JEDDAH: The Japanese ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Iwai Fumio, recently visited the first Anime Village in the Middle East, which is part of the Jeddah Season’s City Walk zone.
The Anime Village is part of the wide range of activities that aim to aid cultural exchange between the two friendly countries. It offers a variety of activities such as cinema shows, musical performances, manga artist meetups, interviews with creators, parades and much more.
Fumio told Arab News Japan that he was impressed with Anime Village: “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.”
He said that the Kingdom had become a global tourist destination due to its cultural, historical and civilizational potential, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The envoy was briefed on the most important global events, experiences and services provided for the public, citing the high degree of organization in the event zones.
He praised the Kingdom’s development of the entertainment sector, as well as the variety of events and options available to the public.
The ambassador stressed the importance of strengthening the partnership between the tourism and entertainment sectors in the Kingdom and Japan.
The ambassador expressed his admiration for the Jeddah Season, citing the precise distribution of the event sites and that the events are suitable for all ages.
The zone has several areas inspired by iconic anime series such as “Attack on Titan,” “Naruto,” “Captain Tsubasa” and “Gundam.” The biggest attraction is Konoha Village, which features the main set of the popular anime “Naruto,” including life-size figures of the show’s characters and a little museum displaying items and images from famous scenes in the anime.
The second-largest area is the Animaze, where visitors can walk through a maze while reading about famous anime series, including “Hunter x Hunter,” “Ghost in the Shell,” “My Hero Academy,” “Demon Slayer,” “Bleach” and “Jujutsu Kaisen.”
There is also a PAC-Man arcade, Japanese restaurant Kimono, a “Hello Kitty” store and Japanese anime store Animate, the first to open in the Middle East.
