Before Hyper Japan, MCM Expo was the only convention I went to in London but I didn’t enjoy it as much because I wasn’t a cosplayer. It was simply a place where I could meet and hang out with friends but other than that it was pretty, well, boring. But then my girl Chewiee told me about Hyper Japan and my life changed! (Dramatic much, Lizzie?) Here are some of the reasons why I love it so much…
It’s perfect for Japan lovers
It’s the perfect place for those like me who love Japanese fashion and culture as it has stalls and workshops specifically aiming towards that audience. You can buy/rent kimonos, check out the tourism stalls where you can learn how you can live and work in Japan, have a go at Japanese calligraphy, and much more! I now only go to Hyper Japan and haven’t set foot in MCM Expo for many years.
There are so many small biz stalls
A few of my friends have stalls at Hyper Japan and I always love to go and support them with a purchase or two! Ever since owning an Etsy store I have begun to appreciate the amount of hard work that comes with running a small business, so I do whatever I can to help out. The atmosphere you get when seeing the stalls in person is really something, and it’s nice that they’re all in one place!
It’s a chance to show off your niche
The thing I loved most about being part of the fashion show was that I was able to show off the Gyaru style to the world, especially because it’s so niche! But even just walking around and talking to people who want to take photos of my outfits is heart-warming, and it’s always been my goal to try and introduce this wonderful Japanese fashion to other people.
It’s where all of the J-fashionistas hang out
Hyper Japan is the place where I catch up with my friends from other Japanese fashion scenes like Fairy Kei, as I usually don’t see them at other times of the year. I love seeing their outfits and taking selfies with them and just being able to look at Japanese fashion from a different perspective! Here’s one of my favourite past Hyper Japan post‘s where I took lots of photos of my friends in their jfashion attire.
You can meet your idol
Hyper Japan set up a lot of meet-and-greets, and although I haven’t been to one myself, I know that my friends have been able to meet their idols and people that they looked up to! I passed one of the main stages where the illustrator Mitsuhiro Arita was giving a talk about his work on the Pokemon Trading Card Game as well as Final Fantasy XI. How cool is that?!
There’s just so much to do!
Whether it’s taking a painting class, having a taste of yummy Japanese food, or buying lots of plush toys/plushies, there’s so much to do! I used to take part in the fashion shows but it’s hard now that I live pretty far from London, and I prefer just to walk around casually without worrying about having to be somewhere at a certain time. I tried out the Teru Teru Bozu workshop this year where we made cute lil’ good weather dolls, which are hung up to chase away the rain and bring good weather and I loved it!
And there we have it! Have you been to Hyper Japan before? What do you love about it?
Love,
Lizzie xx