The team at Japan Nakama was kindly invited to attend the most recent London Anime & Gaming Con; a home for anime, gaming, and cosplay in London. Despite having limited personal experience with anime or gaming culture, I was excited and intrigued to explore the convention and find out what it might have to offer for Japan Nakama users. What I found was an inviting and varied environment accessible to all.
The convention offered a multitude of opportunities to its attendees; from cosplay to karaoke; video gaming, board and strategy gaming, and Q&As with industry experts. It successfully combined an opportunity for creativity and entertainment with informative workshops and inspiration for those interested to gain greater insight into related industries.
Whilst there were some ‘technical glitches’ along the way, this slightly amateur approach to a convention only added to its charm. The sense of community was striking and it was abundantly clear that those with varying levels of interest and investment were equally welcome to immerse themselves in this world.
A prime example: in the room devoted to board games, stickers were used to categorise games according to their level of difficulty to understand. For more complex, or less well-known games, those in attendance were invited to ask members of the conventions team to teach and play with them. This ‘sharing’ approach ensured that even those who might have attended the convention alone had the opportunity to get involved, to meet new people, and to open their minds to a new experience or interest.
Visually, the convention offered great inspiration; awash with abundant interesting and considered costumes. For those with keen interest, as well as those who are simply curious, about anime and cosplay, I feel confident that this aspect of the convention would have offered much interest!
For those already immersed in the world of cosplay, the opportunity was available to have professional photos taken, in addition to discussions on enhancing the quality of images. For those only just discovering the world of cosplay, there was an abundance of retailers’ present selling costumes or other merchandise.
For those who missed, but are interested in the future London Anime & Gaming Con’s, listen up! The next event is scheduled to take place between 6th and 8th July 2018, with tickets starting from just £9. In the meantime, be sure to download the Japan Nakama App to be in the know for the latest Anime and Gaming events taking place in London.
