Konnichiwa Bengaluru: Indulging in Japanese experience at Atsumaru by The Hub
The day called for an introduction to the Japanese lifestyle, anime, food, and drinks for many of Bengaluru’s Japan fanatics.
It certainly isn’t a normal day when you see people with white, green, and electric pink hair bop across a room. Less so, when people are dressed like characters from a fictional show. These were the sights at Atsumaru, hosted by The Hub this Saturday in Bengaluru.
The room filled up quickly with bustling groups of people up or cosplaying as famous characters from popular animes—the Japanese equivalent of cartoons. Animes aren’t restricted to just children, many adults gravitate towards this format for its immersive storytelling and rich characterisation.
While Japan is known for its anime and video-game subcultures, it is also revered globally as a centre for some of the world’s best food and drinks. It can be hard to do complete justice to an entire region under one roof, especially for an audience extremely involved with the nuances of a particular culture. However, The Hub Bengaluru managed to curate an entire evening of indulgence—ranging from food to intricate Japanese experiences.
When you enter the first level, you walk right into the video game pit. Screens are lined-up alongside corresponding sofas for guests to play some of their favourite Japanese titles. You could, for instance, take Dragon Ball Z on the Playstation for a spin.
Surrounding it are shops selling an array of merchandise from shirts to stickers of iconic anime. Among them were crowd favourites — the 2004 anime title Bleach and the 2020 anime Demon Slayer.
In fact, people could buy ingredients like Miso paste, which makes the base for classic popular Ramen dishes.
A gin cocktail served at Atsumaru. Photo Courtesy: Akanksha Sarma (YourStory)
A small terrace on the first floor also had food and drinks. We made a quick pit-stop at the drinks section, where we got a gin cocktail topped with pomegranate seeds and basil—emulating the Hanami or Cherry Blossom season of Japan — the setting for several popular scenes in Japanese literature.
To the foodie’s delight, there were several popular Japanese dishes—from traditional sushi to more street-food options like fried dumplings.
Nevertheless, the centre of attention was the cosplayers – who often gathered around the rooms, exchanging notes or getting to know one another. YS Life spoke to a few of them to understand their stories.
Joanne Louzado, Johann Fernandez, and Leonara Fernandez
Leonara Fernandez, Joanne Louzado and Johann Fernandez pose at Atsumaru - Photo Courtesy: Akanksha Sarma (YourStory)
Anime was 27-year-old Joanne’s first introduction to Japanese culture when she was in Class 6. She then quickly moved on to manga, and the rest was history. To her, the similarities between Japan and India were striking. “Turns out, the Japanese love India too, especially because of Buddhism,” she says. Eventually, she took a trip to the country and bought a traditional summer kimono called a yukata, which she wore to Atsumaru.
Joined by Joanne were Goan siblings—Johann and Leonara Fernandez. “This is my second time at Atsumaru,” says Johann, dressed as Shuhei Hisagi — a prominent lieutenant-commander character from the anime Bleach. “It’s my second time here too,” says Leonara.
The two began watching anime together, often as a respite from a long day at school. Bleach—a popular anime with one of the longest run-times in the cartoon’s history—regularly appeared on Indian television.
What intrigued the siblings the most was the idea of respect and motivation in Japanese culture. “From the shows we see, we notice that people are always very respectful. They pray before they eat, people are kind even to strangers… this is so different from what we have in India, and I like that about Japan,” says Johann.
“That’s not all, though. Most shows have a piece of motivation to give viewers… that’s what makes it for me,” adds Leonara.
As the three stand together for a picture, each of them poses differently. Johann appears to remove a handmade sword from its sheath in action; Joanne takes on a respectful pose in her yukata — well supported by Leonara who stands by with charm and grace.
Christina David
Christina David poses in her cosplay at Atsumaru Photo Courtesy: Akanksha Sarma
For Christina, cosplay came naturally as an extension of her love for anime. She has been at it for the last nine years, with her first experience at the Comic Con. “With cosplay, it’s always a great way to get into another character,” she says, recollecting her experience with the form. Christina always tries to elevate her performances by giving a touch that makes them uniquely hers. This, she says, is in a bid to counteract the common stereotypes women characters look like in anime.
“There is this notion that Japanese characters have to look a certain way, but I like making it my own and try to define how I would like the character to look… and attempt to make it look realistic,” she says.
It takes her anywhere between a month to several to deliver the final look. For the character she cosplayed at Atsumaru, it took nearly a month to stitch the outfit and about eight hours to get the wig to look perfect. “The planning begins way in advance, and I decide which character I would like to portray once I know there is a convention,” she says.
Besides having a chance to cosplay, for 29-year-old Christina, it is also about finding a community that enjoys Japanese culture as much as she does. “I sometimes don’t find people who would enjoy coming to events like this. So, I end up making friends here. Some of my closest friends today are those I met at these sorts of conventions,” she adds. Finding camaraderie to share the same enthusiasm as her is comforting to Christina.
The Japanese pop music fades as you head towards the exit door. One last look around, and you’ll notice a bustling sense of community, filled with curious folk craving for a culture that isn’t there’s.
Atsumaru hits all the right notes in the best way. Takes you away from the clamour of daily tasks. Finally, it transports you to a realm several miles away from home.
(This story was updated with a new featured image.)
Edited by Suman Singh