Japanese developers MyDearest and Spicy Tails announced the AniVR Japan Tour, which aims to bring Japanese VR content to the west, will begin at Anime Expo 2019.

During Anime Expo 2019, attendees will be able to get their hands on a playable demo of Tokyo Chronos and Spice and Wolf VR, two visual novel VR titles coming west at the Tokyo Otaku Mode booth (#4401).

However, the experience doesn’t stop there, the initiative will also host a panel during the event titled “Dive into the World of VR Anime! “AniVR Japan” Special Session” on July 7 at 1:30 pm at LACC 408 AB (Live Programming 3). During the panel, Tokyo Chronos director Haruki Kashiwakura and MyDearest CEO Kento Kishigami will discuss bringing anime to VR.

Kishigami-san is heading this project and says, “Currently, the mainstream of VR games is mainly FPS mostly in western countries. Of course, they are all wonderful works and great games. However, are those the only games we want in VR? I say ‘No.'” The CEO continues, “And this is why I went to see Isuna Hasekura and asked him, ‘Would you like to work together to create the virtual world where Japanese anime characters become the mainstream?’ Spice and Wolf VR is my favorite VR game and indeed one of the greatest VR contents so far. And we’ve made Tokyo Chronos with all our might. This is going to be the prologue of the new VR world where anime characters make their own futures.”

Isuna Hasekura followed up with a response as well, saying, “When people experience VR for the first time, they find a new world. However, I believe everyone finds a different “new world.” It may be some country you’ve never been, someplace you can’t usually enter, or someplace where you can meet someone you can’t usually see. Therefore, we could say that VR is a kind of mirror which shows what players desire.”

The rest of the tour will visit the following western events:

7/4 – 7/7: Anime Expo 2019(Los Angels)

8/30 – 9/1: Crunchyroll Expo 2019(San Jose)

9/12 – 9/19: Tokyo Game Show 2019)(Tokyo)

11/16 – 11/18: Anime NYC 2019(New York)

Hasekura-san ends his statement by saying, “In VR, we have found a world where anime characters live.

Farewell to the reality! Hello, 2D world! Let’s get to an adventure with the characters in your favorite anime.”