HYPER JAPAN 2023 Review

Summer culture thrills Hyper Japan returned once again with a summer event packed with three days of food, fashion, gaming, cosplay, anime and music all connected with a Japanese theme. As ever, for this year’s event, Hyper Japan had a … Read More

NECRONOMIDOL Live in London

In Regeneratione Tour It would be fair to say that occult-powered idol act NECRONOMIDOL have been through some ups and downs in recent times. The successive line-up changes can’t fail to be a frustrating obstacle, presenting a precarious foundation to … Read More

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EKOTUMI Live in London

A journey into Japanese mythology… The Kojiki is considered to be the oldest literary work in Japan, a chronicle of the myths and legends of Japanese history. It also weaves in oral traditions and semi-historical accounts and elements of its … Read More

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BABYMETAL Live in London 2020

Galaxy Quest… The appearance of Babymetal’s Metal Galaxy album (see J-Pop Go review previously) seemed to spark up some debate in certain quarters (‘PA PA YA!!’ in particular), largely because although the variety of new influences on that album gave … Read More

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KANON WAKESHIMA & JUN OKADA Live in London

Lounge pop party It seems surprising that nearly ten years have passed since Kanon Wakeshima graced UK shores as a live performer. During those interleaving years her style has been undergoing something of an evolution from the classic ‘Lolita Pop’ … Read More

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HYPER JAPAN 2019 Review

Hyper Summer Thrills… Celebrating 10 years of events, Hyper Japan launched once again into the summer with 3 days of food, fashion, gaming, cosplay, anime and music all connected with a Japanese theme. As ever, for this year’s event, Hyper … Read More

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SHONEN KNIFE Live in London

Sweet Candy Power During the barren years, having a Japanese band performing in the UK seemed like a remote prospect at the best of times. Luckily, sturdy rock outfit Shonen Knife were one of a the small number of acts … Read More

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RIE FU – Live in London

I see the mirror reflecting me… With the release of her new album Places (see J-Pop Go review previously) earlier this year, UK audiences were also fortunate enough to see Rie fu perform some of those songs live at some … Read More

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Indie, Idol and Infamous – London

Idol adventures… The news that the good people at Orion Live were assembling a special multi-idol line-up for a UK tour had caused a buzz of interest from day one. Their Black Wings Over Albion tour in 2018 had seen … Read More

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PSYDOLL Live in London

A night in the Machine Kingdom… Hitting the UK in the spring months, Japanese cyberpunk outfit Psydoll took in an extensive number of venues across the country, including Glasgow, Newcastle upon Tyne, Edinburgh, Leeds and Birmingham. Consisting of Nekoi (vocal,keyboard,songs) … Read More

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HYPER JAPAN Winter 2018 Review

Winter wonderland adventures With the winter months closing in, the appeal of a long weekend of Japanese pop culture is always difficult to dismiss. London’s Olympia paid host to Hyper Japan’s annual festivities once again (albeit in a slightly smaller … Read More

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HYPER JAPAN Summer 2018 Review

Summer musical thrills from Hyper Japan… Nothing really beats a summer event packed with Japanese culture. As ever, Hyper Japan were on hand to provide 3 days of food, fashion, gaming, cosplay, anime and music all connected with that particular … Read More

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NECRONOMIDOL Live in London

Occult idol act bring their supernatural powers to London NECRONOMIDOL’s return visit to the UK saw the occult idol outfit bolstered with some new friends. The addition of Screaming 60s and 2& meant that we were treated to a full … Read More

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MAISON BOOK GIRL – Live In London

Power moves ahoy… Establishing Maison book girl as the forefront of a UK-based J-Pop label was inspiring news when it was first announced. Now in the process of doing a swift UK tour, the 4-piece outfit arrived in London for … Read More

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JAPANESE SAKE FESTIVAL 2018 Review

Japanese sake and music hits London… It seems at times as if we’re enjoying a packed annual calendar of Japanese cultural events in the UK, particularly in London. Events such as the Japan Matsuri through to Hyper Japan have demonstrated … Read More

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SCANDAL Live at 02 Islington

SCANDAL return to rock the socks off London’s O2 Islington… When they first emerged into Japan’s busy music scene back in 2006, rock outfit SCANDAL certainly caught everyone’s attention. Haruna Ono (vocals, guitar), Mami Sasazaki (guitar), Tomoni Ogawa (bass, vocals) … Read More

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PERFUME Gallery Experience

PERFUME stage an exhibition of tour and video outfits for UK fans… For an outfit such as PERFUME, it’s quite rare to be able to explore the elements that make the group work and assess it outside of the context … Read More

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KYARY PAMYU PAMYU in London

As the world of J-pop continues to expand its global reach, it’s time for KYARY PAMYU PAMYU to demonstrate how she’s managed to retain her high profile as she embarks on the KPP 5iVE YEARS MONSTER WORLD TOUR 2016. Marking … Read More

