Crazy expensive Evangelion statue, pre-production idols, and more from Japan's Wonder Festival
There's that old song that tells us that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, but that adjective can also get applied to midsummer, when Wonder Festival, Japan's largest figure and garage kit exhibition, rolls into the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba Prefecture, about a half-hour east of downtown Tokyo by train. Part of what makes Wonder Festival so cool is that it's an opportunity to see not only brand-new figures of popular characters from anime, manga, and video game worlds but also a chance to get a sneak-peek at the next few months of the hobby, as mid-production preview models are shown off as well.
So while July 27 was the latest in a string of scorchers, we braved the heat and headed to Wonder Festival 2025 Summer to snap some photos of our favorite figures on display.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Evangelion, and a series with such a lasting legacy deserves an equally sturdy salute. This gigantic bronze statue of Evangelion Unit-01 looks like it'll do the trick, although with an asking price of 4,18 million yen (roughly US$28,900), you'll need quite a bit of space in your home and your budget.
But hey, if you're a regular Otaku D. Rockefeller, maybe with your own statuary garden, you could also opt for this bronze statue of Ultraman, specifically his Shin Ultraman form, for 9.35 million yen.
Wonder Festival didn't forget about fans of more modest means, though, as there were plenty of figures to see that you could fit on a normal desk or shelf, like Arcknights' W, who's the muse for this piece from maker Prime 1 Studio.
Given their focus on creating a large cast of characters with memorable appearances, mobile games with anime adaptations, such as Arcknights , continue to be a very big thing in the figure sphere. We also saw a whole bunch of figures for Goddess of Victory: Nikke, with multiple manufacturers showing up with detailed figures of special alternate versions of the cast.
▼ Noicse: Classic Diva (Hatsu Welkin)
▼ Rapi: Red Hood (Hobby Sakura)
▼ Anis: Sparkling Summer (Kotobukiya)
Likewise, presenters were ready to serve fans of the various branches of the expansive Idolmaster franchise family tree. Union Creative brought a pre-production quintet of idols from The Idolmaster Shiny Colors: Riamu Yumemi…
…Kogane Tsukioka…
…Amana Osaki…
…a similarly angel-winged version of her twin sister Tenka Osaki…
…and Chiyuki Kuwayama.
Meanwhile, for fans whose personal tastes lean more towards Gakuen Idolmaster, Design Coco is at work on figures of Temari Tsukimura and Misuzu Hataya from sub-unit Re;IRIS.
When it comes to the Gakuen Idolmaster girls, though, it's Hiro Shinosawa who really stole the spotlight, with pieces from Spiritale…
…Wave…
…and even doll manufacturer Dolk at the show.
Moving from mobile games to console hits, Ryza, who revitalized Koei Tecmo's Atelier series, has a new figure of her Atelier Ryza 3 design, showing off both her proficiency in the alchemic arts and, of course, her thighs.
With Konami getting set to release its lavish-looking remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater , Revoltech has whipped up Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater versions of protagonist Snake…
…and mentor-turned adversary The Boss.
Revoltech was also showing some love to One-Punch Man, with a pre-production Puri-Puri Prisoner…
…and a Garou that's closer to what its finished version will look like.
We also spotted another character who's shown she can handle herself in a fight, Guilty Gear Strive's Elphelt Valentine (Spiritale).
Rounding out the selection of figures that most caught our eye, we come to Lycoris Recoil's leading ladies, Chisato Nishikigi and Takina Inoue (Aniplex)…
…Too Many Losing Heroines' Anna Yanami (Aniplex)…
…Bocchi the Rock's Ikuyo Kita (Aniplex)…
…and, finally, Date A Live's Kurumi Tokisaki (Prisma Wing).
Be advised, though, that the Kurumi figure is a life-size, 1:1-scale statue, so you'll want to think about whether you want to display it in the same part of your home as the Evangelion and Ultraman bronze statues, or whether you want to give each of them their own domain.
