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Hyper Japan 2024 Event Details

Date: 2024 July 14 13:24 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The good folks from Hyper Japan have just sent us the latest details for their 2024 London festival. Set to run from Friday 19th to Sunday 21st July 2024 at Olympia Events. Hyper Japan will bring you all the fun and games you'd expect including, food and drink, performers, workshops, various exhibitors and of course lots of good stalls selling stuff for fans of Japan.

Japan Matsuri London October 2023 Reminder

Date: 2023 September 26 16:45 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

London based fans of Japanese culture looking for something to do this Sunday 1st October 2023 will want to head over to Trafalgar Square for the Japan Matsuri.

The event opens at 10:00 and is set to run into the evening with the last event billed at 18:55. Along with Japanese culture events on the main stage, the area in Trafalgar Square is surrounded by various Japanese food stalls and stalls selling Japanese merchandise along with a few organisations promoting various aspects of Japanese culture.

This is the 13th run of the event. It returns for the first time in 4 years after having to take a break due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The event is free to attend, no tickets or advance booking is required.

Souce: Japan Matsuri London

Marugame Udon Arrives in the UK

Date: 2023 February 23 20:29 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Cuisine

London based readers might have noticed a new arrival in town. Marugame Udon is the world's largest world's largest udon and tempura restaurant with over 1,250 sites globally. The chain prides itself on it's speed of service, quality and value for money with udon bowls ranging from £3.45 to £11.95.

They offer a great range of rice bowls and tempura along with plenty of vegan options. They also serve Ramune. The experience is straight forward. You grab a tray and go along and say what you want, with the meal made in front of you and served rapidly. You then find a table and sit and enjoy.

You can find Marugame Udon at multiple places around London including Spitalfields (Middlesex Street), Bond Street, Oxford Circus, Canary Wharf, Waterloo, Kensington Arcade, The O2, Brent Cross. There'll be new ones opening soon at Liverpool Street Station, The Strand and further afield at Reading.

If you're looking for some quick authentic Japanese food in London you really should give Marugame Udon a try.

What's on NHK World?

Date: 2023 January 29 13:05 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > TV

Being a fan of anime, manga and Japanese stuff in general it's always good to find a great source of content. Most fans will hunt on DVDs and blu-rays for those extra features, read magazines and articles and various bonus features included in books and so on. They'll even read websites like this one, but one resource that we find that is frequently overlooked is NHK World.

NHK is the national state broadcaster for Japan. NHK World is it's international arm. It's content is available in a selection of languages including either dubbed into English or in Japanese with English Subtitles. The service is free to access and is available on a wide range of satellite and cable providers in the US, UK and further afield. You can also watch it free and legally on the website or app that's offered on many platforms including iOS (iPhone and iPad), Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Roku and more. You can watch the live broadcast or the video on demand service.

A lot of the content there is excellent for anime and manga fans.

Read More... | Souce: Otaku News

Hyper Japan Festival London 2022 Details

Date: 2022 June 14 20:21 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The good folks from Hyper Japan have sent us details of their festival for this year. Set to run from Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th July 2022, the UK's biggest festival of Japanese culture, returns to London at Evolution Battersea Park.

The long running Japanese culture festival has been popular with fans of Japanese food from street food to fine dining, along with fans of pop culture where you'll get a great chance to see many performers. Pretty much every aspect of Japanese culture is represented, including of course anime and manga.

To get an idea of what to expect why not take a look at all their exhibitors Be warned as Otafuku Sauce will be there (we have a strong addiction to their okonomi sauce)! Also don't forget to check out their list of performers.

We're looking forward to the fun that will be had at the 2022 festival! It's always fun to go Hyper Japan.

Hatsune Miku Home Ramen Kit

Date: 2021 March 14 11:29 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Cuisine

We've covered plenty about food for fans of Japan in the past before. With lockdown still underway in the UK people are always looking for something a bit different to eat at home. So some companies have been innovative and created DIY at home cooking kits. This elevates it from a regular takeaway it's an activity you can do at home. Ramen chain Shoryu Ramen with branches in London, Manchester and Oxford have just teamed up with Hatsune Miku to create Miku x Shoryu DIY kit. This limited edition ramen kit is dedicated to fans of everyone's favourite vocaloid.

