Tokushima City in Shikoku hosts Machi Asobi (マチ★アソビ) — Japan’s largest outdoor anime and pop culture event, held in May and October each year. Unlike conventional convention-hall events, Machi Asobi uses the entire city as its venue — anime screenings, voice actor appearances, live concerts, and merchandise events are spread across parks, cinemas, shopping streets, and the Shinmachi River waterfront, creating a festival atmosphere throughout central Tokushima.
Machi Asobi Events
The event is organised by ufotable (the production studio behind Demon Slayer and the Fate series) and spans multiple days. Voice actor stage events, anime film screenings in ufotable Cinema, outdoor projection shows on the Shinmachi River, and special collaboration food and merchandise at participating restaurants and shops are the core activities. The May event coincides with the Golden Week holiday period.
ufotable Cinema and Dining
ufotable’s cinema and dining facilities in central Tokushima operate year-round, screening anime films and serving collaboration menu items. The cafe regularly features Demon Slayer and Fate series menus — a pilgrimage destination for fans of ufotable’s productions outside festival periods.
Tokushima City
Tokushima is also famous for the Awa Odori festival in August — one of Japan’s most spectacular traditional dance festivals. The Naruto whirlpools and the Iya Valley’s vine bridges are outstanding natural attractions accessible from the city.
Access
Tokushima Airport is served by flights from Tokyo (about 75 minutes). The JR Kotoku Line connects Tokushima to Osaka via the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge bus connection (about 2.5 hours). Tokushima is also reachable by highway bus from Osaka and Kobe.
Best Time to Visit
The October Machi Asobi coincides with autumn and avoids the Golden Week crowd peak. Booking accommodation well in advance is essential for festival weekends as the city fills with visitors from across Japan.
