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Rica Takashima × Akiko Morishima Talk Event Report

July 9th, 2026

Last month, folks in Japan had the chance to attend a historical discussion of Yuri in the 1990s and the birth of Yuri in America, with creators Akiko Morishima and Rica Takashima. Our Japan Correspondent Sasori is here with a report on the proceedings!

Signboard for lonliness books in Higashinakano, with a poster that read "Yuri Story" and features Rica and Miho from the cover of "Rica 'tte Kanji!> by Rica Takashima.

I’m headed to loneliness books in Higashi-Nakano, to meet two Yuri icons, Rica Takashima and Akiko Morishima.

Rica Takashima is best known for her series Rica ‘tte Kanji!?, one of the first English translated yuri manga. Her later sequel in 2025 being New York Love: Rica ‘tte Kanji!? I remember when I first read her works in the US anthology Yuri Monogatari!

Akiko Morishima is the creator of Hanjuku Joshi, Rakuen no Jouken (The Conditions of Paradise), Yurikuma Arashi, as well as many other yuri manga. She also did cover illustrations for Hajimete no Yuri Studies: Queer/Feminist no Shiten kara (Introduction to Yuri Studies: From Queer and Feminist Perspectives). She is now serializing Hitorimi Desu (Living Single) (KADOKAWA/CandleA), about the life of a single lesbian in her sixties.

(Sources from the description of the event)

Walking into the bookstore was like walking into a manga gallery, the entire wall was lined with Takashima-san’s works! Under her original manga pages, were magazine publications as well as By My Side and all the Yuri Monogatari anthologies. I’ve never seen all of them lined up before, it felt like a yuri time capsule.

A wall with original art pages by Rica Takashima displayed in plastic sleeves.

Seeing close up manuscripts of the manga is always a treat because you can see all the typography glues in the speech bubbles and hand done screen tones. I also liked seeing the English translated manga surrounded by their respected JP publications.

Table with Japanese and English language Yuri art and books, and pins with art by Rica Takashima.

My only wish was that I had infinite money to buy more books! There was so much on sale.

A shelf with multiple editions of Rica 'tte Kanji!?, and Yuri Monogatari, By Your Side

Original art by Ric Takashima displyed on the wall.. Color images of Rica and Miho, as well as original pages of Rica 'tte Kanji!?

Lined next to the manuscripts were small shikishi and original prints, sifting through the prints in the binder was so satisfying.

Original pages of Rica 'tte Kanji!?

Close up on art and books for sale, original work by Rica Takashima and By Your Side.

A print image of Rica and Miho in the snow with a grocery bag.

The talk started at 20:00 ( 8:00) in the middle of the bookstore. There were a total of about 15-20 people, so a really comfortable turnout. Takashima sensei began by passing around a bowl of American candy, and she knew her stuff, there were Twizzlers and airheads in there! Both Takashima and Morishima sensei were very upbeat and could back and fourth really well about honestly any topic as well as their respected works .

Takashima sensei talked about what it was like living in New York and brought up the history of Yuri, often referencing By Your Side and even Fun Home. I also liked Morishima sensei’s response to some questions about gender equality, and she also talked about being a fan of Sailor Moon and Cutie Honey.

Other topics covered were the current lesbian fashion of the past and present (Butch military styles, overalls, and more feminine attire), the lesbian bar scene, and a shared love of mini skirts.

It was kind of like listening to two friends reminiscing about the past, which was very comforting.

A photo of a small, cute bookstore crammed with books, and a talk event space in the middle.

The talk went a little past it’s allotted time, but I was able to buy some cute stickers and a copy of Tokyo Love, that Takashima sensei signed with an adorable sketch of me, complete with heart eyes. I was hoping I could stay a bit longer to see if Morishima sensei had any books, as I am also a huge fan of hers, but sadly I had to catch the late train home.

A close-up up Toyo Love - Rica 'tte Kanji!? cover and two Rica/x Miho pins.

I’ll be sure to revisit the loneliness bookstore, not only for the awesome LGBTQ+ rep, but also because it’s rare to see so many English publications outside of Kinokuniya.

If you ever find yourself in Higashi-Nakano, be sure to take a peak, maybe you can buy some issues of Yuri Monogatari!

LoveFes 47 Report – Japan’s Biggest Yuri Doujin Festival

July 1st, 2026

by Bea Baker, Guest Reviewer

I journeyed to Tokyo last week to experience the biggest Yuri-themed doujin festival in Japan–GirlsLoveFestival47, also known as LoveFes. As an avid fan of all things Yuri, I’d been wanting to visit for ages, but arranging a whole weekend trip for it was always infeasible. However, this time, the stars aligned!

I came to Tokyo not only for LoveFes, but also for a special “finale” showing of Cosmic Princess Kaguya in Tachikawa, where the director and voice actors came on stage for a post-screening greeting. Of course… I didn’t actually get tickets for the event, since the site crashed upon tens of thousands of people vying for the same seats… But I still went to Tachikawa with some friends to enjoy the atmosphere and the pancakes.