You can order now for delivery between 16th March - 4th April 2021. Each pack is £44 and serves 2 people. There's a meat eater (which contains pork) or vegan option. Each pack also contains Matcha Detox mocktail for 2, along with 2 white chocolate turquoise cookies a plus Hatsune Miku x Shoryu tote bag.

McDonalds UK are selling Katsu Curry Chicken McNuggets

Date: 2020 December 31 19:44 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Cuisine

We've just discovered as of 30th December 2020, McDonalds UK are selling Katsu Curry Chicken McNuggets.

The fast food outlet describes them as "100% chicken breast meat in a bold Katsu Curry crispy breadcrumb coating served with a sweet curry dip, ready to dive in!"

The Japanese inspired nuggets are being marketed on social media with the hashtag #KatsuAtMcDonalds.

They're available in packs of 6, 9 or 20 and prices seem to vary depending on location and delivery app used. We've seen them priced around £3.89 for 6, £4.39 for 9 and £5.89 for 20.

Souce: McDonalds UK

KitKat Chocolatory - Japanese Style KitKats Arrive in the UK

Date: 2020 January 01 20:27 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

While wandering around John Lewis we discovered KitKat Chocolatory. Apparently there had been a pop up shop earlier where you can make your own KitKats. Having experienced the premium KitKat Chocolatory before in Tokyo, we wanted to see how the UK version weighs up.

Read More... | Souce: Otaku News

Japan Matsuri in London - Sunday 29th September 2019

Date: 2019 September 25 20:46 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Fans of Japanese culture in London this weekend will want to head to the Japan Matsuri in Trafalgar Square. Now in it's 11th year the free event is set to run from 10am to 8pm on Sunday 29th September 2019. As always there'll be lots to see and do. Including a watching expert martial arts demonstrations, Japanese music and dance performances.

One of the main draws is always Japanese street food. We've also been told that Japanese fast food favourite MOS burger will be making their UK debut. There's always so much good Japanese food there it can be hard to choose what to eat! Yakisoba! Sushi! Hmmm. It's hard not to drool thinking about food while typing this!

There's also a great family activity tent will teach parents and kids alike manga, calligraphy, origami
and more.

This year's Matsuri marks the official opening of the Japan-UK Season of Culture - an exciting and varied programme of events taking place until the end of 2020.

This is Manga - The Art of Urasawa Naoki in London

Date: 2019 June 03 19:49 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

Japan House London have just sent a reminder that manga artist Urasawa Naoki is in town. He's best known for manga such as Monster, 20th Century Boys, Master Keaton, and Pluto (his adaptation of Tezuka's Astroboy).

He's in London to promote his exhibition This is Manga - The Art of Urasawa Naoki. The exhibition has a wide varity of his artwork on display, from his early childhood drawings to now. It includes a lot of original pages from his manga where you can see all the original details of his art. Along with huge prints of some of his amazing work. The exhibition is free is to ender and is set to run from Wednesday 5th June to Sunday 28th July 2019 at Japan House London in Kensington.

As Urasawa-san is in London he's also hosting a few events including a booking signing on Friday 7th June 2019 (from 16:00 to 17:00), but places are limited. On the same Friday Urasawa will be also hosting a live drawing live signing session All Talking All Singing All Drawing! Urasawa Naoki Live in Concert, this is set to run from 18:30 to 20:00. It's also free, but booking is essential.

Japan House London will also have wide selection of merchandise for sale at their shop. This includes his manga, plus t-shirts, mugs, plastic wallets and other goodies.

Their restaurant Akira have also teamed up with Urasawa to create a Yawara themed dish of fish and chips, with deep fried, bread-crumbed eel topped with umeboshi (pickled plum) tartare sauce, lime and egg yolk shavings. A Monster cocktail will also be available which is made with Dewa no Sato sake from Yamagata Prefecture, Czech spirit Becherovka, ginger liqueur, peppercorns, lime juice, fresh ginger and cloves topped with a white chocolate liqueur foam sprinkled with matcha!

