Finding love in Japan when you're an anime fan or gamer isn't always easy. Fortunately, dojin shop Toranoana has stepped in to help, launching Akiba-based meet-and-greets for geeky singles under the name ToraCon.
Each event has room for five men and women, with a minimum of three each. For a time, both events were in danger of being cancelled, as no women signed up for either. However, the troops rallied, and both events are now full with waiting lists for both men and women.
Admission is open to employed men between the ages of 28 and 45, and women (regardless of their employment status) from the age of 27 up into their 30s. The one common requirement is that everyone must be seriously looking for a marriage partner.
Each event is approximately two hours long and will consist of:
-- 10-minute one-on-one chat (four times)
-- 5-minute break
-- 10-minute free time (twice)
-- Exchange of message cards
Anyone who makes a match at the party is encourage to contact their potential partner privately after the event.
Seats are 8,000 yen for men and 3,000 yen for women, the latter due to sales when no women had signed up for the event. Both events will take place later this month, with the anime fan meet-up scheduled for the 20th and the gamer meet-up scheduled for the 27th.
In addition to their private events, ToraCon also offers individual services. A "geek diagnostic" questionnaire asks what sort of things you're a fan of, how long you've been a fan, and how many hours per week you devote to these activities. Additionally, they offer a "pro otaku" discount for clients who, by their standards, are major contributors to fandom via cosplay or published works.
Source: Otakomu, Toracon.jp
-----
Kara Dennison is responsible for multiple webcomics, blogs and runs interviews for (Re)Generation Who and PotterVerse, and is half the creative team behind the OEL light novel series Owl's Flower. She blogs at karadennison.com and tweets @RubyCosmos.
No comments:
Post a Comment