A super realistic giant 3D cat has appeared on a billboard in Shinjuku

Bright lights and countless billboards are one of the first things that come to mind when you think of busy areas such as Shibuya or Shinjuku. While the large screen at Shibuya Scramble Crossing may be tempting for advertisers, it doesn’t compare to the new high-tech billboard attached to Cross Shinjuku Vision, located across from Shinjuku Station’s east exit. 

The digital billboard spans over three floors and stands out from the rest as it features a curved LED screen, which can display 4K images, and is accompanied by speakers. The curved screen allows for more depth and can also help create a jaw-dropping 3D effect. You’ve probably seen viral footage of these 3D screens in other countries including China and South Korea, where the ads seem to jump off the screen.

To introduce the new 3D technology to the streets of Tokyo, Cross Shinjuku has started screening a giant 3D calico cat on its billboard. The cat was first teased in July with short videos in between ads and would wake up at 7am when the screen turns on and go to sleep in the evening before the screen turns off at 1am.

The cat has proved so popular, it's now making more frequent appearances. The cat even has three different modes throughout the day where you can see it meow, yawn and wave its tail around. The three modes are the 'morning' cat, which appears at the top of every hour, the 'talking' cat, which happens multiple times each hour, and the 'goodnight' cat, which appears half an hour before the screen shuts off. 

Just so you're not waiting around aimlessly for the cat to appear, the building keeps an updated screening schedule for the cat on its official Twitter page (Japanese only). The hours are currently shortened due to the ongoing state of emergency, so it's a good idea to check the schedule before heading over. For now, the cat is showing up daily between 7am and 7.31pm.

If you can't make it to Shinjuku, you can also keep tabs on the cat online, as Cross Shinjuku Vision has a live-stream video of the billboard on its YouTube channel. For more information, visit the website.

This article was originally published on July 6 and updated on August 12.

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