In its 13th year, Anime Japan is primarily an industry event for networks and streamers to promote their programming or upcoming anniversaries. In this way, it’s much less fan-focused than your typical con — think more of an “upfronts” for, mostly, anime.
The celebrity appearances are also relatively lowkey. Stage talk events featured voice actors and producers, rather than the global names associated with Tokyo Comic Con. This year’s edition (note: the last to be held in Tokyo before moving to Osaka) was expanded to include the South Exhibition Hall. Including a rooftop space for outdoor cosplay photography, adjacent to the indoor photography area. This added a touch more to the fan community experience.
Tips for Anime Japan
Anime Japan is hosted over the last Saturday and Sunday in March. Across three spaces at Tokyo’s sprawling Big Sight complex, standard con advice applies — most notably, a lot of walking and very few seating areas.
For the Red, Green, and Blue stages where main panels are hosted, tickets are doled out via a lottery system, with no guarantee of entry, regardless of ticket tier. Classic Japan, iykyk. The application period for this lottery closes around a month before the event, so prepare accordingly! It’s not just unlikely you’ll be able to hit every single booth in a day; it is, in fact, inadvisable. Participating exhibitors and map layout are announced well in advance. Go in with a game plan to ensure you don’t miss out on your priorities.
Exhibition Area (East Hall) Highlights
Every studio or broadcaster who’s anybody is at Anime Japan. Each is going all out to compete with the neighboring sights and sounds. This was especially true this year, with a record 130 companies present. From the professional cosplayers and live drawing demos, the sheer scale and attention to detail in the design of the booths were masterful. It was a treat to see when scouting faves, but also a great way to be introduced to a new show.
Key priority for me was Toho Animation
I caught a glimpse of new Haikyu!! movie footage and merch, and The Apothecary Diaries’ new season. On top of a massive walkthrough exhibition, Toho Animation also staged a massive, immersive panoramic theater. Featuring floor panels that vibrated in time with the action on screen. For Haikyu!! in particular, it brought the viewing experience to a whole new level.
For other titles, I made sure to scope out Ranma ½, Tamon’s B-Side, and Witch Hat Atelier. The latter was in a library booth setting, exactly the right atmosphere for the show. Among the streamers available in Japan, Netflix by far has the largest catalog of new titles. They definitely had the booth to match, with various interactive games for titles like Dandelion, as well as photo spots.
Other standouts were Kadokawa, known for always delivering one of the largest and most impressive exhibitions of the whole con. This year’s huge “Fantasy Forest” was no different. With a particular spotlight on the 10-year anniversary of Re: Zero.Dotted around the venue was AJ staff distributing goodie bags of promotional postcards, posters, and stickers for most major titles. This alleviated a lot of the pressure of visiting every single booth, and instead allowing for more calmly leafing through at home.
Speaking of goods, of course there was no shortage of merch. Merch ranged from official offerings, brand collaborations, and even designer items for those really looking to break out the credit card.
Activities Area (South Hall)
Located a five-minute walk away, the South Hall hosted the larger panel stages as well as the cosplay areas and Food Park. On the cosplay stage, various events took place throughout the day, including Random Play Dance-style gatherings. The warm-up portions were especially charming, with the sight of characters from Luffy to Madoka to Gon earnestly doing jumping jacks.
Food options were pretty limited, without any anime-inspired offerings and just over a handful of independent vendors. In search of the most eccentric option, I settled on a sausage taco. It was comically un-photogenic but did the job of providing some sustenance after the hours of walking.
Also, each edition of Anime Japan highlights a particular role in the anime production process as part of a gallery showcase. This year was the producers’ turn, featuring insight from various kinds of producers and elaborating on their contributions and visions for how to sustain the future of the anime industry.
Closing Thoughts
When looking up information on Anime Japan, you’ll come across many netizens from abroad asking if it’s worth setting aside in a Japan trip itinerary.
Ultimately, it will vary from person to person, but I would keep the following in mind. First, if you don’t take up most of your day, it will completely wipe you out for the rest of the day. So, treat attending as its own day trip rather than something to squeeze in alongside the rest of your plans.
On a similar note, Big Sight is pretty far removed from central Tokyo. This is another reason it might be difficult to plan around without devoting an entire day. With the next editions taking place in Osaka, this may be less of an issue.
Moreover, the event is pretty much all in Japanese — from most of the signage to the talks and panels — making it less accessible if you don’t have a grasp of the language.
Finally, and most crucially for me, Anime Japan is not the place to experience Japanese con culture at its purest fan-level — for that, you’re better off at Comiket or even Tokyo Comic Con, which have Artist Alleys and fan-organized events.
That said, it’s hard to deny Anime Japan’s appeal on a purely spectacle level. The excitement of getting a glimpse of stories that may take months to make their way overseas. If you’ve already made your way across the world, there are certainly worse outings to dedicate an entire vacation day to.
