More than a thousand Filipino fans of Japanese pop culture gathered at the World Trade Center last February 23, 2013 for the UP AME 1up Fair and Convention.  Organized by the University of the Philippines Anime and Manga Enthusiasts, the AME Fair had a really great turnout of participants, cosplayers, exhibitors, gamers, and fans of Japanese pop culture.  

There were lots of exciting events in store for everyone in attendance.  Many booths displayed and sold many interesting items, from toys, figures, collectibles, games, shirts, costumes, posters, and many others.  There were also game booths which borrowed aspects of Japanese culture, like sumo wrestling in costumes and goldfish scooping.  There were also sections of the venue dedicated to online games, which was quite popular with the younger crowd. Japanese-inspired exhibitions were also held, like a kendo exhibition and Japanese anime karaoke.  Local bands played trhoughout the event, featuring covers of Japanese songs from anime that have become popular to Filipinos.

Gracing the event was popular cosplay idol Reika from Japan. She held several workshops during the event about cosplaying like makeup and making accessories. Her legions of fans watched on in awe and wonder, as Reika is well respected in Japan and many countries in Asia.

The highlight of the event was the cosplay competition which was attended by many enthusiastic and seasoned cosplayers who showed their stuff on the catwalk to the delight of the audience. Askley Misaki won first place for this competition in her General Lu Bu from Dynasty Warriors costume.  She impressed the audience and the judges, Reika among them, with her elaborate armor costume and striking performance on stage.

The fun and exciting events went on non-stop througout the day and ended around 9pm.  Everyone who attended left the venue had their fill of fun and excitement, with a deeper appreciation of Japanese pop culture in the Philippines.

Looking forward to the next  AME Fair.