Photos ©SoraNews24
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SoraNews24
28-07-2025
- SoraNews24
Crazy expensive Evangelion statue, pre-production idols, and more from Japan's Wonder Festival
Japan's biggest figure and garage kit show returns for its summer iteration. There's that old song that tells us that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, but that adjective can also get applied to midsummer, when Wonder Festival, Japan's largest figure and garage kit exhibition, rolls into the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba Prefecture, about a half-hour east of downtown Tokyo by train. Part of what makes Wonder Festival so cool is that it's an opportunity to see not only brand-new figures of popular characters from anime, manga, and video game worlds but also a chance to get a sneak-peek at the next few months of the hobby, as mid-production preview models are shown off as well. So while July 27 was the latest in a string of scorchers, we braved the heat and headed to Wonder Festival 2025 Summer to snap some photos of our favorite figures on display. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Evangelion, and a series with such a lasting legacy deserves an equally sturdy salute. This gigantic bronze statue of Evangelion Unit-01 looks like it'll do the trick, although with an asking price of 4,18 million yen (roughly US$28,900), you'll need quite a bit of space in your home and your budget. But hey, if you're a regular Otaku D. Rockefeller, maybe with your own statuary garden, you could also opt for this bronze statue of Ultraman, specifically his Shin Ultraman form, for 9.35 million yen. Wonder Festival didn't forget about fans of more modest means, though, as there were plenty of figures to see that you could fit on a normal desk or shelf, like Arcknights' W, who's the muse for this piece from maker Prime 1 Studio. Given their focus on creating a large cast of characters with memorable appearances, mobile games with anime adaptations, such as Arcknights , continue to be a very big thing in the figure sphere. We also saw a whole bunch of figures for Goddess of Victory: Nikke, with multiple manufacturers showing up with detailed figures of special alternate versions of the cast. ▼ Noicse: Classic Diva (Hatsu Welkin) ▼ Rapi: Red Hood (Hobby Sakura) ▼ Anis: Sparkling Summer (Kotobukiya) Likewise, presenters were ready to serve fans of the various branches of the expansive Idolmaster franchise family tree. Union Creative brought a pre-production quintet of idols from The Idolmaster Shiny Colors: Riamu Yumemi… …Kogane Tsukioka… …Amana Osaki… …a similarly angel-winged version of her twin sister Tenka Osaki… …and Chiyuki Kuwayama. Meanwhile, for fans whose personal tastes lean more towards Gakuen Idolmaster, Design Coco is at work on figures of Temari Tsukimura and Misuzu Hataya from sub-unit Re;IRIS. When it comes to the Gakuen Idolmaster girls, though, it's Hiro Shinosawa who really stole the spotlight, with pieces from Spiritale… …Wave… …and even doll manufacturer Dolk at the show. Moving from mobile games to console hits, Ryza, who revitalized Koei Tecmo's Atelier series, has a new figure of her Atelier Ryza 3 design, showing off both her proficiency in the alchemic arts and, of course, her thighs. With Konami getting set to release its lavish-looking remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater , Revoltech has whipped up Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater versions of protagonist Snake… …and mentor-turned adversary The Boss. Revoltech was also showing some love to One-Punch Man, with a pre-production Puri-Puri Prisoner… …and a Garou that's closer to what its finished version will look like. We also spotted another character who's shown she can handle herself in a fight, Guilty Gear Strive's Elphelt Valentine (Spiritale). Rounding out the selection of figures that most caught our eye, we come to Lycoris Recoil's leading ladies, Chisato Nishikigi and Takina Inoue (Aniplex)… …Too Many Losing Heroines' Anna Yanami (Aniplex)… …Bocchi the Rock's Ikuyo Kita (Aniplex)… …and, finally, Date A Live's Kurumi Tokisaki (Prisma Wing). Be advised, though, that the Kurumi figure is a life-size, 1:1-scale statue, so you'll want to think about whether you want to display it in the same part of your home as the Evangelion and Ultraman bronze statues, or whether you want to give each of them their own domain. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
SoraNews24
24-07-2025
- SoraNews24
Tokyo hotel creates Evangelion rooms and Evangelion lounges for fans to mingle in【Photos】
