Picture this: a crowd of people, from nearly every corner of Japan, are sitting shoulder to shoulder on fragrant tatami matts in a Meiji-era (1903) meeting hall, and listening to experts in cultural preservation, architectural engineering, and visual effects (VFX) give short talks on how they are each using one of the most cutting-edge 3D technologies to rapidly advance their work and missions.

Along the edges of the room visitors explore 3D worlds in virtual reality (VR), a plush mascot representing the local prefecture is taking selfies with guests, and a human-powered mechanical turntable is creating digital twins of participants on their mobile phones.

The dynamic, and sometimes anachronistic scene was the perfect backdrop for the inaugural Scaniverse Japan Meetup in the historic and ambitious city of Kakegawa, Shizuoka prefecture. 

Uniting a diverse group of participants with a passion for 3D

If a picture is worth a thousand words, a 3D scan was worth crossing Japan for many attendees.

The two-day event welcomed over 150 participants to the historic grounds surrounding the Kakegawa castle, providing them the opportunity to explore the potential of mobile 3D scanning and 3D Gaussian splatting (3DGS) together in a warm, supportive, and educational environment—and surrounded by endless inspiration.

Many of the event participants and volunteer organizers noted the meetup felt like the beginning of a new era of technology and cross-functional cooperation in Japan. A big thank you to everyone who joined us!

While 3D scanning is what brought everyone together, the meetup was accessible and welcoming to ‘scanners’ of all levels of experience, and even the most experienced scanners left with new skills and inspiration for the future.

Participants came from various backgrounds, including students, government officials, and professionals in fields such as engineering, education, archaeology, XR, architecture, and construction. The diversity of interests added a rich layer of discussions, with ideas and experiences freely shared throughout the event.

Event Overview

The event featured expert talks, hands-on workshops, live demos, and plenty of scanning time.

Day 1: From Beginners to Experts

The first day focused on beginner-friendly workshops and hands-on scanning practice, equipping attendees with new skills and confidence. After an in-depth introduction and safety reminder from Mr. Iwamah, a bit of a scanning celebrity in Japan, the entire group followed civic scanning advocate, Tomo-san, outside for a workshop.

Tomo introduced his “flower movement” technique, quickly becoming the meetup's secret to "How'd you get that great scan?!"

“I scanned my first building!” By the end of the first day many participants reported that the workshop had made a huge impact on the quality of their 3D photography and their confidence in capturing larger 3D scans.

Day 2: Exploring Professional Applications

Both days of programming benefited from the fantastic event partners who included dignitaries from the Shizuoka prefecture and Kakegawa city governments, as well as local tech organizations like Code for Kakegawa and the gorgeous Dai Nippon Hotokusha.

The second day of talks focused on the professional use of Scaniverse, with case study presentations, discussions on practical challenges, and lightning talks by participants sharing their own creative use cases.

Kakegawa City, known for its rich history and culture, offered an inspiring setting to explore how mobile 3D scanning could be applied in fields like archaeology and architecture.

A tower of 3D fun

Between sessions, guests were welcome to explore their scans in virtual reality (VR) using the Into the Scaniverse Meta Quest experience, dive into industry applications of 3D scanning or step into the scanning tower to make a ‘digital twin’ of themselves using a charmingly analog scanning turn-table.

Just the beginning

The first Japan Scaniverse Meetup brought together a diverse group of professionals and enthusiasts, fostering new skills, connections, and inspiration. With strong interest in future events and deeper community engagement, this is just the beginning of growing the Scaniverse community. Stay tuned for more!

For unlimited, free, on-device 3D scanning, download Scaniverse on iPhone or Android. And make sure to check out the new scans in Kakegawa City.