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It’s time to go to Shinjuku Station.

Seeing as how Tokyo’s Shinjuku Station is the busiest rail hub in the world, it offers an unparalleled opportunity for advertisers. With over a million people passing through the premises daily, it’s a chance to spread your message to a huge audience, if only you can catch their eyes.

Because of that, Japanese marketing teams bring their A game to Shinjuku Station. In the past, we’ve seen giant cats, amazing Lego art, and a full collection of every Yu-Gi-Oh! ever printed grace the walls of the walkway outside Shinjuku Station’s Marunouchi subway line gates. Now, video game developer Square Enix is occupying the hall, with a gorgeous promotion for the Kingdom Hearts franchise.

January 12 is the release date for Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue (which is actually a pretty straightforward title, by Kingdom Hearts standards), a PlayStation 4 remaster/remake of the series’ Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. To commemorate the event, as well as the 15th anniversary of the series’ start, Square Enix has installed a beautiful stained glass clock in Shinjuku Station, featuring artistic renderings of protagonist Sora and a handful of his cohorts.

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In the course of their adventures, Kingdom Hearts’ original characters cross paths with a number of Disney icons, and so Mickey, Donald, and Goofy appear in many points of the clock, decked out in the characteristic clothing crafted by series character designer and director Tetsuya Nomura.

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Nearby the clock, visitors will also find numerous pieces of Kingdom Hearts artwork, with the series’ colorful cast gazing out at passersby.

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If Shinjuku is a little out of your way, you can also see a virtual recreation of the stained glass clock, moving in real-time, at a special website Square Enix has set up here. If you are in the Tokyo area, though, you’ll want to check it out soon, since the clock is literally ticking until the clock’s display ends on January 15.

Source, images: Square Enix press release
[ Read in Japanese ]

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