With Naruto, Pokémon, Shin Chan, One Piece and more on screens across India, Gen Z and millennials grew up on a steady diet of anime, loving these characters and discovering Japan, its culture and the exciting stories it had to offer. While a few comic book and anime conventions, meetups are already beloved in the city, Hiro Kawamoto, the founding director of Ota Tokyo 2026, wanted much more for Bengaluru’s anime fans – a festival that matches the scale of what he grew up with in Japan. “In Japan, there are three steps to enjoy anime: watch it, experience it through merch shops, go to offline events or to the cinema for an anime movie, then express it through cosplay and deepen the passion for anime. However, in India, most people just watch anime and very few get to experience or express their love for it.” With this idea at the core, he has put together the mammoth cosplay festival, which is expected to bring together over 10,000 visitors at Palace Grounds, Gate no. 9, on January 10.
For cosplay lovers, the highlight will be a performance by cosplay duo Mioshi and Mamemayo, who won first place at the World Cosplay Summit in 2024 for their cosplay of Sasuke and Naruto. They will also judge a cosplay contest, with the duo winners getting to participate in the Pop Culture Hiroshima festival as Indian cosplay representatives and the solo winner receiving a `1 lakh cash prize. Curious visitors can also choose from the 130 costumes shipped over from Japan, with characters from Demon Slayer, One Piece and Naruto as options.
This won’t just be a ramp walk like Bengalureans are used to, as Kawamoto explains, “It’s kind of a live show where the characters perform famous scenes, including fight sequences, trying to accurately recreate them.” Apart from these on-stage spectacles, visitors will be able to partake in interactive workshops and activities, including a manga drawing workshop by Kobayashi, currently working with Shogakukan, the publisher of Doraemon. Parents and children, too, can connect in a space set up for Beyblade competitions, with 12 Beyblade stadiums brought over from Japan.
‘Doujin’ or fan-created media of anime and manga getting a place to find its audience was also a major priority for organisers. “We want to enable fan creators – cosplayers, but also manga creators and animated content creators on social media platforms – to display their creativity in person,” says Kawamoto.
It’s not possible to talk about Japan without mentioning the foods that have taken over Bengalureans’ taste buds. Apart from a variety of food stalls serving mochi, matcha and more, a ‘maid cafe’ offers the genuine experience often seen in anime. “We’re bringing an authentic Japanese street here to Bengaluru!,” concludes Kawamoto.
Among several music acts, the headliner will be Diana Garnet, an American singer who voiced ‘Spinning World’, the ending theme song for the anime Naruto: Shippuden, which has crossed over 1 million views on YouTube.