Encounter the wonder of “Small Gift, Big Smile”, here in London – a truly Japanese shopping experience!

ARTBOX, the UK’s leading Japanese character goods shop, has some very exciting news. If you’ve ever dreamed of visiting a themed Sanrio shop in Japan, or if you’ve been before and now miss it dearly, you’re in luck…

ARTBOX is working with Sanrio’s Tokyo headquarters and team in London, to bring the delights of the Sanrio shopping experience directly to you, right here in the UK!

The magic of Sanrio’s philosophy, “Small Gift, Big Smile”, runs deeply in everything they do. It is the belief that a gift is more than just a gift, but rather a means of expressing heartfelt feelings, and creating smiles.

Sanrio Original goods are beautifully designed by the Japanese Sanrio creative team – they are high quality and have amazing attention to detail, and now you don’t have to go all the way to Japan to buy them!

Launching at HYPER JAPAN on 14^th-16^th July 2017, will be ARTBOX’s pop-up boutique showcasing the UK’s ultimate Sanrio shopping collection, directly from Tokyo. Browse through a huge range of adorable goodies featuring all of your favourite characters including Hello Kitty, My Melody, Gudetama, PomPomPurin, Little Twin Stars and Cinnamoroll.

As well as shopping through what is likely to be the UK’s widest ever range of Sanrio items, you can also enjoy the wonderfully themed environment and take part in photo opportunities, including a display showcasing popular Sanrio characters.

You will be able to celebrate the 15^th Anniversary of Cinnamoroll, the long-eared wonder pup, with Limited Edition Anniversary items including the stunning dress, shoes and bag series. For the fashionistas out there, let’s not forget that Sanrio in Japan are known for producing super cute clothing and accessories, which are perfect for working into J-fashion outfits – and now you can shop for them here in London!

After HYPER JAPAN, Sanrio Original items direct from Tokyo will be available from ARTBOX’s shop in Covent Garden, and online at www.artbox.co.uk. This is not a one-time arrangement – Sanrio Original items will continue to be available from ARTBOX, with delightful new items coming in every season!

ARTBOX is passionate about expressing the “Small Gift, Big Smile” philosophy here in the UK, and spreading Sanrio love far and wide. We would like to invite all our friends and guests to experience the magic of these four simple words.

Whether it’s a gift for someone dear to you or a special treat for yourself (you do deserve it, after all…), you’re bound to fall in love with something at the ARTBOX Sanrio boutique.

Named after the eponymous townhouses that once defined the Kyoto cityscape, Machiya is an all day restaurant and bar serving simple home style cooking alongside unique patisserie inspired by great food halls of Japan.

Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, the kitchen serves traditional dishes such as tonkatsu, Japanese curry and teriyaki – all available as a teishoku set meal with homemade miso soup, pickles and premium steamed rice.

Downstairs at Machiya is the restaurant’s new basement bar which offers an extensive selection of sake, Japanese whiskey and creative cocktails. It features a host of Japanese drinking snacks including wagyu sliders and spicy wings. Fun and quirky cocktails can be discovered at the bar at Machiya to all be enjoyed in a cosy and intimate setting.

The in house pastry team offer customers an authentic taste of Japanese patisserie, with a focus on premium Uji matcha and seasonal ingredients such as cherry blossom and Yuzu.

Website: http://machi-ya.co.uk/

DJ Domo in collaboration with KEIZOmachine!(HIFANA) will have its European Debut at HYPER Live! The incredible robot DJ has already wowed crowds in North America and Asia on his World Tour, and now it’s London’s turn!

Here’s how it all started… One day, Domo happened to pick up a record player in a forest and brought it back home, where his roommate Mr. Usaji kept his collection of vinyls. Domo started playing Mr. Usaji’s vinyls and slowly began to dream of being a DJ. To make his dream come true, Domo visited a nightclub owner, but seeing Domo’s poor skill, the owner turned him down. Creator Dr. DJmachine happened to see the disappointed Domo and decided to make the bipedal, walking robot “DJ Domo” – a master DJ – who went on to be Domo’s teacher!

