Author: kotatsufestival

  • Kotatsu Festival 2015

    Kotatsu Festival 2015

    We are happy to announce the dates for Kotatsu 2015! The events will be held on 26th September at Chapter and 10th October at Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

    The festival will be screening lots of Welsh Premiere films. Also our market place will be open to the public with our favourite stalls offering a taste of Japan including manga, toys and authentic food Bento box.

    Festival raffle will be held again at the end of the event with lots of exciting prizes on offer. Raffle tickets will be made available nearer the festival.

    Please note the marketplace and raffle will be held only at Chapter.

    We hope everyone will come and enjoy the Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival 2015.

  • Raffle Cardiff 2014

    Raffle Cardiff 2014

    Below are the raffle prizes to be won this year. Raffle tickets are available at Super Tomato and Chapter Box office from beginning of May for 50p each.


    Star Prizes


    StopMate Motion Animation Armature

    Courtesy of Tetsu’s Armature

    The StopMate SM-005 is a ball & socket armature kit which can be assembled to create the internal skeleton for your humanoid puppets. Designed by Tetsu, a skilled Japanese machinist, they are the main stop motion armatures used in universities such as Tokyo’s University of the Arts animation program. They are also used professionally for films, TV series, and adverts in the Japanese animation industry. The armature moves really smoothly and is very strong, making it ideal for professional animation projects. Sold worldwide by Stop Motion Store.


    Animation Software: Stop Motion Pro V8

    Courtesy of Stop Motion Pro

    Use the same software that Aardman used to make animated films like Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep. The software has been created for animation professionals and is aimed at individuals who are interested in making animation with the best tools available. Developed with Aardman Animation, Stop Motion Pro couples a user friendly interface together with the features demanded by leading animators.


    Textiles


    Handmade Japanese Bag

    Courtesy of Saemi Takahashi


    Handmade Japanese Bag

    Courtesy of Saemi Takahashi


    Handmade Dolls

    Courtesy of Saemi Takahashi


    Tenugui (Japanese Towels)

    Courtesy of Saemi Takahashi

    A Tenugui (手拭い) is a thin Japanese hand towel made of cotton.


    Magazines & Comics


    1 year’s subscription to NEO Magazine

    Courtesy of NEO Magazine


    RAZARHAWK Vol.1 and 2

    Courtesy of Razarhawk.com

    The explosive action adventure comic by creators Ian Matthews and Dani Abram.
    It ain’t knowingly post-moderningly clever, but it is a truck load of fun!


    Hana’s Helpline Book

    Courtesy of Calon TV

    Hana’s Helpline DOUGLAS: The Duck who Wanted to Swim


    Hana’s Helpline Book

    Courtesy of Calon TV

    Hana’s Helpline FFION: The Frog who Couldn’t Tell the Truth


    Selection of Comics

    Courtesy of The Comic Man


    Japanese Woodblock Prints 2014 Diary

    Courtesy of The Japanese Shop

    The thirty two exquisite prints reproduced in this Japanese Woodblock Prints Diary highlight many of the traditional subjects of Japanese art – birds, landscapes and seascapes. It also includes works drawn from some of the genre’s best known series, including Hokusai’s ‘Thirty Six Views of Mount Fuji’ and Hiroshige’s ‘One Hundred Views of Famous Places in Edo’.


    DVDs


    Cover of Witchblade DVD

    Witchblade

    Courtesy of MVM Entertainment


    Chrome Shelled Regios Pt1

    Courtesy of MVM Entertainment


    Hakuoki Series 1

    Courtesy of MVM Entertainment


    Cover of Igam Ogam Wakey Shakey DVD

    Igam Ogam – Wakey Shakey! DVD

    Courtesy of Calon TV

    Have fun watching 8 Episodes of the fun loving cave girl Igam Ogam!


    OPUS KURA CD

    Courtesy of Euro Japan Trading Co

    OPUS KURA OPK7068
    Issay Dobrowen / Philharmonia

    Orchestra
    Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade, Symphonic Suite, Op 35 (rec 1952)


    15th Anniversary Celebration Tour Concert DVD

    Courtesy of Tamashii

    DVD 15th Anniversary Celebration Tour Concert Live at Tramway, Glasgow. Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers were joined on stage by original members Mark Alcock & Liz Walters, to create a spectacular and electrifying concert celebration.


    High Grade Gundam Kits


    HGUC 1/144 RX-77D Guncannnon Production Type

    Courtesy of Japan Cool

    High Grade Universal Century, or HGUC, should be regarded as the entry point for any serious Gundam model fan.
    Standing around 12.5cm high, these kits have remarkable detail and are superb little gems in their own right.


    HGCE 1/144 Strike Rouge

    Courtesy of Japan Cool

    High Grade Cosmic Era, or HGCE, Strike Rouge Model Kit.


