Nijigen no Mori to debut at Rome's ROMICS pop culture event

Nijigen no Mori will make its first appearance at ROMICS in Rome from Oct. 1-4, using the Europe-wide event to showcase its anime park on Awaji Island to fans and media. The booth will highlight the park’s attractions and travel access as the company looks to draw more overseas visitors.

Why it matters: - Nijigen no Mori is using one of Europe’s biggest pop culture gatherings to reach new international visitors. - The ROMICS debut gives the Awaji Island anime theme park a direct platform in front of fans of anime, manga, games and film across Europe. - The park is also promoting how to get there, which matters for converting interest into actual travel.

What happened: - Nijigen no Mori will exhibit for the first time at the 37th ROMICS in Rome, Italy, from Thursday, Oct. 1 through Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. - The booth will be set up at Nuova Fiera di Roma and run from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. - The park will present its immersive anime, manga, game and movie-themed experiences to European visitors and media. - The booth will also provide information on access to Hyogo Prefecture’s Awaji Island.

The details: - ROMICS is an annual pop culture event covering comics, anime, games and film. - The event drew about 165,000 visitors in 2025. - The Nijigen no Mori booth will feature brochures, flyers, on-site footage and photo experiences. - Nijigen no Mori’s official website is the official website. - ROMICS’ official website is the event website. - Nijigen no Mori sits inside Hyogo Prefectural Awaji Island Park, a natural area described as roughly 28 Tokyo Domes in size. - The park is about five minutes from Kobe across the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge to Awaji Island. - Nijigen no Mori markets itself as a “2D-world” experience powered by IT technology. - The park features attractions tied to titles including Naruto, Godzilla, Dragon Quest and Crayon Shinchan. - The site also offers outdoor attractions set in nature. - Access from Kansai International Airport to Awaji Island takes about three hours by highway bus with one transfer through Sannomiya, Namba or Umeda. - A train-plus-highway-bus route from Kansai International Airport to Awaji Island also takes about three hours.

Between the lines: - The ROMICS booth is a marketing move aimed at expanding Nijigen no Mori’s overseas audience beyond Japan. - By highlighting both attractions and transportation, the park is targeting a practical barrier for foreign travelers: how to get there. - The European debut suggests the park sees international pop culture events as a channel for tourism promotion, not just brand exposure.

What's next: - Nijigen no Mori will use the four-day ROMICS window to introduce the park to European attendees and media. - The company is likely hoping the booth drives future visits to Awaji Island from overseas travelers. - More information is available on the park’s official website.