Ikebukuro hotel and anime series are both celebrating milestones this year. 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the start of Evangelion. It's also the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Sunshine City Prince Hotel in Tokyo's Ikebukuro neighborhood, and with Ikebukuro being one of Japan's biggest otaku districts, the hotel and anime have decided to celebrate their coinciding milestones together with a collaboration aimed at traveling anime fans. As part of its 2025 IkePri25 celebration, the Sunshine City Prince will be offering two different Evangelion-themed guestroom configurations, both taking inspiration from Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time, the theatrical feature that served as the finale to the entire Eva anime franchise, specifically from the portion of the movie that takes place in Village 3 where Shinji, Asuka, and Rei have a bucolic break while mentally gearing up for the story's climax. The rooms feature dynamically large artwork and character standees, with the Suzuhara room pictured above, and the North Lake Ruins room shown below. ▼ Hmm…there doesn't seem to be a Rei standee for the Lake Ruins room…Oh well, nothing to lose your head over, right? In addition to the luxury of being surrounded by so much Eva imagery during their stay, guests in these rooms will also receive a bundle of exclusive merch to take home with them, with an acrylic mini standee of Kaworu dressed in a concierge's uniform, pins, acrylic character panels of the anime cast in super-deformed traveler form, and a bath towel. The room key, once again featuring concierge Kaworu, is also yours to keep. So far this is all pretty standard, if cool, stuff for hotel/anime collaborations. The Sunshine City Prince is going the extra mile for this team-up, though, by also creating no fewer than four Evangelion-themed lounges in the common-use areas of the floor of the hotel where its Eva rooms will be. Not only will these be great places to snap photos (perhaps posing with some of those special merch items), the intent is also to create places for fellow fans to mingle, creating a fun atmosphere and shared experience. ▼ It seems like a pretty safe bet that no one is going to think you're weird for gushing about Eva when you're both hanging out in a place like this. The hotel's restaurants are also getting in on the action with special themed food and drink at the Chef's Palette, Musashino, and Kokiden (which serve Western, Japanese, and Chinese cuisine, respectively). Most of the design cues here are subtle, based on character image colors or recurring visual motifs from the anime, although the First Impact Mapo Ramen, at the top of the array in the photo below, is pretty ominous-looking. Ordering the food items gets you a concierge Kaworu clear file, and the drinks come with character art cards. Since non-guests can eat in the restaurants too, this is a way to get your hands on some special merch even if you're not staying overnight at the hotel. The Sunshine City Prince Hotel/Evangelion collaboration runs from August 30 to November 29, meaning that you could stay in the themed rooms on October 4, the exact date of the 30th anniversary of the airing of the TV anime's first episode. Reservations can be made through the hotel's website here starting at noon on July 25. Source: PR Times via Nijimen Images: PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Asahi Shimbun
15-07-2025
- Asahi Shimbun
Trailblazing news anchor challenges gender binary
Stylish and self-assured, Takahiro Nogawa is making history as one of Japan's first openly gender-nonconforming news anchors to appear on national television. This spring, Nogawa, 31, left a local station in Fukushima Prefecture after eight years to begin appearing on the flagship news program at the Tokyo-based Nippon Television Network Corp. 'In my next life, I want to be a female news presenter,' Nogawa wrote on social media. 'For now, I'm a male one.' Known for a love of beauty and fashion, Nogawa frequently posts about makeup and skincare online. As a child, Nogawa felt most at home among female classmates, preferring Pretty Cure over Ultraman. Although rarely facing bullying, in high school Nogawa was deeply affected by a tragic news story about a gay teen in the United States who took his own life. 'I realized I was just lucky to have supportive friends,' Nogawa said. Motivated by a desire to live openly and help others do the same, Nogawa pursued a career in broadcasting. Over time, Nogawa began challenging gender expectations more openly by wearing women's clothing during on-location shoots, and gradually using more intense makeup. Nogawa's subsequent appearances on national TV talk shows and beauty magazines drew attention and helped reshape perceptions of gender expression in Japanese media. Although Nogawa's presentation challenges gender norms, the broadcaster has chosen not to put a specific label on gender identity. 'There should be room for people who choose not to name it,' Nogawa said, suggesting that coming out should be a personal choice—not an obligation. When appearing in the news studio, Nogawa now opts for a toned-down look: a tailored jacket and subtle makeup. Nogawa's goal is to keep the audience focused on the news—not on appearances. But just being present on screen sends a powerful message. 'Television reflects everyday life,' Nogawa said. 'I hope that one day, someone like me can simply be part of everyday life without it feeling unusual.'