    Vouchers


    Image of Yakiniku Food Voucher
    Image of Yakiniku Food Voucher

    Yakiniku Gift Vouchers

    Courtesy of
    Seoul House Restaurant

    Treat yourself to some excellent cuisine at the renowned Japanese and Korean restaurant on the east side of Cardiff.


    Image of TK Trading Voucher
    Image of TK Trading Voucher

    £5 Voucher for TK Trading

    Courtesy of T.K Trading

    The biggest online Japanese food shop in UK. We have 10 gift vouchers to give away, each worth £5!


    Toys


    Genki Gear Selection

    Courtesy of Genki Gear

    Great selection of goods from Genki Gear, including a jacket, badges sets, keyring and greeting cards.


    Gift set

    Courtesy of Keep it Secret

    Selection of kawaii Japanese goods.


    Image of Sali Mali Doll

    Sali Mali Doll

    Courtesy of Calon TV

    A pretty Sali Mali doll, the famous character from the Welsh
    TV series.


    Crochet Doll

    Courtesy of Tinfoilspider Makes
    Beautifully hand-crocheted characters.


    Arts & Crafts


    Image of Origami Craft Set

    Origami Craft Sets

    Courtesy of Toyo


    A Set Of Sketchbooks

    Courtesy of SHO Gallery


    Image of Painting Set

    Painting Sets

    Courtesy of Major Brushes

    This painting set comes complete with paints, brushes and canvas.


  • Programme Aberystwyth 2014

    Programme Aberystwyth 2014

    Summary Kotatsu Aberystwyth 2014

    12:00 Patema Inverted
    14:30 Double Bill – By Your Side / Mai Mai Miracle
    17:45 Evangelion 3.0

    For ticket information please contact
    Aberystwyth Arts Centre on +44(0)1970 62 32 32

    (more…)
  • Programme Cardiff 2014

    Programme Cardiff 2014

    Summary Kotatsu Cardiff 2014

    From 11:00 Japanese Marketplace
    11:00 Patema Inverted
    11:00 Manga Workshop
    13:15 Double Bill – By Your Side / Colorful
    16:00 Patema Inverted
    18:00 Raffle Prize Draw
    18:30 Mai Mai Miracle
    20:30 Evangelion 3.0

    For ticket information please contact
    Chapter Box Office on +44(0)29 2030 4400


    (more…)
  • Special message from Yasuhiro Yoshiura

    Special message from Yasuhiro Yoshiura

    Photo of Yasuhiro Yoshiura

    We have a special message from Yasuhiro Yoshiura, the director of “Patema Inverted“. “Patema Inverted (Sakasama no Patema)” appeals to people globally, whatever their language and culture, whether they are devout fans of animation or not.

    I very much hope that everyone who visits Kotatsu Japanese Animation Film Festival 2014 thoroughly enjoys the first Welsh showing of this film.

    今作『サカサマのパテマ』は、国を問わず、そしてアニメファンであるか否かを問わず、より多くの方々に楽しんで頂けるようなアニメーションを目指して制作されました。こたつ日本アニメーション映画祭にご来場の皆様、どうか本作をめいっぱい楽しんで下さい!

    吉浦康裕 Yasuhiro Yoshiura

    Message translated by Midori Matsui

    We are very much looking forward to a screening of “Patema Inverted“.

  • Welsh Premiere Screenings of Colorful, Patema Inverted and Mai Mai Miracle

    Welsh Premiere Screenings of Colorful, Patema Inverted and Mai Mai Miracle

    The Kotatsu Japanese Animation Film Festival will launch on June 07th 2014 at the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff, South Wales. Again this year we will screen a number of impressive films including Colorful, Patema Inverted, Mai Mai Miracle and Evangelion 3.0. There is also the prospect of another title being added soon. Here are the details on the films we will screen at the event.


    Colorful

    Colorful is a 2010 anime directed by Keiichi Hara. It won the award for Excellent Animation of the Year at the 34th Japan Academy Prize. It was on the recent 11th Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme.

    Synopsis

    A dejected soul reaches the train station to death but is informed that he is ‘lucky’ and will have another chance at life. The soul is placed in the body of a 14-year-old boy named Makoto Kobayashi, who has just committed suicide but for a limited time in which the soul must discover why Makoto committed suicide and what the soul’s biggest sin in life was.


    Mai Mai Miracle

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MES8njjlEE8

    Mai Mai Miracle gets a theatrical screening after a highly successful Kickstarter Campaign. Directed by Sunao Katabuchi (assistant director of Kiki’s Delivery Service) and produced by MADHOUSE in 2009, when it was first released it won a slew of awards including Best Animated Film at the Fantasia Film Festival in Montréal along with the Excellence Prize for Feature Length Animation at the 2010 Japan Media Arts Festival.

