It’s that time again when I round up my favourite things that found their way onto Sophie’s Japan Blog this year! I think 2017 surpassed 2016 both in terms of blog activity and general madness in the world…

I’d like to say a big thank you to you lovely readers, sponsors and collaborators!

Below are 2017’s winners and runners-up, with links to their very own blog posts. So, you can catch up on any posts you missed!

A heads up for 2018: I feel the last few months of this blog have been very film-heavy, which isn’t the level of diversity I’m going for. Not to mention, there was a period where I was forcing myself to fit in three posts away, which simply wasn’t sensible. So, I’m aiming for quality over quantity next year with more varied blog posts!

Travel wish-list spot of the year

Winner: Sapporo Snow Festival

Runner-up: Ise Jingu

Book of the year

Winner: Six Four by Hideo Yokohama

Runner-up: Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8 by Naoki Higashida

Film of the year

Winner: Oh Lucy!

Runners-up: Blank 13, Close-Knit

Film festival of the year

Winner: Raindance Film Festival

Runner-up: BFI Film Festival

Anime film of the year

Winners: A Silent Voice, The Red Turtle

Runner-up: Perfect Blue

Anime series of the year

Winner: Food Wars!

Runner-up: My Love Story!!

Restaurant of the year

Winner: Sosharu

Runners-up: Nanban

Pop up of the year

Winner: Pop Up Japan at Proud East

Winner: Tombo’s Hello Kitty pop up

Bar of the year

Winner: Machi-ya

Exhibition of the year

Winner: ‘Hokusai: beyond the Great Wave’ at the British Museum

Runner-up: ‘The Japanese House: Architecture and Life After 1945’ at the Barbican

Performance of the year

Winner: Ninagawa’s Macbeth at the Barbican

Runner-up: Yamato Drummers of Japan at Peacock Theatre

Event of the year

Winner: Hyper Japan summer 2017

Interviewee of the year

Winners: Dan Green and Eric Stuart

Runner-ups: Kanpai London Craft Sake, Producers of ‘Boys for Sale’