Interview: Sebastian Masuda – Art Director and J-Pop Culture Pioneer

Internationally-renowned artist Sebastian Masuda brings global participatory art project to London with NHK WORLD TV for Hyper Japan!

In the run up to Hyper Japan, which took place on July 15 – 17 July, internationally-renowned artist and Japanese pop culture expert Sebastian Masuda – who is art director for Kawaii International  – brought his global art project to London with NHK WORLD TV.

Time After Time Capsule is a five-year participatory artwork in which Masuda, invites people to share their love of kawaii. It has been created in collaboration with NHK WORLD TV to

Event: Hyper Japan 2015 In Pictures

The UK’s biggest celebration of Japanese culture!

Hyper Japan, the UK’s biggest and best-loved annual J-Culture convention, returned on 11th – 13th July for another weekend extravaganza of all things Japanese from the authentic and traditional to the contemporary. Thousands of Japanophiles descended upon London’s O2 in Greenwich over the three days for an exciting time of live music, fashion shows, videogames, manga/anime activities, martial arts demonstrations and

Press Release: Hyper Japan Christmas Market 2014

Get ready for a pop culture explosion at the UK’s largest J-culture event!

Date: 14-16 November 
Venue; National Hall, Olympia, London

Music, street fashion and cosplay – 3 pillars of Japanese pop culture which have captivated audiences and amassed devoted fans across the globe. At our HYPER JAPAN Christmas Market, we bring together the best of this trendy crowd and offer visitors the rare chance to experience a range of Japanese musical acts (both real and virtual), and to enjoy our HYPER J-style fashion show and

Event: Japan Matsuri 2014 London Trafalgar Square

The spectacular annual Japan festival returns for more fun and excitement!

Date: Saturday, 27th September 2014

Location: Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN

Time: 11 am – 9 pm

Hyper Japan 2014 In Pictures

The UK’s biggest celebration of Japanese culture!

Every year since it first began back in 2010, the annual London event Hyper Japan keeps getting better and better, not to mention bigger and bigger, and this year’s extravaganza held on 25 – 27 July at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre was no exception.

The fantastic line-up catered to all tastes in Japanese pop-culture from traditional dancers and musicians like the very popular Hyper Japan regulars Hibiki Ichikawa and Akari Mochizuki, who this time around were accompanied by guitarist Hide Takemoto, to contemporary

Interview: YANAKIKU – Female J-pop Duo With A Difference

Their mission is to share the wonders of Japan with the world!

Japanese duo YANAKIKU are more than just a pop group. They do KIMONO cosplay and represent Japanese pop & decora culture!

Since forming in 2012, dynamic J-pop duo YANAKIKU have been causing much excitement with their catchy tunes and cool decorative costumes and entertaining performances at packed venues like the Tokyo Dome, the

Event: MCM Manchester Comic Con 19-20 JULY

MCM Comic Con is back in Manchester …and this time it’s for the whole weekend!

Calling all sci-fi fans, film buffs, comic collectors, anime enthusiasts, gamers and cosplayers! Following last year’s record attendance, MCM Manchester Comic Con returns to Manchester Central bigger and better than ever. Running over a full weekend for the first time, the show takes place on 19-20 July, playing host to everything from

MCM Comic Con Comes To Belfast

 Special guests includes voice artist D.C. Douglas one (Resident Evil 5 and Tekken 6)!

When: 7 – 8 June 2014

Where: Kings Hall Pavilions, Belfast, Ireland

Calling all sci-fi fans, gamers, comic collectors, movie buffs and anime enthusiasts! MCM Comic Con comes to Belfast for the very first time on 7-8 June, and we’ve got a show jam-packed with geeky goodness in store for you. Here’s a round-up of just some of the special guests and attractions that you’ll find at the inaugural MCM Belfast Comic Con:

Press Release: Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival Cardiff, Wales

Saturday 7th June 2014 – Cardiff, Chapter Arts Centre

Saturday 21st June 2014 – Aberystwyth Arts Centre

It’s nearly time for this year’s Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival, so we would like to take this opportunity to notify all our newsletter subscribers about this year’s programme and the exciting

Press Release: Ai My Maid x Boba Jam – MIKO MIKO KYUN London Maid Cafe Event

A message from the organisers:

When: Saturday, 3 May 2014 (12.30 – 19.30)

