This is an unprecedented event in Okazu history. Not only do we have a second Yuriten Report, this time on the Sendai exhibition, this is a second week with two guest posts and we welcome a new guest writer! I am exceedingly pleased to welcome Meru C to the Okazu family and I hope you will offer the warm welcome (and kind responses in comments) that I’ve come to expect from you all. ^_^ Meru, take it away!

Let me start off by saying that this was Sendai’s first Yuriten event: they were added to the expanded, five-city roster this year, and hopefully, will get a return show next year.

For me, this was a great boon: it often feels like Tohoku gets left out of events like this unless they’re linked to Animate directly, or they’re larger campaigns. I’m glad to say that via Village Vanguard, more Yuri fans in Tohoku will be able to experience this wonderful event from April 13 to April 21. I attended on Day 1, April 13, to see the first opening.

The event was held on the top floor of Sendai Forus, a multi-story shopping mall that can easily be accessed using the Tozai Subway line at Sendai Station, which has elevators and escalators, or by walking for about 15-minutes from Sendai Station through the Ichibancho Shopping Arcade area. It was easily accessible and had ample seating outside the event area for weary fans to rest before or after their Yuriten experience. Additionally, the exhibition offered ample space for different abled individuals to move through, which I appreciated as a person of size. However, it should also be noted that there’s no seating within the actual exhibition area.

I was actually the first to queue up before the shopping mall opened, and one of the first to enter specifically for the event, which was a bit shocking: I had expected a bit of line, to be honest. Inside the actual shopping mall, there wasn’t any signage or direction to the top floor but I knew where to go due to the listing on the Yuriten site, which was easy enough to use without without Japanese language skills.

Village Vanguard staff was present in the exhibition area, there wasn’t anyone specifically designated to monitor how many people were in the actual exhibition space, or to limit entry. In fact, I was able to explore at my own pace, first eyeing all of the goods I wanted (note: I had a list, and the Yuriten website shows all the items potentially available) and then entering the exhibition itself. I found this open format was good for people who wanted to shop first, then look, or vice versa.

The lighting was decidedly moody once inside the exhibition itself, which made it feel like I was entering a really special place and lent to a kind of magical, soft feeling. Though perhaps unintentional, it made the exhibition a bit more special, accenting the cute rose garland strung over the exhibition and about the space there were plenty of spotlights. I found glare minimal, and was largely able to take clear pictures: the simple white walls -which doubled to form the path- made everything easy to see.

Each artist showcased in this exhibition had their own wall space, with their work grouped together by series: the same went for photography work, which there was ample amounts of. It was lovely to see manga panels from some of my favorite series blown up to A3 size: better, being able to take as many pictures as I wanted meant I could really take my time and geek out about all of the new titles I found to read. I also found some new photographers to keep up with: sadly, there were no business cards visibly displayed, so I had to make sure to write down their names or find them online right then and there. Thankfully, because there wasn’t a crowd, I could also take my time. I think I probably spent about 40 minutes in the exhibition, and was able to really take in all of the images.

Additionally, each artist had an A4 sized panel with their name and a prominent work, and below, a small Village Vanguard panel with art and their personal signatures. Though I won’t be present for any additional book signings, it still felt really cool to see their messages and their handwriting up close. Next year -and I do plan on going next year, should Sendai be on the roster again- I’ll be sure to check which days signings are available so I can offer a bit of insight into those too.

After winding through the space, I exited into shop again, and actually wandered around with the intent to make a few purchases. I’m glad to say that there was lots of merchandise, ranging from acrylic stands to button packs to clear files and a sizable assortment of t-shirts. Every series on display in the exhibition had something you could buy, whether a button pack, a manga, or a tapestry, all of which were lovely and of solid quality.

Naturally, the shirts have a smaller range, so I unfortunately couldn’t indulge: however, that didn’t stop me from spending a good amount of money. I largely picked up clear files and event specific merch, such as the Yuriten Tote Bag at ￥500, bearing the event logo on the bottom right corner. It’s admittedly not a sturdy bag: I wouldn’t put anything heavier than a thick paperback in it, or maybe a tablet. However, I got it with the intent to embroidery lilies and roses on and use it for lighter purposes, so it suited me well.

I’ll admit I had trouble finding some of the items I wanted: they either weren’t displayed or just weren’t available at all, which meant I left without the super cute Kase-san Series glass cup. But on the other hand, I also found other items I didn’t expect to see, the best being merchandise for the manga After Hours by Yuhta Nishio. I picked up a two-button set for ￥600 and a large black and white tote bag for about ￥2400. As a note, prices are not listed with tax included, so plan ahead to save on any cash register woes should you be a big shopper like me.

Check-out was easy: though there was only one register at Sendai’s event, I didn’t have to wait but a few seconds to pay for my goods. I ended up spending a hearty amount of money, largely because the quality of the items felt on part with Animate and other big-name shops, and because the environment encouraged you to get at least one thing. I will say that there’s a noticeable mark-up: clear files that would normally run about ￥250 or ￥300  at an Animate were ￥500, but honestly, I felt it was worth it as these may be limited items, or at least, hard to get, post-Yuriten. I also didn’t buy any manga though there was full stock for all the series featured in the exhibition: I prefer to buy older titles second-hand, and new, current titles Animate so I can collect points.

I’d also like to mention the crowds: I saw a good mix of genders, with the largest groups being young women and non-binary presenting folks. There were a few groups of college aged male folks, and a lot of couples shopping together. Most surprising were the few mothers and high school aged child (primarily female presenting) pairs I saw, which absolutely warmed my heart: as a queer high school teacher, I regularly interface with students who aren’t in a place to engage with their identities alongside their parents, and so it was nice to see multiple mothers enthusiastically supporting their children regardless. This exhibition definitely was family friendly, though some of the photography could be considered sensual, though I found little that parents would have genuine concern over. It felt, overall, incredibly welcoming and accessible regardless of knowledge or identity.

Overall, I have to say that this really was a lovely event to go to. Its simplicity really reminded me just how much I love Yuri. Though I went alone, I would easily suggest taking any curious friends or partners to this exhibition, especially since it’s free. There’s a lot of really good gateway titles with concurrent publishing in English, and a lot of new titles for older fans too. The photography was really my favorite part: it gave me a good bit of nostalgia about being a young, queer person falling in love with a woman for the first time, and how tender it can be.

I’m really glad I came upon this event both on Twitter and through previous reviews and I’m even more glad that I had time to go and really engage with the lovely pieces. This is definitely on schedule for next year: I can’t wait to see the creators they’ll feature in 2020!

Erica here: Thank you Meru! It is so delightful to have been able to walk through the Yuriten with you! I, too, will hope that Sendai is included in more events. There is a Sendai Comiket, but I take your meaning – Tohoku is not often thought of as comics stronghold, as Nagoya and Sapporo are.

Speaking of Nagoya…do we have any fans in the Nagoya area willing to report back on the Nagoya Yuriten event? ^_^