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The Tokyo Marui Festival Brought Together New & Old Airsoft Fans Under One Roof

OptimusPrime

It just dawned on me that this summer is the busiest summer for Popular Airsoft in terms of reports of airsoft events and happenings from all over the world. Whilst we try as hard as possible to bring to you reports about some of the significant happenings in the airsoft scene, we were surprised to find out that our reportage for this summer was more than above average.  Some reports had to wait since we need some vidoes or photos properly done before we put the stories together so they took longer to be posted.
Finally, we can now give you our full report  Tokyo Marui Festival.

The Tokyo Marui Festival is something that other airsoft manufacturers should take note. This is perhaps a celebration of the impact of Tokyo Marui in Japanese culture as the company is an integral part in movies, shows, anime,  manga (Japanese comics), and video games. If you think that the impact of the company is just airsoft per se, you'll be surprised that they are part of  Japanese culture through their tie-ups with other Japanese cultural icons that even have an greater impact outside of Japan (e.g. Resident Evil/Biohazard Series). Even if Tokyo Marui doesn't do much international projection, it's impact outside of Japan is much felt everywhere where airsoft has taken root. It's still the most admired and emulated airsoft company in the world.

What I also see about the Tokyo Marui Festival is muscle-flexing. What was once one of the players in the airsoft industry in the early years is now the biggest player in the Japanese airsoft/toy gun/gun model industry. In the global airsoft industry, it still holds the Japanese flag high, even with strong competitors beyond it shores, notably Taiwan and Hong Kong (and China to a lesser extent).

For two days, from the 26th to the 27th of July 2014, the Tokyo Marui Festival was held in Akibahara, the Otaku Center of the world. The weather was hot, as it was the height of summer in Japan, with visitors queuing up to enter at 37 Degrees. Even before the doors were opened, staff and customers were already sweating.

According to the company, they had to put a strict control on admissions 1 hour after they opened the festival, to avoid heat issues amongst customers due to overcrowding inside the festival venue.  Even if the festival was for fans of airsoft who came in droves, there were lots of visitors who were able to touch airsoft guns  for the first time.

Being in Akibahara, the company was in its natural environment. It is where games and anime fans go through and since Tokyo Marui does collaborations with video games and anime publishers they also want airsoft guns from the company. They put up posters that these fans are familiar with and boy! we want to collect those posters they have hanging above them.

Whilst a good number were expecting new products to be unveiled, such as a working prototype of the Tokyo Marui HK417 New Generation AEG which they first revealed before the 53rd Shizuoka Hobby Show, they were a bit disappointed. Nevertheless, fans were able to check 50 kinds of airsoft guns that are in production from the company. They were able to touch and shoot (unloaded of course) and since they can check all the airsoft guns from the company in one place, it's much easier for them to try and find out which of these airsoft guns will be their favourites.

As to new product announcements, they will have to wait for the 54th All Japan Model Hobby Show that will take place on the 26th to the 28th of September 2014.

The two new releases --- the S&W M&P Gas Blowback Pistol and M870 Breacher Gas Shotgun, are now available at retailers in and outside of Japan. Some of the visitors to the Festival who weren't actually interested in an airsoft shotgun actually reserved the M870 Breacher before it was released after checking it out at the Festival.

As expected, the M4 Modula Weapon System (MWS), Tokyo Marui's first full gas blowback rifle offering, has a stronger kick/recoil as compared to the new generation AEGs and they are focused on improving it further before they finally release it, which we hope will be before the Holiday season. It was one of the main attractions as there was a queue to try it.

Attendees were also able to take photos with the booth babes and fully-kitted out "operator" who was the model for the poster used in the promoting the Festival.

The Tokyo Marui DEVGRU Custom HK416D NEG was also popular and visitors were able to try and test fire it the shooting range that was setup inside the venue.

Overall, it was a highly successful Tokyo Marui Festival. With their fans coming to try out all their airsoft guns under one roof, and their target of new users coming in droves due to knowing about the company through their commercial tie-ups in the Japanese cultural industry, they know that they have built up a strong following of airsoft players for years to come.  Now, they just need to further to do the same thing to their loyal customers beyond the shores of the Land of the Rising Sun.

More photos of the Tokyo Marui Festival at the Popular Airsoft Facebook Page.

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