Yamato Works

A CGI short film only shown at Heijokyo History Museum in Nara. It tells the story of Empress Koken in the 8th century.

When the city changed, our fates were rewritten. In 2018, a family tours a model apartment at The Gate Tower within Park City Kashiwanoha Campus in Chiba Prefecture’s Kashiwanoha Smart City. Drawn in by the cutting-edge conveniences, they choose to relocate to this eco-friendly urban development. But immediately after their visit, powerful tremors shake the ground, and a massive robot emerges from the very spot their intended apartment was located. The building itself has transformed into the giant machine. Confused and alarmed, the family begins to question what is happening to their neighborhood and what hidden secrets might lie underneath.

Set among towering steel pipes, tangled power lines, and flickering neon lights, Kakurenbo takes place in the ruins of a deserted city where children risk everything to play a forbidden game. "Otokoyo" is a clandestine game of hide-and-seek that requires each participant to wear a fox mask, with gameplay beginning only once seven players gather. However, this is not merely a simple game; all who have played have vanished without a trace. While some attribute these disappearances to demons, others dismiss it as mere speculation. The story unfolds as seven new participants join Otokoyo, quickly discovering the harrowing truth behind the game and the fate that awaits those who dare to play.