Where: Boba Jam 61 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0NE               

“Dear goshujin-sama and ojou-sama (masters and mistresses), we are Ai My Maid, a group specialising in hosting maid cafe events. We are extremely excited to announce our 2nd standalone event ‘Ai My Maid x Boba Jam ~ MIKO MIKO KYUN’, this time with the help of one of London’s very first Bubble Tea shops, BOBA JAM ヾ(＠^∇^＠)ノ As the name of the event suggests, our maids are ‘miko’, or shrine maidens, so expect to see things inspired by miko and traditional Japan itself (but with a cute

MCM Birmingham Comic Con & Memotabilia – NEC – 22-23 MARCH 2014

Birmingham Comic Con to host UK’s first showing of ‘Short Peace: Ranko Tsukigime’s Longest Day’

Anime and manga fans rejoice! Bandai Namco Games will be giving visitors to this weekend’s MCM Birmingham Comic Con the first UK showing of the unique anime and videogame package, Short Peace: Ranko Tsukigime’s Longest Day, as well as a hands-on with epic manga-based fighter JoJo’s

London Anime Convention 20-21 July 2013

An event that includes J-pop, cosplay, special guests, and lots of fun!

Anime League kicks off with their Summer London Anime Convention 20-21 July at the London Rocket Complex, Holloway Road.  Over a thousand people are expected to attend this weekend which is jammed pack full of anime, gaming, Japanese culture and

HYPER JAPAN 2013 Tickets Now On Sale!

Date: Friday 26 – Sunday 28 July 2013
Venue: Earls Court Two, Earls Court, London

HYPER JAPAN, the UK’s biggest celebration of Japanese culture, cuisine and cool, is back for 2013. Diverse exhibitors, stores, performers and fans will once again come together to bring the very best of contemporary and traditional Japan to the heart of London. Since the first HYPER JAPAN in 2010, there have three subsequent events, each one more popular than the

Koichi Sakamoto Directs Nao Nagasawa And Ayumi Kinoshita In Travelers: Dimension Police

Sexy Nagasawa and Kinoshita kick ass in new action-packed sci-fi drama!

You may recall in February 2012 when Diverse Japan interviewed Nao Nagasawa (Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger, GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka, Playgirls 2012) that she mentioned she was going to Taiwan the following month to begin shooting her next action movie. DJ can now reveal that the film she spoke of is a sci-fi action adventure called Travelers: Dimension Police directed by

NEO Magazine Issue107 Profiles Gravure Idol/Actress Saaya Irie – OUT NOW!

Double cover issue – Plus the Best Of 2012 as voted for by YOU!!

NEO magazine profiles sexy idol and actress Saaya [Irie] highlighting some of her best bits. PLUS the votes are in! Find out the hottest names in anime, manga and 11 other categories in Asian entertainment as voted for by YOU, the British public. Oh yes, the winners of the NEO Awards 2012, sponsored by MCM Comic Con, are here and

NEO Magazine Issue 106 Profiles Film Director Toshiaki Toyoda (9 Souls) OUT NOW!

A special double cover issue – Plus free MCM Comic Con cosplay 2013 diary!

NEO magazine welcomes in the New Year with bumper coverage of the hottest titles UK-bound over the months ahead. From musical predictions to the best anime releases, NEO has all bases covered! Plus, plan your year in style with a free MCM Comic Con Cosplay 2013 Diary!

Then, flip the magazine over to discover everything you need to know about Ni no Kumi: Wrath of the

Event Coverage: Hyper Japan 2012 Christmas

The UK’s biggest J-culture event!

If Christmas is a time for giving then Hyper Japan 2012 Christmas, which was held on November at Brompton Hall, Earls Court London gave in abundance by way of a spectacular line-up that surpassed the previous event Hyper Japan 2012 Spring, with many of the live acts performing in the

Voting Now Open For The NEO Awards 2012!

The nominations are in!

After an intense year packed with the biggest franchises, the hottest new releases and some of the most exciting live shows to ever hit the United Kingdom, NEO Magazine puts the power in the hands of its reader to choose the

Hyper Japan 2012 Christmas – 3 Days Of J-Culture Fun & Excitement At Earls Court London

Ding dong merrily on high, Hyper Japan Christmas 2012 is coming!

Date: 23 – 25 November 2012

Venue: Brompton Hall, Earls Court, Warwick Road, London SW5 9TA

There are only a couple more days to go before the biggest UK J-culture event Hyper Japan opens its doors