So, I just got back from Japan. It was all business, but I was able to have a bit of fun too. As life would have it, I ended up going to Tokyo Anime Fair. It sounds super nerdy, but unfortunately, it wasn’t quite as geeked out as Comic Con in San Diego. It wasn’t nearly as large as SDCC either. Nonetheless, it was quite adventurous for a first timer. Check out below some pics and descriptions ☺

Mameshiba. This was probably the best booth. Not that it was big or crazy, but it was just super cute and Mameshiba-ed out. They even had a UFO catcher, and I was able to snag about 6 Mameshiba dolls. What luck!

Adorable! But quite expensive….

Here’s a balloon I got and later gave away.

This car was pretty neat. It had the Japanese sound effect bursts directly on it and around it.

Another angle.

Ahhhhh, Tamagotchi. I can’t believe you still exist! But these interestingly sized Tamagotchi stuffed costumes were just adorable. I think kids were inside. I’m only 5’2, and I will not fit in there so they have to be kids! I like how the yellow guy raised his little foot and the heart bag on the bunny.

www.tamagotchi.com

The process taking this pic was so cute. I aimed my digi cam at them, and the yellow guy waddled sideways toward the bunny. You can see he’s kind of leaning over. I just love the look on his face!

Hangry & Angry. Okay, interesting name right? Hangry & Angry are actually characters based off two of the popular girls from Morning Musume (a j-girl group). I believe they also are connected to H. Naoto, the gothic loli designer.

A tiny pink car-like thing.

The entire booth was pink pink pink!

The store at TAF sold really cute and unique Doraemon mugs. I should have bought one. Regret.

More regret…

This is one of the things that kind of freak me out at conventions. A billion dudes taking a pic of some random girl. Well, maybe she was famous, I don’t know. So instead of her, I took a picture of the creepy guys snapping photos non-stop.

Cheburashka. This weird cute monkey looking creature was being pretty heavily promoted. I can’t even pronounce it. Cheburashka. I guess it’s the Russian national character…and I have no idea what that means.

Micky Mouse Transformer. Costs about $40.

Of course, the Tezuka booth.

As you can see, my TAF adventure was filled with cute and weird, typical of any anime convention. See ya next time!

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Being Japanese, I can say without hesitation, Japanese people are weird. We like things like Godzilla and Ultra Man. The randomness doesn’t end here. I was just in Japan a few weeks ago and the new little trend was poo. Cute poo.

Enter Unko-san, Japanese translation being Mr. Feces.

Allow me to tell you a little bit about him. Unko-san (pictured above) is a young boy that is on a soul search for true happiness. He is a bit shy but loves festivals. He also has a younger baby brother, Unko-chan, who can use ESP (aka, ESP Baby). It doesn’t stop here. Unko-san has an entire set of unko family and friends and even a Nurse Unko who is currently looking for a boyfriend (what the…). The Unko family is very special and is very much known to be little spirits that can only be seen by “lucky” people (is that really lucky?).

Japan is weird! But the thing is, these little Unko-sans and Unko-chans are really cute. So cute I bought Alisa a little baby Unko-chan plushie keychain (top row, center, with a pacifier – cute, no?). She thinks it’s utterly weird and so do most people. But whatever, it’s cute, it’s the craze so what are you going to do? Go buy one of course!

There’s even a little anime to complement our smelly hero. Here’s a clip:

What do YOU think of Unko-san? Cute or creepy??

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Since the event was held at the ever-popular cosplay cafe ROYAL/T, we were even able to devour some Hello Kitty dishes, specially made for this fabulous event. I had the ham and cheese Hello Kitty Tramezzini and some ROYAL/T Milk Tea. I even had some dessert, the Super Yummy Waffles (the waffles were ehhhh, but the syrup was delicious and what are you gonna do, they were HELLO KITTY SHAPED!)

Also, each night of this event was themed, and tonight was GYARU Beauty Parlor night! The literal translation of GYARU is simply GAL. GYARUs are typically super tan, crazy hair curled to the max, wear super trendy outfits and are often seen with an insane amount of thick mascara. Therefore, tonight, you could have gotten glammed up and done up by professional hair/makeup artists, get your nails done and pictures taken. Didn’t participate in any of this, but it was certainly entertaining to watch.

Anyhow, it was a fun, sweet night. It was an honor to celebrate Kitty-chan’s 35th year. Yay!

Enjoy all my photos below ^^

Bling Kitty…It’s like the music player.

Lady Gaga with anime eyes.

Lady Gaga in Hello Kitty Plush Doll Dress

This was super tall and had a busty chest!

We love UFO Catchers! (aka crane game)

Cute Hello Kitty Figure

My Hello Kitty Dinner

And Dessert!

Hello Kitty Appliances

More Hello Kitty appliances and gadgets

Do you see the Hello Kitty Eva Airplane in the background?

Mini Hello Kitty Food

Hello Kitty and Toki Doki

I like the skulls and kitty.

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Although I was hoping for a more crazy look and feel (as per my previous post), I must say, I was quite pumped and excited — as you can see from all the pictures I took of the Domo figurines that come with the straw (cost $1.99 and I bought three…).

There are tons more pics below of the actual 7-Eleven store experience with Domo all around.  Enjoy!

Domo Trio on my laptop…aren’t they cute?  The hip-hop Domo cracks me up.  Look at him, so gangsta, haha!

Domo Coffee Cup for 99 cents which I didn’t buy.  If it looked exactly like it did in ceramic form, I would have bought 100.

Domo Goods

Spotted the Domo Manga behind a yellow “caution: wet floor” sign…

Spiced Pumpkin Latte by Domo. Perfect for October

Domo Slurpees of course!

