Interest
Event Report: Kyoto Int'l Manga Anime Fair is Welcome Respite for Typhoon-Hit Kansai Area
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
The Kyoto International Manga Anime Fair (KyoMAF) is the biggest anime event in Western Japan, held right before summer gives way to autumn. And Kansai really did need a nice big event like this right about now; Typhoon Jebi tore through the region on September 4 and left many neighborhoods damaged and still recovering. Kyoto didn't see as much damage as neighboring Osaka and Kobe, but luckily Kansai is small enough that residents in those cities can easily get to Kyoto within a two-hour train ride (and trains are all back up and running aside from the trains going to and from the flooded and bridge-damaged Kansai International Airport).
KyoMAF is quite a different beast from most big anime events. It's certainly smaller than say, Comiket or AnimeJapan in Tokyo, but in that way it has about just the right amount of activities to offer for those who want only a day trip. For those attending on both days, there's lots of other collaborative events in and around Kyoto coinciding with KyoMAF. For one, the nearby Kyoto City Zoo is having a collaboration with Kemono Friends right now.
The ROHM Theatre across the street from the event's Miyako Messe building had Super Mario orchestra concerts throughout the event.
The famed Kyoto International Manga Museum, which is just a few subway stops away, has two special galleries right now for Natsume's Book of Friends and Peacemaker Kurogane; two franchises that were highly advertised at the convention with stage events and merchandise.
And right next to Miyako Messe is the famous Heian Jingu shrine. This year there happened to be a street festival outside the shrine all weekend, giving foreign visitors a taste of otaku, modern, and traditional culture all in one spot!
KyoMAF also hosts a small business area each year where budding manga artists can come and have editors from one of the major manga magazines in Japan look over their work. Aspiring artists must have an appointment in advance.
But let's move on to the event itself. Click on the links below to read reports and see pictures from different parts of the event.
The recurring downside of the event is its Cosplay Area. The area is held in the basement, in a cramped space in the same room as the Open Stage. Even if you can get to see the cosplayer you want to see to take pictures, there's hardly any room to move let alone take a good picture, and it's nearly impossible to hear next to the cheers of fans at the Open Stage event.
What KyoMAF lacks in terms of sheer size it more than makes up for in local charm and a variety of different activities. The event is also quite English friendly with signage in both Japanese and English in most areas.
Update on 9/20/2018: KyoMAF reported an attendance of 41,700 people, a 22% increase over 2017.
Check out the full gallery of the event below!
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this article has been modified since it was originally posted; see change history