Japan Weekend (2019)

Last weekend (23rd-24th September) was this year’s Japan Weekend, a convention celebrating anime, manga, and Japanese culture in general.  

If this sounds much the same as the Mangadrid event it April, then you’d be right. Except Japan Weekend is a lot bigger, occupying maybe three times as much space.

There was some great cosplay on show, with a cosplay catwalk, representatives from several countries of the International Cosplay League, and one event which saw cosplayers performing as their characters.

 A large number of stalls provided the opportunity to part with your cash on manga, t-shirts, posters, figurines, and other merchandise. I was pleased to see that Aprede Japones Hoy had a small stall, so there were actually a few books in Japanese available. Especially impressive was the sheer volume of artists and creators present, with dozens and dozens of stalls full of pictures and stickers. If you’re looking to get a commissioned piece of artwork, this would be a great place to look for artists.

 During the event, there were talks, music (featuring Sunstroke Project, Three1989, and Hyemin), competitions and workshops. The highlight for us was the appearance of Chiitan, who John Oliver does a far better job of introducing than I would.

 All-in-all, this was a really great convention. While both Mangadrid and Madrid Otaku (once you could get in) were also well worth visiting, Japan Weekend was as big as both of them put together. So if you were only going to do one, this should really be that one. 

Official Website: https://japanweekend.com/madrid/

Teaser: After the convention we went for a walk in the nearby park, where I discovered something inspired by an obscure Rutger Hauer movie. Expect an article in the near future…