Actually, this was my first time going to a doujinshi event like this. I had been watching from the sidelines for a while, thinking, 'I'd love to go to something like the Literature Flea Market,' but the closest one is probably in Tokyo? However, the Tokyo Literature Flea Market is huge. I was certain I'd get overwhelmed by the crowd, so I just gave up, thinking it was impossible. That's when I set my sights on ZINE Fes. It's a bit more manageable in scale than the Literature Flea Market, but it still gathers so many creative works, and best of all, it's held in Yokohama! I can make it to Yokohama! Osanbashi is close by!
So, I went!
The result: it was amazing. Wow, it was just too much fun. I totally understand why both the exhibitors and the buyers get hooked.
There was some huge ship docked there.Well then, my first experience.
The first place I headed to was Toki-san's booth.
I'm not very fashion-savvy, so I want to learn more! Plus, I actually like casual clothes, so I'm very interested in what's called 'men's-like fashion'! I bought both books! Thank you for the snacks as well!
Next, I went to the 'Nan no Hanashi desu ka' (What are you talking about?) booth.
There are many noters involved in 'Nan no Hanashi desu ka,' and I always watch them thinking they look like they're having fun, but true to the name 'What are you talking about?', I really don't know what they're talking about lol. I thought the best way to find out was to read it, so I bought both books! Also, a bookmark set and a postcard. The postcard just screams good taste. It's wonderful. I fell in love with the hand illustration at first sight. Apparently, the creator is still quite young.
The display is also lovely! I really like the catchphrase, 'If we were Matayoshi and Wakabayashi, we would have sold out.'A two-shot with Konishi-san, whom I haven't seen in a while✨ We took it with Akitani's beauty camera for selfies, so we both look glowing♪ lolA booth I stopped at because of the phrase 'I love note.' This Kazuya Fukumoto-san, although we aren't mutuals, called out to me, 'You're Akitani-san, right?' Thank you! I love note too, so I bought your book!I showed off my note eco-bag to Fukumoto-san, who was shouting that he loves note. Today's shopping was done with note✨ It holds a lot and was super useful!Attracted by the cat illustration, I then looked at a sample of 'The Mysterious World of Java' and fell in love with it. Apparently, the author still lives there. It seems mystery is a part of daily life there. I love things like this.A novel anthology written by various authors in a relay format for each season. I was intrigued by the beautiful yet slightly unsettling binding, so I picked it up. Looking forward to it.I found an illustration that was absolutely my type! It's too cute!! I was looking for a sticker to put behind my smartphone shoulder strap, so this was a perfect match. Thank you for going out of your way to find a long, thin one that would fit in the back!This is what it looks like when I actually put it in! Aaaah, it's too cute!!A tooth keychain I fell in love with at first sight. Besides teeth, there were many other types like arms, eyes, and ears, depending on where it hurts. I have weak teeth, so I chose this one, haha.Look! This is how it looks when attached to a smartphone shoulder strap! It's such a unique and perfect combination.I couldn't decide between the human-type and animal-type yokai stickers, so I bought both. They're too cute!Apparently, this was originally a dyed piece. They had the actual item there, and the colors were so vivid and beautiful.I wonder what they said they used to draw this... I have so little knowledge of painting that I forgot, but it's an analog illustration. They were selling the original art, but I bought a postcard. It's slightly unsettling and beautiful.Akiya, fully satisfied after finishing shopping. Of course, this is a beauty camera for selfies, haha.Classic Yokohama. A motorboat running under strong sunlight that doesn't feel like February.
I felt like I had bought more, but I guess I didn't buy that much after all. Still, I'm very satisfied. It was so much fun. One good thing is that, personally, I appreciate this scale. You can actually look around properly. Also, being able to go out for some fresh air and have a drink before coming back is helpful for beginners. It wasn't that much of a labyrinth, either.
Also, there were more paintings, illustrations, and miscellaneous goods than I expected. I had assumed ZINE Fes was overwhelmingly about books, with some goods as accessories, but there were so many goods. I love books, but as someone who loves cute and unique goods, I was definitely captivated by them. I mean, the goods are cute too, right? In short, it was incredibly fun.
Recently, when I was talking with a follower on a Space, we were discussing the power that stories hold. We talked about how reading creative works creates empathy, allowing you to vicariously experience the lives of the author and the characters. I felt that what I experienced at ZINE Fes today might be similar to that. Whether it's writing, art, or goods, the power of people who create something is incredibly strong, and it felt like that energy was colliding, resonating, and creating a frenzy. That's why events like the Literature Flea Market and ZINE Fes are so exciting, I realized. That energy kept flowing into me, resonating with my own energy, amplifying, and growing larger and larger. By vicariously experiencing the lives of those who create, the world stops being just my own. It keeps expanding, becoming larger and stronger. In that way, my own novels will also grow stronger. That's how it felt, and it was just so much fun.
To all the exhibitors, thank you for your hard work. Thank you for the wonderful works, time, and space. I will take my time and cherish looking through the works.
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