Hyper Japan Christmas Market 2015 Highlights

Photo by Storm Stewart

Hyper Japan Christmas Market 2015 had so much to offer, so much that a lot of the great acts were lost in the mishmash of updates but one thing was for sure there were great music acts such as; Lacroix Despheres, WING WORKS, TRy 1, Kuli Kala and the newest metal sensation Lady Baby.

Tabacco Dock being famed for having a large venue with endless rooms had a massive room dedicated to the Ai My Maid cafe where the maids and butlers served food and played games with people on the day. Before the cafe had officially opened they were greeted by a large queue of curious people who were new to the concept and left with a better knowledge of novelty cafes and with t shirts from their new range.

Being a visual kei fan it was refreshing to see Lacroix Despheres, preform (interview coming soon). After bumping into them on my way to the food stalls, I was amazed to see the transition from everyday to kitted out rocking their opera on stage.

Lacroix Despheres

One of my favourite random moments was walking into the hot dog eating contest and seeing a few of my friends on stage competing for the crown of sausage King (or Queen). Seeing the top three scores from three rounds being wittled down to three stop spaces which were 3rd 11, 2nd 12 and the winner eating a whooping 14 sausages, what a beat ! This was no other than one of my friends Arcadio (or Arcade as the host called him) and he was chuffed enough to get a free dinner than a prize on top which was a voucher for a free meal for two inn  a swanky restaurant in London. 

Arcadio ensuing sausage annihilation

Since I had consulted Hyper Japan to bring the newborn metal band to the UK as part to their tour, it was natural I went to the Ladybaby Uk Fanclub meet where I met up with fellow fans. There the founding members had made a birthday book for Rei. There was also a fan made banner which we all signed and and drew pictures on. One fan made birthday t-shirts for a limited number of members to wear and show their appreciation to Rei, sadly I missed out on the t-shirt but the fan gave me their single instead - I never have been so humbled by a kind gesture from a complete stranger. Thank you once again ! We also had one of the youngest members who later was lucky enough to go on stage and present Rei with a birthday rose - it was so adorable. Rei started crying from all the gifts the fanclub presented her. I stood proudly at the front with the other members cheering on the group. (More photos here)

Not everything went to plan at Hyper Japan like the fashion show which left poor fashionista Minori without a translator and poor organisation leading to models walking into each other on stage Let's see some of the good moments in this video including Sake Awards, fashion, stalls, performances and food.

Many thanks to Storm Stewart who Filmed and edited this.

To follow my adventures at conventions, and to read my anime/gaming reviews and see general cat photos follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

^_^ Aisha Anime

EGX Rezzed at Tobacco Dock 2015

 Avid gamers were given a new event and venue for 2015 after many years of Eurogamer homed at Earl's Court, since the closing down of the venue - Eurogamer moved and a the small EGX Rezzed came to Tobacco Dock.

I was pleasantly surprised with firstly the area - the venue is situated between Shadwell and Whitechapel and in a very different kind of venue. The Venue was split into a large courtyard with lots of medium sized room and corridors like a maze. Each room had a sign indicating the type sof games and the press, toilets and information areas were on the basement floor.

 

I mentioned before about trying out Friendship Club, that was located in the first Indie room and it sure was a lot of fun. To make the most of the Mexican shootout and other modes play with 2-4 players where you use your heads to headbutt or dodge. This pop-art looking fighting game holds alot of entertainment.

 

 A game I played at random for it's slick cover art was Ragnorok - baseds on Nordic myth, the game is set before the apocalypse and the world is slowly changing. Using the Oculus Rift you walk around the barren wilderness, as you pass spikes coming from the ground you follow a Sasquatch running into a cave there you come across a wolf - here begins your journey. This is more of an experience than game you feel the atmosphere and surrounding. Turning left and right to see or using the analogue pads also.

 

Adventure box was a great game for RPG fans were you are in a minecraft sort of world but instead of spending a week to make a house, you insert premade houses and use the week to make a city instead. You can customise characters and also add story. Once your RPG is complete using a link you can invite your friends to enter the world you created. This game is used on the internet browser so your friends don't even have to own the game to play in your world.

 For more events coverage and news follow me on Facebook and twitter ^_^ Aisha Anime

Hyper Japan announces new Venues for 2015

After the phenomenal successes of both our summer and winter events in 2014, HYPER JAPAN is set to delight visitors yet again this year in two new events: the HYPER JAPAN Festival on July 10-12th at The O2, and an up-scaled Christmas Market on November 27-29th at London Tobacco Dock. Both events will carry on the true HYPER JAPAN spirit of bringing visitors the best in Japanese cuisine, culture, entertainment and much more; combining old favourites with never-before seen exhibitors and cutting-edge performers.

The HYPER JAPAN Festival 2015 will be a dynamic summer fiesta, offering fun activities for all the family. Our much-loved sake tasting event will make a comeback, along with other Eat-Japan staples including cookery demonstrations and seminars, delicious street food and gorgeous confections. Big names in gaming such as entertainment giant Nintendo will feature in our HYPER Game & Anime Park, where pre-release demos as well as long-established titles will be available for fans to play and enjoy. Our spectacular bi-annual fashion show, which showcases the latest Japanese street fashion trends, will be powered up to include more creative and diverse ensembles than ever before. Other onstage entertainment will include: Cosplay competitions and parades; fascinating talks on a range of Japanese cultural topics; and sizzling musical displays from a star-studded line-up of Japanese talent. Our 3,000 capacity concert house at The O2’s Building Six will be the first in HYPER JAPAN history, and will be an undoubted highlight of this extraordinary cultural festival.

November’s Christmas Market will offer plenty of shopping opportunities in the extensive Tobacco Dock venue, whose picturesque setting creates an enchanting Christmassy atmosphere for festive shoppers in search of unique gifts. Dozens of businesses from both Japan and the UK will be showcasing the best quality Japanese goods this side of the Pacific, while our range of exquisite cuisine, exciting stage shows and all-star guests are not to be missed either! What’s more, delicious and innovative sushi will dazzle visitors once again as we play host to a team of elite chefs for our latest sushi attraction. Amazing entertainment, gourmet dining, fashion, gaming and retail combine to make HYPER JAPAN’s Christmas Market 2015 a must-visit event in everyone’s winter calendar.

HYPER JAPAN announces two new locations for the events this year:

HYPER JAPAN Festival at The O2, July 10-12th

Christmas Market at London's Tobacco Dock, November 27-29th.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/hyperjapan
Twitter: @hyperjapanevent
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/hyperjapanofficial
2014 Event Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed410tP9Oso
Instagram: http://instagram.com/hyperjapanofficial