Summer Wonder Festival 2013
Events
Date: August 15, 2013 12:47 PM
Tokyo Hobby Festival Features Godzilla, Ultraman, Gamera, Anime, Cosplayers and More Author: Ed Godziszewski Official Site: wf.kaiyodo.net Summer in Japan... the only constants are unrelenting heat, humidity, and summer WonderFest at the end of July. Having now settled comfortably into the Makuhari Messe exhibition center, Wonder Festival operates like a well-oiled machine. Dealers arrive for setup as early as 6am while fans start lining up for entrance as soon as the trains start running in the morning. Some dealers pay for tables so they can secure a spot inside the hall rather than wait outside, just to get an advantage over the outside crowd in rushing to get in line for a coveted limited issue kit/figure release. Attendance was brisk and while those of us who love Japanese sf and monsters may have less and less to pick over as time goes by, WonderFest nevertheless always entertains with new releases as well as people and goods that alternate between the fascinating and the bizarre. Please enjoy this photo essay of Summer WonderFest 2013. 
X-Plus Real Master Collection EX: Gotengo vs Manda. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1963 Toho Co., Ltd. 
No one wants to take my picture... Photo by Ed Godziszewski. Nova © Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Be sure to check out Eds previous reports on Wonder Festival and Super Festival:
Fantastic 30cm resin kit of the 1956 Rodan by Modeling Lac Krabat. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1956 Toho Co., Ltd.
This years WonderFest logo. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 2013 Wonder Festival Project Office
The festival hall. Photo by Ed Godziszewski.
Special order MechaniKong with belt bombs available to order at the M1 table. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1967 Toho Co., Ltd.
Yuji Sakai resin kit diorama with GMK Godzilla -- looks like a still from filming. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 2001 Toho Co., Ltd.
Mini resin KARATE-ROBO ZABORGAR gals. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 2011 P-Production/ Zaborgar Film Partners
Cosplayers in the outdoor photo area. Photo by Ed Godziszewski.
Prototype sculpt of 40cm resin Godzilla -- looks like its channeling the chunkiness of Legendarys Godzilla maquette. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © Toho Co., Ltd.
One of the most unique sculptures at a special Yokai display. Photo by Ed Godziszewski.
Contemporary umbrella yokai, with cheap convenience store umbrella and wearing a Croc. Photo by Ed Godziszewski.
Line up in the 95Ëš sun to take your pictures. Photo by Ed Godziszewski.
The Mad Modeler strikes again with a 30cm scale diorama of Gorosaurus destroying the Arc d Triumph from DESTROY ALL MONSTERS. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1968 Toho Co., Ltd.
Look out your head! Photo by Ed Godziszewski.
Rhedosaurus figure at Saki Hijiris table. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1953 Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.
No-Face (Kaonashi) creeping the crowd. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 2001 Nibariki • TGNDDTM
The Otaku dream... a woman giving her card to a guy. Photo by Ed Godziszewski.
X-Plus Godzilla 64 with light-up fins. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1964 Toho Co., Ltd.
Soldier Legion swarm for sale by X-Plus... clever display, covering a Gamera 96 and rigged with flashing lights. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1996 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.
Light up versions of Barugon (show exclusive) and Gamera from X-Plus. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1966 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.
X-Plus Real Master Collection EX: Gotengo vs Manda. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1963 Toho Co., Ltd.
X-Plus Kiryu (Mechagodzilla) 2003, Viras (with interchangeable head) and Gyaos. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 2003 Toho Co., Ltd. © Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.
X-Plus Kumonga. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1967 Toho Co., Ltd.
The creepiest thing I have ever seen in my life...the Visible Ronald McDonald. Look on the top shelf and there is also a Visible SpongeBob. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © McDonalds
PepsiMan drinking his beverage of choice. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © PepsiCo
What, they dont know this is Mirror Man? 1/1 resin bust of Mirror Man. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Tetsujin 28 (Gigantor) under attack by Monster. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © Hikari Production
The J-pop idols Hachikin Girls perform with kappa mascots. Photo by Ed Godziszewski.
Evil kappa mascot at a kappa-themed Hachikin Girl stage show. Photo by Ed Godziszewski.
Haruhi Suzumiya. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © Nagaru TANIGAWA ◠Noizi ITO 2006, 2007 © Gaku TSUGANO 2006, 2007 / KADOKAWA SHOTEN
Masked Rider 2 cosplayer. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © Ishimori Production Inc. and Toei Company, Ltd.
Mechagodzilla and Gigan kits with lights installed... not original kits, but customized with lights. To the right is a built-up 90s-style King Ghidorah using the original rainbow wing painting scheme planned for the first King Ghidorah. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © Toho Co., Ltd.
Resin Godzilla skeleton (not for sale). Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1954 Toho Co., Ltd.
Masked wrestlers selling kawaii anime figures. Photo by Ed Godziszewski.