Japan Matsuri 2018 - London Event Details

Date: 2018 September 28 20:37 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Fans of Japanese Culture who can get to London on Sunday 30th September 2018 will want to head over to the Japan Matsuri in Trafalgar Square. The Japanese Culture festival is free to enter and is set to run from 10 am to 8pm. The Central London location will play host to two stages highlighting Japanese Culture. They'll be plenty of stalls selling Japanese goodies, plus a variety of Japanese Street food.

As always, we've had the event listed on the Otaku Calendar to help you keep track of what's going on.

Souce: Japan Matsuri

Japan Matsuri 2018 - London Event Details

Date: 2018 April 19 19:53 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Fans of Japanese Culture in London looking for something to do at the end of September will be very excited to hear about the Japan Matsuri 2018. The regular festival held at Trafalgar Square brings Japanese Culture in the form of performances, stalls, street food and other entertainment to anyone who get to Central London on Sunday 30th September 2018. The event lasts from 10am to 8pm and is free to attend.

Of course September is a while away, so you might not remember, which is why we've added it to the Otaku Calendar which forms an easy to to keep track of all your otaku events.

Souce: Japan Matsuri

Jidori Yakitori Now Open in Covent Garden

Date: 2018 March 10 16:30 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Cuisine

London foodies in Dalston will be familiar with Jidori the yakitori restaurant. We've just heard they've opened a second branch in Covent Garden. So if you're out in the West End and fancy some high quality yakitori you should have over to 15 Catherine Street, WC2B 5JZ. Why not give their negima a try?!

They also have a karaoke room for private parties!

Ichibuns - Japanese Burgers and more in London

Date: 2018 January 29 15:58 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Features

The restaurant scene in London is vibrant. No matter what you like to eat, there's a restaurant that caters for you. Japanese cuisine is no different. There are all kinds of Japanese places to eat, from cheap and cheerful Japanese home-style cooking to the decadent, creative and experimental nuvo cuisine.

Recently we discovered Ichibuns, a Japanese inspired restaurant like no other. Influenced by Hokkaido cuisine, it's a Japanese Rock and Roll American diner from the creative minds of Robin Leigh (who is best known for the legendary Nobu and Busaba Eathai) and Endo Kazutoshi (of Zuma).

On hearing about this we didn't really know what to expect. On visiting it was clear that Ichibuns is something a bit special.

The first thing that hits you is the design, which is a love letter to Japanese popular culture. When you walk in, the faces of popular shonen manga character stare down at you from the entrance. There are pages of manga all over the ceiling and Pachinko machines on the wall. You start looking and there's all sorts of interesting Japanese memorabilia like Oni (demon) masks on the walls, and adverts from old times. The staircase wall is made of whole telephone book sized weekly editions of manga. The eclectic style works because it isn't a restaurant designed by someone trying to copy Japanese concepts, it was designed by Noriyoshi Muramatsu of Tokyo’s Studio Glitt.

After eating there we wanted to know more about this place. It's like a portal into Japan. We don't normally do articles on restaurants, but were intrigued and eager to know more about this place. So we got in touch with Brendan Fong, Executive Chef at Ichibuns to find out more.

Read More... | Souce: Otaku News

Kanpai London Craft Sake Brewery Crowd Sourcing

Date: 2017 June 21 15:53 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Cuisine

We've just discovered a crowd sourcing attempt to get a London Sake Brewery going! The catchy named Kanapi London aim to raise £12,500 by Thursday 29th June 2017. They've already hit their original target of £10,000 with 129 supporters.

The sake microbrewery in Peckham intend to make clear and cloudy sake in 330ml bottles.

They're crowd funding to get the first batch to market, scale up and produce more varieties of sake in the future. Pledge tiers include more than booze, you can t-shirts and hot sauce made with the sake.

For the £1,000 top pledge the brewery will visit your house (if it's in London) and host a sake-paired 3-course sake themed meal for 8 people including an award winning sake bomb dessert! If you break it down to a luxury top notch meal for £125 a head that they'll make at your house, that's good value for money. Plus you get to to start up a London sake brewery.

