Here, we present a post-event report of AnimeJapan 2017, World’s largest anime event at Tokyo Big
Sight, held from March 23th (Thu) to 26th (Sun) in 2017.
Here, we present a post-event report of AnimeJapan 2017, World’s largest anime event at Tokyo Big Sight, held from March 23th (Thu) to 26th (Sun) in 2017.
AnimeJapan 2017
AnimeJapan 2017 was a rousing success! With 145,453 Attendees,107% compared to the previous year! AnimeJapan 2018 is coming in next March!!
AnimeJapan 2017, one of the world’s largest anime conventions, was held at Tokyo Big Sight for 4
straight days from March 23rd to 26th. Overall attendance reached 145,453 people, 107% in comparison to
the previous year, which was also hailed as a great success.
Over 200 anime-related companies and organizations that represent Japanese animation held exhibitions
(169 companies / 156 booths in Main Area & 52 companies / 59 booths in Business Area).
In the Main Area, a variety of unique booths decorated AnimeJapan 2017 with anime displays,
con-exclusive sales, various content/service PR events, and stage shows.
In the Business Area, domestic and foreign companies used the venue for business meetings and
information exchanges. This year’s AnimeJapan 2017 was even livelier than the previous year with
significantly increased attendance.
Family Anime Festa 2017 marked its 3rd opening with a number of popular children’s series. It featured
many attractions including workshops, stage-shows, and food stalls. Overall attendees numbered 11,770,
the largest in our history.
Please look forward to an even more exciting anime event next year! AnimeJapan 2018 will be held on
March 22nd to 25th 2018 at Tokyo Big Sight.
Main Area
[RED/GREEN/BLUE Stage]
Please click the link below. ※Japanese Only
http://animeanime.jp/special/385/recent/
[OPEN Stage supported by LIVE DAM STADIUM]
Please click the link below. ※Japanese Only
http://animeanime.jp/special/385/recent/
[FOOD PARK supported by d AnimeStore]
The Food Park was a flourishing success. Warm and lip-smacking food featuring popular animation programs such as “Attack on Titan” and “Yuri!!! on ICE” was available.
The Food Park appeared again in AnimeJapan 2017 to present an anime-collaborating food menu.
Titled as “Food Park supported by d_AnimeStore,” survey to determine the collaboration menu was held on
d_AnimeStore. 7 dishes were selected and just like last year, a warm and tasty menu was offered.
Many of the dishes such as Sasha’s Steamed Potato Curry from “Attack on Titan,” Sakanoshita's Steamed
Meat & Curry Bun Set from “HAIKYU!!,” warmed people up in a cold venue. Katsu-Don at EUTOPIA Katsuki
from “Yuri!!! on ICE” and Tsumugi's Favorite Pork Okonomiyaki from “Sweetness & Lightning” were directly
from the anime and many attendees took photos of them. Each anime’s character was depicted on food
packages, making them both visually appealing and tasty for fans. In the food area, there were some
cosplayers who immersed themselves as the characters out of story, enjoying themselves to their heart’s
content in the world of anime.
[Cosplayer's World]
“Kemono Friends”, “Fate/Grand Order”, your favorite characters were all here!
An early-morning changing room was made available again this year from 7am-9am. In addition, for the
first time at AnimeJapan, a “Premium Ladies Changing Room” was established to allow female cosplayers a
special place for make-up and changing, which even came with gorgeous premium gifts.
At the indoor cosplay area, “photo-shooting situations” were placed, where attendees could take photos
featuring 5 different background panels, such as the AnimeJapan logo or a wooden wall panel.
In the afternoon, an outdoor cosplay at space utilizing the parking area was available, allowing
photo-shoots in an open environment. The area became crowded shoulder-to-shoulder not only by cosplayers
but also by attendees with cameras.
This year was crowded with various cosplayers of new and old anime together, with “Your Name,” “Hell
Girl,” “Love Live! Sunshine!!,” “ONE PIECE,” “Gintama,” “Fate/Grand Order,” and “Kemono Friends” topping
the list.
[Official Goods]
From fashinable T-shirts to AJ Gacha toys and collaboration-goods with traditional crafts, all kinds of goodies were available!
“Designer Anime T-Shirt Store,” appearing for the first in AnimeJapan, produced and offered products
based on the concept of “The Power of Design for Anime T-Shirts.”
Without using official illustrations, each designer utilized their idea and design skills to present the
“atmosphere” and “stylishness” of their works.
“AJ Gacha,” a corner where you could get special tin badges from capsule machines, was so popular that
all sold out entirely by the afternoon on second day.
“Traditional Craft x Anime” goods set the theme as “Tradition and Anime in Daily Life,” presenting
sophisticated designs in every tiny detail, so you can add anime to your daily life. In addition, a
workshop was set up where you could make a “Kumihimo” braided bracelet, as seen in the popular movie
“Your Name.” It became one of the major attractions of the area.
[Anime Collaboration 10 Selections]
Anime Collaboration: 10 Selections, a collaborative exhibition between anime and other industries, offered an intriguing display including “Love Live! Sunshine!!” and “Your Name.”
A massive collaboration with “Mr. Osomatsu” including original illustrations of jockey figures, item
production, browser game, and a special anime program, as well as a display of “Hashire! Oumatsusan” by
JRA. Once inside the area, a line of anime-corporate collaboration displays appeared including “Your
Name.” with Suntory, and “Sword Art Online -Ordinal Scale-” with Sony.
“KING OF PRISM by PrettyRhythm” presented its collaboration with the female-only capsule hotel
“Akihabara Bay Hotel,” showcasing a capsule unit in the booth.
