Japan
has the huge biennial Comic Market fan doujinshi event, and several sci-fi
conventions, but the home of anime has never had a U.S.-style anime convention.
That changes on January 16-18 of 2004 when the first Anime Expo Tokyo will
be held. Appearing at Sakura Con to promote the Japanese event were and video
game author and convention volunteer Susumu Sakurai and Yukio Kikukawa, anime
producer best known for the Legend of Galactic Heroes. Both men have visited
several U.S. conventions and enjoyed the experience so much that they decided
to bring it to Japan. Through the Anime Expo web site, they're trying to
encourage U.S. fans to head to the Tokyo event through an US$1,100 tour package
that would include air fare from the west coast, a hotel room and a convention
membership. Often, air fare alone for a U.S-Tokyo trip costs more than $1,100.
Anime
Expo has attracted top creators from the anime industry, but some artists
are unable or unwilling to travel to the U.S. Taking the convention to Japan
will eliminate that travel problem, Sakurai noted. "There's an upper limit
to the number of Japanese guests of honor than an American anime convention
can invite, but since we'll have Anime Expo Tokyo in Japan, it should be
possible to have a hundred industry guests. That would include busy people
who could share two or three hours to show up for an autograph session."
The Japanese organizers also see the Tokyo event as a great chance for producers
of Japanese TV shows to get publicity for their shows. They're expecting
around 6,000-10,000 people to attend Anime Expo Tokyo and hope as many as
2,000 will travel from outside Japan to attend the convention. To further
encourage English-speaking fans to attend, the organizers plan to have plenty
of translators on hand and expect to conduct panel discussions in English.
The
Anime Expo Tokyo site will be in Ikebukuro, an area of Japan that holds many
anime companies including Animate, one of the largest retailers of anime
goods. It's also not far from the Akihabara shopping district, known for
the electronic gadgetry on sale. The hotel would be pretty much next door
to the convention center, so I would think you would have easy access
from the hotel to the convention site," Kikukawa said. Immediately around
the convention site is Sunshine City, which Kikukawa describes as one of
the liveliest parts of Tokyo, including several karaoke places. "You won't
have to stay put at the convention site or the hotel - you'll have access
to what Tokyo has to offer." The organizers also plan to have studio tours
where fans can watch animators at work, and there will be a U.S.-style costume
contest.
Japan
has the huge biennial Comic Market fan doujinshi event, and several sci-fi
conventions, but the home of anime has never had a U.S.-style anime convention.
That changes on January 16-18 of 2004 when the first Anime Expo Tokyo will
be held. Appearing at Sakura Con to promote the Japanese event were and video
game author and convention volunteer Susumu Sakurai and Yukio Kikukawa, anime
producer best known for the Legend of Galactic Heroes. Both men have visited
several U.S. conventions and enjoyed the experience so much that they decided
to bring it to Japan. Through the Anime Expo web site, they're trying to
encourage U.S. fans to head to the Tokyo event through an US$1,100 tour package
that would include air fare from the west coast, a hotel room and a convention
membership. Often, air fare alone for a U.S-Tokyo trip costs more than $1,100.
Anime
Expo has attracted top creators from the anime industry, but some artists
are unable or unwilling to travel to the U.S. Taking the convention to Japan
will eliminate that travel problem, Sakurai noted. "There's an upper limit
to the number of Japanese guests of honor than an American anime convention
can invite, but since we'll have Anime Expo Tokyo in Japan, it should be
possible to have a hundred industry guests. That would include busy people
who could share two or three hours to show up for an autograph session."
The Japanese organizers also see the Tokyo event as a great chance for producers
of Japanese TV shows to get publicity for their shows. They're expecting
around 6,000-10,000 people to attend Anime Expo Tokyo and hope as many as
2,000 will travel from outside Japan to attend the convention. To further
encourage English-speaking fans to attend, the organizers plan to have plenty
of translators on hand and expect to conduct panel discussions in English.
The
Anime Expo Tokyo site will be in Ikebukuro, an area of Japan that holds many
anime companies including Animate, one of the largest retailers of anime
goods. It's also not far from the Akihabara shopping district, known for
the electronic gadgetry on sale. The hotel would be pretty much next door
to the convention center, so I would think you would have easy access
from the hotel to the convention site," Kikukawa said. Immediately around
the convention site is Sunshine City, which Kikukawa describes as one of
the liveliest parts of Tokyo, including several karaoke places. "You won't
have to stay put at the convention site or the hotel - you'll have access
to what Tokyo has to offer." The organizers also plan to have studio tours
where fans can watch animators at work, and there will be a U.S.-style costume
contest.