Souce: Kanpai London Craft Sake Brewery Crowdfunder

Hyper Japan Festival London 2017 Details

Date: 2017 May 04 16:17 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

If you're in London and looking for some Japanese Culture on from Friday 14th to Sunday 16th July 2017 you should head over to Hyper Japan to indulge yourself in the festival. It's got something for everyone, street food, cosplay, chiptunes and traditional Japanese crafts. The event will be at The Tobacco Dock,

Read More... | Souce: Hyper Japan

Japan Matsuri in London September 2016 Details

Date: 2016 September 22 15:42 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Fans of Japanese culture looking for something to do this weekend in London will want to head over to the Japan Matsuri in Trafalgar Square. The Japanese festival is set to run from 10am to 8pm on Sunday 25th September 2016. There are no entry charges.

There'll be a big stage with lots of traditional and modern Japanese performances, along with plenty of stalls selling Japanese Street food, plus other goodies such as arts and crafts. A few travel agents will be there too, so it's good to go if you're planning a trip to Japan.

Souce: Japan Matsuri

Hyper Japan Christmas Market 2016 Details

Date: 2016 August 23 16:00 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Fans of Japanese Culture looking for something to do in London at the end of November will want to head over to the Hyper Japan Christmas Market. It's set to run from Friday 25th to Sunday 27th November 2016 at Tobacco Dock in London.

They haven't yet announced the line-up, but chances are they'll have a selection of great guests and interesting events. Hyper Japan is renowned for it's street food, so it's always a good opportunity to sample some great cuisine.

In the summer run of Hyper Japan we caught up with Horror Writer and Studio Ghibli Production Manager Hirokatsu Kihara

Souce: Hyper Japan

Hyper Japan Festival 2016 Event Reminder

Date: 2016 July 12 15:31 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Just a quick reminder for UK based readers looking for something to do this weekend in London. Why not head over to Hyper Japan? It's the UK's largest celebration of Japanese pop culture. There's plenty to do for fans of Japan, from food, cosplay, anime, gaming, fashion and music.

Then event is set to run from Friday 15th July to Sunday 17th July 2016 at Olympia London.

Read More... | Souce: Hyper Japan

Hyper Japan July 2016 Details

Date: 2016 April 12 16:36 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The good folks from Hyper Japan have just sent us details of their July 2016 event. It's set to run at the Olympia in London, from Friday 15th to Sunday 17th July 2016. As always there's so much to do for fans of Japan! It is after all a Japanese Culture event! There'll be cosplay with the COSTest competition, arts and crafts workshops including one where you can create your own Kokeshi dolls. There will also be plenty of Japanese food to enjoy and other fun goodies.

Read More... | Souce: Hyper Japan

Ocha & Co - Matcha By Mail Order

Date: 2016 April 09 14:31 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Retail

While taking a day off from being an otaku I was browsing the stalls at the London Coffee Festival looking for ways to feed my never ending caffeine addiction. You never really switch off from being an otaku, as I stumbled upon a Japanese tea company Ocha & Co who are promoting themselves to coffee connoisseurs.

Many of our readers are fans of Japanese matcha powder and loose leaf Japanese tea, so naturally I was curious. The staff at Ocha & Co explained that they source directly from one tea producer in Shizuoka. The organic certified tea is then shipped quickly to them and then on again directly to the customer. They're keen to get the tea directly from the plantation to your cup in the shortest possible time. You can also buy their matcha and teas direct from Japan using Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

Souce: Ocha & Co

Monohon Ramen Pop Ups in London this January and February 2016

Date: 2016 January 15 16:08 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Cuisine

London based readers who like Ramen will be pleased to hear that pop-up Monohon Ramen is returning at the end of January to Stoke Newington High Street's Rogue.

They'll be running two per day on Sunday 31st January 2016 and Saturday 6th February 2016.
Tickets are £10 each and it's a bring your own bottle set up.

You can book on-line or by visiting Rouge.

