Experiencing the fun aspects of anime

　The three stages of RED, BLUE, and GREEN (collectively referred to as the “RGB stage”), became the hub of events for audiences to experience the fun aspects of anime. At these stages, a program that started from 6 in the morning to 8 in the evening was held, with its participants being limited to those who were selected in a drawing after purchasing an entry ticket with the eligibility to apply for a draw to win a participation spot. Judging from the fact that the number of entry tickets sold in advance which gave an eligibility to participate in a draw to become an audience member reached 58,000 by March, it could be said that AnimeJapan was received by anime fans as “an event to be experienced.”

　In addition to the RGB stage, there were many exhibitors that held events such as lives and mini-lives with staff and cast members, which were also popular among many fans.
Events organized by the sponsors included “Anime Half-Century Theatre” that looked back at the past half century of TV animation, and “AnisongJapan”, a stage that was held in collaboration with Lis-ani!, an anime song magazine, with both events attracting multitudes of fans. Based on the fact that the previous year of 2013 marked the 50th year since the commencement of proper TV animation, “Anime Half-Century Theatre” showcased 24 works from past TV anime series that were epoch-making. Each work had its own fans coming to see the event, reliving the excitement once again.

　Another element that makes up the “fun aspect of anime” that cannot be overlooked is cosplay. A cosplay area was prepared within the venue at AnimeJapan. With changing rooms and cloaks provided, there were many fans at the venue enjoying cosplay. The indoor cosplay zone included official anime series backgrounds that represented the worldview of that series. This delighted not only the cosplayers, but also fans who took photos of the background props.

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Learning about the anime industry

　Business seminars that incorporated 14 programs over the course of two days were the main program of events for learning about the anime industry. Various topics, which ranged from covering the issues the industry is currently tackling to the type of human resource the industry wants, were prepared. Panelists that work at the forefront of the industry, such as producers of production companies, took to the platform, holding several talks for companies and organizations looking into conducting business with the anime industry and those who wish to work in the industry.
The interest from the visitors was high, with all programs being packed with audiences. There were even some who stood outside of the booths and observed the events.

　“Anime Job Customer Center” gathered attention as a program held for those aspiring to get into the industry. This program directly involved the representatives of companies involved in “Anime Job Customer Center” such as production, distributor and publication, answering various queries from those aspiring to enter the industry. Each industry expert answered various queries in detail as a general advice center, addressing basic questions, such as “I would like to work in the anime industry but I don’t know what to do?” to more specific details about the job. There were constant queues to the advice center throughout the day.

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Special programs that can only take place at AnimeJapan

　Special programs that can only be done at AnimeJapan, an event in which the overall anime industry was involved, caught the attention of the festival-goers.
The “Creator Experience Workshop” was an event that became much talked about since it was first announced, owing to the list of eminent lecturers. The workshop adopted a rarely seen format of inviting creators working at the forefront of the industry to give lectures on each of their specialties. Thus, such a format succeeded in capturing the interest of a wide range of people including those aspiring to be professionals. The six genres that the workshops covered ranged widely, encompassing planning, scripts, direction, illustration, and sound effects.
In addition to the workshop participants who applied in advance, there were many in the standing gallery who only observed, studying the workshop intently in hopes of knowing the secrets behind the skills of professionals.

　Another event that couldn’t be missed due to the collaboration from the lush staff members was the charity auction. Items such as posters, post-production scripts, and standing panels with the autographs of the staff and cast members were put into the auction. In the end, over 1,400 auctioneers bid for 63 items, with the total of the auction bids coming to approximately 14 million Japanese yen. The auction winnings were given as donation for the restoration and various services related to the Great Tohoku Earthquake.

　Another popular attraction was the official shop that sold collaborative goods that can only be found at AnimeJapan and queues of anime fans stretched in front of the shop. The item that was particularly popular was the rubber strap set with original illustration made through the collaboration between Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Rascal . They were so popular that they were sold out within the morning on both the 22nd and the 23rd.

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Business

　AnimeJapan also functioned as a business trade fair. Various foreign buyers interested in Japanese anime came to the fair. Since AnimeJapan did not allocate a day especially for business, these foreign buyers got to directly experience the energy at AnimeJapan.
Buyers were able to discuss business with various parties involved in Japanese anime at the business-matching space instituted by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and the business discussion space within the venue. A total of 331 buyers from 21 countries visited the fair.

　Another attraction that surprisingly had a constant crowd was a Photo Section that had statues of anime characters, such as Astro Boy and Goku. Those who took photos with the statues of characters were not limited to parents and their children, but also visitors from overseas.
Events for parents and their children included “Family Park: Character Greetings Corner,” in which popular characters performed a show on stage, with children able to interact with these characters.
　In addition, the mystery-solving game, “Riddle-Solving Event -Get back stolen colors!- ”, was prepared as an entertainment taking place throughout the entire venue. In this game, the participants were rewarded with the code to destruct the device Phantom Thief X used to steal the colors after the participants got the keywords by solving the mysteries set throughout the venue. Three courses including a family course, boys’ course, and girls’ course were prepared, with the participants attempting to solve the mystery by going around the venue.

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Writer：Ryota Fujitsu