At the Toyota Motor Corporation booth at the Japan Mobility Show 2025, a giant LED backdrop, spanning 91m in width, captivated visitors. Hibino was in charge of this video system, which featured a gently undulating curve, and thanks to a long-standing partnership with ROE Visual, they were able to achieve the required scale and quality in a short period.
We spoke with Junichi “Imo” Imokawa, Director and Managing Executive Officer of Hibino Corporation and Head of the Hibino Visual Group for Concert and Event Services, Jason Lu, CEO of ROE Visual, and Grace Kuo, CSO of ROE Visual, about the relationship between the two companies and the background of the project.
Immersive Space Created by a 91m Giant Curved Screen
A 91m wide and 5.5m high LED backdrop was installed on the main stage of the Toyota booth. This scale surpasses the 60m x 5m installation of 2023, and its gently undulating curve is a distinctive feature. The form, which seemed to envelop the entire stage, created a visual effect where the video became one with the space.
The core of the LED system adopted ROE Visual’s curved-compatible panel, “Topaz Curve 2.6.” This product, which combines 2.6mm pitch 50×50cm modules, is characterized by its ability to create smooth curves even on large surfaces. In this backdrop, the modules were used to build a resolution of 34,944 × 2,112 pixels (equivalent to nine 4K screens).
The entire giant screen—spanning approximately 500㎡—was synchronized across multiple media servers, enabling precise control with no frame latency.
The realization of such a large-scale system is attributed to Hibino’s ability to secure the LED display system that met the client’s specifications in a short period, backed by a strategic partnership with ROE Visual that spans over 10 years. The ability to smoothly secure the necessary volume of materials was also a factor in achieving this scale.
A scene from “ROE Connect,” ROE Visual’s partner event held at its headquarters
The Origin of a Strategic Partnership that Has Lasted Over 10 Years
ROE Visual was established in 2006, handling LED stages and virtual production displays. The company’s relationship with Hibino began in 2011, when ROE was still named “Radiant Opto-Electronics Technology.”
“At the time, we were a small company with less than 100 employees,” recalls Jason Lu. Hibino was one of the first companies to start trading with them during that period.
Imo spoke about the relationship with ROE as follows:
“ROE is our strategic business partner and has been instrumental in enabling us to expand our business. The main driving force behind our success has been supplying LED screens. We’re working on a wide variety of events such as corporate, concerts and sports supplying video equipment and operators. We’ve invested in LED screens to meet ever-growing demands of each market. We wouldn’t be where we are today without ROE.”
This success led the two companies to evolve beyond a mere transaction into a “strategic partner.” Jason Lu stated that learning the spirit of “precision” and “excellence” of the Japanese market had a major impact on ROE’s growth.
The ‘Third Pillar’ Born from the Pandemic: Evolution to Virtual Production
Amid the stagnation of the live event market due to the 2020 pandemic, Hibino launched a virtual production business.
“At the time, our LEDs and media servers were gathering dust in our warehouse and our staff had no chance to work at venues. I delved into what kind of new business areas we could generate utilizing our assets,” recalls Imo, looking back at that difficult time.
This led to the birth of “Hibino VFX Studio.” In this method—where background imagery is projected onto an LED wall and captured directly as live-action—the quality of the LED wall has a decisive impact on the final look of the work.ROE has a proven track record, having supplied LED walls for The Mandalorian, and its technical capabilities strongly supported Hibino’s adoption of the system.
This system has since been deployed as the LED display system at FACTORY ANZEN STUDIO RED studio, operated by Dentsu Creative Pictures, as well as at the Virtual Production Shooting Lab, operated by TFC (Tohokushinsha). Hibino’s equipment and technical staff are dispatched to these facilities, where they are used in the production of commercials, music videos, and television dramas.
Imo states, “The virtual production business has grown into the third key pillar of our business along with concerts and corporate events. The decision marked a great milestone in our history.“
An Unprecedented Scale LED System Showcased at the Toyota Booth
The Toyota booth required the construction of an LED backdrop of an unprecedented scale. Initially, Hibino’s inventory was difficult to match in terms of specifications and volume, so they consulted with ROE, who proposed the curve-specialized “Topaz Curve 2.6.”
Imo states, “ROE successfully met the tight delivery schedule. Topaz Curve allowed us to achieve the wave shape the client was looking for flawlessly, without any gaps. The design was very crisp.”
Grace pointed out that the global live event market is booming. She stated that “concert stages are expanding to thousands of square meters, and the demand for giant screens is surging.“
Toward Future LED Production: Lighter Weight and Immersive Experiences
The size of an LED backdrop that can be installed is sometimes limited by event regulations and setup conditions. To achieve even larger screens in such an environment, the focus is on panel weight reduction and improved construction efficiency.
Imo believes that the need for three-dimensional staging, including floors and ceilings, and “immersive” experiences that envelop the entire space with visuals, will further increase in the future.
Grace also noted that “especially among the younger generation, there is a tendency to actively pay for content that allows them to be immersed in light and sound,” and revealed that the company is advancing product development focused on light, sound, and experience.
Additionally, Jason emphasized that “through the cooperation between the two companies, we can provide products that are further optimized for the Japanese market.” Imo also shared his outlook: “We have a tight-knit partnership, sharing market needs and feedback from our sales activity. This, in turn, helps ROE to upgrade their products and stay ahead of market trends.”
From two dimensions to three dimensions. From walls to floors and ceilings—Hibino and ROE will continue to pioneer new possibilities in spatial production.
Imo spoke about the current changes in stage production as follows:
“Nowadays, LED screens stretching from one side of the stage to the other is nothing remarkable.
We’d like to push the boundary of the stage design, utilizing the entire space three-dimensionally. I have every faith that with the backing of ROE, we can reach our goals.”
