HYPER JAPAN will have a Winter edition from 16 November till 18 November at Olympia London. Last year was a Christmas edition, this year the upcoming Winter will be celebrated with Japanese culture, food, drinks and performances. Time to make a list out of it with what you shouldn’t miss out on at HYPER JAPAN Winter 2018!
1. MUTANT MONSTER
Punk rock trio MUTANT MONSTER has been at HYPER JAPAN before, they performed at the Christmas edition in 2017. This time their show is part of their European tour. This time the girls will perform on Friday and Saturday at HYPER Live! stage. On Friday the show will start at 18.45 and on Saturday the show will start at 19.30.
In 2017, the trio supported the band Electric Six during a tour through Europe. They have performed in the United Kingdom a few times already, the last few years, and will promote their newest album 突然変異 (TO TSU ZE N HE N I, mutation), which has a European version titled NEKOKABURI (meaning Lion in Cats Clothing), a release via JPU Records.
2. Nao Masaoka
Nao Masaoka is the start of the world famous Takarazuka Revue, the unique all-female song and dance troupe! She visited HYPER JAPAN in 2016, where she performed a selection of Takarazuka songs from famous shows such as The Rose of Versailles and Elisabeth. This year, not only will she be singing more Takarazuka songs, she’ll also be sharing some of her memorable experiences as a Takarazuka star! She will share that on Saturday and Sunday afternoon at HYPER Live! stage.
Nao Masaoka joined the Takarazuka Revue in 1991. As part of the Flower Troupe, she quickly became established as one of the leading performers of male roles thanks to her singing, dancing and acting prowess. She remained with the Revue until 2004, during which time she appeared in many of its classic productions. She has since had an active and varied career as a singing coach, actress, presenter and personality.
3. Xmas Eileen
Rock band Xmas Eileen has never been to the United Kingdom before, so their performances at HYPER JAPAN will be their first time. The band members are masked and the music they make is a blend of rock, rap and DJ tracks. Formed in 2014, Xmas Eileen gained a following amongst rock fans performing at music festivals like SUMMER SONIC. The group consists of twin vocalists, a performer, guitarist, drums, bass, and a DJ, all named “No name”, which make them anonymous. Their first album, ONLY THE BEGINNING dropped in August 2016, a year later the band released the album Dis is Love. The performances of Xmas Eileen will take place on Friday from 18.00 and Sunday from 16.00 at the HYPER Live! stage.
4. Utaniwa Collabo
Utaniwa Collabo is a duo composed of a landscape gardener and a soprano singer, an interesting combination and also a fairly new art form that the two want to introduce through performances worldwide. Since their debut in 2014, they have been on Japanese TV six times, and have been performing at Tokyo Tower ten times. While Marina Okamoto sing the pure notes of classical opera, will the surrounding garden scenery be created and changed by master gardener Fuyuki Tabata in real time. Utaniwa Collabo will perform on Friday on 14.45 and Saturday on 12.15 at the HYPER Live! stage.
5. Ramen Experience
The Ramen Experience at HYPER JAPAN is all about appreciating the wonderful world of Ramen. You will sample three different types of ramen broth, you can vote for your favourite and you can get a bespoke bowl of ramen. On all days you can join the experience, but you will have to get a special ticket in advance to join the Ramen Experience.
6. BANZAI JAPAN
After winning Tokyo Candoll 2018 in April, the girls of idol group BANZAI JAPAN, performed at Japan Expo Paris 2018. Now they have a few shows planned at HYPER JAPAN Winter 2018. “The sun will soon rise upon the world!”, is the motto of BANZAI JAPAN, an idol group consisting of fourteen members who are all linked by their originality while coming from different parts of Japan. They mix Japanese with Western music, and always dance with sensu (Japanese fans) to give a folkloric touch to their choreographies. You can immerse yourself in Japanese spirit on Friday afternoon from 15.45 at HYPER Live! stage and Sunday morning from 10.15 at the same stage.
7. Shunmu Tomokagami
Be transported back to the Edo period, a time when beautiful ladies in kimonos and stern samurai walked the streets of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) with the performance Shunmu Tomokagami. Japanese painter, Maika Kobayashi and young stage producer, Daiki Abiru describes the world of Oiran, Japanese gorgeous courtesans who disappeared from Japanese history without seeing outside of their “home” on the stage from an innovative viewpoint. There is no word nor line – but only astronomical and elegant melody line written by varieties of composers for Shunmu Yumekagami. The stage performance is designed by famous Japanese choreographer Mifumi Aoi, which speaks with voluptuous and mellow body language. There will be six performances during HYPER JAPAN.
8. Sankei Amo
Calligraphy artist Sankei Amo will be demonstrating her incredible calligraphy and the famous Japan Blue handmade Washi paper from her native Tokushima prefecture at the Hyper Live! Stage on Friday and Sunday. Calligraphy is how a bit of ink and a piece of paper are transformed into a beautiful work of art. The showcases will take place on Friday afternoon from 13.15 and Sunday morning from 9.30. During HYPER JAPAN you can also join the workshop to make your own calligraphy bookmark. This workshop will be given by Takako Calligraphy Arts.
9. Special screening of animated short films
HYPER JAPAN will screen 20 animated short films. On Saturday and Sunday HYPER JAPAN will be showing ten films that have been selected from among the best finalists of the CG Anime Contest through the years and includes the first film by Makoto Shinkai, the director of Your Name, She & Her Cat, Lonesome Hero by Manami Wakai and Happy Project’s Fruity Samurai. The CG Anime Contest is the oldest celebration of independent anime in Japan. When the contest was first founded, digital anime was still in its infancy and commercially available software was rare and anime creators who used such software were also very rare. Still, the creators of the Contest believed that “If we start this Contest, then digital anime creators will appear” and so many of Japan’s celebrated anime directors can trace their roots to the CG Anime Contest. DoGA is an association dedicated to the promotion of independent anime and the advancement of future anime creators. DoGA is also the organizing body behind the CG Anime Contest, a contest created by a group of university students back in 1985 before the age of PCs.
10. Hibiki Ichikawa with DJ TAKAKI
From Hibiki Ichikawa and DJ TAKAKI you can expect a performance of Tsugaru Shamisen and DJing. The artists blend two very different musical cultures to create a fascinating new style. Hibiki Ichikawa is the only professional player of tsugaru shamisen; a traditional 3-stringed instrument played using a large pick called a bachi. DJ TAKAKI is known as an innovative future electronic artist, as a DJ, turntablist and a music producer from Tokyo, he effortlessly crosses over Techno, House, Drum & Bass, and Electronic music. The performances will take place on Friday afternoon from 17.15 and Saturday evening from 18.00 at HYPER Live! Stage.
There is much more to do at HYPER JAPAN Winter 2018, for more information you should check the website. There are still tickets. If you go, let us know!
