1. Animecon in Japan Is that even a thing?
Wataru “walterinsect” Yamazaki
#conjapanissa

2. Bit about myself Like: anime, Yuri, fanfic, Finnish history
Favorite series: Shinkai’s work, Ikuhara’s work, yuri,

3. Is “animecon” a thing in Japan?
- Many of my otaku friends in Finland Me

4. Of course, in Finland...

5. Desucon as Reference point
Breakdown what Desucon is
Find equivalents
Offer overview in relation to what you know

6. 1. Place for meeting celebrities/industry people
Desucon 2018
Voice actors
Directors, staff
Manga artists, novel writers
Meet, listen to, ask, get signatures from famous people

7. 2. Place to buy/sell things
Merchandise, books, disc media
Fanart, “Taidekuja”- Artist Alley
Buy official/fanmade “things
Sell your own art/creation/book

8. 3. Place for discussion “Luento” Lectures “Paneeli” Panel Discussions
Discussions of Anime related topics

9. So, what’s it like in Japan?
All three functions are present in some forms
Keyword “Fragmented”

10. 1. Place for meeting celebrities/industry people
A lot of them
Usually industry-sponsored
Industry convention with fan event elements

11. 1. Place for meeting celebrities/industry people
Differences
Heavy emphasis on voice actors
Usually series-specific
VERY competitive ticket acquisition
Gintama fan event

12. 1. Place for meeting celebrities/industry people
Concerts
Animelo Summer Live etc.
Series-specific concerts
Lovelive, The etc..
Where you might meet this guy

13. 2. Place to buy/sell things
AnimeJapan
Comiket
Myyntisali/Taidekuja using 95,000m2 for 3 days
530,000 participants
Comitia, WonFes
“only” events
Messukeskus 58,000m2
Comiket Doujin area

14. Industry-led, and fan-led
Anime studio, production companies, publishers
Often municipalities
Fan-led
Most doujin events
Printing companies

15. 5ch, or 2ch with different name
3. Place for discussion
Weakest feature
Very weak “IRL” events
Online
5ch (ex-2ch)
Hatena-blog
5ch, or 2ch with different name

16. But... Real events Anime Clubs Madoka gakkai (Madoka Conference)
Aikatsu gakkai (Aikatsu Conference)
Anime Clubs
Universities, high schools
“Genshiken” “SOS Brigade”
Genshiken 2 daime

17. Also... Paper media Phil-cul, Eureka
Hyoron (Critique)Doujinshi in Comiket
Bungaku Furima (Literature Fleamarket)

18. Lack of discussion General lack of accessible forum Closed community
Very small

19. Exceptions 1: Niconico Chokaigi
“Recreating (almost) everything on Niconico in reality”
Anime, games, VOCALOID, sport, etcetc.
“all in one place” idea in Japan
Not limited to anime

20. Exception 2: SF Taikai Convention for everything Sci-Fi
Western traditions
Major anime influence
DAICONFILMS and Anno Hideaki
Is not a place for anime?
Western con in japan
Limited to SF

21. So is there animecon in Japan?
Very different landscape
No single place for everything
SF Taikai, but legacy did not carry onto Anime
Why?
Bigger fanbase
allowing single-feature events to exist
Very fast commercialization
similar happening in France and USA?

22. Thank you for listening!