HYPER JAPAN 2012 Christmas

Cakes with Faces have launched a brand new T-shirt design in time for HYPER JAPAN. This colourful design features all the things that Cakes with Faces designer, Amy, loves about Japan. Find out more and how to order here. 

The Present and Future: Progress to Next Level? Where is the Japanese Video Game Industry heading?

Event: 22nd February, 6:30pm, The Japan Foundation (Russell Square, London)

In 2008, the market for the consumption of video games in the UK became the second largest in the world, and it is still expanding. Within this situation, it is common knowledge that a great number of the games people in the UK play every day are made in Japan. However, the Japanese game industry, which has held an advantage for a long time, is now facing a series of challenges as new centres of video game production appear in developing countries. How can Japanese companies strengthen their position in markets around the world, taking into account the emergence of social gaming? Is the solution to prioritise the development of their human resources and rationalise the process of making games?

Prof Akira Baba, University of Tokyo, will make a presentation on the current situation and problems of the Japanese Game Industries and Takuma Endo, president of ACQUIRE and Development Director of Tenchu, a game which has sold 1.5million copies, will talk about where Japanese game makers are going. Steve Boxer, freelance journalist and member of the award-winning Video Games coverage team at The Guardian will respond to their presentations as a discussant.

This event is free but booking is essential. To reserve a place, please contact  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  with your name, details and those of any guests.

*Image by Mathieu Thouvenin from Flickr.com, used under a Creative Commons Licence

HYPER JAPAN 2012 exhibitor Bunny De Coeur will be launching a brand new clothing line at HYPER JAPAN; an exclusive collaboration with Pin Candy. The range includes 5 skirt designs plus assorted hair accessories. Drop by their stall to check it out!

Find out about fashion at HYPER JAPAN here and join the fashion conversation here on Facebook.

The Past: Game Over? How to preserve Video Game Culture and why it is important to do so

Event: 21st February, 6:30pm, The Japan Foundation (Russell Square, London)

Japan is known as a leading country in the culture of Video Games, but it was only in May 2010 that the Agency for Cultural Affairs in Japan started making preparations for a Video Game archive, in association with the National Diet Library. These developments raise some important questions - given that there has been much criticism of Video Games as potentially harmful things, some people would wish to ask 'Why we should archive them?'.

Have Video Games in fact taken root in Japanese and other societies to such an extent that they need to be recognised as a form of culture that is something approaching equivalent to Cinema or Literature? More practically, how can an archive of Video Game culture be made and what should be archived? Consoles? Softwares? Game Magazines? Finally, how should the Video Games industry, government and academia work together within this archiving project?

The Japan Foundation have invited Prof Akira Baba from the University of Tokyo - the chairperson of the committee on Video Games within the Media art archiving project of the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs - to take part in a lecture event alongside Prof James Newman from the University of Bath, who is leading a similar initiative here in the UK. They will examine the current situation and issues that are arising from these efforts to create Video Game Archives in Japan and in the UK.

This event is free but booking is essential. To reserve a place, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  with your name, details and those of any guests.

HYPER JAPAN's carnival of cosplay is almost here - and there's just a week to go for online entry, which will close at 11:59pm on Sunday, February 12th. A limited number of COSParade places will be available on the day, but registration for the World Cosplay Summit (WCS) and European Cosplay Gathering (ECG) is online only - so enter now to be a part of it and maybe even win a trip to Paris or Japan!

Cosplay judges for the Saturday of HYPER JAPAN have also been announced - double World Cosplay Summit champions Mauricio and Mônica Somenzari will join professional prop makers John Bekkensten and Adelaïde Filippe from Bekkhans Studio!

L'Arc-En-Ciel, one of Japan's biggest rock bands, are heading to London to make their long-awaited UK debut at the The O2's indigO2 on April 11 2012. If you've bought a ticket to HYPER JAPAN, you could be in with a chance of winning tickets to this too - just drop us a line with your name, contact details, and ticket reference code* to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . We'll pick a winner on 27th February 2011 - the day after HYPER JAPAN closes.