Hyper Japan Christmas Market 2015 Details

Date: 2015 November 07 17:13 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Fans of Japanese culture looking for something fun to do near Christmas will be interested in Hyper Japan Christmas Market. It's set to run from Friday 27th to Sunday 29th November 2015 at Tobacco Dock in London.

There's a ton of things to do at this event. They'll be lots of Japanese food, plenty of stalls with things to buy. Along with a whole host of musical performances from the virtual artist IA to the the cute and rather strange Lady Baby.

Cosplayers and fashion fans will be well represented too.

Anime fans will be pleased to hear that anime studio Production I.G will be represented too with anime director Naoyoshi Shiotani (who directed the Psycho-Pass TV series and movie) and producer Rui Kuroki, who will be giving talks throughout the event.

Monohon Ramen brings more pop-ups to London this October and November 2015

Date: 2015 October 12 15:19 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Do you like Ramen? Oh nom nom nom. Londoners who do are in for a treat as they can visit some of the up coming ramen pop ups being run by Monohon Ramen. The first appears at 7:15pm on Saturday 17th October 2015 in a traditional pie and mash cafe F. Cooke on Broadway Market.

They'll also be running two sittings at Rouge one at 5:30pm and the second at 7:00pm on Sunday 1st November 2015. Where they'll be serving a lesser known Japanese ramen dish Abura soba. During this event, they will give a demonstration of the dish and customers will get a chance to assemble their own bowl.

All the pop-ups require booking in advance and cost £10 a head, which includes the ramen, plus a side dish. All events are bring your own bottle.

Japan Matsuri in London Saturday 19th September 2015

Date: 2015 September 13 17:43 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Fans of Japanese culture who can get to London on Saturday 19th September 2015, will want to head to Trafalgar Square for the Japan Matsuri. The event free to attend and is set to run from 10am to 8pm with events running pretty much constantly on the main stage, while there are many stalls to interest anyone who's a fan of Japan. They've got a wide selection of food stalls, stalls selling Japanese related merchandise, plus a range of travel agents if you're ever interested in going to Japan, along with a few Japanese cultural organisations and societies.

As always this event is also listed on our sister site the Otaku Calendar.

Souce: Japan Matsuri 2015

Hyper Japan July 2015 Details

Date: 2015 May 27 14:19 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

UK based fans of Japanese culture will be interested in Hyper Japan. The regular Japanese Culture event is set to return to London, this time at The O2.

The event is set to run from Friday 10th to Sunday 12 July 2015. As always it's listed on the Otaku Calendar.

There'll be lots to see and do there, highlights include as always all the food, plus anime music singer Eir Aoi, best known for her work on Sword Art Online and Kill La Kill. Anime is also well represented with anime director Kobun Shizuno. They'll be lots of gaming goodness too, plus things like Japanese clothes, and music.

Read More... | Souce: Hyper Japan

NEO Magazine Is 10 Years Old

Date: 2014 November 07 16:03 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Press Releases

Ten years ago a new UK anime and manga magazine appeared on the scene. Ten years later that magazine is still going strong. Neo Magazine are celebrating this with the launch of issue 130 which is on sale now. They've got a lot of prizes to give away this month too.

10 years ago we posted about NEO Magazine's launch, and more recently their 100th issue.

Japan Matsuri in London Saturday 27th September 2014

Date: 2014 September 21 05:57 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

In London on Saturday? Looking for something Japanese Culture related to do? Well don't forget about the Japan Matsuri in London. The Traditional Japanese festival returns to Trafalgar Square. It's set to run on Saturday 27th September 2014 from 11am until 9pm. As expected, they'll be lots of food stalls, along with stalls selling all sorts of Japanese related goodies plus shows on the main stage. There is no entry fee, it's open to all.

Regular readers would have first heard about this years event on the Otaku Calendar as it's the best way to organise your otaku lifestyle! ^_^

Souce: Japan Matsuri

Hyper Japan Christmas Market 2014 Details

Date: 2014 September 03 15:23 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

UK fans of Japanese culture will be pleased to hear about Hyper Japan's next event. The Christmas Market is set to run from Friday 14th to Sunday 16th November 2014 at National Hall, Kensington Olympia in London. We visited their last event in July and had lots of fun. So it's worth setting a date in your calendar or even your Otaku Calendar, as it's a great place to get some Christmas shopping done in advance.

