Archive for 'Japan Expo' Category

Tokyo Game Show 2016

Tokyo Game Show 2016 was held Sep.15-18 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba. (http://expo.nikkeibp.co.jp/tgs/2016/)

At this TGS 2016, the number of the paticipant businesses made the record high of 617 and the event was full of lively energy and passion of the new games and visitors. And, there held the special live concert of “PSN meets Secret Artist” ,at which  EGOIST, a popular “fictitious singer” from  an anime work, sang songs.

 

The Fireworks Display festival at Sumida River

The popular annual summer event of the fireworks display festival at one of the main rivers of Tokyo, Sumida River was held Jul.30th.

Totally, various fireworks of  20,000 were displayed with various colors and types, some of which were related to sports such as upcoming Olympic games. There were no panic or any accident and visitors there enjoyed the huge summer event.

 

Dragon Quest 30th anniversary

“Dragon Quest”, the nationwide or even worldwide famousrole playing game series is now celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

The first game of Dragon Quest or in “Dorakue”(its Japanese abbreviation),”DQ1” was released in 1986. Since then 10 main games and some spinoff works have been released. And some cartoon ,animation, toy products also have been released and now almost every Japanese knows the game series.

“Dragon Quest Museum”, the special related exhibition to show the history and concept of Dragon Quest will be held  Jul.24- Sep.11  at Hikarie Hall in Shibuya Hikarie in Shibuya,Tokyo. (https://dqmuseum.jp/)  As a relevant event, the game’s theme music is played as a train melody at the Toyoko lines’ platforms in Shibuya station Jul.5-Sep.12.

International Tokyo Toy Show 2016

The International Tokyo Toy Show 2016 was held at Tokyo Bigsight Jun.9-12. This was the 55th of the event series.(http://www.toys.or.jp/toyshow/2016_files/company_html/name_a.html) 

The first two days were for business meetings and stage shows and the latter days were for open for public and lay visitors and shows, such as concerts and release of new information about new toy products or TV anime programs.

 

About 30 toy related businesses,such as toy manufacturers, animation studios, amusement parks, and so forth  particiated in the show preparing booths to promote their products and activities.  And totally about 160,000 people visited this event.

Introducing Japan through paper cutouts in China

A Japanese artist’s paper cutout works’ exhibition is currently being held at a gallery in Shanghai China Nov.25- Dec.6th. The host is Shu Kubo, a well-known paper-cutting artist.(http://www.shu-kubo.com/)   He was a cultural coordinater of  Agency for Cultural Affairs in 2009.

 

 

The event has been facilitated by  the Japan Culture Communication Center of  Shanghai University of Science and Technology. And the Japanese consul-general in Shanghai and other influential people in China and Japan were invited to the opening ceremony of the event.  72 paper-cutting works are exhibited at the event, which depict  Japanese scenery, landscapes, parts of culture and so forth to represent and convey images, atmosphere,and concepts of Japan to enhance and expand understanding those attractions to Chinese people. Actually, the art of paper-cutting was first introduced to Japan from China about 1,200 years ago and developed in a unique way in Japan since then. So, this art is expected to work  as a “bridge” to bind the two nations together, strengthening goodwill and rapport there. Kubo says, the power of this art will work for those purposes  so well.

 

 

 

 

Majibu won the grandprix of “Wakatabi” of JTA

Japan Tourism Agency (JTA)(http://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/en/index.html) released the results of  “Wakatabi”(/ a young travel), the awards to recognize people or businesses that have made efforts to promote travels of young people on Sep. 16.  The winner of the grandprix is Majibu (/マジ☆部, a serious club), a platform of  application for various services for young people to enjoy  travels and related pleasures.(https://majibu.jp/). The platform is run by Recruit Lifestyle (http://www.recruit-lifestyle.co.jp/english/).

The ceremony of the Wakatabi Awards was hosted at the venue of the Japan Stage of “Toursim Expo Japan 2015” at Tokyo Bigsight in Tokyo on Sep.25. (http://t-expo.jp/en/)

Visit Japan Asia Travel Mart 2015

Visit Japan Asia Travel Mart 2015 is being held Jun.12-21(familizarization trips on Jun.12-21, business negotiation events on Jun.16 and 17, and work shops on Jun. 16) at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City Chiba pref. (http://www.vjatm.jp/en/index.html) (http://www.m-messe.co.jp/)(http://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/en/index.html)(http://www.jnto.go.jp/)

 

 

 

This big event of inbound tourism always becomes so popular and visited by a lot of  foreign buyers, travel agents, and local suppliers, sellers,such as municipalities, bus companies, hotels, guide associations, and so forth.  This time 250 buyers are officially invited to the event from 11 countries of China,Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore,Malaysia,Indonesia, Vietnam, The Philippines, and India. The host, Japan Tourism Agency and JNTO expect to have more  visitors and energetic promotions and negotiations to take place which are to trigger more momentum in that industry.

Tokyo Governor announces launching “Omotenashi Tokyo”

Masuzoe Tokyo Governor hosted a regular press conference at the Tokyo metropolitan Government and announced the government launched a plan of volunteer city guide services called “Omotenashi Tokyo” to help foreign visitors to Tokyo as a part of special services in preparation for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics in 2020 on this May 29th. (http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/index.htm)

Masuzoe also introduced and showed the blue uniform of  Omotenashi Tokyo, the volunteer city guide groups.  He told he had impressed by the Korean volunteer guides’ warm services he had received during his stay in Soul, Korea. The Korean volunteer guides wore red uniforms and now he has chosen “blue” ones for the Tokyo guide groups, expressing the similar hospitality of the volunteer guides.  He says  he expects the new system’s volunteer guides will be a good help speaking foreign laungages for foreign tourists to Tokyo.   Omotenashi Tokyo will start its services on Jun. 19 at Shinjuku station West Exit area and area of Ueno station, with about 1,000 enrolled member guides who are housewives, students and others that meet conditions such as a ceratain English proficiency. The services hours are 11:00-17:00 on Friday,Saturday,and Sunday and services will expand to 10 venue areas withen 5 years.

