Walk Through Ancient Egypt—4,500 Years Ago?! A Full Review of the VR Experience “Horizon of Khufu”
Walking Through a Pyramid, Flying in the Sky, and Entering a Sarcophagus—This VR Burns It Into Your Body Memory
It’s like riding a time machine.
With the VR experience “Horizon of Khufu,” you can physically walk through ancient Egypt as it was 4,500 years ago.
Now open in Japan for the first time, this jaw-dropping VR journey—experienced by over 1.5 million people across 15 cities—has landed at ASOBUILD in Yokohama.
RAW JAPAN Tried It Ourselves!
First up: check-in.
The staff were incredibly friendly and guided us through everything smoothly. Before we knew it, we were stepping into another world.
💡 Heads-up: most of the photos here are courtesy of IMMERSIVE JOURNEY. Why? Because our RAW JAPAN staff got way too immersed in the experience and forgot to take pics. Oops.
Past the entrance, we stepped into a symmetrical sci-fi space—seriously cool lighting and architecture. It gave off major 2001: A Space Odyssey vibes.
We hadn’t even started yet, but the anticipation was already peaking.
At the end of the corridor, there’s a touchscreen where you set your nickname before diving in.
And now—headset on. Let’s go.
Right before our eyes: Egypt, 4,500 years ago.
The level of realism is just unreal. You’ll want to reach out and touch everything you see.
A female Egyptologist guide (voiced in Japanese) walks you through the experience with historical insight. It really feels like you're on a legit tour of a UNESCO site.
One standout moment? Walking the Great Gallery to the King’s Chamber.
You crouch to pass through a low passage, climb steps—you're physically moving. It’s not just a VR “viewing”—your body remembers it. And once inside the recreated burial chamber of King Khufu, you even get to step into the sarcophagus, something you’d never do in real life. There’s even a flying segment that made us blurt out a surprised “Whoaa!”—and suddenly feel a bit self-conscious.
（(✿✪‿✪｡)ﾉHello♡）
“Horizon of Khufu” is also thoughtfully designed for safety. The 1,000-square-meter space allows up to 75 people at once, but silhouettes appear when others get close, and red warnings flash when you approach walls. We walked around for 45 minutes without bumping into a single soul. Total immersion.
There’s a moment where you become a giant, looking down at the pyramids from above. The shift in perspective pulls you even deeper into the world, and from start to finish, you’re completely absorbed in ancient Egypt.
After taking off the headset, you’re back in modern Yokohama—but the experience continues. A gift shop and Egypt-themed exhibition area help extend the vibe (and satisfy your inner souvenir hunter). Grab a home safety charm from Bastet while you're at it—just in case!
And let’s not forget the cast behind the scenes. The guide is voiced by Fairouz Ai, known for Jolyne in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean and Kikoru Shinomiya in Kaiju No.8. The voice of Bastet? None other than Miyuki Sawashiro, aka Fujiko Mine from Lupin the Third and Kurapika in Hunter x Hunter. With easy-to-follow narration and occasional humor, the voice acting seriously levels up the experience. If our history classes had been this fun, we might have actually paid attention!
By the way, the entire space is wheelchair accessible, and they offer in-house wheelchair rentals as well.
What Is Horizon of Khufu?
The Wild Concept of “Walking” a Pyramid
This isn’t just watching a VR movie.
You physically walk through the mystery-filled world of ancient Egypt, exploring the solar barque, funeral rites, and the pyramid interior.
Supervised by a Harvard Egyptologist and the Giza Project team, the experience is built on archaeological data for historical accuracy that’ll blow the minds of Egypt buffs.
The Japanese translation was supervised by none other than Sakuji Yoshimura, Japan’s leading Egyptologist.
Sakuji Yoshimura (b. 1943)
One of Japan’s top Egyptologists and Professor Emeritus at Waseda University. He founded the Waseda University Egypt Research Team in 1966 and has led over 50 years of excavation, exploration, and discovery—including untouched tombs and pyramid scans.
New VR Experience Coming Soon!
Starting July 18, 2025:
“Tonight with the Impressionists, Paris 1874”
Step into the world of Monet, Renoir, and Cézanne at the birthplace of Impressionism. You might just find yourself walking along the Seine with a croissant and bouquet in hand after this one.
Event Details
Title: IMMERSIVE JOURNEY “Horizon of Khufu”
Dates: From December 1, 2024 (end date TBD)
Venue: ASOBUILD 3F, 2-14-9 Takashima, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 220-0011
Duration: Approx. 60 minutes (VR experience is about 45 min)
Access: 2-minute walk from Yokohama Station’s Southeast Exit
Tickets & Info: https://immersivejourney.jp/
Official X: https://x.com/Immersive_J
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/immersive_j
RAW JAPAN Comment
Actually walking through a pyramid sparked a whole new level of interest in ancient Egypt. The guide, the visuals, the physicality—everything was just too real to forget. If you're into history, immersive content, or just want something truly next-level, this is a must. A whole new kind of VR museum experience is starting this summer in Yokohama. Why not take the first step?
Source Credit
This article was written and edited by the RAW JAPAN editorial team (Wabita Groove), based on official IMMERSIVE JOURNEY information and our actual experience.
Images courtesy of IMMERSIVE JOURNEY.