Hello, this is Robert from the ATC Management Strategy Office. Another week has passed since last week's article . This is the sixth installment of "ATC, Summer is in Full Swing."

There's a Polish word, "majak," which refers to something intangible that suddenly appears before your eyes and then vanishes again. It's like a shimmering mirage or illusion. This week, while reading a post about ATC, this word came to mind for some reason.

Serial Feature | ATC, Summer is Here. Part 6 of 8

The ATC Bay Runner LINE coupon and the ATC Summer Vacation Insect Exhibition are both available until August 23rd. If you haven't taken advantage of them yet, this weekend might be your last chance.

The Ghibli Park exhibition venue is as crowded as ever. With the latter half of summer vacation underway, the entire ATC (Art Center) feels like it's busier than it has been in the last few months.

English and Japanese: Two TikToks with different characteristics

ATC actually has two TikTok accounts. One is in Japanese, and the other is in English. Even though they're filming the same building, the expressions captured are completely different.

The English account "@atcosaka" is still a small account, having only started in June of this year. The posts mainly focus on how to enjoy Osaka for overseas travelers, events held inside the building, and little tips that are good to know. Most of the content is practical, aimed at helping people enjoy the sea and the building together. However, occasionally there are posts that simply show empty atriums or sunlit corridors, with captions that begin with phrases like, "I feel like I've been here in a dream."

On the other hand, the Japanese account "@atc_osaka" is a veteran that has been around since last year. It covers a wide range of events happening inside the building, from behind the scenes of dinosaur events and insect exhibitions to the finals of dance festivals and backstage interviews with idols who appeared at Pop Culture Academy. Even though it's also covering the same ATC, this account is bustling with people.

It really makes you realize how different the same building and the same summer can look depending on how you frame the shot. If you'd like, please take a look at both accounts. One is in English , and the other is in Japanese.

A place that "feels like something you've seen in a dream": The coincidence between ATC and Dreamcore

Are you familiar with the terms "Dream Core" or "Liminal Space"? These terms refer to spaces that, while undeniably real, evoke a dreamlike, unsettling sense of nostalgia. In recent months, I've seen ATC discussed in precisely this context on several occasions.

One blogger posted a record of their visit to ATC on note , describing it as "the largest liminal space in the Kinki region." They described the atrium connecting the O's building and the ITM building as a space deeply carved like a canyon, and called the corridor, where red, blue, green, and yellow are mixed together, "a place like a backroom." No one who designed it at the time could have imagined it would be called that.

The connecting corridors bathed in the setting sun, and the massive atrium pierced by the transparent elevators, all look a little surreal when photographed. And this summer, ATC is actually about to become the setting for a story.

On Saturday, August 22nd, the "ATC Idol Short Film Festival" will be held at Umie Cube. This event will screen short films set in ATC, and this time, "At The Center," featuring Shinsekai Hero, will be shown. The dreamlike corridors become the backdrop for someone's story. It's a rather不思議 (mysterious/strange) coincidence.

This is the sixth installment of "ATC, Summer is Here." I could go on and on about TikTok and Dreamcore, so I'll stop here for now. Please join me for the remaining two installments.

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