Read More... | Souce: Hyper Japan

Hyper Japan Event Reminder - July 2014

Date: 2014 July 24 17:04 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Fans of Japan looking for something to do this weekend will want to head over to Earl's Court for Hyper Japan. The Japanese Culture event is set to run in London from Friday 25th to Sunday 27th July 2014. As we've mentioned before, there's lots to see and do this weekend.

Souce: Hyper Japan

Hyper Japan Event Details - July 2014

Date: 2014 July 03 15:28 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

UK based fans of Japanese culture including anime, manga, food, J-Pop, cosplay and more traditional things will want to head to London on Friday 25th to Sunday 27th July 2014 for Hyper Japan.

The annual J-culture event returns promising to be it's biggest Hyper Japan yet.

It'll have all sorts of fun things to see and do. Including a game and anime park, fringe market, a section of pure kawaii, plus much more!

Read More... | Souce: Hyper Japan

Explore the East at MCM London Comic Con - JapanEx expands and rebrands as PopAsia

Date: 2014 April 25 14:19 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The big London event the MCM London Comic Con is a month away. It'll run at the Excel Centre from Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th May 2014. The good folks running the Comic Con have just got in touch to tell us that their JapanEx section is expanding to include Korean Pop hits and Indonesian films such as The Raid. As a result they're going to rebrand it to PopAsia.

They'll also have extra sections to temp people including the cute sounding Kawaii Alley. As always they'll have tasty food from the Far East on sale in PopAsia.

Hyper Japan 2014 Event Details

Date: 2014 April 17 17:07 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

UK based fans of Japanese culture will be excited to hear about the return of Hyper Japan. The popular event which celebrates everything J-Culture related, including Japanese street fashion, cosplay, anime, manga, Japanese cuisine and of course the more traditional side of Japanese culture is back at London's Earl's Court One.

The event is set to run from Friday 25th July to Sunday 27th July 2014.

Read More... | Souce: Hyper Japan

Japan Matsuri in London - Saturday 5th October 2013

Date: 2013 September 29 08:17 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Every keen fan of Japanese culture will already know about the Japan Matsuri, which is set to run in London's Trafalgar Square on Saturday 5th October 2013. The Japanese festival returns with all sorts of street food, Japanese stalls and performances. There are no tickets required, just turn up. You will however need money if you want to buy things from the lovely stalls there.

To keep up to date with events like this, we suggest you always check the Otaku Calendar, your guide to upcoming events, release dates and general things for fans of Japan.

Also if you don't frequently visit London, don't forget to check our London Anime and Manga Shopping Guide.

Souce: Japan Matsuri

London's Japan Centre to close it's doors this September

Date: 2013 September 12 15:57 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Retail

London's well known Japanese shop Japan Centre has just announced that they'll be closing their doors on Sunday 22nd September 2013. Currently their store is just around the corner from Piccadilly Circus. The new location and opening details will be announced soon.

The shop has been popular with fans of everything Japanese for years, as it stocks Japanese food, books and current magazines. In the meantime they'll still sell everything via their website until the new location is revealed.

Update: The Japan Centre will reopen at 19 Shaftesbury Avenue in October 2013.

Inamo Celebrates 5th Anniversary

Date: 2013 September 07 16:14 | Posted By: Franki Webb

Category > Features

Standing amongst glamorous bars and restaurant in Soho is Inamo on Wardour Street, the restaurant had a special day on 3 September. Renowned for its oriental fusion cuisine, the restaurant celebrated its 5th anniversary. The occasion was marked with delicious appetisers, champagne and a tour of the premises.

Read More... | Souce: Otaku News

Hyper Japan 2013 is in full swing

Date: 2013 July 27 14:09 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The good folks from Hyper Japan have sent us details from the first day of their event. The 3 day event's third and final day is Sunday 28th July 2013. There's still lots of fun to be had! Including cosplay, culture and plenty of food.

