Wonder Festival is held at Makuhari Messe(幕張メッセ), which is the represent of event sites around Tokyo alongside Tokyo Big Sight. It takes about one hour from central of Tokyo by train.

People, people…

…and characters!

Wonder Festival is divided into amateurs’ area and commercial area. You will be amazed at the great plastic figures displayed proudly on the amateurs’ booths.

Kyaaaaa♡ Keith Goodman from Tiger&Bunny!!! They look real!!

Shizuo Heiwajima from DRRR!

Asuka from Evangelion. Kawaii^^*

Handmade dress-up dolls.

This is also from T&B… Amazing…

Found Ren Jinguji♡

Commercial section. So many new figures were released!

Life-size Dio from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure.

The Prince of Tennis♡ Kawaii^^*

This Ryoma remain in a development stage, but it’s perfect!!

Blue Exorcist. I want to buy this Rin Okumura.

HUNTER×HUNTER.

Wow!!! Gintoki in childhood!

Kuroko’s Basketball♡ Super kawaii!!!!

You can see also wonderful cosplayers at Wonder Festival.

Wonder Festival will be held in August next time.

Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea is near to Maihama Station (舞浜駅). Perhaps Maihama means Miami Beach where the Walt Disney World is. (Mai likes Miami, Hama=Beach)

Tokyo Disneyland Hotel.

The entrance of Tokyo Disneyland. There are many characters.

What you can see in Tokyo Disneyland at first is “World Bazaar.” Full of goods shops!

Mr. Walt Disney, Mickey Mouse, and the symbol of the park, Cinderella castle. This is the main photo spot.

So many kawaii costumes…!!! Disney Halloween is funny!

The parade has started! Disney all stars appear!

　
After the parade over, let’s walk around the park and attractions.

Flavored popcorn’s outdoor stands are the staple of Tokyo Disneyland.

Tokyo Disneyland has Halloween special parade as well.

At night, Halloween’s decorations are stand out more.

Night parade “Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights” is the main event of the park.

The interesting day passed quickly…

Tokyo Disneyland Halloween season is really recommendable, but in weekends, the park is usually full and the gates are closed. So I recommend to visit there on weekdays.

Halloween is now Japan’s major event, but I think that most of Japanese people don’t know the original meaning. Japanese people recognize that Halloween is the day for costume party.

Mystery trash bins.

Now that the parade are over, let’s stick around here for a while.

Laforet Harajuku.

Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku.

Omotesando and Harajuku crossing.

Recently, there is always long cue in front of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop at Omotesando. There had not been Ben & Jerry’s in Japan, so the shop has attracted many customers. They are everywhere in the United States… That is funny.

Sometimes I can find London buses in Tokyo. They are very popular with Japanese young people and they are usually used for some kind of campaigns.

Kawagoe is in Saitama prefecture which is next door to Tokyo. It takes about an hour from central of Tokyo. You can get there without transferring by Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin line from Shibuya.

The Kawagoe Station.

Kawagoe Matsuri is held from morning, around the station is full of people.

One float (山車) was standby around the station. At the Kawagoe Matsuri, a total of 29 gorgeous floats are drawn around the city.

A float is going to the central of the festival. Everyone is waiting!

There are many outdoor stands at the festival.

Beer and Takoyaki (たこ焼き) are staple of Japanese festivals! Kawagoe has the original beer.

At the central of Kawagoe, there were so many people and floats!

Each float pop their top in and out of the roof. On top of each float there are dolls under which is a round stage. The floats are made of lacquer and gold leaf and have exquisite sculptures of Zelkova trees on them. Half of these are appointed as cultural treasures.

When floats pass by each other, that round stage rotates and they compete with each others festival music. It called “Hikkawase (曳っかわせ).”

The festival becomes exciting because of the cheers of the people pulling the floats and the spectators.

The floats proceeding down the streets lined by warehouses are lit up in the daytime as well as nighttime by lanterns. This festival has not changed from more than 360 years ago.

She found out later that the event was AniNite 2012. We, as Japanese, were very surprised that around this historical and renowned church in the capital of music was filled with many Vocaloid and other anime characters’ cosplayers. At the same time, we are so happy that young people in Vienna appreciated Japanese pop culture.

(Photos by Kei Norimatsu)

Young girls wearing yukata (summer kimono) around Roppongi Hills.

People enjoyed Bon dances (盆踊り) at Roppongi Hills square. Bon dances were originally a religious ceremony held to send off these spirits, but they have become local festivals for entertainment.

We came to Azabu-Juban!

WOW! Huge crowd of people!

There are many outdoor stands at the festival.

“Goldfish Scooping (金魚すくい),” a game in which the aim is to scoop goldfish with a thin paper scoop out of a shallow water tank, is a staple attraction at summer festivals.

Young people are sitting outside… They are tired.

Yosakoi (よさこい) is a unique style of dance that originated in Kōchi Prefecture of Japan. Yosakoi means “Come at night” in Kōchi dialect. Original Yosakoi festival, which originated in 1954 as a representing people’s wishes for the recovery from World War II, is held in Kōchi Prefecture every year. Yosakoi dancing has a lot of flexibility in music, dancing and costumes, and its style of dance is very energetic. The charm has spread throughout Japan, and now there are more than 200 of Yosakoi style festivals all over the country.

Yosakoi dancers are preparing at the starting point of Omotesando.

Many people are enjoying Yosakoi dancing.

This year, 88 Yosakoi dance teams attended the festival.

Cute Vocaloid goods by Animate.

Madoka Magika figures by Good Smile Company.

Mirai-chan!

Character design pictures of Sword Art Online.

Performance by Vividblaze.

Doll collectors brought pretty dolls.

I met him last time as well!

Vocaloid Cosplay!

Found Akibaland Tours guides.

This event’s producer, Mr. Danny Choo.

The place’s name originate from this bridge, “Nihon-bashi.” Nihon means Japan, and bashi means bridge. This beautiful bridge is now covered with metropolitan highway…What a shame!

One of the oldest department stores, Mitsukoshi (三越), and beyond it is Mitsui Honkan (三井本館). I think that this street looks like New York City.

Behind the Mitsui Honkan, there is Bank of Japan (日本銀行). This building is also elegant.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Mitsui Tower is next door to Mitsui Honkan.

Now an event themed goldfishes “Art Aquarium” is being held at this building in Nihonbashi.

Colorful goldfishes remind us lively Edo culture.

This event is being held until September 24.

Kitty Robot car in front of the main gate of Omotesando Hills.

Inside of Omotesando Hills. Tadao Ando (安藤忠雄) designed this unusual building.

The event is held at B3F of Omotesando Hills. Admission is 500 yen for adults, 300 yen for high and junior high school students, free for children.

What you can see in the event floor at first is, neo-futuristic Kitty world!!!

Flying Kitty!

Various Kitty…

This event is being held until August 19.