Latest news with #TokyoBigSight
SoraNews24
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
The crazy huge crowds of Summer Comiket【Photos, videos】
Otaku from across the nation pack the halls of Tokyo Big Sight for Japan's biggest independent manga/anime art festival. It's been an incredibly hot summer this year in Japan, with record-setting temperatures making staying at home under your living room air conditioner seem like a pretty good plan a lot of the time. However, anime and manga fans had a very compelling reason to head out last weekend, as Comiket, Japan's largest dojinshi (self-published manga) convention, returned to the Tokyo Big Sight convention center. This year's Summer Comiket took place over two days, August 16 and 17. Though The convention started with a humbly sized beginning in 1975, 50 years later it's become one of the biggest pop culture events in the country, commanding a huge amount of floorspace, as you can see in one of this year's pre-setup photos. But even with that much space to work with, once the exhibitor's booths were in place and the guests were let in, things got incredibly crowded. Seeing the masses in motion has an almost hypnotic effect. Instead of trying to count all the otaku heads in the videos, we'll refer to Comiket's official attendance statement, which says that on Day 1, approximately 120,000 people showed up for the event. Sunday's attendance was even bigger, with 130,000 guests, for a total two-day tally of roughly a quarter-million. Tokyo Big Sight is located in the Odaiba district, on an island in Tokyo Bay that's generally less crowded than the city center, especially on weekends. That makes the size of the Comoiket Crowds all the more surreal, such as the near-solid river of people flowing from the nearby rail station to the venue entrance. As a testament to how well-planned and organized the event is, as well as its 'Hey, we're all here to have fun, right?' vibe, the crowds look to have been polite and orderly, even when being directed to follow a winding path that snaked through one of the parking lots to prevent excessive bottlenecking at the entrance. Still, there's got to be just a little tension mixed into the excitement if you're a staff member manning the gates and see sights like this. Since the very first Comiket was held in December of 1975, technically the event's 50th birthday won't be until a dew months from now. Still, with it now being 50 calendar years later, the organizers were understandably in a reflective mood, with the official Comiket Twitter account musing: Even though the 700 people who took part in [the original Comiket in the] Toranomon [neighborhood] would have dreamed of a 50th anniversary event, it wasn't a concrete goal. This is just the natural result of 106 iterations of being so enthralled with unprecedented artwork and meeting new people that even though we feel a little wistful each time a Comiket ends, we're always looking forward to the next. Amazingly, even with as huge as this year's crowds were, there were actually down about 10,000 attendees over the two-day period compared to last year's Summer Comiket. Part of this might be due to renovation work at Tokyo Big Sight leaving less space for exhibitors this year, and also, with the brutally hot weather, even Tokyo Disneyland is seeing a dip in attendance this summer. Still, 250,000 guests is something for Comiket to be very proud of, especially when you consider that it's a 35,614-percent increase over Comiket 1's attendance. Source: Twitter/@comiketofficial via Hachima Kiko Photo ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Metropolis Japan
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metropolis Japan
HandMade In Japan Fes 2025
Japan's biggest celebration of creativity returns this summer as HandMade In Japan Fes' 2025 brings over 3,000 artists, designers, and traditional craftsmen together under one roof at Tokyo Big Sight. Hosted by Creema, the country's leading handmade marketplace, the two-day event is packed with immersive workshops, sustainable design, and one-of-a-kind shopping. Visitors can try their hand at marbled handkerchief dyeing, leather engraving, or crafting a silver ring —or take part in new workshops like making a lantern from recycled Nebuta Festival paper while learning about disaster preparedness. This year's highlights include beautifully evolved traditional crafts from Kyoto lacquerware to contemporary Daruma dolls from Fukushima, plus eco-conscious goods made from recycled temple candles or forest-friendly timber. Great for families, solo explorers, or anyone hunting for a meaningful souvenir. Don't miss this vibrant fusion of innovation and tradition—book workshops in advance to secure your spot. 👉 More info & tickets
The Mainichi
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
News in Easy English: Special event for Japan, S. Korea idol fans held in Tokyo
TOKYO -- A special event for idol fans opened on July 2 at Tokyo Big Sight in Koto Ward, Tokyo. Fans call this "oshikatsu" -- activities to show love and support for favorite idols. This event was called the "Oshikatsu Merch Collection Expo," and it continued until July 4. About 100 different businesses showed many idol fan goods, especially for K-pop (Korean pop) groups. It was part of a bigger fair about lifestyle. The K-pop areas showed items for idol birthdays and small goods with cheerful messages for idols. One area showed how idol fans in Japan and South Korea like different goods. In Japan, fans usually buy official goods and keep them like they are. But in South Korea, fans often change official goods or make items by hand. Visitors at the expo could put stickers next to the goods they like best. A woman in her 50s from Chiba Prefecture visited the event. She teaches how to sew handmade idol goods. She said, "I like customizing. Today I'm here to get new ideas for my sewing class." (Mainichi) Vocabulary idol: a famous singer, actor or performer who is liked very much by fans goods: small things or items that people buy and use expo: a large meeting or event where many things are shown official goods: items made and sold officially by idol groups or companies handmade: items made by people themselves and not produced in factories customize: to change something the way you like it fan: someone who likes a famous person or group very much
