We designed and produced the financial education experience “NOMU CITY — Delivering the Power of Investment to the City,” provided by Nomura Holdings, Inc. for the “FUTURE SUMMIT” (World Children’s Future Summit to Support the UN), held at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.
The children, as the protagonists of this experience, navigate a city sprawling across large displays using a 3D mouse. They listen to the voices of the people working there and decide for themselves where to invest.
The most distinctive feature is the physical action of tossing “bundles of cash” objects—meticulously designed to replicate the real weight and size—onto the investment podium. We built this content to allow children to physically experience the process of urban transformation and growth through investment, with the motion of throwing the cash objects seamlessly synchronized in real-time with digital visuals and sound.
Key Points
Concept
To address the challenge of making “investment”—a concept that often feels abstract and difficult for children—intuitively understood as a “force for changing society,” we centered our strategy on the sophisticated integration of the physical and digital worlds.
The core of the experience lies in two key pillars: a tactile investment experience using physical bundles of cash, and a dynamic 3D representation of the city.
Approach
As a physical approach, we produced large “bundles of cash” with meticulous attention to design and printing texture, alongside an investment podium featuring engaging mechanical gimmicks. By replicating the exact weight and size of real currency, we created a special experience where children can feel the tangible sensation of “moving significant capital” with their own hands. The podium features an eye-catching red “Investment Button,” designed as an intriguing device that sparks curiosity—making them wonder, “What will happen when I press this?”
In the digital space that responds to these actions, we represented the evolving city in 3D. The intricate details of the “city” are infused with a playful spirit, hiding cute and humorous discoveries throughout, directly conveying how their actions color and enrich society. We aimed to create a space that stimulates the imagination, prompting children to think, “What might exist in the developed city of the future?”
Through the synergy of the physical action of tossing heavy bundles of cash and the responsive audio-visual effects, the content is structured so that children can intuitively grasp the “movement of money” as something that involves them personally. By embodying this as a sensory experience that transcends language barriers—enjoyable for anyone regardless of age or nationality—we believe we provided a platform for the children of the future to truly experience the significance of investment.
