Winter Wonder Festival

Known as the world’s biggest festival for figures (also known as “garage kits”), Wonder Festival Tokyo is a biannual (twice-a-year) event held at Halls 1-8 of Chiba’s Makuhari Messe. Typically, the winter event is held in February, while the summer event is held in July.

The 2027 winter edition is a bigger deal than usual: organizers have confirmed it will run across two days, February 13 and 14 — the first two-day Wonder Festival in 36 years.

What happens?

Figure manufacturers unveil the latest and upcoming additions to their product lines, to the excitement of collectors. But it’s not just professionals exhibiting their figures at this event. Amateurs also showcase their creations, too.

Lest you think it’s just all about figures of scantily clad and/or cute anime girls, there’s actually a wide range of figures on display. Unsurprisingly, most characters are from Japanese media, but there are figures of characters from overseas media, too. Most booths allow and encourage photos, so if you’re into toy photography, you might also be interested in this event.

Figures/garage kits aside, the event also features stage events, such as talk shows about upcoming or recently concluded anime.

Tickets

Ticket details for the 2027 winter event had not been announced at the time of writing, and the move to a two-day format may well change how they work. In previous years, advance tickets for the whole day have been ¥3,500, or ¥2,200 for visitors aged 22 and under, with a discounted afternoon ticket at ¥2,300 and on-the-day tickets at ¥4,000. Entry has been free for children of elementary school age and below.

Check the official ticket page for the 2027 details once they land.

Cosplay

Cosplayers are also welcome to join the event. The dressing room is usually free but you’ll have to register and there’s an additional fee (around ¥500) to use the cloakroom (and no, you can’t arrive or leave in cosplay).