The special session “Japan’s IP Frontier 2026: Beyond Broadcasting” was held at TIFFCOM 2026 on Thursday, October 29 at Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center HAMAMATSUCHO-KAN.
Representing Fuji Television Network, Inc., Ryohei Aoki of the Live Entertainment Department joined the session as one of the speakers, where he spoke on the theme “From TV Screen to Real World: Expanding the Hit Variety Show IP “Run for Money” into a VR LBE Business.”
© Fuji Television Network, Inc.TIFFCOM is Asia’s leading content market, affiliated with Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF). It brings together a wide variety of content holders focusing on film, television and animation, and has achieved success as a major networking platform, attracting professional buyers and producers not only from Asian countries but also from all over the world.
With MC Ikuo Ichiki, Chief Executive of Business Management, Broadcast Program Export Association of Japan (BEAJ), the session explored themes such as: “New business beyond media and borders. Challengers on the front line, opening a new world!” Covering the frontline of Japanese IP with a showcase of 6 companies opening new doors to the world.
Ryohei Aoki discussed on his theme and also taking the opportunity to delve into the hit event, Run For Money Liminal World ～Escape in VR space～, a next-generation VR attraction that allows participants to experience the world of Fuji TV’s hit survival game show Run for Money in an immersive virtual environment. Set within the globally trending phenomenon known as “liminal space,” players find themselves trapped inside a strange and unsettling alternate world. You can enjoy an all-new virtual escape experience that combines intense suspense and exhilarating excitement as players race to evade the sudden appearance of the Hunters.
The long-running hit variety show Run for Money has expanded into a wide range of media over its nearly 20-year history, including films, Netflix, video games, anime, stage productions, and international ventures. Its latest development is an immersive VR experience. As VR adaptations of variety shows are still relatively rare, the project was highlighted as an intriguing case study. After watching approximately 30-second clips of the original program and the VR experience, the session moved on to a talk.
Talk Session – Key PointsTheme Park Anywhere
When developing Run for Money into a public event, the team faced several challenges, including securing entire shopping malls, arranging for Hunters, and ensuring participant safety. This led to the idea of leveraging VR technology to create an experience in which Hunters appear right before participants’ eyes, combining safety with an immersive, realistic sense of excitement. The concept took shape around combining Run for Money with free-roam VR, which allows participants to move around freely rather than experience VR while seated. The goal was to create a more immersive and realistic experience.
Free-roam VR allows users to experience a virtual environment that feels much larger than the physical space available. Even in a large conference room of approximately 100 square meters, 20 to 30 people can put on VR headsets and move around freely, experiencing the thrill of running through an infinite virtual space. The result is a theme park-like attraction that delivers an immersive experience while allowing participants to move around without colliding with one another in the real world.
High Return
Since VR events create the entire virtual world through visuals displayed inside the headsets, they eliminate the need for elaborate decorations or physical sets. They can also reduce the need for staff assistance during the experience, helping to lower labor and set construction costs. In addition, transportation costs can be reduced when the event is moved to other venues, making VR events more cost-effective to operate and roll out across multiple locations. In addition to IP sales of Run for Money, Fuji TV developed the VR attraction Run For Money Liminal World ～Escape in VR space～ to bring the experience to audiences overseas. By offering the event component at a low rental cost, Fuji TV aims to make it easier for overseas broadcasters and businesses to adopt the attraction, opening new international opportunities in conjunction with the TV show.
Run for Money is especially popular with elementary school students, and its VR attraction has also been well received by children. Participants can enjoy an immersive 15–20-minute experience of hiding from and escaping Hunters. With the flexibility to be rolled out both in Japan and overseas, the attraction can further expand the world of Run for Money when combined with the show’s format.
Bounty Promo
In the TV version of Run for Money, contestants can win cash based on how long they manage to evade the Hunters. However, implementing the same system in a live event setting is challenging. As a promotional campaign for Run For Money Liminal World ～Escape in VR space～, it launched a challenge offering a ¥1 million cash prize to anyone who could evade the Hunters and complete the experience without being caught. The difficulty was significantly increased, attracting approximately 5,000 applications in just one week, with around 200 people selected by lottery to participate. The initiative demonstrated that putting a cash prize on the line significantly increased participants’ level of commitment. The prize challenge showed that participants took the game so seriously when real money was at stake, highlighting the potential for Run For Money Liminal World ～Escape in VR space～ to align with the eSports market. The number of Hunters and the timing of their appearances can be adjusted, allowing the difficulty level to be tailored to different participants. For example, the challenge can be made easier for elementary school students and more difficult for dedicated fans, making it possible to offer an engaging experience for a wide range of audiences. At a physical venue, adjusting the difficulty by rearranging sets or repositioning Hunters can be challenging. With VR, however, the difficulty level can be adjusted easily and flexibly simply by changing the settings.
A Final Message
“Run For Money Liminal World ～Escape in VR space～ recreates the concept of “liminal spaces”—places that should normally be bustling with people, yet stand eerily empty. The unsettling atmosphere and tension of Hunters lurking in these deserted environments bring a new dimension of suspense and excitement to the experience, while capturing the thrilling essence of the original Run for Money.”
※TIFFCOM Official
https://tiffcom.jp/conference/2026-beaj/
※English HP
https://www.fujitv.com/event/runformoney/