HyperJapan is offering mochi, sake and anime at Kensington Olympia this weekend
Until Sunday, HyperJapan, a celebration of Japanese culture is installed in Kensington Olympia. There will be fluffy bao and zingy sake, anime and karate, theatre and travel experts poised to plan your own trip to the Land of the Rising Sun — this is a guide to making the most of the weekend.
Use your noodle
Ramen inspires a slavish following. To disciples the broth is nectar, the noodles ambrosia. Book in for the Ramen Experience, which takes place over all three days. You’ll get to sample three broths: shoyu (soy), tonkotsu (pork) and paitan (chicken). Then pick your favourite base, select your toppings and build your own bespoke bowl. There’s one session on Friday, four on Saturday and two on Sunday.
Elsewhere, there’ll be a a cooking demonstration by the Sozai Cooking School, pillowy daifuku and sweet mochi balls, and an outpost of the Japan Centre, near Piccadilly Circus, where you can get Kit Kats in every Willy Wonka-esque flavour you can conceive of.
For goodness Sake
Once you’re more mochi than man, it’s time to knock back some sake. Try the Sake Experience, a tasting with a selection of 100 rice wines, including shochus, fruit liqueurs and unpasteurised sake called Namazake jetted in for the occasion. There will also be Japanese craft beers and Chu-Hai — as the Japanese version of Smirnoff Ice. Book online (and get a taxi home).
Kensington area guide: In pictures
Cultural exports
You’re fed and watered; now take a whistlestop tour of the rest of the expo. First, meet the Lunar Exploration Rover, a tiny vehicle created by teams at Google, that will travel from Japan to the moon in 2020. Then get front row for Hatsune Miku’s first London concert: she’s a cute virtual idol who performs as a projection to gigs across Japan.
The England v Japan rugby match will be live-streamed on Saturday — be a traitor and support Japan. Browse the gaming and anime emporium, where you can pick up eccentric toys, or a GameBoy Colour (plug in Pokémon Red and get hooked again).
Kensington Olympia, Hammersmith Road, W14, hyperjapan.co.uk