“World Cosplay Summit 2014” in Nagoya

“World Cosplay Summit 2014” is  hosted by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other bodies Jul.26-Aug.3 in Nagoya. (http://www.worldcosplaysummit.jp/en/)

This WCS is the 12nd and this time representatives join the event from  22 countries or regions. The  event includes several programs such as a coaplay parade, cosplay championship, visitations of the representatives to city offices and MFA, anime-song festival, and so forth. Six representatves of the event from China, Mexico, and Finland officially visited Seiji Kihara, the vice-minister at MOFA in Tokyo giving presentations over attaractions of cosplay. Kihawa made a speech saying, pop culture has power to bind countries together and expect the representatives to support strengthening rapport with Japan. The Chinese representative said cosplay had a role to enhance cultural exchange.

 

Visit Japan Travel Mart 2013

Visit Japan Travel Mart 2013,  one of the most prestigious international travel  marts was held Nov.27-29 at  Pacifico Yokohama.  (http://vjtm.jp/index.html)

About 300 hundred  sellers  from Japan and  buyers from countries of Asean and other parts of the world  joined and had zealous business communication. I did the job of  interpreting and found the event so exciting and fruitful.

“Kyoto from Inside and Outside: Scenes on Panels and Folding Screens”

A special exhibition concerning  old Kyoto art about 400 years ago is being held at Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Tokyo  Oct.2-Dec.1.  (http://www.tnm.jp/modules/r_free_page/index.php?id=1610&lang=en)

 

Beautiful and artistic panels and folding screens dipicting  K yoto scenes,  or pictures owned by  Ryoanji temple, Nijyojo castle, and decorating  the omperial palace in Kyoto about 400 years ago are shown, some of which are currently owned by  museums in US. Special effect video clips of a huge size to enjoy changing seasons in the dry landscape garden of Ryoanji has strong impact.  Some works came back to Japan for the first time in about 80 years.  I went to the event today and found All the works  there so breathtaking magestic and profound, which conveys the image of  days in 400 years ago in elegant Kyoto.

“TOKYO LINE SHIBUYA station park~Three Days of Arigato and Sayounara”

In the event the ex-Tokyo Line’s building was decorated as a festvitie’s venue of a “green park”, hosting  various programs such as jazz live concerts,  exhibitions of plarail  dioramas, and others.  the area was regarded as a green park and  visitors were allowed to pick stones used for the railroad tracks in token. A lot of  visitors including  fans of  Toyoko line, railroads, Shibuya and others enjoyed themselves with the items and events for a salute to the old Toyoko line building with “Arigato”(thank you) and “Sayounara”(good bye).

some rails and parts of the old tracks actually used were sold. Memorial plaques of old parts were made as well.

Travel Mart 2012 in Yokohama

“Travel Mart 2012” was held at Yokohama Pacifico in Minato Mirai  in Yokohama Kanagawa pref.  Nov. 20-21  hosted by  Japan Tourism Agency and JNTO(Japan National Tourism Organization).  http://www.vjtm.jp/index.html

More than 270  oversea buyers(travel agencies) from 17 countries and regions, such as China, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and so forth  and media from 11 countries and regions were invited.  They contacted or visited booths of  Japanese sellers(inbound related businesses) and exchanged information and had business negotiations with them.

In addition, 16 familiarization trips were also provided for the invited visitors. The aftermath of  the tsunami disaster and  territory disputes  with closer countries didn’t affect the event much.  I visited the event myself and found very lively and successful even compared with the same event last year. This may be a good sign of  recovering situations of Japanese inbound industry.

The 25 TIFF held Oct.20-28

The 25th TIFF(Tokyo International Film Festival) was held this Oct.20-28 at Roppongo Hills and other movie theaters in Tokyo. (http://2012.tiff-jp.net/en/)

15 film works contested in the event and invited actors, directors, and other related people walked on the “Green Carpet”, which is the symbol of the selected top level movies of the world today, to the venue.

The Tokyo Sakura Grand Prix (the top award) went to a French movie ,”The Other Son” and the Award for Best Director was given to its director, Lorraine Levy.  This French work describing  conflicts and serious human relationships and emotions of Israeli and Palestinian is the very first one that is created by a female director in TIFF’s history.

Atsuko Maeda, a young female actor who graduated from AKB48 in this August, served as a special ambassador for this film festival.

“TGS 2012” marked its record high of the number of visitors

“Tokyo Game Show 2012″(TGS 2012) was held Sep.20-23 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City.http://tgs.cesa.or.jp/index.html

This time the show marked its record high of the number of visitors with 223,753. This year the event was the 22nd and gradually it has received increasing number of visitors every time. Every time  new  video games are introduced or demonstrated at TGS and this time, new popular game soft wares such as,”Monster Hunter4″,   “Ark Sphere” and others. The number of the companies joining the event was also a record high with 209 and the number of the games was a record high with 1043. 

70% of the game titles introduced at TDS 2012 were so-called “social games”,which implies a game played by multi players through their mutual communications via such as smartphones or tablet computers.  There were also some stage performances of such as cos-play.  young female staff clad in colorful attires of video-game- world- like manner served the visitors.