MoN Takanawa opens immersive live spin off of Belle with PROJECT LAYRA, blending virtual and real-stage performance

MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives in Tokyo opened an immersive stage production titled "Animmersive Live Ryu to Sobakasu no Hime - PROJECT LAYRA -" on October 10, 2026. The production is a live, theatrical and musical expansion of Mamoru Hosoda's animated film Belle, staging a sequel story set five years after the movie and translating the film's virtual world into a shared, in-person experience for audiences.

What opened and when

The project launched on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at the new MoN Takanawa Box1000 venue. Organisers held a media genpro, or final dress rehearsal, on October 9 where several of the LAYRA performers took part and Hosoda Mamoru, the film's director and original creator, attended and described the experience as something that could not be labelled solely as a play or a concert.

Format and creative approach

PROJECT LAYRA is framed as a spin off that takes place inside the film's virtual network, called U, five years after the events of Belle. The creative team has combined live staging, original music, projection mapping and smartphone-linked interactive elements so that audience members move from passive watchers to immersive participants. The Box1000 theatre is presented as the site of a Utopia music festival within the story, with the audience positioned as festival-goers who experience the event as if they are part of the film's sixty eight billion strong virtual crowd.

The production explicitly aims to blur boundaries between real and virtual performers. Five different singers and performers rotate in the role of the virtual star LAYRA, and each brings a distinct interpretation. The five performers announced and participating are miwa, Kontake Natsumi, Suzuki Konomi, Miki Maria and ASCA. They play both the avatar LAYRA in the virtual sequences and the real world origin characters on stage, switching between virtual and human modes as part of the narrative framing.

Technology and music

Organisers have highlighted a set of technical collaborators. The project lists Sony and SoVeC as technology partners, with a smartphone audio synchronization system enabling audience devices to sync with onstage audio and deliver coordinated sensory cues. TeddyLoid produced new music for the show, and a new song titled "Anata e" was announced for digital release on October 14, 2026, performed by the five LAYRA artists as the show’s closing piece.

That combination of a high profile music producer and immersive audio-visual design positions the event as a hybrid concert and theatrical experiment, intended to extend the life of the Belle property beyond the screen and showcase techniques for connecting live audiences directly to virtual character performances.

Production partners and ticketing

The production is presented by MoN Takanawa and an Animmersive Live production committee composed of the MoN foundation, Sony Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Nippon Television Network Corporation, BS Nippon Television, Lawson Entertainment and other partners. Studio Chizu, the animation company behind Hosoda’s films, is listed as a cooperating partner.

Performances run from October 10 through November 15, 2026. Tickets are on sale through standard Japanese ticketing platforms and pricing reported by local outlets starts from 6,600 yen. The organisers are offering limited run merchandise and a ticket benefit that includes a choice of commemorative goods for attendees.

Why this matters for Japanese film franchises and cross media

PROJECT LAYRA is notable because it demonstrates an established Japanese film director and studio expanding an animated property into a dedicated live performance format that aims to preserve and continue the original narrative world. Unlike standard concert tie ins or occasional stage adaptations, this production presents a contiguous sequel story anchored in the film's virtual setting and uses rotating actors to maintain the idea of a single virtual persona with many human origins. That creative choice preserves the film's conceptual core while exploring new modes of audience engagement.

For the industry, the show is an example of how IP owners and venue operators are using immersive technologies and multi partner production committees to monetise and internationalise anime properties outside of traditional broadcast and theatrical runs. The collaboration between a cultural foundation run by a major transport company and commercial entertainment groups also highlights a growing model in Japan where public and private organisations co invest in experiential cultural products.

Practical information for audiences

• Venue: MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives, Box1000, Takanawa, Minato, Tokyo.
• Run: October 10, 2026 to November 15, 2026.
• Ticketing: available through major Japanese ticket outlets and the official event page. Reported starting price 6,600 yen.
• Music release: new closing track "Anata e" scheduled for digital release October 14, 2026.

PROJECT LAYRA opens at a moment when the Japanese entertainment industry is experimenting with next generation stagecraft and IP extension. For fans of Belle and of immersive live performance, this production offers both a direct continuation of a beloved fictional world and a test bed for the technologies and production models that may shape cross media spectacles in the coming years.