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THE TOMBOYS Live in London

With the chilly winter weather still with us, London was warmed by the arrival of 4-piece rock outfit THE TOMBOYS who were making their overseas live debut as part of a Japan Underground showcase… The venue of choice was The … Read More

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KAKEHASHI MEMORIAL CONCERT

Naomi Suzuki hosts a special memorial concert to reflect on the tragic events of 2011… With the 5th Anniversary of the 2011 Japan Earthquake/Tsunami falling in March 2016, a number of events were organized to commemorate the occasion. Singer Naomi … Read More

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HYPER JAPAN Xmas Market 2015

With the winter chill bearing down, HYPER JAPAN warmed crowds up with a diverse variety of musical entertainment… The Christmas Market version of Hyper Japan can often feel like a scaled down version of its summer event – particularly following … Read More

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MAN WITH A MISSION Live In London

MAN WITH A MISSION take a bite out of London… One of the more interesting rock acts to emerge from Planet Earth in recent years is the group known as MAN WITH A MISSION. Having cultivated a fervent fanbase in … Read More

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HYPER JAPAN 2015 Summer Review

With the demise of the Earl’s Court venue, Hyper Japan have been shopping around for new premises – which for their summer event saw them landing at the O2. Situated on the Greenwich peninsula, the former Millennium Dome would appear … Read More

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HYPER JAPAN Xmas Market 2014

With the ongoing plans to close Earls Court Exhibition Centre, Hyper Japan have had to shop around for venues, with the result that they’ve actually returned to Olympia (where they staged their second event back in 2011). As usual, Hyper … Read More

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REPORT : HYPER JAPAN 2014

Pop culture go… It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to state that the summer Hyper Japan had an insanely packed schedule. With its gradual rise over the years to become the UK’s biggest Japanese cultural event, visitors were also still capable … Read More

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BABYMETAL LIVE IN LONDON

BABYMETAL’s appearance at the Sonisphere festival had sparked a lot of interest amongst UK J-Pop fans – but in the process had also apparently won over a lot of our resident rock and metal fans. Although some determined souls made … Read More

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Kyary Pamyu Pamyu in London 2014

With the threat of tube strikes impacting on KYARY PAMYU PAMYU’s return to the UK, any travel plan to the venue became something of a military exercise. Full points then to everyone who managed to endure the journey to enjoy … Read More

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DIE MILCH at Milk Tea Day

With an increasingly popular Lolita community in the UK it’s only natural that dedicated events should start to become regular features on the calendar. Milk Tea Day took place in London in December, following on from an earlier event (Austen … Read More

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Adventures at MCM Expo 2013

As the chilly winds of October descend on London, it’s a sign for the masses of cosplayers to embark on their latest pilgrimage to the packed halls of the Excel Centre for the latest MCM Expo. The MCM Expo appears … Read More

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PERFUME Live in London

Technopop trio make London debut There was a point not that long ago where the idea of an outfit such as PERFUME performing in the UK would have seemed absurd. Following on from Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s performance earlier this year, … Read More

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KYARY PAMYU PAMYU at O2 London

KPP braves the winter chill to revisit London The February weather in London was fiercely cold – and there was even a brief flurry of snow, but a minor thing like the British weather couldn’t deter Kyary fans from putting … Read More

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HYPER JAPAN Christmas 2012

Not satisfied with staging one event per year, it appears that Hyper Japan are keen to test the market for a bi-annual Japanese culture event. Judging by the crowds attending this November show that decision was largely successful. Hyper Japan … Read More

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SHONEN KNIFE live in London

Hey Ho Let’s Go The venue of choice for tonight’s entertainment was Cargo in Shoreditch which was being host to record label/promoter’s 6th Birthday. Support acts Wussy and American Werewolf Academy gave sterling warm-up shows, particularly with the latter’s very … Read More

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Adventures at AMECON

Amecon 2012 drew to a close last Sunday evening after 3 days of entertainment, stories, events and general mayhem. The event, which is the UK’s largest anime convention, is a fan-run event which has been running since 2004 featuring cosplay … Read More

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L’Arc~en~Ciel at Indigo2, London

L’Arc~en~Ciel Anniversary Adventures… When a band as big as L’Arc~en~Ciel come to the UK expectations are set high, especially when they opt to put on the biggest stand-alone gig any J-Rock artist has before in London; and even more so … Read More

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HYPER JAPAN 2012 Review

The Japanese Cultural Event returns… It hasn’t taken long for Hyper Japan to establish itself as a fixed point on the UK’s Japanese cultural calendar. Its seamless mesh of traditional and modern culture provides plenty of things to see and … Read More

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KANON x KANON live in London

Kanon Wakeshima’s debut UK performance at Hyper Japan earlier this year had been very well received by her fans. To expect a follow up in the same year was completely unexpected – but very welcome indeed. Outside of her solo … Read More

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