It’s a really nice area, and probably one of the least-tourist-heavy parts of Tokyo. I’d like to go back

Anyway, with my hopes of seeing the finale screening dashed, all my hopes of a yuriful weekend rested with LoveFes.

On Sunday morning, I headed south to Ota City, the southernmost ward of Tokyo, and met up with my yuri-loving friend. The main convention center near the station, the Ota City Industrial Plaza PiO, is home to a bunch of smaller doujin events; it’s well-placed, unlike the way-out-of-the-way Tokyo Big Sight, and as long as you do good crowd control, it can host a couple hundred vendors.

It was a cloudy day with a high chance of rain, but that wasn’t going to stop us from enjoying the event.

I was under the impression that tickets were essentially randomized–they sold out well in advance online, and so I assumed it’d be a like many pop-up stores where you go that morning, get a randomized entry time, and then chill out around the station until your time. For the earliest entries, there was a more expensive “Fast Pass” ticket already. It wouldn’t be just a straight-up first-come-first serve situation, right?

…Oh, that’s what it was.

So we got in line at 10:30 AM, got our tickets around 11 AM, and… Yep, ended up standing in line for nearly an hour until the general admission opening.

And yep, it did start to sprinkle partway through.

But this massive crowd of hundreds of otaku didn’t give up. No, we braved on, umbrellas against the raindrops, bearing ahead ceaselessly into the future.

And then the gates opened and the frenzy began.

See, the big difference with this LoveFes is that it’s the first one since Cosmic Princess Kaguya released back in January. The first one since that movie released in theaters to a historic 17-week limited run and made over 2.7 billion yen. The fandom is enthusiastic, wild, and ravenous for new content, and fresh off the buzz of that Tachikawa screening on Friday, they descended upon the doujin festival like packs of wolves with cases of 500-yen coins.

Almost instantly, huge lines formed around every single popular Kaguya doujin booth. Some stretched around almost the entire southern half of the venue. Some stretched outside, where it continued to sprinkle, and went on further than I could see. The staff at this event were extremely professional, highly organized, and kept things from descending into chaos.

My friend gladly stood in those thirty-minute lines, but I decided, nah, I’ll just wait and explore the other fandoms. Because while literally over a third of the whole LoveFes was dedicated to just Kaguya, there were still so many other fandoms represented. Everything from classics like Touhou Project and Love Live to newer entries like Girls Band Cry and WataNare all had doujinshi ready to sell.

All these series deserve just as much love! And, importantly, they were way less crowded and stressful to just browse in.

I ended up buying several doujinshi from my old favorite Yuri Yuri, partially to buy presents for an overseas friend, and partially because I was just so glad the series still had a whole row’s worth of creators after over fifteen years. A few of them were, indeed, selling Kaguya doujinshi as back-ups, but they stayed firmly in the Yuri Yuri section out of fandom loyalty.

A few omissions surprised me, though. Hardly any Madoka Magica, despite the next movie releasing on August 28th. I guess people are biding their time until then? I also saw a lot of Lyocris Recoil merchandise on fans’ bags, but not many comics for sale. And I didn’t see any Bloom Into You at all. Was it just the overwhelming force of one franchise crowding everything else out, or is this a sign of the generational shift, with old Yuri fading out as the new Yuri storms in? We’ll have to observe over the next few LoveFes events.

As the crowd leveled out some more, I finally did make my way over to the Cosmic Princess Kaguya section and picked up a few… okay a few dozen… doujinshi. The really popular stuff all sold out immediately, but I did manage to snag some really great stuff!

…And then I went way over budget and forced myself to stop.

While waiting for my friend, still stuck in long line purgatory, I doodled on the poster board…

Got a ticket for the after-event raffle…

Talked to some Revue Starlight cosplayers who do fan performances…

And ran into a really cool Thai Yuri fan who I had talked to at a previous event. Actually, I met quite a few people who recognized me–that’s the power of being a foreigner at Yuri events–and it was nice to feel like part of a community, not just a consumer buying things.

At the end of LoveFes, a couple groups came on stage and performed songs and dances, including that Revue Starlight fan group! I didn’t expect a full-on live performance out of all this.

Then, of course, the raffle and rock-paper-scissors tournaments where I proceeded to win absolutely nothing. Many doujin artists contribute sketchboards, leftover posters, uneaten snacks, and I sat there a good thirty minutes honing the worst luck imaginable.

But I already got an incredible collection of cool books, so I’m definitely not bitter at all that I couldn’t win anything. Definitely not bitter.

After the event, I took the night bus home. It’s not exactly a good sleep, but it’s half the price of the Shinkansen, so I put up with it.

And then I got home and poured over my hoard of books.

Here’s a few of the cool books on sale at LoveFes47:

A classic Yuri Yuri Kyoyui comic. So many of those.

A whole Kyoyui novel!

A rare Kill Me Baby doujinshi.

A Cosmic Princess Kaguya gag book… in full color!

Gag books are really popular for this series, of course.

But so are more serious ones!

And adorable fluff.

