Summer Wonder Festival

Figure collectors, this is the event for you! 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.

What happens?

At this event, 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 Western media, too. Most booths allow and encourage photos, so if you’re into toy photography, you might also be interested in this event.

The event also features stage events, such as talk shows about upcoming or recently concluded anime.

Tickets

Tickets for the whole day are ¥3,500 in advance (¥4,000 on the day) but if you are 22 years old and under, they are ¥2,200. You can also get a discounted afternoon ticket for ¥2,300. Buy them here.

The event is free for children of elementary school age and below.

Cosplay

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