Historic Japanese onsen town recreated in Fortnite

A screenshot of the game Fortnite showing a virtual recreation of a Japanese town

Fortnite players are now able to experience the famous onsen town of Kusatsu Onsen in game.

Kusatsu Onsen is recognized as one of Japan’s three most famous hot springs.

It has a long history of attracting visitors due to its abundant water volume and high water temperature.

The Kusatsu Onsen Tourism Association, responsible for promoting one of Japan’s most historic hot spring resorts, have adopted Fortnite as a new way to reach potential visitors.

This initiative has involves the recreation of iconic Kusatsu Onsen landmarks, such as the Yubatake spring and Netsu-no-yu spa within Fortnite Creative.

By creating these virtual recreations, the association hopes to introduce the charm of Kusatsu Onsen to a new demographic, both within Japan and abroad, and encourage virtual visits which will lead to real-life vacations.

Fortnite, the popular online video game developed by Epic Games, has amassed over 500 million players and established itself as a significant platform for entertainment and social interaction.

The game offers a number of different gameplay experiences, including the popular Battle Royale mode, as well as Creative modes that allow players to construct and participate in custom-designed games.

The Creative part of the platform allows for the creation of immersive experiences that can effectively promote tourism destinations through the development of custom gaming spaces.

The integration of virtual experiences within the game offers a unique way for potential tourists to experience the onsen before visiting.

Tenshabi have released a video showing the virtual Kusatsu Onsen in more detail

Kutatsu Onsen has been recreated in Fortnite by Tenshabi, a studio specializing in the development of high-quality Fortnite Creative games

The Fortnite Creative experiences built by Tenshabi have so far accumulated over 20 million plays and the Kusatsu Onsen Tourism Association hopes that this unique way of promoting their town will be just as succesful.

The user base of Fortnite represents a new demographic, the digitally native younger generation, that might not be aware of Kusatsu Onsen.

A screenshot of the game Fortnite showing a virtual recreation of the inside of a traditional Japanese building — The recreation also includes some interior locations in the town

In recent years, Kusatsu Onsen has experienced a surge in international tourism and this latest promotional initiative is part of a plan to increase this further.

Source, Images: PR Times