I’ve been attending conventions since my late teens, starting off with MCM Comic Con at ExCel in London. Since then, I returned to MCM a number of times, and branched out to the UK Games Expo too as my love of board games flourished.
I was excited to try Hyper Japan this year, because it seemed like a combination of everything I had loved at MCM in my 20s – the food, the music, the joyous celebration of a culture that completely captivated my friends and I when we were growing up, and has influenced a lot of our hobbies and interests.
Hyper Japan has a full three days of timetabled performances, ranging from traditional music, samurai showcases, modern electric music, and cosplay masquerades. We packed our bags, travelled up to London, and attended the Saturday and Sunday of this amazing convention.
There were also workshops you could book onto – some free, some with a small charge. This year’s workshops included cosplay ear making, tea tasting, and origami (though we didn’t attend any this year). It was fun walking past some of these workshops underway, and I would definitely sign up for something next time around.
One of the big highlights for me was the food available. I was lucky enough to try several new foods, and discovered a new love for takoyaki, which are battered balls of octopus. Of course, I had to reach for some old sweet favourites – I stocked up on melonpan, and enjoyed a chocolate doriyaki too. I also tried ChuLo, after watching the owner of the company on Gordon Ramsey’s Food Stars only a few weeks ago!
We loved watching people taking part at the karaoke stall, especially as it must have been particularly nerve-wracking singing in front of so many people! We saw one man really belting out the lyrics and were impressed with his confidence, especially as Japanese wasn’t his first language!
There were lots of professional singers and performances too on the main stage, showcasing many areas of Japanese culture. We had mapped out a few names we were really keen to see, however one of my favourite performances was one I hadn’t intended to watch, but had ended up at the stage when I found a perch to eat my morning melonpan.
Densha were a duo who shared traditional Japanese music; the Lion Dance in particular was incredible, with the lion mask coming down off the stage and biting audience members on the head for good luck. The crowd loved it!
We had such a fun time exploring the artist stalls as well. I bought handfuls of stickers, t-shirts, magnets, and was thrilled to find the most incredible mouse mat for my desk. I love using events like this to buy unique gifts for Christmas, and to populate my home with one-of-a-kind items. I always return home inspired to crack on with some of my own art projects!
A few stand-out stalls for me were Elena Bansh and Nana Sometimes Draws – go check them out!
To end our lovely weekend, we were excited to learn that we had been upgraded to a First Class seat on the train! It had been over a decade since I had the luxury of a First Class experience, so it was such a treat to finish up a brilliant holiday with a bit of class! Or rather, with a bit more space to lounge in with our full bellies and overflowing shopping bags!
I’m eagerly awaiting my next opportunity to visit Hyper Japan. It was fairly inexpensive for a ticket compared to MCM Comic Con, and you could easily enjoy the event on a smaller budget by just soaking up the atmosphere and taking in the music and cosplays.
Personally, it was a huge treat for us as we don’t have many big conventions like this in the South West, so we absolutely used it as an excuse to pick up goodies at many of the artist stalls, and ate as much takoyaki as we could manage!
