The Anime De Summer Fest will take place Saturday, July 5, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the JAC-CC Plaza and the Aratani Theatre, 244 S. San Pedro St. in Little Tokyo.
The day-long event will cel-ebrate anime and manga with food, film screenings, character stand-ees for pictures, a “How Anime Is Made” exhibit, art shows, and a cosplay-themed Bon odori in the evening.
Because the annual Anime Expo (the largest anime and manga con-vention in North America and sec-ond- longest-running anime conven-tion in the world) takes place through Sunday at the L.A. Convention Center, Little Tokyo is poised to take advantage of the spirited concentra-tion of Japanese anime and manga enthusiasm.
During the day, the Anime De Summer Fest will have ongoing activities and exhibits, including a booth that features manga/anime graphic illustrations and their art-ists.
Screenings of the beloved Japa-nese TV series “Doraemon” and the U.S. premiere of the movie “Giovan-ni’s Island” are part of the schedule.
Costumed characters will take pictures with visitors throughout the day.
The cosplay Bon odori requires dancers to either be dressed in a an-ime/manga costume or a traditional Japanese yukata. For those without a costume, inexpensive outfits will be available for purchase. Not only will dancers get the chance to show off their costumes, but they’ll also be able to participate in a costume contest.
Plenty of traditional Japanese festival food (takoyaki, yakisoba, ya-kitori, shaved ice, barbecue, Ramune, etc.) will be part of the festival, along with less traditional fare from the Akihabara Maid Cafe, where wait-ers and waitresses dress up as anime characters for the day.
The Little Tokyo Anime Festival is typically part of Nisei Week, and includes video gaming, manga, anime, and martial art exhibits, and hundreds of cosplayers usually march in the Nisei Week Parade. This year, Anime De Summer Fest is new to the list of fun family activities.
For more information, visit the Anime De Summer Fest page on Fa-cebook or www.cooljapanusa.com.