Don’t miss DJ Domo’s European Debut event in collaboration with KEIZOmachine! (HIFANA) on Sun 16 July 15:45-16:15 at Hyper Live Stage

DJ Domo official website: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/domo/dj/

One of the highlights of last winter’s HYPER JAPAN Christmas Market was the izakaya area laid on by our friends at IZANAI (pictured). This summer, they’re back, and this time they’re bringing with them all the fun of a typical Japanese summer festival!

As well as stalls selling all the usual festival fare such as candy floss, they’re also laying on some top-notch entertainment to put you in the mood. The first act to be confirmed is singer-songwriter Michelle Michina. Born in Japan to a French mother and Japanese father, she grew up in Tokyo but moved to Paris at the age of 17. Her music combines the best of both nations’ musical sensibilities and her debut album Le Souffle has proven to be a hit in both countries.

Also confirmed is another act with Franco-Japanese links, the haunting Sayaconcept, whose unique sound combines traditional Japanese music with electronica and breakbeat. With Mina on vocals, violin and sanshin and Daii on electronics, taiko and keyboards, the group will bring an authentic yet different Japanese sound to proceedings. Be sure to check out the IZANAI area at this summer’s HYPER JAPAN Festival!

Michelle Michina Website: http://www.michellemichina.com/

Sayaconcept Website: http://sayaconcept.com/

In his last years, Katsushika Hokusai, world-renowned ukiyo-e artist, painted a final masterpiece. Destroyed by fire in 1923, the 3-metre work has now been recreated based on the only surviving image, a single early 20^th century monochrome photo. Leading edge image analysis technology combined with traditional art restoration techniques brought this magnificent work back to life in all its glory.

There will be two opportunities to see this absorbing documentary at the HYPER JAPAN Festival. The first, on Saturday 15 July 4:45-6pm, includes a talk session with director Hideaki OKAUCHI and the restoration project leader Yu KINOSHITA, while the second takes place on Sunday 16 July 2-3pm.

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We’re delighted to welcome back Ai My Maid to HYPER JAPAN, who will be offering their customers an authentic maid café experience. Be prepared to be treated like a goshujin-sama (master) or ojou-sama (mistress) as the maids not only serve up delicious food and drink but also entertain you in any number of ways:

• You can play games such as Connect 4 or Jenga with them, as well as traditional Japanese festival pursuits such as toy goldfish fishing.
• You can request a performance such as singing, dancing, drawing, origami or even tarot reading
• Have a personalised cheki polaroid picture taken with a maid, as a memento of your unforgettable maid café experience!

In addition this year, Ai My Maid will be partnering with fellow HYPER JAPAN guests and musical act Broken Doll, to sell their own brand of quirky and stylish Japan-inspired clothing at their stand in the fashion section.

PROFILE
Ai My Maid are a pop-up maid café group with a traditional Japanese theme mixed with the fun energy of Akihabara’s maid cafés. They aim to give customers a highly enjoyable and unique experience with delicious food and drink, addictive games and entertaining performances. With plenty of prizes to be won and activities to take part in we are sure it will be an amazing experience for everyone.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AiMyMaid

You can feast your eyes and your taste buds on amazing artworks that are good enough to eat at this year’s HYPER JAPAN Festival! Amezaiku or candy sculpture involves making beautiful shapes and characters from confectionery. Before your very eyes, expert Mrs. Candy-G will take a lump of soft candy and turn it into an edible rabbit, squirrel, dolphin, monkey or just about any other animal that is suggested. For HYPER JAPAN she’ll also be making some exclusive Japanese icons such as ninjas and sumo wrestlers.

PROFILE
Making her HYPER JAPAN debut, Mrs. Candy-G is an expert in the traditional Japanese art of amezaiku. She is from Japan, but has wowed audiences in the US with her skills as well. She will make designs at the request of members of the audience, and you can taste her wonderful creations as well as admire them.

