Japan Expo is an event that celebrates Japanese culture and the country’s influence on the world. The expo is a four-day event that features exhibits, panels, performances, and more. People come together at the event to enjoy displays of anime, manga, J-pop, fashion, and food.
Japan Expo features unique events that cannot be seen elsewhere in the world. For example, there is a Monster Hunter LARPing session where players dress up as characters from the game and track virtual monsters around an area while hitting each other with foam weapons.
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There is also a Sailor Moon concert where the anime’s theme songs are performed in French by an image character who recently appeared at Japan Expo.
Viewers enjoy these events, but there are also booths that sell unique Japanese wares with food and drinks for attendees to purchase. There are video game tournaments, cosplay contests, and a marketplace with booths that sell items from Japan. There are also panels by Japanese guests who discuss different aspects of the country’s culture.
5 Must-See Attractions at Japan Expo
Japan Expo is one of the world’s largest and most popular cultural festivals. Held every year in Paris, it celebrates all things Japanese, from traditional culture and food to modern pop culture and fashion. Here are 5 must-see attractions at the Japan Expo that will give you a taste of everything the festival has to offer:
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Spam Musubi booth
Spam and rice is a classic island combo and the perfect snack to energize you as you make your way through the convention center. The booth serves freshly-made musubis at €3 each or 3 for €8.
If these rice treats look familiar, it’s because they’ve been featured on the popular travel show Bizarre Foods. The musubis are made using spam glazed with teriyaki sauce, wrapped in nori seaweed and served on a bed of rice.
Japanese snacks booth
This is your one-stop-shop for all the weird, wonderful and plain bizarre Japanese snacks you’ve always wanted to try. Nestled next to the Spam Musubi booth, you can pick up treats like sour watermelon candy, grape-flavored soda jelly, green tea Kit Kats and even wasabi-flavored potato chips.
The real highlight, though, is the ramune candies. These Japanese soda bottles are safe for kids to open without any help from adults, thanks to their unique codd-neck bottles.
The bottles come in a variety of adorable designs that children will love, and the candy inside is just as fun! Each one comes with a little toy surprise – from dinosaurs to unicorns.
Takoyaki stand
On top of Spam musubi, “octopus balls” are probably the most famous Japanese snack food outside of Japan. It’s a ball-shaped street food made with a savory wheat batter and filled with minced octopus, tempura scraps and green onion.
The Takoyaki stand at Japan Expo is not to be missed as they’ve come up with some rather unique flavors such as cheese & honey, bacon & cheese and even shrimp & garlic! The stand serves the balls at €5 each, and they’re well worth it.
Japanese drinks stand
Nestled beside the Takoyaki stand is this booth stocked with Japanese soft drinks and juices. You can try some of Japan’s most popular beverages like Calpis, Ramune and even Pocari Sweat without having to travel all the way across the world.
Flavors such as grape, peach and lychee are available for tasting, and if that’s not enough, there’s even a vending machine where you can buy cans of them at their original prices. If your little one isn’t feeling adventurous, we highly recommend trying some green tea or milky matcha.
J-Pop dance stage
End your day on a high note with some upbeat tunes and attractive dancers. The J-Pop dance stage is a live music performance featuring talented dancers reinterpreting traditional Japanese dances.
After the show, you can join in with their free dance lessons to learn some of the moves of famous Japanese idols. There’s space for everyone to join in, so the only thing missing is you.
Both children and adults are welcome to dance with them, but bear in mind that the stage can get very crowded during the weekends.
Japan Expo is a fantastic place to visit if you’re interested in Japanese culture or just looking for an entertaining day out with the family. With so many activities and attractions to try out, we’re sure you’ll have a great time.
What to Expect From the Cosplay Competition at Japan Expo
The Japanese culture has a rich tradition of dressing up, and even if you’re not into it, there’s no denying that this is an important part of the country. Here are some things you should know before attending such events:
- You need to register to take part in the competition. The cosplay contest will be held on Sunday, but you need to sign up beforehand, either at Japan Expo itself or by mail if you cannot attend.
- There are two ways of competing: as an individual or as a group! If you want to go solo, then expect to go on stage and be judged on your looks, costume, performance etc.. In a group, expect to perform a skit of sorts with music and dancing.
- If you want to compete as an individual, then note that there are different categories (Photo session – Children, Photo session – Adults, Costume parade, Anime Character portrayal). Note that you can only compete in one category.
- If you’re competing as a group, then there are also different categories (Children’s performance, Animation Performance). Once again, choose wisely.
- You’ll probably need to use visual aids for your skit/performance. We recommend having these visuals on an iPad or similar device because laptops might be a bit much. You can download the visuals in advance here. If you have a smartphone, then it should be pretty easy to find material online.
- The performance is divided into three parts: your opening, your main part and your ending. Most of this will come down to practice, but we recommend mixing in a few jokes just for fun.
In Conclusion
It goes without saying that you should have fun. Cosplay is, first and foremost, about having a good time. Japan Expo puts on amazing events every year, so even if your performance doesn’t go well or you don’t win anything, then the experience will still be one to remember.
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