My prized possession is probably this immaculately printed anthology book, with several full-color stories inside, and just look at that gorgeous cover art. With holographic lighting! Geez!

All in all, I had a wonderful time at LoveFes, and I hope to visit again someday. Well, actually, just this morning I signed up to sell my own Yuri doujinshi at LoveFes48 on September 23rd! So I’ll be back in Ota City before I know it.

Yurimart Event Report and How To Make Your Own Yuri Event

June 1st, 2026

Yesterday I had a delightful day in Brooklyn, NYC for a Yurimart held at event and art space Yume. Yume does all kind of art exhibits and events, so do follow them online. I was accompanied by two young woman of my acquaintance who are Yurijin as well.

I had gotten a request for RSVP and knew that the space was small, and that they expected a line, so when we arrived and saw the line snaking down the block, and around the corner, it just whetted our appetite!

The event featured about 2 dozen or so local artists and bakeries!, including fan art, original art, ‘zines (which are so, so in again, take that capitalism!) and accessories.

It was a surreal moment for me….surrounded by people talking about Yuri, many of whom were born into a world that never didn’t have Yuri. Many folks were adamant that there should be more things like this…and yes. And there are. And you should build your own Yuri event. Don’t wait for someone else to day it. I’ll beat that drum again in a bit. First…

Here is the line we saw when we got there:

And this was the line we saw when we left:

When we entered Yume, there was a little board where you could add your own drawing:

Then we entered Yume proper. It’s a bit of a railroad apartment, just a long, thin, space that this day was filled with Yuri art and Yuri fans. ^_^ I am short, so this is a terrible picture.

I took a moment to speak with Tai, the owner. She was inspired by Yen Press’s Yuri Cafe, but wanted to do something for and with the local community. She’s hoping to do some other events this summer with Rica Takashima, so keep your eyes peeled here for info!

Here are my purchases from the event:

The sticker on the bottom that says “This too is Yuri” is just too great. I also got a “Girl Prince” sticker, but that must still be in my bag.

There were a few folks who had some great retro urban lesbian art. And as you see I got a Lavender Menace keychain. I love that Yuri and Lesbian communities are now overlapping in exactly the way I hoped when I started promoting Yuri!

One of my favorite things to do all day was to answer the question “What is this line for?” Some folks just didn’t know how to answer, but I have been working on that elevator pitch for years, so I’d leap across the line and say “lesbian-themed Japanese animation and comics’ and a couple of people thought it sounded cool. Two said they’d come back and get on line, one said they’d tell their daughter. Did they? I don’t know, but I talked to folks and encouraged them to learn about Yuri. Which is what I do.

Which brings me to my real point. Many folks said things like “I wish they would do something near me.” To that I reply 1) “Who is they?” YOU, you are they. Be the Yuri event you want to see in the universe! and 2) People ARE doing this near you. Here are some events I saw causally flipping around IG:

Green Yuri Market on June 14, in Los Angeles

Spill The Tea Yuri and BL event at Manga Lounge in Monterey, CA

Gamer Yuri Online Catalogue

BL x GL Live DC Pride party

More importantly – you can do this. Start small. Tell folks you know that you’ll be at a park, or a cafe, or at manga store or library – have folks join you. Have the theme be Yuri. There, you have organized an event. ^_^ It really is that easy!

One more thing. I am stealing this from the K-pop world, but you know what would be cool? If you are creative and have a little time, make a small thing to give away. I always have stickers and postcards, only apparently this time I had like 3 postcards left. :-( Boo me. I am making more stickers so next event, I have plenty to share. If you have OC characters, make a sketch and copy that. Anything. Let’s just share that Yuri.

Thanks to everyone at Yume for being so cool and nice, and to Tai for organizing the event. Thank you to my companions Manjiri and Avantika, you were both awesome! And thank you to all the Yuri fans out there. I look forward to meeting more of you.

Yurimart in Brooklyn today

May 31st, 2026

I’m taking today off to go have some fun.

Yume, an art and event space in Brooklyn, NY is hosting a little Yuri pop-up event today from 12-6 called the Yurimart. This event requires reservation and, as the space is mall, they are offering up some outside activities to fill up time while you wait.

I will be there, with exactly 4 postcards left. Once those are gone, I officially have to get some more portable merch. ^_^;

Drop by for some cute art and baked goods, and to meet fellow Yurijin! I hope to see you there on a beautiful spring day in Brooklyn!

Images From Prism Garden

May 13th, 2026

by Sasori, Okazu JP Correspondent

Last week, the anime and manga chain Melonbooks sponsored a Yuri event called Prism Garden. Our Japan events Correspondent Sasori visited and took a number of photos for us!

Sasori noted that this ran for the whole of Golden Week in Omiya.”..it was an entire gallery and interactive standee walk along complete with a sticky note board for event goers. They also sectioned off buyers in accordance to time slots so it was never too busy.”

This was, like most of the Yuri exhibitions in Japan, part exhibition, part pop-up store. Enjoy these photos as we walk through the event space with Sasori!