Founders' Voices Guide Guests Through a Journey Across Time
Yamaha Corporation's virtual spatial audio solution for earphones and headphones, "Sound xR Core," has been adopted for the audio guide experience at The Fujiya Hotel (located in Hakone Town, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture). The experience is provided through GATARI Inc.'s (headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Shunichi Takeshita) Mixed Reality (MR) platform "Auris."
The "Sound xR Core" solution enables immersive 360-degree spatial audio through standard earphones or headphones. By precisely positioning audio content in three-dimensional space, it creates interactive and high-quality sound imaging and spatial design.
At The Fujiya Hotel, guests using GATARI Inc.'s audio guide experience can open the "Auris" app on their smartphones. When they use the in-app camera to scan iconic designs throughout the hotel premises, they can listen to audio guides related to those specific locations. While slowly touring the grand hotel interior, visitors hear conversations between the first-generation and third-generation founders, accompanied by background music and sound effects. The experience feels like traveling through time to touch the hotel's story. Yamaha Corporation's "Sound xR Core" was chosen as the audio technology to enhance this new appreciation experience, where the voices of the founders are brought back to life through "Auris" and guide visitors through the hotel's history.
Audio Guide Overview
Date: Starting December 29, 2025 (Monday)
Location: The Fujiya Hotel (359 Miyanoshita, Hakone Town, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture)
Reception Hours: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (last reception at 3:30 PM)
Duration: Approximately 45 minutes
How to Experience: Please inquire at the front desk if you wish to experience the guide
Price: 500 yen (includes audio guide experience plus an original map)
Languages: Japanese / English
For more details, please visit:
GATARI Inc. Homepage: https://gatari.co.jp/news/fujiyahotel_auris/
The Fujiya Hotel Homepage: https://www.fujiyahotel.jp/recommend/thefujiyahotelhistorytour.html
About The Fujiya Hotel
Founded in 1878, The Fujiya Hotel was born in Hakone's Miyanoshita area as Japan's first full-fledged resort hotel. Designated as a registered tangible cultural property of Japan, it is cherished by many people as a unique space where classic design and Hakone's natural beauty interweave.
About Auris
Auris is a Mixed Reality* platform that creates immersive experiences in reality with just one smartphone, no coding required. Its distinctive feature is the ability to realize unprecedented immersive experiences with just a smartphone and earphones. With its proprietary spatial scanning and self-positioning system, along with highly flexible authoring capabilities, anyone can create new experiences anytime, anywhere.
*Mixed Reality (MR): Technology that allows digital information to be overlaid onto real-world spaces for enhanced experiences.
