Knowing anime

　In the Open Theater set in the venue, Anime Half-Century Theater was held with the collaboration with Newtype , an anime magazine.
Popular episodes and episodes with strong impact from “epoch-making series” from each generation were shown on the large screen. The series screened varied greatly, from Astro Boy , which is the starting point of TV animation, to GIRLS und PANZER , a popular series in the past few years. All showings were completely full, with there being many series in which the audience applauded after the showing, such as Puella Magi Madoka Magica .
In addition, the exhibition space had large panels that outlined the history of anime from the time it commenced broadcasting to the present. The position of TV animation in each generation, the number of titles shown, and the impact of representative series were explained in details.

　Through the series of programs, the feeling of fondness and deference of fans toward TV animation may have grown stronger from learning about the history TV animation had gone through.
　Furthermore, a “Family Park” was set up within the venue as an attraction in which adults can be exposed to anime together with their children as a family.
　On the interactive stage, characters popular among adults and children alike, including those from Doraemon and SERGEANT KERORO , appeared on the stage one after another. All showings had families participating who asked for photos and handshakes, as well as adult anime fans and couples.
In the Photo Shoot Section, plushies from series such as Crayon Shinchan and RASCAL were exhibited. There were many fans of the series, and not just families, who took pictures of the exhibits.
　In workshops, the participants experienced making a hand-made anime. A coaster with a character drawn on the screen and a rubber band attached on both the left and the right hand sides were distributed to the participants. The aim of this program was to show the mechanism of anime by spinning the coaster using the torsion of the rubber, which makes the character appear to move. There were many children who played with the coasters as they wished, making this program the perfect one for children to feel anime as something more accessible.

　　The Anime Job Customer Counter was prepared for those who were interested in the anime industry and wished to work in the field. Because visitors could directly talk to representatives from related industries including anime production companies and film manufacturers, this program was extremely successful with queues forming in all of its sessions.
　Most of the participants were students who were considering working in the anime industry and those who were considering changing their jobs. Commonly asked questions included, “What kind of employees are being sought after?” and “What are the wage structures like?” There were also many specific questions on occupations that participants were aiming to hold, such as producers and advertisement agents of manufacturers.
Because people from the industry and those aspiring to work in the industry were able to interact closely in the Anime Job Customer Counter, this program out of all business-related programs functioned to form a direct bridge between those in the anime industry and those who wish to work in the industry.

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Participating in anime

　“Cosplayers World” became the major attraction as a visitor-participating program. In this program, a photo shoot area was set up indoors and not just outdoors. Coordinating with series such as 艦これ*No English Title Attack on Titan , and Puella Magi Madoka Magica , sets and background panels that had the world depicted in series as the motif were provided in the indoor photo shoot area. Not only did cosplayers of various series gathered around, it was hugely successful as a photo shoot spot for the fans of the series.
　Various cosplayers from popular anime series, as well as from video games and manga series participated in the outdoor section, attracting many photographers. There were also many foreign cosplayers and photographers, inciting active international exchanges through anime.
　For beginner cosplayers, costume rentals of popular series were held at a price of 1,000 Japanese yen per hour with the cooperation from ACOS and COSPA. As such, this program contributed to the spreading and the development of the cosplay culture.

　An original Riddle-Solving Event in which visitors can participate free of charge was also held. Four missions were prepared in this game under the premise of having to retrieve the colors in anime stolen from the venue by Phantom Thief X. After clearing each mission, the participants can attempt the next mission.
　Because the participants, even novices and families, were given the opportunity to easily try a Riddle-Solving Event that is currently popular, visitors went around the venue with a sheet listing the missions. Since the task of the first mission was set close to the booths of each company, this program also served the function of having the visitors visit each booth.
　An area that could be improved includes the fact that the different courses (family course, boys’ course, and girls’ course) resulted in differences of difficulty. Furthermore, the question panels became hidden by event participants at each booth, making them difficult to see at times. A stronger cooperation with each booth is believed to be necessary.

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Sales of merchandise

　　A charity auction was held with the aim of supporting the restoration from the Great Tohoku Earthquake and other disaster-afflicted areas in the world. The auction winnings are to be given to support groups as donation. The total of the auction bids came to be approximately 14 million Japanese yen.
　A total of 63 items put up for auction were provided by organizations related to popular series and anime. They included post-production scripts and advertisement posters with autographs of the anime cast and staff members, autographs with illustration, as well as various replicas of costumes and devices that appeared in the series.
　There were many fans that spectated the auction as a valuable exhibition despite not participating in the auction itself. Thus, there was a constant crowd around the exhibition space. In addition to contributing to society through a charity auction, the event was able to satisfactorily fulfill the role of being a space with an entertainment value.
The official shop carried limited items that can only be purchased at AnimeJapan 2014. In addition to selling merchandise of series such as K-ON! and Haikyū!! , various collaborative merchandise items between different series that could only be done through AnimeJapan 2014 were also on the shelves, including a rubber strap set of Attack on Titans and MONOGATARI SERIES .

　Japanese anime has received high praise from the rest of the world and not just Japan, making it a culture that represents Japan. AnimeJapan2014 is an event that not only covered the enjoyment from the anime itself, but also pursued and presented the possibilities of anime from business, communication, and educational standpoints. Supported by the understanding and the cooperation of numerous anime fans, licensors, and buyers, most of the objectives of the event were realized. It goes without saying that there are areas that could be improved. However, we strongly wish that when AnimeJapan is held in the future, the possibilities and values of anime would be conveyed to anime fans and those who will be responsible for the next generation of the anime industry.

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Writer：Daisuke Iwakura