Tokushima Golden Week Anime Festival – Machi Asobi

This Golden Week holiday in Tokushima welcomed the return of the Machi Asobi Anime Festival and thousand of animation fanatics from all over Japan.  Although this event is now in its 4th year in Tokushima and is considered the biggest anime, gaming and manga event in all of Japan – I was previously unaware of it and this year was my first time strolling through the festivities. The word “Machi” translates as street, town or city while “Asobi” means amusement, playing or game – a fitting name for the event as the fun and excitement lines the outdoor venues along the Tokushima City river boardwalk and streets.  Since the first event in 2009, Japan’s anime industry leaders, including: directors, voice actors, producers, artists, and singers have been gathering annually in Tokushima to feature their latest productions.  Although I have never been overly interested in Japanese animation, I do respect the enormous popularity it has within the Japanese culture and wanted to highlight this fun local event!

For more information in Japanese 日本 visit the event’s official website: http://www.machiasobi.com/