-Opening Up a New Market in Entertainment and Marketing Through ‘Sky Storytelling’-
Redcliffs Co., Ltd., which handles the planning and operation of drone shows, is pleased to announce its selection for the [2026 Edition] of “100 Companies Creating the Future Market,” an annual feature project conducted by Nikkei X-TREND, marking the second consecutive year of this recognition.
The “100 Companies Creating the Future Market [2026 Edition]” by the Nikkei X-TREND editorial team is a special feature that thoroughly investigates and selects notable companies challenging business model innovation and new market creation in Japan. This is taking place while the evolution of AI drives transformations in daily life and consumer behavior, even as the country faces a multitude of challenges such as soaring prices, accelerating aging, and labor shortages.
One hundred companies with the potential to bring about transformation and evolution in society by 2026 are introduced, spanning 10 fields: Commerce, Marketing DX (Digital Transformation), Entertainment, Communication, Health and Well-being, Food Service/Dining, Seniors, Education and Learning, Lifestyle and Finance, and Travel and Inbound Tourism.
In the 2026 edition, Redcliffs was selected in the “Entertainment” field as a company creating a new market.
“Experiential Value Staged in the Night Sky” Becomes a New Option for Regions and Companies
Redcliffs has deployed drone shows—where hundreds to thousands of drones create drawings, text, and three-dimensional representations in the night sky—in various settings across Japan, including fireworks festivals, local events, tourism initiatives, and corporate promotions.
The characteristics of a drone show lie in the sense of unity created when the audience looks up at the same sky, and the ability to transform the experience itself into value through “aerial storytelling,” which combines visuals, music, and narrative. While advertising and events often remain one-way information transmissions, drone shows are valued as a new entertainment experience that evokes “surprise” and “emotion.” They are also highly regarded for their potential to easily generate buzz through organic sharing by attendees.
Furthermore, Redcliffs has strengthened its operational structure and increased its fleet to over 6,500 drones, establishing a foundation capable of reliably conducting shows on one of the largest scales in Japan. At the 2025 World Exposition, Osaka, Kansai (Osaka-Kansai Expo), Redcliffs participated as a Platinum Partner for the Association’s organized event, “One World, One Planet.,” executing 1,000-drone-scale shows nightly throughout the exposition period. Moreover, the company continues its challenge to develop drone shows into a “new nighttime social infrastructure,” which includes productions that integrate local culture and initiatives to visualize the effect of drone shows for corporate marketing utilization.
Comment from Komei Sasaki, CEO of Redcliffs Co., Ltd.
“It is a great honor to be selected for the Nikkei X-TREND ‘100 Companies Creating the Future Market [2026 Edition]’ for the second consecutive year.
We have transformed the drone show into ‘new entertainment staged in the sky,’ projecting the charms of a region or the story of a brand onto the night sky and turning it into an experience that remains in the hearts of the viewers.
The year 2025 was one where we further expanded the potential of drone shows through initiatives such as daily operations at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, integration with local events, new corporate partnerships, and efforts to visualize advertising effects.
I am confident that drone shows can not only complement existing areas like fireworks festivals, tourism, and corporate promotions but also create a “nighttime economy” by transforming the nighttime itself into value.
We will continue to evolve aerial expression through the power of technology and creativity, delivering new emotional experiences both domestically and internationally.”
Outline of Nikkei X-TREND’s “100 Companies Creating the Future Market [2026 Edition]”
Project Name: 100 Companies Creating the Future Market [2026 Edition]
Publication: Nikkei X-TREND (Nikkei BP, Inc.)
Selection Method: The editorial team extracts candidate companies through interviews with experts from various fields and selects them based on the perspectives of “Novelty,” “Growth Potential,” and “Social Impact.”
Fields for the 2026 Edition: Commerce / Marketing DX / Entertainment / Communication / Health and Well-being / Food Service and Dining / Seniors / Education and Learning / Lifestyle and Finance / Travel and Inbound Tourism