    Synopsis

    Shinko, is a third grade elementary school student with a magically active imagination. She spends a lot of her time listening to her grandfather’s history lessons, imagining what her town was like 1,000 years earlier. One day, a sad and sombre girl called Kiiko transfers to Shinko’s school from Tokyo. A strong friendship soon grows between the two girls as Shinko helps Kiiko come out of her shell and deal with her loss – all thanks to their adventures, both imagined and real.


    Patema Inverted

    Patema Inverted is the latest directorial effort from Yasuhiro Yoshiura, director of Time of Eve and Pale Cocoon OVA. The film was previously shown at the 2013 Scotland Loves Anime Festival, where it won the Audience and Judge awards. It was also nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at 2013’s Asia Pacific Screen Awards. The official synopsis is as follows:

    Synopsis

    Patema has lived her whole life underground. Following a catastrophic attempt to harness alternative power sources, her community were driven to settle in a dark, cramped network of tunnels below ground. She roams them by torchlight, dreaming of adventures on the surface. Age does not fit in comfortably in school or society as a whole. The world he lives in is known as ‘Aiga’, controlled by the tyrant Izamura’s family for generations. The city at the centre of the kingdom is dominated by a massive ‘Control Tower’ with a vast wasteland lurking on the horizon. Together – the pair are about to be pulled into something much bigger that will turn their worlds on their heads…


    Evangelion 3.0

    This is the third of Hideaki Anno’s Rebuild of Evangelion and the story takes a darkly psychological turn.

    Synopsis

    Fourteen years after the third impact, Shinji awakens to a world that is in ruins and former allies turned against him as Nerv has ceased to exist. He does not know what happened. He is now Trapped in a harrowing cycle of death and rebirth, and an ongoing battle against the angels – even as the world spirals down towards what could be a tragic end.


    By Your Side

    We are also holding a special screening of By Your Side. This film was the collaboration of Tsuneo Goda, the creator of Domo and the singer Sade, created through the project called Zapuni.

    Zapuni unites Japanese visual artists with world-renowned musicians to create and dedicate videos to charities that help children affected by the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Fukushima Nuclear Disaster in Japan with the power of music.


    More details coming soon, so please keep checking our blog and Facebook, and Twitter.

    For ticket and booking, please contact Chapter Box office.

    Chapter Arts Centre

    Tel: +44(0)29 2030 4400


  • Kotatsu Festival 2014

    Kotatsu Festival 2014

    Kotatsu Festival has been slightly postponed this year but we are now happy to announce the date for the next one. The event will be held on 7th June 2014 at Chapter Arts Centre.

    The festival will be screening the very best in Japanese Anime. Also our market place will be open to the public with our favourite stalls offering a taste of Japan including manga, toys and authentic food Bento box.

    The raffle will be held at the end of the event with lots of exciting prizes on offer. Raffle tickets will be made available nearer the date.

    For any information concerning the event or how you could become a volunteer, please contact us at info@kotatsufestival.com

    We hope everyone will come and enjoy the Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival 2014 in Cardiff.

  • Japan Day at Cardiff Central Library

    Japan Day at Cardiff Central Library

    Japan Day Timetable _25 May 2013_

    Cardiff Central Library will be hosting Japan Day to celebrate Japanese Culture and Literature on 25th May. Japan Day is organized in partnership with local Japanese community members and the Cardiff based Saturday Japanese School in Wales.

    Lots of free activities for all such as Calligraphy, Origami, Haiku, Manga and Language workshops, and much more.

    Please come and experience a taste of Japan!


  • BCExpo in May

    BCExpo in May

    BCExpo 2013

    Kotatsu Festival will be having a table at the BCEXPO which will be held on 11th – 12th May at Brunel’s Old Station, Temple Meads in Bristol.

    Asuka Tanaka will be holding another Manga Workshop. Details to be announced.

    We are currently in the process of confirming the date of next Kotatsu festival. We will let you know shortly. Look forward to seeing you all there.


  • Success at Comic Expo in Cardiff!

    Success at Comic Expo in Cardiff!

    Kotatsu table

    We would like to thank everyone who visited the Kotatsu Festival table at Cardiff International Comic & Anime Expo, at MERCURE HOLLAND HOUSE.

    A big thank you to everyone who signed up to our mailing list to keep updated with all the exciting news from Kotatsu, and to all the people who offered to become volunteers at our next Festival.

    Representing Kotatsu at the Expo were Manga artist Asuka Bochanska Tanaka and Louise BeerAsuka Bochanska Tanaka hosted a Manga drawing workshop that was fully booked and a great success.

    Kotatsu Festival will be attending the Bristol Comic Expo on the 11th and 12th May. Hope to see you all again there.