*Young people enjoying Japanese pop culture look as if “they were living in the future.”
Available in summer are a great variety of anime events, pop cultures that Japan is proud of!
The following are information you should know and manners you should observe, which will help you enjoy events.
Comic Market (Comiket):
- One of the world’s largest doujinshi* exhibition and sales event held twice annually attracts more than half million visitors.
- A huge crowd, as you can see, line up from early in the morning and wait for the fair to open, and so it’s advisable for first-time attendees to show up in the afternoon.
*self-published publications by a group of manga or anime creators.
▲Footage of a large attendance at comiket orderly lining up outside an event hall
What are useful for you to take with?
- Prepaid Rail Pass like Suica(a huge number of people queue up to buy train tickets)
- Hats etc. to protect yourselves from suffering heat attack
- Drinks (coffee and tea are not the best as they have a diuretic effect)
- Something to supplement your nutrition
- Small change(Please avoid paying with bills)
Guys in event sites are thirsty for blood, feel the environment and guess what people around you may do.
Cosplay*:
- Event sites, especially in summer, are full with ineffable smell but “Custom reconciles you to everything.”
- Sometimes you find fallen persons—in fact they are lying asleep on the ground, please avoid stepping on them.
- Some events don’t permit cosplaying, others require pre-registration, so prior confirmation is necessary.
- When you attend an event that permits cosplaying, make sure that you change into costumes in the locker room at the event site, not to take public transportation in the costumes.
- When you take pictures of cosplayers, make sure to obtain permission from them.
- When you post pictures of cosplyaers on the Net, make sure to obtain permission from them.
*Cosplay is short for “costume play”, and describes the hobby of dressing up in the costume of one’s favorite manga or anime
Anison [short for anime song]:
- One of Japan’s largest anison events takes place in summer.
- Once you enjoy listening to otaku-style [otaku: nerd] anison concert filled with a feeling of unity, you will, without doubt, get hooked on it.
CYALUME’s or penlights:
- It’s recommended to take them with you, you can enjoy concerts more, but not required.
Otagei*:
- Otagei means otaku obsessed with idle female singers perform unique dancing or movement while calling out to music at idles’ concerts.
- Some concert sites prohibit otagei, so prior confirmation is necessary.
*an acronym of the phrase “otaku gei”: otaku’s performances, that is, the word created by combining the first three letters of “otaku” and “gei”.