[Hyper Japan 2017] A “Japanese” Christmas market that colors London in winter will be held again this year

2017-12-05

Japanese fans from all over Europe gather in London, where history and tradition live

From 2017/11/24 (Friday) to 26 (Sun), the Japanese cultural festival “Hyper Japan Christmas Market” was held at the Tobacco Dock (Tobacco Dock) in East London.
Hyper Japan is a shopping event for Japanese fans in London, which has had many Japanese enthusiasts since ancient times, and is now one of the centers of the Japanese boom spreading around the world, and has been held twice every summer and winter since 2010.

At the winter event entitled “Christmas Market,” many visitors are highly motivated to buy in search of special gifts. This year, too, around 50,000 Japanese fans visited over 3 days, making the venue exciting.
One of the characteristics of Hyper Japan is that not only the younger generation is looking for cutting-edge Japanese items and cultural experiences, but there are also many families and adult couples enjoying a trip.

IMG_1069_R — Many Londoners visited in search of an encounter with a gem like no other

IMG_3448_R — Japanese teacups are quickly becoming a staple item in London

IMG_2884_R — Three dreamy days where you can experience authentic Japanese culture!

The tobacco dock, which became the venue, is a space where a building built as a tobacco warehouse in the 19th century was redeveloped as an event venue, and it is also known as an important spot in East London where art and fashion are showing excitement these days.

DSC_0419_R — The front entrance of the venue. There was a long line of people waiting to enter.

DSC_0435_R — Approximately 50,000 Japanese fans gathered at the tobacco dock in 3 days

Enjoy “Japan” from every angle!

At the recent Hyper Japan, a wide variety of contents, from Japanese food, crafts, and art works to fashion, technology, games, and pop culture such as anime and manga, met in one place, and we welcomed many visitors who had been waiting for the 3 days they had been waiting for.

“Illuminight — A Festival of 'Akari'” attracted a lot of attention as the main project this time. With the theme of “light,” which is full of warmth that has supported Japanese history, exhibition booths with cutout art applied to traditional lanterns and an arcade using lanterns modeled after goldfish were set up, and it was bustling every day as a popular photo spot.

DSC_0152_R — Illuminated booth with a paper cutout theme

DSC_0173_R — A glowing goldfish arcade. The woman is wearing a kimono that she bought at MIYABI.

The food court gathers menus familiar to Japanese people, such as gyudon, ramen, and curry. Amid the temperature falling below 10 degrees, many visitors were seen eating the freshly prepared hot menu in a delicious way.

DSC_0317_R — Food courts are always a big success

DSC_0787_R — Ramen is also very popular among Londoners. Soy sauce, tonkotsu, and salt are all sold out.

Discover Japanese “technology” at MIYABI

The Tradition and Regional Culture Pavilion will be in its 3rd year at Japan Promotion”MIYABIExpand”. Many visitors, regardless of age or gender, visited the same pavilion this year, which is operated for the purpose of disseminating “real Japan” to European fans through exhibiting Japanese arts and crafts that have been traditionally made since ancient times.

The many attractive items displayed in the pavilion, such as elaborate crafts by Japanese craftsmen that are not usually easily seen, and fresh art works that add unique ingenuity to traditional techniques, etc., seem to have caught people's eyes.
There were also many scenes where questions about techniques and production backgrounds were directed from visitors who were interested in the work to the artist himself. There are also people who are moved to tears when they meet wonderful artists.

IMG_2746_R — Exhibiting the appeal of their works, the artists themselves promote

IMG_3333_R — Visitors who tearfully convey their emotions

IMG_1776_R — The MIYABI pavilion was a great success every day

IMG_3083_R — The experiential workshops held at each booth were also very exciting

‍

MIYABI recorded sales that far surpassed last year!

Sales of the entire pavilion were also strong, and various items were handed over to Londoners, centering on high-quality practical goods that would take their daily lives up a notch, such as pottery cups, hand towels, and kimonos that anyone can easily wear.

IMG_9484_R — London girls are also getting a lot of attention for original kimonos that can be worn with easy steps

DSC_0219_R — Practical goods that are familiar to life attracted the support of many visitors

DSC_0238（購入者）_R — Adorable local character goods are also selling well

There are also many repeat visitors who continued to visit the venue last year, and there are also enthusiastic fans who visited MIYABI to buy another work by the artist they purchased when they visited last year.
The inside of the pavilion was filled with excitement for a moment due to the unexpected reunion.

DSC_0071_R — Visitors who visited MIYABI for 2 consecutive years and bought works by their favorite artists (right)

Captivate Londoners on 3 stages

Another fun part of Hyper Japan is the stage project where you can enjoy shows by Japanese artists and performers active around the world.
Multiple stages with different tastes made the 3-day event exciting, such as HYPER Live, which is a live house design reminiscent of UK club culture, and the J-Culture Showcase, where you can enjoy performances from completely different perspectives on the 1st and 2nd floors by making use of the atrium area inside the venue.

IMG_0709_R — The singer MIOU captivated the audience with her beautiful and powerful singing voice

IMG_9696_R — Fukushita Taro performed a dynamic calligraphy performance along with the video

DSC_0727_R — J-Culture Showcase where you can enjoy the show from various angles

Meanwhile, on the ART stage set up in the MIYABI pavilion, workshop-style performances that made use of a close sense of distance with the audience and dynamic calligraphy performances were popular. Many visitors also flocked to the stage with local characters, and there was a long line inside the pavilion during the commemorative photo time.

IMG_1961_R — The craftsmanship of the paper cutout artists overwhelmed the venue. People are taking pictures of their hands one after another.

IMG_0886_R — Impressive calligraphy performance

IMG_9593_R — The dance stage involving the audience of Nishiko-kun, a local character from Kokubunji City, made the whole venue smile.

IMG_3712_R — Shinjo-kun from Susaki City is also Christmas ready. There were many calls from children to adults to take photos every day.

Local VIPs are also paying attention to MIYABI

James Horton (former president of The Royal Society of British Artists), a major figure in the London art world, and designer Koshino Michiko of the global brand “MICHIKO LONDON KOSHINO” also visited during the exhibition. They were seen enjoying MIYABI to the fullest, as they carefully examined each work with a keen eye, and sometimes had peaceful art discussions with the exhibiting artists.

IMG_9998_R — James Horton, former president of the Royal Society of British Artists

IMG_1708_R — “MICHIKO LONDON KOSHINO” designer Koshino Michiko

MIYABI is planning to expand its booth further next year, and will welcome Japanese fans in London with an increasingly diverse and attractive lineup.
Please stay tuned for MIYABI as it continues to evolve!

HYPER JAPAN CHRISTMAS MARKET 2017
‍Period: 2017/11/24 (Fri) to 11/26 (Sun)
Venue: London Tobacco Dock

Consultations and requests for materials regarding exhibitions and consignment sales are being accepted at any time

Please contact us using the form below or via the “Contact Us” email form. The person in charge will reply to you shortly.
◎ Address: Japan Promotion Association
◎ Address: 4th Floor, Ebina Building, 6-18-10 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001
◎ Telephone: 03-5766-2450/Fax: 03-5766-2451
◎ Email: info@japanpromotion.org