Animes

Special Kaiju Event #8 Taking Place at the Anime's Real-Life Location

Highlights

Kaiju #8 has taken the anime world by storm with its humor and action-packed episodes, winning fans all over the world.
Tachikawa City plays a crucial role in the anime as an important setting, leading to a special collaboration event.
The Kaiju No. 8 x Tachikawa City event features free stamp rallies, exclusive merchandise, and photo opportunities for fans to enjoy.

The fun sci-fi anime Kaiju #8 is one of the highest-rated anime currently airing in the Spring 2024 anime season. With a fun balance of humor and action, it's no surprise that this anime has gained a lot of fans - and that's not including the fans it already had from a very successful manga. In Japan, Kaiju #8 has been appearing more and more on posters, merchandise, and more, and their first (of likely many) special collaboration events is happening now.

What makes this first event even more special is not necessarily its content, which is also very entertaining, but its location. The Kaiju #8 The event took advantage of the fact that the anime is set in modern Tokyo to hold its event in the same location where much of the show takes place. We’re talking about Tachikawa, a city in Greater Tokyo. Tachikawa is an important setting in the real-life anime, and the city definitely took advantage of this by creating an event literally called “Kaiju No. 8 x Tachikawa City.”

Kaiju No 8 Imagem de cabeçalho Kaiju mais forte

Have you ever wondered what the yoju chasing Kafka was in the first episode of Kaiju #8? Well, wait no more, we've got you covered.

Warning: The following contains minor spoilers for Kaiju #8 through episode 4, now streaming on Crunchyroll..

Tachikawa City in Kaiju #8

Kaiju #8 is in its fifth episode this week, and so far the named locations have all been in Yokohama or the western area of Greater Tokyo. Tachikawa is one of the latter, a suburb of Tokyo large enough to be classified as its own city. Kaiju #8It is the headquarters of the Japan Anti-Kaiju Defense Force base in western Tokyo, where the main character, Kafka Hibino, goes to take the practical exam to join the Defense Forces.

At Tachikawa Base, audiences were also introduced to the anime’s larger supporting cast, including Kikoru Shinomiya, Iharu Furuhashi, and even Kaiju No. 9. It’s also where we first saw Kikoru’s impressive kaiju-neutralizing abilities in action, and where Kafka revealed his secret to her. Tachikawa is an important location in the anime, so the city took advantage of its importance to host this event.

The combat suits worn by the Defense Forces in Kaiju #8 are much more than just uniforms. What do they actually do?

Kaiju No. 8 x Tachikawa City

The event itself kicked off on April 26, just in time for Japan's Golden Week holiday, and parts of it will run through the end of June. One of the highlights of the Kaiju #8 x Tachikawa City is a stamp rally, where participants must travel to certain locations to receive a stamp (in this case, digitally), and when all the stamps are collected, they can win a prize. Participation in the stamp rally is free and can be accessed through the event website official website. All you need to do is open the map, travel to the six checkpoints around Tachikawa, and then show the completed map at the event exchange counter to receive a free pin.

There is also a special pop-up shop running until the end of June, with exclusive products for the Kaiju #8 x Tachikawa City that can only be purchased at the event. These include special postcards, pins, stickers, charms, T-shirts, and even cute slippers that look like Kafka in his kaiju form. If you spend more than 2,000 yen, you’ll also get a character fan until June 14, which is great for beating the summer heat in Japan.

Throughout Tachikawa City, especially at the points visited for the stamp rally, there are also cardboard stands of the protagonists for great photo opportunities. Some of these locations will also have more exclusive merchandise for sale. These stores will also offer free coasters for every 500 yen spent at the stores, with different designs available at different stores. Finally, very impressively, right at Tachikawa Station there is a life-size sculpture of Kafka in his kaiju form.

Tachikawa may not be a common place for people to visit, but for Kaiju #8 For fans, it’s definitely worth the special trip until the end of June. The stamp rally is also completely free, as is taking photos of the Kafka statue and other standees, so the event is accessible to anyone who wants to participate and get a free souvenir exclusive to this event. Tachikawa can be easily accessed from Shinjuku Station on the Chuo Rapid Line without changing trains, and the event will run until June 30.

To attend Kaiju #8 now Crunchy Roll.