Abdullah Al Rushud

JEDDAH: IWAI Fumio, Ambassador of Japan to Saudi Arabia, visited the first Anime Village in the Middle East during  Jeddah season.

Iwai told Arab News Japan that he was impressed with Anime Village, saying: “I would like to express my deepest respect to all concerned for the event being held in Jeddah. I hope it will be an opportunity for Saudi Arabia and young people to enjoy it.” 

A number of activities have been prepared for the anime village, including the introduction of local anime, and other representative anime, such as “Attack on Titan,” “NARUTO,” “Captain Tsubasa,” and “GUNDAM,” as well as movie screenings, musical performances and parades.

In a place that recreates “NARUTO,” an anime popular in the Middle East, there is a small museum with life-size figures, videos of famous scenes from the anime, and items exhibited. There is also the “Animaze,” which allows you to traverse a maze while reading an introduction to the famous anime series. Within this maze, visitors can take pictures with their favorite characters that are on display.

In the Anime Village, in addition to the distribution of local manga magazines and PR activities, there will be a photo booth and an area where children can enjoy coloring activities. Further, Saudi female artist Lama Al-Sharhan, who specializes in manga comics, and operating a ramen restaurant called “Yam Yam.” As a member of the Saudia Arabia Anime Association, specializing in animation and the representation of its culture, she is very proud of the role she plays.

In addition, the Japanese restaurant “Kimono,” which provides mouthwatering modern Japanese creations made with local ingredients, serves as a casual urban retreat for sushi fans.