Particularly outstanding was the collaboration between anime and the Numazu region by “Love Live!
Sunshine!!”. The project was held with Numazu, showcasing programs held in the city on a map as well as
a decorated bus. “JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable” displayed an original Tanabata
decoration used in Sendai festival. Crayon Shinchan, celebrating its 25th anniversary, conducted a PR
exhibition of Kasukabe, Saitama by displaying a train model.
Creation Area
[Seminar Stage(Creator Workshop)]
Please click the link below. ※Japanese Only
https://animeanime.jp/special/384/recent/
[Production Works Gallery]
A display brimming with the creators’ ingenuity and feeling towards the story!
Utilizing the 2016 anime movie “Detective Conan: The Darkest Nightmare” overviews of different
occupations in the anime production line were introduced through a “Decode the end credits” style.
44 production roles could be decoded from the end credits. Explanations of each section and their
responsibility, commentaries from the author Gosho Aoyama and production workers, production materials
and making visuals were all on display. By moving through the gallery, you could overview the anime
production. This exhibition conveyed the emotions and creativity of each creator involved in the series.
The exhibition showcases some jobs that are unfamiliar even to anime fans, along with a wide range of
production roles and a vast amount of information. The gallery was filled with attendees eager to learn,
with some young hopefuls even taking notes on the exhibit. For anyone seeking a career in anime, it
served as a good jumping-off point. For anime or Conan fans, the display enabled them to understand and
appreciate the story even further.
Business Area
[Business Area]
The Business Area, which was open on weekdays, counted 4,051 attendees, the largest in history!
The Business Area was open on the weekdays: March 23rd and 24th. 52 companies ran their exhibitions and
4,051 attendees visited, making both numbers the largest in history.
The venue was already crowded even before opening and was filled with tremendous number of business
talks. Exhibitors from overseas have also increased as well, indicating anime’s high demand both in
domestic and foreign markets.
Anime Business Concierge, a consultant for anime businesses, and AJ×JETRO Anime Biz Match presented by
JETRO, a business that matches producers with international buyers, was successful as well. The meeting
place was so popular that all seats were quickly taken.
“Anime Character Introduction Panel,” appearing for the first time this year, was created to showcase
each character’s representing company. By filling out a form with anime titles and contact info,
attendees could get in touch with those representing companies. This was a new follow-up service for
attendees too occupied with other business talks, aiming to create new business partnerships.
[AJ×ABPF Anime Business University]
What is important when promoting anime? A lesson from PR officer of “Yowamushi Pedal” and “Re:Zero.”
The program held on 24th, “Who exactly is watching anime? The spread of anime and its target audience”
hosted Yasuo Kameyama (CiP Council) as moderator. Ryo Shimoyama from TOHO presented “Yowamushi Pedal” PR
stories, and Shintaro Yoshitake from KADOKAWA introduced cross-media examples of promotions for “Re:Zero
− Starting Life in Another World,” a series inspired by the light novel. Firstly, Mr. Shimoyama
explained the “Yowamushi Pedal” PR samples. Back then, cycle road racing was not fully recognized as a
professional sport in Japan. With riveting drama, racing action, and appealing characters, however, he
thought this series would allow readers to explore various ways of enjoying this story.
As for the promotional aspect, he showcased the broad appeal of the series as it’s main focus, but also
included detailed segments targeted for male and female fans. In order to allow customers to appreciate
the series in their own ways, not only was a high-quality main story required, but also many PRs and
product planning events since 2013. As a result, the series even made it into theaters, and became an
unusually long lasting title for late night anime.
In the lecture named “Re:Zero − Starting Life in Media Mix Samples: ~ Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another
World ~,” Yoshitake emphasized the importance of PR objectives to catch new and casual fans while not
betraying the fans of original works. The series had already sold four hundred thousand copies before
the anime adaptation. It surpassed two million after the anime came out. He expanded this single
original work into a comic, videogame, radio program, various merchandise, and an anime.
Mr. Yoshitake explained that, because those core anime fans have a sharp sense of taste, using
attractive illustrations for tie-ups will not be good enough. As a series and as a collaboration, fans
demand quality work. In addition, he mentioned precautions needed in the collaboration business as, he
says, “because anime is merely a second-hand work and every [anime] starts off from source material,
careful checks and approvals are needed every time you make progress,” “PR has to be in line with news
release timing to make sure it reaches the audience,” and “tie-ups must be done in a way that fans will
understand that we are doing our jobs right.”
[Seminar Stage(Business Seminar)]
Please click the link below. ※Japanese Only
http://animeanime.jp/special/329/recent/
Family Anime Festa 2017
Family Anime Festa, making its 3rd year, recorded the largest number of attendees ever at 11,770 visitors!
Family Anime Festa, held in East Hall 8, grew in both size and number of anime and exhibitors. With
11,700 registered attendees, it was the biggest in AnimeJapan history, and a great success.
To help attendees with children to enjoy the venue comfortably, stroller parking and resting space were
expanded this time. Nursing and diaper changing rooms were set up as well.
The Toy Plaza was covered with soft mats so that kids could have fun and play with Anpanman toys. “Let’s
Go Thomas,” mini train ride on Thomas, was surrounded by parents with cameras.
At the “Buddyfight” booth, a beginner-friendly workshop was held and surrounded by excited kids.
Another popular feature was Crayon Shinchan’s “Fluffy Air Trampoline.” Workshop corners where kids
making the handkerchief and animations were so popular that they sold out in record time.