It may have been five years since I last attended Tokyo ComicCon but due to the Coronavirus pandemic I’ve only actually missed a couple of events in 2019 and 2022. Having got used to not going I can’t say I was ever really planning to go this year. It’s amazing what the offer of a free ticket can do for changing one’s mind though so on a lovely sunny Friday (December 8th) morning I ventured on over to Makuhari Messe Convention Centre in Chiba Prefecture for the sixth official ComicCon event.

Little did I know but the entrance was on the ground floor and the exit was on the next floor up. Typically I arrived on the latter and just could not find a sign saying where I could get in. Eventually I located it and entered without too much fuss but was immediately overwhelmed as usual once on the convention floor.

A big attraction for many at ComicCon is the opportunity to meet some movie stars. This years guests included Ewan McGregor, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mads Mikkelsen, Christopher Lloyd and Pom Klementieff among others…..not that I was going to ever see them!! In recent years the cost of photos and autographs has really shot up putting them well out of my price range. Never say never though and if the right person is present in the future then I may change my mind and splash the cash.

Just seeing this years special guests appear on the main stage for the opening ceremony would have been satisfactory for me. However, the main stage was so busy that I couldn’t get anywhere near close to the action. In a rare sense of optmism on my part I saw this as a good opportunity to go and see some other stuff whilst such a large section of the whole audience were preoccupied with the ceremony.

Before that though, lets start with the exhibits featuring cars, costumes and props from some famous movies. There were a few things present at previous ComicCons but I was really happy to see quite a few exhibits that I’d never seen before like the bus from ‘The Lost World; Jurassic Park 2‘ (1997).

The Harley Davidson Fat Boy and Honda XR100R motorcycles featured in one of the most iconic scenes from ‘Terminator 2: Judgement Day‘ (1991) whereby Arnie’s terminator rescues John Connor from the clutches of the seemingly unstoppable T-1000. The California location for that thrilling scene is one that I visited back in 2011.

The Tim Burton-directed ‘Batman‘ (1989) was the one that first got me into the character in the late 80s but has since been surpassed by the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight trilogy so it was nice to be reminded of that film in the form of Jack Nicholson’s Joker outfit as well as the Batmobile which was very nostalgic for me.

Having been to the ‘Bond in Motion’ exhibition in London in 2014 I’m no stranger to seeing vehicles from the 007 films. However, that was a fair few years before ‘No Time To Die‘ (2021) brought the curtain down on Daniel Craig’s incarnation of the secret agent, and the Aston Martin DB5 Junior from that film could be seen.

Not only that but the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish replica from ‘Die Another Day‘ (2002) was also on show. This infamous car possessed a rather silly gimmick; the ability to effectively become invisible at the push of a button.

Even though it’s on show at every single Tokyo ComicCon a ‘Back To The Future‘ fan like myself can never completely ignore a Delorean.

The Harley Davidson FLH-80 from ‘Rocky III‘ (1982) was first seen in the film’s opening montage before featuring more prominently later on.

The Knight Rider car is a staple of these conventions so I barely laid my eyes on it this time which is kind of a shame as it is an iconic car.

As for Star Wars, the lightsaber used by Ray Park as Darth Maul was on display along with a lifesize Darth Vader figure and three droids; R2-X2, R2-D2 and R2-BHD.

This was the first time I’ve not cosplayed at a Tokyo ComicCon and to be honest it just wasn’t as much fun. With many people (like me) only in casual clothes it does dilute the atmosphere a bit. Maybe it was just because it was a Friday and all the cosplayers were at work and waiting till the weekend.

Hanging out at the 501st Legion, Japanese Garrison and the Rebel Legion booths was quite good fun and it was nice to interact with other Star Wars fans. I even took part in a Star Wars quiz at one of them and thankfully got 100% of the questions correct which entitled me to some free cards. In the same area a bit later on a load of Mandalorians congregated which provided a good photo opportunity.

With Christmas on the horizon it was no surprise that there was something of a festive feel to a few of the costumes.

Whilst I am unlikely to ever return to the good old days of cosplaying at Tokyo ComicCon, I can still get some enjoyment out of such events in other ways like chatting to some people in the Artists Alley, looking at the merchandise on sale at the many vendor stands, seeing the exhibits or just people watching whilst taking in the atmosphere.

Click on the following links for information on past conventions attended…

Tokyo ComicCon 2018     Cosplaying At Tokyo ComicCon 2018

Tokyo ComicCon 2017     Cosplaying At Tokyo ComicCon 2017

Tokyo ComicCon 2016     Cosplaying At Tokyo ComicCon 2016

Meeting Two Sith At Tokyo ComicCon 2015     Cosplaying At Tokyo ComicCon 2015