Copyright manchestereveningnews
A three-day festival of Japanese culture, food, fashion, anime and music is heading to Manchester in November. Earlier this year, the London festival attracted over 53,000 visitors. The biggest celebration of Japanese culture in the UK, Hyper Japan will take place at the Manchester Central Convention Complex from Friday, 14 to Sunday, 16 November 2025. Launched in 2010, the huge event showcases contemporary and traditional Japan across anime, gaming, music, fashion, food, crafts, technology and tourism through exhibitors, live performances, workshops and tastings. Yoshiki Sato, Managing Director at Hyper Japan, commented: "We’re bringing together the best of modern and traditional Japan under one roof. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE "From the Evangelion 30th Anniversary Booth and the Sake Experience, to live music, workshops and an incredible marketplace of independent creators, we can’t wait to welcome fans and families for a weekend of discovery and celebration of Japanese culture.” A Manchester Hyper Market featuring more than 180 independent artists and small businesses will give visitors the chance to shop Japanese fashion, art, ceramics, accessories, figures, lifestyle goods and toys. Meanwhile, freshly made Japanese street food and sweets, including favourites like ramen, gyoza, and yakitori will also be on sale. For anime fans, The Evangelion 30th Anniversary Booth arrives in Manchester too, with immersive displays themed on the long-running series and exclusive items. On top of this, The Hyper Japan Shop will boast limited-edition merchandise, including official anime T-shirts such as Dan Da Dan, STEINS;GATE, and CHAOS;CHILD, authentic figures imported from Japan, and gachapon vending machines. In terms of entertainment, mainstage performances will feature anime actress and voice actor Aya Hirano – known for roles in Death Note, Lucky Star, Fairy Tail and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - together with J-pop singer-songwriter Miyuna, plus traditional acts including Enka, Koto (a traditional stringed instrument) and Taiko (Japanese drumming). There will also be hands-on workshops in Kintsugi - the art and philosophy of mending broken things to look more beautiful, Calligraphy, Shimenawa - a form of traditional straw rope tying sacred to the Shinto religion – and Origami. Plus, there's an interactive Sake Experience, where visitors can try, learn, vote and have the option to buy sake. General admission day tickets start from £25.20, and children aged 10 and under are free when attending with a paying adult. Workshops are separately ticketed add-ons and must be purchased in advance. The event will run at Manchester Central Convention Complex on Friday, November 14 from 12pm until 8pm, on Saturday, 15 November between 10am and 8pm, and on Sunday, 16 November, between 10am and 5pm. More performance and workshops will be announced in the coming weeks. More information and tickets can be found here .
