Nippombashi Street Festa 2010

22.03.2010 by Patrick W. Galbraith

I shot over to Osaka for the Nippombashi Street Festa 2010. It was the sixth annual event, and by all accounts was a little more organized and controlled than before. I guess there were police patrolling, and the event had numerous corporate sponsors (the gray-haired suits marched in the parade, which I thought was hilarious). Everywhere you looked, there was Neon-chan, the image character of the area designed by Itou Noizi. (The more I saw her, the more I thought she looks like Cardcaptor Sakura...) But from where I stood it was a really wild time. At 12:00, the massive street in the center of Den Den Town from the overpass by Hero Gangu down to Ebisucho was closed to vehicular traffic. Cosplayers crowded the streets and began performing, including a Macross 7 cover band in costume! The parade itself was cosplayers and maids marching down a thin strip of red carpet taped to the road surface. No fences, no boundaries, just a bunch of people crowding around trying to take pictures. Imagine what the press at the Academy Awards would look like if there was no barrier between them and the celebrities. Yeah. So I am not so sure if this qualifies as organized and controlled. I can't imagine what it must have been like before. From early morning, empty plots where buildings had been leveled became makeshift swamp meets, cosplayers (and many crossplayers) walked the streets. Due to the car culture in western Japan, there were many itasha to be seen, parked right in the center of "Ota Road" parallel to the street through Den Den. People were lining up for special giveaways, and there were live idol performances (and otagei performances in response to them) at a stage. All in all, it was an incredible experience. Like a years worth of energy burst loose for one day. In that sense, it really reminded me of the convention circuit in the United States. That sense of festival, community and play was really there. Great job to everyone involved!