Light-up 15cm Kamakiras. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1967 Toho Co., Ltd.
Battle damaged Space Godzilla 25cm resin kit with translucent shoulder crystals. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1994 Toho Co., Ltd.
Photo by Ed Godziszewski.
Trailer trash version of Mater from GALAXY EXPRESS 999. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © Leiji Matsumoto, Toei Animation
New soft vinyl Guiron stands victorious over Space Gyaos. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1969 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.
Stylized flying Iris (not for sale). Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1999 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.
Stylized final form Iris, 10cm resin kit. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1999 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.
Araids 30cm resin Baltan variations -- as with all their kits, available with lights. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Cosplayers taking pictures of cosplayers. Photo by Ed Godziszewski.
Premier of Yuji sakais sculpt for SH MonsterArts Godzilla 2000. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1999 Toho Co., Ltd.
Yuji Sakais work for SH MonsterArts Mothra and Battra 1992. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1992 Toho Co., Ltd.
Yuji Sakai resin kit of the Japanese poster image for MOTHRA VS GODZILLA (which featured the 1962 KING KONG VS GODZILLA design). Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1964 Toho Co., Ltd.
SD Bemstars, 1 inch tall. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Interviewing a dealer for some TV program. Note the picture of a girl pasted onto cardboard and worn as a mask by some guy next to the camera... this is so the dealer can imagine he is talking to a girl interviewer, whose voice will be dubbed in later to create the impression that she was there. Photo by Ed Godziszewski.
Those puppet guys return, now with a full body Godzilla 1962 that lights up when it shots the atomic breath. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1962 Toho Co., Ltd.
Some of the full body Toho puppets on display. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © Toho Co., Ltd.
GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN puppet diorama. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1955 Toho Co., Ltd.
Would you buy a resin kit from this guy? Photo by Ed Godziszewski. Big Fire © Hikari Production / Toshiba Enterprises / PLEX / Atlantis
Ashinoko version Biollante resin kit from Kudafu Romi. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1989 Toho Co., Ltd.
Final form Biollante resin kit from Kudafu Romi. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1989 Toho Co., Ltd.
Daimos resin MechaniKong kit. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1967 Toho Co., Ltd.
Talk to the paws. Photo by Ed Godziszewski.
Omu from NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND, available in calm and angry versions. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1984 NIBARIKI - TOKUMA SHOTEN - HAKUHODO.
Poor bunny... Photo by Ed Godziszewski.
Godzilla 64 30cm resin kit from Monster Maker 28. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1964 Toho Co., Ltd.
So hows the bad guy business in your universe? Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © Lucasfilm Ltd. © Ishimori Production Inc. and Toei Company, Ltd.
More custom made wooden models of SF vehicles. Photo by Ed Godziszewski.
Ultra vinyls. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
One theme of the show was remote control water vehicles... I think this guy wasnt aware the the Yamato was not a submarine. Photo by Ed Godziszewski.
Playing Godzilla outdoors during summer is not for the faint of heart. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1964 Toho Co., Ltd.
Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1964 Toho Co., Ltd.
Guiron strikes! Customized Rocket Pro figures of Gamera and Guiron. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1969 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.
Lame...the same guy sitting in the same spot with the same costume and the same pose as last summer. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1992 Nibariki • TNNG
Enough already... scram! Photo by Ed Godziszewski.
Team Ukeke 30cm resin Gigan and Jet Jaguar from GODZILLA VS MEGALON. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1973 Toho Co., Ltd.
Team Ukeke Godzilla name plate. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1967 Toho Co., Ltd.
SD REBIRTH OF MOTHRA 3 resin kit. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1998 Toho Co., Ltd.
Masked Rider Amazon! Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © Ishimori Production Inc. and Toei Company, Ltd.
20cm resin Mighty Jack. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Not much of a costume, and hence she had the longest line by far of guys waiting to take her picture. Photo by Ed Godziszewski.
Gigabrain vinyl Gigan 73 and Godzilla 62. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © Toho Co., Ltd.
Indescribable... Photo by Ed Godziszewski.
More yokai sculptures, including giant kappa head. Photo by Ed Godziszewski.
Attack the gaijin! Photo by Ed Godziszewski.
No one wants to take my picture... Photo by Ed Godziszewski. Nova © Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Bill Gudmundsons new resin Meganulon kit. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1956 Toho Co., Ltd.
Yamakawas great MOTHRA VS GODZILLA resin kit. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1964 Toho Co., Ltd.Be sure to check out Eds previous reports on Wonder Festival and Super Festival:
- Welcome to WonderFest!
- SUPER FESTIVAL 51
- Winter WonderFest 2010
- Winter WonderFestival 2011
- Winter Wonder Festival 2012
- Summer Wonder Festival 2012
- Winter Wonder Festival 2013
All Dates
- August 15, 2013 12:47 PM
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