A video game horror series has taken over Little Tokyo’s Japanese Village Plaza, with multiple stores selling in-game themed food and drinks for its latest installment until Oct. Sunday.
The takeover, based on Silent Hill f which was released Sept. 25, is called “A Taste of Ebisugaoka,” and offers another way to experience the fictional 1960s rural town the game takes place in.
Those arriving through the Little Tokyo Metro Station heard a message welcoming them to Ebisugaoka, with the plaza decorated in crimson flower arrangements that resembled the spider lilies featured in the game.
The Little Tokyo Metro Station’s entryway is covered with a Silent Hill f advertisement on Oct. 3. Visitors who arrive through the Metro A line will hear a limited time message welcoming them to the fictional town of Ebisugaoka. (Rafael Gomez)
Participating storefront windows and the Metro station entryway were also covered with advertisements for the game.
Visitors line up outside of Mitsuru Cafe in Little Tokyo’s Japanese Village Plaza on Friday, Oct. 3. Red bean cakes and skewers of dango were sold as part of the “Taste of Ebisugaoka” takeover for the release of Silent Hill f. (Rafael Gomez)
Most freebies were given out on Sept. 27 for the takeover’s kick-off where participants had to fill out a stamp card. Upon completing the stamp rally by visiting Cafe Dulce, Mitsuru Cafe, Far Bar and clothing store Hypland, fans received a steelbook cover for the game.
The stamp card showed the surrounding area of the Japanese Village Plaza, styled like the map used in Silent Hill f and participants collected freebies like posters, stickers, and tote bags at each stop.
Notably, free limited edition Metro cards featuring the game’s protagonist Hinako Shimizu and the game’s title were restocked on Oct. 4.
Some lucky fans were able to get freebies on Oct. 4, like Jonathon Bermeo, a fan of the series since 2001, who cosplayed as Pyramid Head from Silent Hill 2 at the takeover.
Jonathan Bermeo poses while cosplaying as Pyramid Head from Silent Hill 2 in Little Tokyo, LA during the “Taste of Ebisugaoka” takeover on Oct. 4. Bermeo has been a fan of the series since 2001, and bought a European version of Silent Hill f to get a steelbook edition sooner than the American release. (Rafael Gomez)
“This is the first day I’ve come for the event, I couldn’t make it any other day or last week … unfortunately a lot of stuff was gone at this point, they’re not restocking. I got the second to last tote bag from Hypland, so I mean, I had to walk away with something,” said Bermeo.
Food and drinks like a branded strawberry red bean cake called Yokan at Mitsuru Cafe and a cocktail called Divine Water from Far Bar represented healing items found throughout Silent Hill f, and will consistently be sold for the rest of the takeover.
Mitsuru Cafe’s skewer of dango and branded red bean cake that is being sold during the Silent Hill f “Taste of Ebisugaoka” takeover at Little Tokyo’s Japanese Village Plaza. The red bean cake represents the yokan item that can be used to heal in-game, and the dango visually resembles an unnamed enemy known as the birthing monster that has similarly white, bulbous features. (Rafael Gomez)
Original items like the are-abare, a strawberry marmalade filled bread named after a round, fleshy enemy in the game, and spider lily latte from Cafe Dulce were adorned with rose petals, and were enjoyed by fans like Lucy Brackney.
“The are-abare, I believe I’m pronouncing that right, was probably the best dessert I had from all the three that we had, that one was like a concha,” Brackney said.
LBCC alumni Za’Karra Martin visited the plaza with friends on Oct. 4, and thought that more could’ve been done in terms of decor, but thought it was looked “nice” nonetheless.
Visitors cross the street to enter Little Tokyo’s Japanese Village Plaza on Oct. 4. The Yagura Fire Tower was wrapped in a banner for Silent Hill f’s release, and decorated with fake red flowers that mimicked the spider lilies found in the game. (Rafael Gomez)
“I was scrolling through Instagram and I saw a promo for (the takeover) and I sent it to my friend’s boyfriend since we were helping him solve some puzzles in the game,” Martin said.
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