HYPER JAPAN 2012 Christmas

InsideJapan Tours are launching a brilliant new travel product at HYPER JAPAN, specially designed for anime and manga fans! The self-guided package also boasts number of interesting add-ons. Find out more here and at HYPER JAPAN. 

There are various kinds of super cute and gorgeous gift-wrapping styles for St. Valentine’s Day in Japan. To the Japanese, gift-wrapping, called ‘tsutsumu’ in Japanese, is one of the most important parts of gift-giving, and great care is taken in wrapping gifts, not only on St. Valentine’s Day, but also on occasions like birthdays, or even just when giving out cakes or sweets baked or made for pleasure.

Cakes with Faces have launched a brand new T-shirt design in time for HYPER JAPAN. This colourful design features all the things that Cakes with Faces designer, Amy, loves about Japan. Find out more and how to order here. 

The Present and Future: Progress to Next Level? Where is the Japanese Video Game Industry heading?

Event: 22nd February, 6:30pm, The Japan Foundation (Russell Square, London)

In 2008, the market for the consumption of video games in the UK became the second largest in the world, and it is still expanding. Within this situation, it is common knowledge that a great number of the games people in the UK play every day are made in Japan. However, the Japanese game industry, which has held an advantage for a long time, is now facing a series of challenges as new centres of video game production appear in developing countries. How can Japanese companies strengthen their position in markets around the world, taking into account the emergence of social gaming? Is the solution to prioritise the development of their human resources and rationalise the process of making games?

Prof Akira Baba, University of Tokyo, will make a presentation on the current situation and problems of the Japanese Game Industries and Takuma Endo, president of ACQUIRE and Development Director of Tenchu, a game which has sold 1.5million copies, will talk about where Japanese game makers are going. Steve Boxer, freelance journalist and member of the award-winning Video Games coverage team at The Guardian will respond to their presentations as a discussant.

This event is free but booking is essential. To reserve a place, please contact  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  with your name, details and those of any guests.

*Image by Mathieu Thouvenin from Flickr.com, used under a Creative Commons Licence

We hope you all have a sweet and lovely St. Valentine’s Day with your precious ones.  You’ve already learned about two popular chocolates called ‘Giri-Choco’ and ‘Tomo-Choco’, which are usually gifted by women to men with whom they are acquainted, colleagues, and so on (Giri-Choco) or to female friends(Tomo-Choco) on St. Valentine’s Day in Japan. (find out further information about them here)  So today, we would like to introduce you to Japan’s special chocolate gift called ‘Honmei-Choco’, which is given by women to their boyfriends, lovers, or men about whom they are serious.

The Taste Discovery Zone in the Eat-Japan area at HYPER JAPAN will present a series of demonstrations on Japanese food and drink that you can take part in absolutely free!

Eat, drink and discover new flavours and dishes in these brilliant interactive demonstrations. Each demonstration will be around 30 minutes long, led by a Japanese food expert, and finish with a chance for participants to try out the finished dish. You can only book places on the day, and seats are limited to 30 places for each session, but you can stand and watch even without a ticket. Click here to see the timetable.