News
Hyper Japan Begins Friday
posted on by Andrew Osmond
The Hyper Japan Christmas Market in London runs from Friday November 14 to Sunday November 16. Ticket information is here. The event will take place at the National Hall at Kensington Olympia.
The festival warns, 'If pre-booked ticket sales for any session reach the maximum amount available, there will be no on the door ticket sales, and online sales for that session will cease immediately. We recommend you purchase tickets as early as possible.'
There will be two different sessions on Saturday, from 9 p.m. to 3 p.m., and from 3.45 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Details of the Cosplay events, such as the World Cosplay Summit (Sunday, 2.40 p.m.) and the earlier "Shojo Vs Shonen Anime Cosplay Battle (Saturday, 11.20 a.m.) are here.)
On Friday evening, the British author Helen McCarthy will talk about and sign her recent book, A Brief History of Manga (pictured). As of writing, an exact time was not given on the website. (More details here.
There will also be a Hatsune Miku performance, mounted by Mirai no Neiro (Sound of the Future), a 'grass-roots volunteer group.' This will be Mirai no Neiro's first event in the UK. According to the Hyper Japan website: 
"Fans will be able to watch a large-scale Hatsune Miku singing and dancing along with a selection of her songs, and, of course, green glow sticks will be handed out to audience members to perfect the Miku concert atmosphere. Each performance will run for around 30 minutes, with 100 people able to watch at a time – so remember to get in there fast and reserve a spot before seats run out in your preferred time slot. Next to the screening room there will also be some ‘community tables’ where fans can get together and try their hand at Vocaloid-themed activities and competitions. What's more, before each Miku concert, there will be a short talk about Vocaloid history and their cultural significance in Japan – putting all this Miku mania within a fascinating wider social context."
Hyper Japan has also confirmed that the singer Anna Yano (pictured right) will be returning to the event. Yano performed the opening songs for Magica Wars and Stella Women's Academy, High School Division Class C3. She will be on stage at 5.30 p.m. on Friday, and between 1p.m. and 2p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
this article has been modified since it was originally posted; see change history