Empire Crafts an Immersive Star Wars Experience in Tokyo
In April 2025, as Star Wars Celebration returned to Japan for the first time since 2008, Empire partnered with Disney to create a five-day immersive journey for 50 select media and creators. This exclusive series of events showcased the rich tapestry of StarWars storytelling and merchandise, offering attendees an unforgettable experience.
A Galactic Dinner Aboard a StarDestroyer
The highlight of the experience was a Star Wars-themed dinner set within a studio transformed into the bridge of a Star Destroyer. Immersive visuals allowed guests to gaze out upon the galaxy, while a live DJ set by si_oux elevated the ambiance with an innovative blend of bass and house music—expertly weaving iconic Star Wars themes into her performance.
Special appearances by Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Ashley Eckstein (voice of Ahsoka Tano), and Ahmed Best (Jar Jar Binks) brought cherished characters to life. The evening culminated in a high-energy lightsaber battle performed by 13 members of KAMUI, merging Jedi combat with traditional samurai and ninja-inspired martial arts.
Adding a collector’s delight to the evening, Empire curated an exclusive gallery of Star Wars memorabilia at the dinner. The exhibit featured rare and imaginative pieces provided by Hasbro, LEGO, CASETiFY, Suntory, Hot Toys, SmallPlanet, Her Universe, and many others.
Exploring Tokyo Through the Star WarsLens
Attendees took part in a Grogu (Baby Yoda) themed scavenger hunt through Harajuku’s Takeshita Street, completing unique missions such as purikura and capsule toy challenges using figures provided by Hot Toys. The experience blended Japan’s vibrant pop culture with the world of Star Wars in an engaging, team-based adventure.
Throughout the day, guests also visited flagship stores of key partners like Disney Store and Uniqlo to explore exclusive product displays and collaborations. During lunch, a LEGO building activity featuring Grogu added another layer of hands-on engagement. For visiting international creators and media, the day offered a dynamic blend of brand storytelling and Tokyo’s unique cultural energy.
Exclusive Access at Star WarsCelebration
Throughout the event days at Star Wars Celebration in Makuhari Messe, attended by over 100,000 fans from more than 125 countries, our guests enjoyed access to a specially curated Content Suite—a branded hospitality lounge designed to provide a moment of rest, connection, and discovery. This exclusive space offered a range of immersive touch points, including a meet-and-greet experience with R2-D2, allowing attendees to interact with one of the saga’s most beloved icons in a relaxed setting.
Empire meticulously conceived, produced, and managed every detail of this seamless five-day tour, delivering an unforgettable celebration of Star Wars’ global legacy and its creative resonance in Japan.
Guests received their first taste of technological innovation at registration, where they were welcomed by name on a reactive LED screen installation covering the full width of the entry wall. A large lunch café was created with a décor scheme that incorporated custom-built, ceiling-high steel LED frames draped with foliage to create smaller, intimate restaurant-style spaces that displayed both technology and nature.
A series of breakout sessions presented content targeted to attendees’ varied interests, while imagery displayed throughout the venue showcased real-life applications of how products designed to empower developers help to unleash the power of data and reimagine possibilities that will improve our world.
Every element of Microsoft Connect(); from registration, breakfast and keynote, to lunch and evening cocktails, were custom-designed to communicate exacting brand messaging and to deliver a high-touch guest experience to this important audience. The keynote and breakout sessions were livestreamed through an onsite studio built for this purpose and content was watched online by millions around the world.
Empire is proud to collaborate with Microsoft on this annual, top-tier business communication event.
To view excerpts of Connect(); 2017, please visit https://www.microsoft.com/connectevent