Read More... | Souce: Hyper Japan

NHK World at the Japan Expo 2013 Paris

Date: 2013 July 02 17:13 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The good folks from NHK World have sent us details of their latest European adventures.

They'll be at the Japan Expo 2013 in Paris from 4th to 7th July 2013. NHK world will have a host of events at the Expo, highlights include a Shironuri Makeup Session with leading shironuri artist Minori.

We've been told that they'll also be at Hyper Japan 2013 in London on Friday 26th to Sunday 28th July 2013.

For the latest event schedule, please visit their Japan Expo 2013 Website.

UK based readers will be pleased to hear that you can now watch NHK World on Virgin Media Channel 625, along with FreeSat Channel 209 or on Sky Channel 507.

Hyper Japan 2013 Details

Date: 2013 June 26 15:57 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The good folks from London based Japanese culture event Hyper Japan have sent us details of their 2013 event. It's set to run at Earl's Court Two from Friday 26th to Sunday 28th July 2013.

They've got something for every fan of Japan, from Food and drink to anime and cosplay. Fashion, J-Music and lots of lovely Japanese technology.

Read More... | Souce: Hyper Japan

Hyper Japan 2012 Christmas Details

Date: 2012 October 07 16:48 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Christmas has come early for UK based fans of Japanese culture! Hyper Japan is set to return to Brompton Hall, Earl's Court in London for Hyper Japan Christmas 2012. The event is set to run from Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th November 2012.

They'll have all sorts of fun including traditional Japanese food, culture and music, along with the modern elements that make Japan cool.

Read More... | Souce: Hyper Japan

The Japanese Maid Cafe in London Sunday 2nd September 2012

Date: 2012 August 19 16:31 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

London based fans of Japanese culture looking to try out a maid cafe will be interested to hear about the Japanese Maid Cafe London. They've got two sittings on Sunday 2nd September 2012 at:

Hellenic Restaurant,
9a Delancey Street
Camden Town
London
NW1 7NL

Seating Times are 1pm to 3:30pm and 4pm to 6:30pm.
There is a choice of 4 set menus (which consists of 3 courses). Entry is £25 in advance or £35 on the door. Prices exclude drinks.

The Japanese Maid Cafe in London Sunday 17th June 2012

Date: 2012 June 11 16:15 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

London based fans of Maids and food will want to head to Camden Town on Sunday 17th June 2012 (this has now been postponed, please see the updated below). The Hellenic Restaurant will play host to the Japanese Maid Cafe.

Entry is £25 in advance which includes a 3-course meal and entry to the event. The food will be prepared on site by a qualified Japanese chef.

They'll have 3 sessions:

14:00 to 16:00
16:00 to 18:00
18:00 to 20:00

The maid cafe will also give you the opportunity to play a selection of games with them (for £2 per game per person). Souvenir poloroid photos can also be taken on the day at a cost of £5 per photo.

Update: Saturday 16th June 2012
We've just received an e-mail from the organisers of this event.
They've informed us that due to unforeseen circumstances they have to postpone the Japanese Maid Cafe originally due to take place tomorrow (Sunday 17th June 2012).

They also say - "We apologise for the inconvenience and have rearranged a new date for the Maid Cafe which we will announce shortly."

All tickets will be valid when the event is rescheduled, alternatively they will arrange refunds.

London's Japan Matsuri 2011 Details

Date: 2011 September 02 17:50 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Fans of Japanese culture will want to head over to London's County Hall on Sunday 18th September for the Japan Matsuri 2011. This year it's at County Hall next to the London Eye.

They'll be over 130 stalls with lots of lovely Japanese things, from food and drinks to clothes and textiles, art, travel companies, tableware and so much more.

Entry to the event is free. It's set to run from 10am to 8pm.
Don't forget that the weekend of Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th September is the Open House London, many great places open to visit in the city.

Hyper Japan Friday 22nd July to Sunday 24th July 2011

Date: 2011 July 19 17:45 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Just a quick reminder for those who can get to London and are looking for something fun to do this weekend. Don't forget Hyper Japan 2011 is set to run on Friday 22nd July to Sunday 24th July 2011 at Olympia Two.

