Tokyo Film Festival Gets
Underway in Japan

Visitors to the Japanese capital of Tokyo over the next week will be greeted with the incredible spectacle of hundreds of costumed animation fanatics, dressed up as their favourite characters on the streets.

Don't panic - it's the Tokyo International Film Festival, which is set to commence on October 23rd and will see a plethora of exciting events taking place around the fashionable entertainment district of Roppongi.

This year, the 27th incarnation of the extravaganza, will see a particular focus on animation, with organisers teaming up with Nagoya's famous World Cosplay Summit in order to promote a good atmosphere.

One of the events to watch out for is a performance that will be created by hundreds of people dressed up as their favourite characters from the popular anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, created by director Hideaki Anno. This will take place on October 26th.

"Anime is a unique type of content that Japan can take pride in" Tokyo International Film Festival director Yasushi Shiina told The Hollywood Reporter. He added that he has high hopes that this year's content offerings would appeal to a wide range of film fans from around the world.

The main festival starts off with a screening of Disney's Big Hero 6, which will kick-start the animation theme.

Visitors can also expect to see films by the renowned anime production company Studio Ghibli, which is credited with bringing Japanese animation into mainstream entertainment following the creation of Spirited Away, which was nominated for an Academy Award.

The varied programme of events can be viewed in its entirety online. Whether you're attending this year's event or considering flying to Japan next year for the 28th incarnation - which is sure to be just as exciting, if not more so - then be sure to book adequate travel insurance.