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

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

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

Poker Set To Finally Penetrate Japanese Gaming Industry

Japan could experience a poker boom as casino legislation comes closer to being passed!

Japan and gaming have become almost synonymous ever since Nintendo basically conquered the world with the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System. This love affair with gaming goes beyond the living room and out into the arcades. Just consider the popularity of pachinko, which according to Japan-Zone.com commands a whopping 40% of the country’s leisure industry.

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

Namco Bandai Games UK Announce Biggest Eever Line-Up For MCM London Comic Con

Date: 25^th-27^th October 2013

Venue: London Excel Royal Victoria Dock

Critically acclaimed Dark Souls II, Dragon Ball Z: Battle Of Z, Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst and Tales of Symphonia: Chronicles to lead the charge at this year’s MCM London Comic con at

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

DVD Review: Nura – Rise of The Yokai Clan Season 1 Part 1

Based on the manga by Hiroshi Shibashi

Japan is reputedly one of the most haunted countries in the world and the TV anime Nura – Rise of the Yokai clan makes use of a wide selection of demons (yokai) from Japanese folklore and places them in modern day Tokyo.

Life can be tough for most humans but spare a thought for good-natured twelve-year-old Rikuo Nura who has to deal with being a quarter demon. Rikuo may seem like a normal schoolboy but he lives amongst yokai who belong to the Nura clan which is led by his grandfather, the Supreme Commander of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. With Rikuo’s

Embrace The Dark With The Release Of Darkstalkers Resurrection

The two-for-one priced combo breathes new life into each game!

Capcom is thrilled to confirm that Darkstalkers Resurrection is now available to download in North America on PlayStation Network (PSN) for $14.99. On March 13^th, the game will be released in Europe on PSN (€14.99 / £11.99) and across all territories on Xbox LIVE Arcade for

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

DVD Review: Chaos; Head Collection

From the mind that brought you Death Note comes a schizophrenic anime experience!

Based on a virtual novel developed for the PC (and later Playstation and XBox systems) by 5pb and Nitroplus and consequent Manga adaptation, Chaos Head (also known as the stylised ChäoS;HEAd) is a psychological thriller with sci-fi and fantasy elements.

The story follows Takumi Nishijō, an otaku with a love of action figures and dolls, specifically of his favourite anime heroine, Orgel Seira. He is reclusive and a self confessed ‘hermit’ with most of his social integration taking place

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

DVD Review: Persona 4 The Animation Volume 1

An adaptation of the hugely popular Persona 4 videogame!

High school dramas form a large majority of anime series, and can be set in many genres. Persona 4 contains fantasy situations that happen to the students outside of school and one student in particular, Yu has moved into the area, experiencing some strange phenomena from a TV left on overnight. As he is new he has to make sure that he keeps up a good profile if he wants to make friends, but once he does, his life will change forever.

Chie and Yukiko want to welcome Yu as he is the new guy, but he’s finding it difficult settling into the school routine even if

DVD Review: The World God Only Knows Complete Series One Collection

12 episodes over 2 discs!

Anime series about computer games are quite popular among the Japanese audiences at the moment. Baka and Test is one that springs to mind, but there are many more. As most technology comes from Japan, and the gaming industry as a whole has taken off greatly, this anime is an example of what happens when school kids get embroiled in hand held gaming devices like the PSP.

The World God Only Knows is seen through the eyes of Katsuragi Keima, a middle school student who is fascinated by his new game. He enjoys