HYPER JAPAN 2012 Christmas

Fed up of your cheese sandwich and packet of crisps combo? Yes, Jamie Oliver might be busy trying to make sure our lunches are healthy, but if you want to bling your presentation, look no further than the lunchboxes of Japan. We take a look at the kyaraben phenomenon taking over Japan's lunchboxes.

Kingdom of Characters exhibition is being held at the Sainsbury Centre till Sunday 24 June.

From June 8 – 10 BFI Southbank will once again hold its biennial weekend showcasing the best in recent anime.

Our series continues with a chat with Joanne Batley, a home-grown, up-and-coming Lolita fashion designer and founder of Rocking Horse who is hoping to tap into the growing interest in Lolita fashion here in the UK. Find out her path to her dream profession, via Harajuku, Lancashire, and HYPER JAPAN.

In the second instalment of our series profiling the people who help make HYPER JAPAN happen, we talk to Jennifer Langridge, a professional photographer who was at the event capturing the action as it happened. We talked to her about her interest in Japan and how it inspires her in her creative work.

In the first of an occasional series profiling the people who help make HYPER JAPAN happen, we talk to Tom Smith, Japanese music journalist and the founder of Japan Underground, London's biggest J-pop and J-rock night. Find out how Tom turned his love for Japanese music into a dream job--and what's in store for Japan Underground in the future.