dedicated interactive stage where we can do workshops and Q&A sessions from the audience.

*Simultaneous Interpretation Available

"Ingredient"

Yohei Koike, Jorge E. Ruiz Cano

An event spin-off from Tokyo Anim Unite (11/9-10).
Two Hollywood animators will present a number of quick drawings reflecting on the life of their careers to date. There are many turning points in their lives that have had a major impact on their work. Please enjoy the episodic talk. 

Special sketch class - the ordinary days of Shinjuku 

Yoriko Ito

A special edition of a sketching class by Yoriko Ito, a concept artist active in the Hollywood CG animation industry. The members will go out into the streets of Shinjuku at the opening of Connected Ink and draw ordinary day life in Shinjuku on the day of November 16. In the evening, the works will be introduced along with Ms. Ito's talk. Also, the sketches will fly around the night sky of Shinjuku leveraged by AR technology.

Interface that blends into daily life

mui Lab is a Kyoto-based startup that proposes a "future lifestyle" in which people, nature, and technology are in harmony. In order to offer a comfortable smart home, we value to combine the latest technology with primitive experiences that move people's hearts. One of them is the handwriting function using Wacom digital ink. We will talk about what it means to engrave the words of a family in their daily spaces.

Digital coloring workshop with Seigakuin High School

Seigakuin High School, known for its strong focus on STEAM education, is participating in Connected Ink again. Using Wacom pen displays from their box art creation class, students will host a digital coloring experience with their original sketches inspired by the theme 'Ordinary Days.' This event is open to everyone. Come and enjoy coloring your Ordinary Days with the Seigakuin  students!

What is the purpose of establishing the Animation System Community?

Nobu Ide, Yasuhiro Todoroki

Japanese animation is now widely viewed in Japan and abroad through various platforms, and the market has doubled in size over the past decade. However, the number of production orders has been unstoppably increased, and the challenges of human resources to support quality and the digitization of production processes are piling up. We will discuss the purpose of establishment of the Animation System Community that effectively utilizes digital technology while looking to the future of the industry.

Music x Drawing x Dance performance

- "MUSHA"

Ktyｍ, Masayuki Kagei, NORA

"I'm nothing. And that's my everything. "

Dance performance - "Ordinary Days"

Team IMPALA

"This country was built on pushing things forward. We just kept going and going and going and making things up as we went along. Somewhere along the way, that became “Ordinary Days.” This lovable stupidity is expressed in a sad and humorous way.

Dance performance - "Beat / Metamorphose"

NORA

 "Wrapping my heartbeat warmly. And when I listen gently."

About Exhibition and Booth

A variety of unique experiences, free food and drinks!

Spectacular numbers of creative works by famous artists. A hands-on corner for next-generation technology, partner and sponsor booths, and many other unique exhibits and experiences. Enjoy free drinks and food provided by kitchen cars.

Exhibition of Drawing with Wacom

Wacom's popular “Drawing with Wacom” content, which features professional illustration making videos and interviews, will be exhibited for the first time! Please enjoy the high-quality printed professional works together with the making videos.

Watch on YouTube 

Exhibition of artworks by WCCC Students

Creative artwork by students from WCCC member schools.
Wacom Creators College Club (WCCC) is a special program for students, teachers and staff at universities, colleges, vocational schools and high schools in creative fields.
A total of about 60 works by young creators will decorate the Connected Ink.

Website: https://tablet.wacom.co.jp/wccc/

Wacom  Creative Product Experience Booth

Visitors can try out Wacom pen tablets and LCD pen tablets, including the popular OLED pen tablet “Wacom Movink” and other products used by professionals.

Website: https://tablet.wacom.co.jp/

SIAF 2024 Last Ink

SIAF (Sapporo International Art Festival) is an art festival held once every three years in Sapporo. Wacom participated as an initiative partner in SIAF2024, which was held from Saturday, January 20 to Sunday, February 25, 2024.
At Connected 2024, we will recreate and exhibit part of the program “Last Ink” that was showcased during SIAF2024. Additionally, we will display part of the art education program that we are continuing to implement in collaboration with SIAF.

Life Ink 3.0

The Future Ink Project is a collaborative research project between Wacom and Ars Electronica Futurelab to explore the future of creativity through various aspects of ink.The team explored the inner "sparks" in our brain and body.In this year TOA had joined this project and Sound expression is incorporated into Life ink. We hope you will stop by our booth and experience the demo.