Ahhhh, I just love this guy…<3

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DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Domo, the fuzzy brown creature with a trademark enigmatic open-mouth expression, takes 7-Eleven® stores by storm this fall. From collectible Slurpee® cups filled with Fuji Frost by Fanta, and flocked Slurpee character straws to Big Bite® hot dog containers, coffee cups and even an exclusive Domo Attack! Energy drink, Domo will have 7-Eleven customers seeing brown, interrupted by red and sharp white teeth.

Created by Japanese illustrator and director Tsuneo Goda as the mascot for Japanese public television station NHK in 1998, Domo has a unique look and personality that quickly catapulted the character into one of the Internet’s biggest sensations. Domo has achieved pop culture super-status through user-generated content and thousands of viral videos on popular websites like YouTube, Facebook and Flickr.

“Fuji Frost has a sweet red-apple taste, which is a tongue-in-cheek choice since apples are the one food Domo doesn’t like,” said Jay Wilkins, 7-Eleven category manager for proprietary cold beverages. “Because Domo loves Slurpee drinks and appears everywhere in our stores, theoretically Fuji Frost Slurpee drinks are Domo-proof.” Fuji Frost is named for Mount Fuji, Japan’s most well-known landmark.

A new three-part webisode, which can be viewed exclusively online at www.slurpee.com and www.domonation.com, tells the story of Domo and his friends on a quest for a Slurpee beverage. Each of the 30-second segments will debut weekly on the two websites starting Oct. 1. The stop-action animated Domo video was created and produced exclusively for 7-Eleven by dwarf inc., the Japanese animation company that originally created Domo and all his friends.

Collectible cups feature Domo and his furry sidekicks enjoying Slurpee drinks and one showing Domo experiencing a Brainfreeze™. For Domo fans, a tiny flocked Domo character is affixed to premium Slurpee straws, selling for $1.99. From hip hop to wrestling themes, each of the four Slurpee straws features Domo sporting a different costume and accessories.
Coffee and Big Bite hot dogs, two of 7-Eleven’s best-selling proprietary items, also get ‘Domo-nized’ as a limited offering through Nov. 15. To reach younger coffee drinkers, 7-Eleven is offering coffee in a special brown Domo cup for just 99 cents. Store signage promoting the coffee deal urges customers to “Obey the Domo.” Likewise, the Big Bite hot dog also will retail for 99 cents and be served in a cardboard “clam-shell” carrier resembling Domo’s face, with the mouth opening to reveal the food.

“You won’t be able to go to a 7-Eleven store in October and miss Domo,” Wilkins said. “We’ve let Domo fans know he’s coming with notices on Facebook and Twitter, and the online buzz about his 7-Eleven debut has already been building.”

A larger-than-life Domo candy display will feature Snicker’s and Reese’s candy bars in the open mouth of the character as well as a shelf to display Domo DVDs ($15.99), where available. Collectibles like Domo Qee* miniature action figures in cup-like packaging ($9.99), Domo Manga comic books ($3.99), plush characters and apparel, like caps and T-shirts are also available. 7-Eleven has even emblazoned special-edition gift cards with Domo’s likeness. Domo is also front and center on much of the in-store product signage and storefront banners.

Big Tent Entertainment, the marketing and licensing company behind Domo, helped broker the deal with 7-Eleven. “Because Domo has such a hugely devoted, cult-like following among kids, teens and young adults, we believe he’s a perfect match for 7-Eleven and its iconic Slurpee brand,” said Big Tent Chief Executive Officer Rich Collins. “7-Eleven has created some very cool collectible items that will have Domo fans and Slurpee drinkers alike coming back for more.”

Read a sample of the DOMO manga that will be at 7-Eleven too!

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My two favorite panels!

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Bao’s new adorable puppy, Gigi, on the left.  I haven’t seen it yet, but my goodness, that thing is darlin’!  She said it’s less than ten weeks old.  I wish they would stay this size forever…

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The fair was pretty crazy and packed with tons of people. Our group totally got separated a bunch of times, but that’s actually when we spotted all the super cute items. Okay, well maybe Mari spotted them

The cutest item on our list was these super duper omg cutesy colorful kitten shaped crayons. They were so adorable, and the booth was bustling.

They are called Kitty Baby Love. We actually found these online also, so click here to purchase!  They are sooooo cute!

We thought this lady with the gigantic pin cushion on her head was pretty cute. Her coworker without the pin cushion was totally jealous that we didn’t take a flick of her.

Screaming mini toast in moss. I don’t know what the purpose of this item is, but it’s super cute, and I think the picture looks pretty cool.

Cute oversized scarf. Very kawaii.

Take a look at these adorable plant labels. I don’t plant things, but I thought that giving a cute plant with one of these labels would be a sweet gift.

Mini paintings! Mari and I swore we will one day make these. By the way, Mari is actually a really good artist of cute items. We’ll showcase that in another post one day.

Funny and cute eye masks. The “piss off” one is totally for Alisa.

The girls looking at the most adorable hair pins and clips. They were flowers made of felt. I think Bao bought a little one for her baby niece.

The big pink one was adorned with Swarovski crystals and cost about $45~$50.

Random gingerbread felt plushies.

Going to places like this really makes you see just how talented so many people are. Thanks for finding this place, Alisa and Miya!  And thanks for driving, Jen.  You found the best parking spaces, haha~

For more information on the Renegade Craft Fair coming to your area, check out their website at www.renegadecraft.com.  Click the San Francisco link for more information on the artists from this post

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© Inhae Renee Lee 2009

Hope your summer is going as nicely and comfortably as Ickle and Lardee.

Make sure to check out more toof stories at Inhae’s blog, My Milk Toof.

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