HYPER JAPAN 2012 Christmas

REPORT:

HYPER JAPAN 2012 Christmas got off to a great start today, with lots of excited people packing out Earls Court. Greeted by a giant Chopper (from One Piece) and a sparkling Christmas tree, the scene was set for a sensational day. Today we saw the incredible new version of the 'Handroid' robotic hand from ITK, more manga and anime than you can shake a candy cane at, and so many cool and cute toys that Santa could never carry them all in his sleigh. Visitors had the chance to play the latest games on brand new games consoles, including the Nintendo Wii U, which is not even for sale in the UK yet. The Wii U attracted lots of attention from die-hard gamers to families, and everyone looked like they were having a lot of fun!

We were delighted to welcome Samurai Sword Artists KAMUI appearing live in the UK for the first time. Joining them in an electric performance of 'Battle Without Honor or Humanity' from the film ‘Kill Bill Volume 1’ was the one and only Tomoyasu Hotei. People crowded around the stage to get a rare glimpse of the renowned guitar hero, who will play a full concert in London in December.

Even from the moment the doors opened today, people flocked to the many food stands in the HYPER JAPAN food court for a taste of Japan. With more choice than ever before, guests could fill up on old favourites like takoyaki and okonomiyaki, as well as trying brand new adorable Japanese sweets with a Christmas theme from an-an at the Eat-Japan Tea Bar. The Eat-Japan Sake Experience 2012 also proved to be very popular as a chance to gain an introduction to sake and learn how to enjoy the drink. Merry-faced participants sampled around 20 different types of sake from all over Japan, surprised at how the flavours varied. One guest commented that it was an excellent opportunity to try sake outside of Japan, and he hoped it would make sake a more popular drink among people in the UK.

Join us tomorrow and Sunday for two days packed with exciting performances, including more sensational swordsmanship from KAMUI, the World Cosplay Summit Preliminary, live music from NINJAMAN JAPAN and much, much more! Christmas has come early and it's a real cracker!