SHIKUMI DESIGN, Inc.

Springin’ is an app that lets anyone easily create games or picture books! From kids to adults, you can enjoy programming with intuitive controls. At this booth, you’ll see works created with Springin’ and even have the chance to create your own project on the spot. Experience the fun of bringing your unique ideas to life—don’t miss this opportunity to unleash your creativity!

"Creators Help Creators" by 🔔@Re:絵(Bell Atelier)

Bellsystem24 handles calls from creators inquiring about Wacom products, and many of its call center staff are creators who draw pictures themselves. They are truly “Creators Help Creators. In July this year, Bellsystem24 created a drawing club within the center. It is called 🔔@Re: 絵 (Bell Atelier). Please take a look at the many works created by the club members.

Create Your 'Ordinary Days' Keychain

Create your original 'Ordinary Days' keychain using characters from the key visual of Connected Ink 2024 by the illustrator ktym. You can experience digital creation by coloring a line drawing and adding hand-written text using a Wacom pen display. Your completed artwork will be made into a keychain for you to take home. Let’s color your 'Ordinary Days' with Creative Chaos!

Figure art x 3D avatar x dance performance

This year, a 3D avatar of the figure “Kyubi-no-bokansya,” created as part of the 2022 MINAMOTO project, will be realized.
In this Connected Ink performance, contemporary dancers with free physical expression will be invited to synchronize with the 3D avatar in real time using a motion capture device.
We hope you will enjoy this new experiment born from figurines.

Website: https://minamoto-civ.jp/

LIMITS Creative Park miniance

LIMITS Creative Park is a creative experience event by LIMITS for digital art battles! This year's event will consist of “Experience LIMITS” and “Kids LIMITS Creative Drill”. Everyone from kids to adults, can experience the excitement of the LIMITS battles that you always see on stage, and to develop your creativity, planning skills and expression skills based on LIMITS.

Indie games depicting ordinary days

While the depiction of the extraordinary has been the norm in video games, there are a wide variety of indie games that focus on the ordinary days. For this event, we have selected four unique Japanese indie games that highlight the gap between the ordinary and the extraordinary. Experience how our ordinary days has been sublimated into video games.

Koinobori (Carp banner) x Ordinary Days

When you think of koinobori, you usually think them swimming in the spring breeze. However, we (Koishikai) are different. We spend long days trying to shine as much as we can for just the month of May. When we wake up in the morning, there is a carp banner that we have not yet painted. There's probably not a day that we don't think about carp banners. Carp banners will be hung from the ceiling. Please enjoy seeing them.

Nobutaka(Nobu) Ide

President and CEO, Wacom

Joined Wacom in 2013. Assumed the role of CEO role in 2018. Established Connected Ink Village in 2020. Works on creative collaboration with his daughter who is a professional performer on holiday.

Yohei Koike

Founder of Anitoon, Japan's first online animation school.
Based in California, he has worked as an animator in both the game and film industries. He has been sharing Hollywood animation techniques with Japan for 10 years.

Website: https://www.anitoon.jp/

Jorge E. Ruiz Cano

Has worked as a front-line animator at Walt Disney Animation Studios for years. He has been in charge of acting and action shots for various Disney's major films with his solid technical skills. A big fan of Dragon Ball.

Yoriko Ito

Has worked in the concept art field of the Hollywood CG animation industry. Her years of experience and logical understanding of color, light, and silhouette control are indispensable elements in the entertainment industry.

Website: https://www.school.yorikoito.com

Yasuhiro Todoroki

Evangelist, Wacom

As a Wacom evangelist, Todoroki has connections with domestic and international animation studios and vendors, is well versed in the digital landscape, and serves as a moderator for the ACTF (Animation Creative Technology Forum).

Shin Imai

IGN Japan

Joined Sankei Digital in 2016 and is the deputy editor-in-chief of IGN JAPAN, a game entertainment website, where he has covered the indie game scene, served as a judge for awards, and managed events for many years. His hobbies include music.

Website: https://jp.ign.com/

ktym

Illustrator

While working on event visuals, book illustrations, logos, etc., she is also active in a wide range of activities as a digital performer, including speed production and collaboration with dancers. Currently addicted to video production.

Website: https://yuki-ktym.myportfolio.com/

NORA

We are contemporary dance performance team. "NORA" means stray in Japanese. Sometime each of us dances in different place and sometime we dance together. We dance whatever, wherever, whenever you want.