Souce: Hyper Japan

Maid Cafe Event in London May 2011

Date: 2011 May 03 16:30 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Are you in London on Sunday 22nd May 2011 and are looking to be served by Maids in a Maid Cafe? Well, head over to the Jetlag Bar on 125 Cleveland Street W1T 6QB, from 2pm until 7pm for where Oh My Lord! will offer a relaxing Sunday afternoon to eat and drink. Buy tickets on-line.

Souce: Oh My Lord!

Square Enix, Cosplay, Sushi and More! HYPER JAPAN London 2010

Date: 2010 September 15 15:41 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The good folks at Hyper Japan have sent us more details about their London based event on Friday 1st October until Sunday 3rd October 2010. Square Enix will be there selling goodies. They've got a cosplay competition too, with a chance to win a trip to Japan. Plus lots of lovely food! Soy sauce experts Kikkoman will be there too, issuing a sushi challenge.

Read More... | Souce: Hyper Japan

Japan Matsuri London Festival 2010

Date: 2010 September 04 11:03 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Looking for something fun to do in London? On Saturday 18th September 2010 from 10am until 8pm The Japan Matsuri will return to London, at Old Spitalfields market. Last years event was a huge success. This years will have all sort of lovely Japanese food to munch on, with plenty of other stalls to enjoy too. You can even get authentic vintage kimonos! They'll also have a cosplay competition. Along with an art competition to design a Japanese video game character.

Although the event is free to attend, last year it proved very popular, so we advise going early if you like avoiding crowds.

Souce: Japan Matsuri London Festival 2010

Hyper Japan - London October 2010

Date: 2010 July 29 14:30 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

October is shaping up to be the month for otaku in London. With the London MCM Expo at the end of the month. While at the beginning of the month a new event called Hyper Japan is set to run from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd October 2010.

The event has a lot to offer with an Otaku Village set to cater to all your retail needs.

Cosplayers will be well represented too (they'll even get a chance to win a trip to Japan). There's also a cosplay talent search, competitions and other fun to be had if you like dressing up.

Japanese fashion magazine KERA will be there with fashion shows and style tutorials (the event is looking for models to take part).

Fans of angel fighting giant robots won't be disappointed either as they have a special Evangelion Store which will be selling some exclusive and hard to find merchandise.

Figure collectors might want to note that Good Smile will be there too! ^__^

As the people behind EAT-JAPAN are organising the event you can be certain that Japanese cuisine will be well represented too. with the EAT-JAPAN food court.

They'll also have lots of culture on stage too. You can book early to get a discount from the standard £8 entry fee. Children under 5 go free. As always we advise to book early to avoid disappointment.

Read More... | Souce: Hyper Japan

Mikado on sale for 75p a box

Date: 2010 May 02 08:56 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Cuisine

UK Pocky lovers will want to head over to their local WH Smiths. The stationery, magazine and book shop are currently selling Mikado for 75p a box.

We've done a Mikado vs Pocky taste comparison and can confirm that they are similar to everyone's favourite chocolate coated snack.

London Japan Centre moves to bigger store

Date: 2009 September 29 16:03 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Retail

We've got news from the Japan Centre in London. They'll be moving the food shop from their Piccadilly Circus store to a brand new larger shop on Regent Street from Saturday 3rd October 2009.

The food hall will be greatly expanded with a Japanese Bakery, along with the launch of the umai brand.

The bookshop and home section will remain at their current Piccadilly location. The new shop will be at 14-16 Regent Street (SW1Y 4PH), near Mitsukoshi.

Japan Matsuri Festival in London September 2009

Date: 2009 August 27 14:35 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

London based readers should head over to Spitalfields on Saturday September 19th 2009 for the Japan Matsuri. A Matsuri is a festival with lots of stalls, food, fun and games along with plenty to see and do. It's set to run from 10am to 8pm.

A few readers might remember that this is not the first Matsuri in London. The last major one was at Hyde Park on 19th and 20th May 2001! As they don't happen as often as we like we strongly suggest you get to this one for all the festivities.

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