Website: http://www.amazingcandies.com

https://youtu.be/7X1sL1k2Yqo

You may not have heard of Takashi Kondo, but if you’ve watched Japanese television much you’ve more than likely heard his dulcet tones. He’s a voiceover artist extraordinaire, who has lent his talents to a staggering range of programmes, ranging from anime, to narrations to the dubbed versions of overseas imports. He’s running what promises to be a fascinating workshop at HYPER JAPAN Festival 2017, sharing some of his trade secrets and teaching participants how to speak Japanese like a pro! He’ll also be taking questions from the audience.

PROFILE

Takashi Kondo is a leading, highly prolific voiceover artist working in Japanese television, radio and gaming. He has worked on a number of anime series, including 91 Days, where he voiced the leading part of Avilio, as well as Scared Rider XechS and Tsukiuta: The Animation. He has also been heard on the Japanese versions of Sex and the City and Supergirl. When resting his vocal cords, he enjoys playing darts and mahjong.

Those who have applied to take part in this summer’s HYPER JAPAN COSTest will be particularly keen to know who will be judging their amazing creations, and now all can be revealed! Meet the four expert cosplayers who you need to seriously impress next month. As you can see, they’re some of the biggest experts in the business, with exacting standards, one and all.

Kenny Chan

Also known as Kenny Cosplay Stuff, Kenny was first invited to a comic con by a friend back in 2013, and hasn’t looked back. He’s been cosplaying for over three years, and has won a host of awards, including winner of the professional masquerade at last summer’s London Film & Comic Con.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kennycosplaystuff/

Csilla Budai

Going under the name of Csillabu, Csilla began cosplaying at a very young age, and has been attending the MCM London Comic Con since 2011. She made her debut at the same event in 2014, and since 2015 she’s worked as a professional costume character.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CosShaerk/

Katharina Wehrmann

Katharina is known for impressive handmade cosplays and incredible attention to detail. A very versatile cosplayer, she has cosplayed everything from Macross to DC and Game of Thrones.

Beth Panda Hubbard

Beth is one half of Huskita Cosplay, the other half being her brother. Together they put a huge amount of effort into creating amazing cosplay creations, which they have showcased at cosplay conventions including MCM Comic Con in London.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuskitaCosplay/

Summer is the best time of year to dig out your yukata – a light, informal kimono for wearing in warmer weather – and now there’s even more of an incentive to wear one to the HYPER JAPAN Festival, with fantastic prizes on offer!

For a chance at winning, all you need to do is visit the press desk at the event, wearing your Japanese attire, to receive a prize ticket. Next, head to the ARTBOX stand and exchange the ticket for a gift. Hurry, though, because the offer only applies to the first 50 visitors per session.

This promotion will be held on Friday 14^th and Sunday 16^th, as well as the first session on Saturday 15^th July. For the second Saturday session, the gift giveaway starts at ARTBOX at 16:00. (You still have to get your tickets at the press desk, though!) In any case, you can share the fun on social media by uploading a selfie in your attire with the hashtag #YukataPartyHJ.

Don’t worry if you feel like wearing another form of traditional Japanese attire – you’ll still be eligible to take part!

We’re pleased to announce that two more industry experts will be joining Kihara Hirokatsu to reveal secrets of the anime industry to visitors to HYPER JAPAN Festival 2017. Suwa Michihiko (right) and Maekawa Atsushi (below) are anime industry veterans, and have loads of anecdotes, secrets and tips about the industry and the amazing roll-call of productions they’ve worked on. They’ll also be discussing the significance of this year’s anime centenary, and are keen to answer questions from the UK’s anime fandom!

PROFILE: Suwa Michihiko

Suwa Michihiko  has been involved in many representative television anime, including popular hit series like Inuyasha and Detective Conan. He currently is the executive producer for anime at Yomiuri telecasting corporation, and this spring his series, Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter, made the most successful debut of the season.

