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Brighton Japan Festival Begins Friday
posted on by Andrew Osmond
The Brighton Japan festival begins on Friday June 22. It will include a two-day 'open-air anime festival' called Asahi Anime, taking place on Saturday June 30 (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Sunday July 1 (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Asahi Anime will include Manga drawing, Cosplay contests and workshops, a Lolita fashion show, a Build-a-Gundam event and stalls selling manga and anime toys. The venue is Brighton's Bartholomew Square. Entry to the Asahi Anime festival is free, although there may be charges for some of the workshops.
Also, the Duke of Yorks Picturehouse cinema in Brighton (map) will screen two anime films and one manga-related film.
June 23
From Up On Poppy Hill (details) 4 pm. The latest Studio Ghibli film, a period teenage drama by Goro Miyazaki set in 1963 Yokohama.
June 27
Himizu (details), 6.30 p.m. Directed by Shion Sono, this is the live-action version of the manga by Minoru Furuya, about an abused teenage boy in the aftermath of the 2011 tsunami.
June 30
Genius Party Beyond (details), 11.30 pm. This is a 2008 anthology of five short films by the anime Studio 4°C. The final segment, "Dimension Bomb," was directed by Kōji Morimoto and scored by Brighton's Juno Reactor.
In addition, on June 23 the Homu venue in Bartholomew Street will show Ringu, the classic 1997 live-action supernatural horror, based on Koji Suzuki's book which also was also adapted in manga form. There is the option of a three-course meal before the film; this begins at 7 p.m. and the combined package costs £25 (details). Alternatively the film can be booked without the meal; the screening is at 9 p.m. and tickets cost £7; click the relevant option on this page.
There will also be a trio of 'interactive' Japan-themed talks on June 28, presented by Brighton's Catalyst Club at Homu in Bartholomew Square. The first talk at 8.30 p.m. will be by Tim Pilcher on "The Wonderful Worlds of Miyazaki."
Additionally, there will be a "Japanese Fancy Dress" event on June 26 and a "Retro Games Night" at Marwood Coffee Shop on June 30, both free.
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