Profile: Maekawa Atsushi

Maekawa Atsushi is appearing for the first time outside Japan at such as event. He made his screenwriting debut back in 1995 with Dragon Ball Z, and has gone on to work on titles including Sailor Moon, Digimon Adventure, The Prince of Tennis, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, Fresh Pretty Cure! and Lupin the Third vs. Detective Conan.

Many people dream of living and working in Japan, but the thought of actually making it happen can seem daunting. That’s where Go! Go! Nihon comes in. Since it was founded in 2009, they’ve helped thousands of people from all over the world to live and study in Japan.

At the HYPER JAPAN Festival, you can learn more about how to succeed in Japan as a student and go beyond with starting a new life in Japan. Go! Go! Nihon will be sharing knowledge on language programs, popular schools, study trips and free support services, as well as describing what it is like to live and study in Japan.

PROFILE
Go! Go! Nihon is a free support service that helps students that have always dreamed of living and studying Japanese in Japan. Since 2009, they’ve helped more than 5000 students from over 60 countries and currently offer support in seven different languages. They provide assistance with helping you pick the perfect school, navigating the confusing visa application process, as well as tons of additional support before and after you come to Japan.

Website: https://gogonihon.com/en

Learn about the intricate and fascinating world of Japanese flower arranging with a demonstration by the Ohara School of Ikebana, England Chapter at the HYPER JAPAN Festival 2017. Whether you’re an experienced flower arranger or are keen to learn more, you’re sure to be educated and entertained. The Japanese treat flower arranging seriously, with a number of different styles and schools. The Ohara School was founded in 1895, when Japan was being influenced more and more by the outside world, and the West in particular.  In this session, you’ll get to see a number of arrangements being made, and learn about Japanese culture and the beauty of nature.

PROFILE
The England Chapter  of the Ohara School was set up more than 25 years ago in the UK. It meets regularly in the centre of London for workshops and study days. Professors and highly qualified teachers from the headquarters in Tokyo, Japan and from Europe are periodically invited to give demonstrations and seminars to members. Members also participate in flower shows, exhibitions and Ikebana International meetings.

Website: http://www.oharaenglandchapter.co.uk/

Unique Japan Tours has a team of Japan Travel Specialists who are ready to plan an unforgettable trip for you.  All of their tours begin and end in Japan which means it doesn’t matter where you come from, they will take care of your needs once you land inside Japan. From a small group tour to a tailored package, or even a self-guided tour for the more independent traveller, there’s sure to be something to suit every eventuality.

Website: https://www.uniquejapantours.com/

(Photo is courtesy of Kumano Travel Bureau)

Staying connected when travelling abroad is essential for many people these days. As well as the importance of sharing photos and videos with friends and family back home, there are more practical matters such as navigating unknown territory. Particularly with far-flung destinations such as Japan, however, there is the constant worry about the high cost of roaming charges for data use. That’s where IIJ comes in.

Their Japan Travel SIM offers a simple and convenient way to stay connected whilst in Japan, and importantly offers great value for money and the avoidance of expensive roaming charges. For a fixed upfront cost, you can get 1GB of data access for 30 days valid across the whole of Japan, with the option to top up if needs be. Be sure to visit their stand to get your connected Japanese visit sorted!

Website: https://www.iijeurope.com/japan-travel-sim

JTB are the specialist when it comes to travel to Japan, and it’s little wonder as the company began life as the Japan Tourism Bureau, the country’s first travel agent, back in 1912. Today, they’re still Japan’s biggest travel agency, with over 300 branches throughout the country and around 70 offices around the world.

JTB can offer all types of trip to every conceivable destination throughout Japan, from fully-escorted package tours to bespoke holidays that represent your ultimate, once in a lifetime trip to the country. They can also organize your Japan Rail Pass, the superb value for money ticket that offers unlimited travel across the country or a specified region, including the bullet train.

Whether your dream holiday involves island-hopping in Okinawa, exploring Hokkaido by rail or pretty much anything in between, you’re sure to find advice and inspiration here.

Website: https://www.japanspecialist.co.uk/