The best anime conventions in the World.

Ryan L. Kopf
3 min readJan 16, 2023

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Anime is a growing medium for storytelling around the world — slowly going from a niche market to more mainstream. Even with the popular “Avatar” movie, most people when they hear “Avatar” think of the “anime” called “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

Anime fans don’t have to enjoy anime just at home on their couches. There are hundreds of worldwide events called “anime conventions” that they can visit — which focus on cosplaying, making new friends, Japanese musician concerts, and more

Anime conventions provide a unique opportunity for fans of anime, manga, and Japanese culture to come together and celebrate their shared interests.

Anime conventions provide a space for people to meet and interact with other fans of anime and manga. This can be a great way to make new friends and connect with people who share similar interests. It’s like one big nerdy community.

Many anime conventions also feature guests from the anime and manga industry, such as voice actors, directors, and mangaka, who give talks and participate in Q&A sessions. This can be a great opportunity for fans to learn more about the making of their favorite anime and manga.

If it’s your first time going to an anime con, I’ve written a handy guide about anime cons for first timers.

Anime Midwest

Over 15,000 people come every year to this summer convention. They advertise amazing concert performances from Japanese and American musicians, nerdcore music, and dance events. Some of the greatest cosplayers will perform on their stages to compete for the Cosplay World Crown title, which is something that only happens at AnimeCon.org conventions. For one of the smaller conventions on the list, it has a surprisingly strong guest list often including guests from Japan including anime studios and Anisong performers. And I run this one!

Photo from the small stage at Anime Midwest. Used with permission.

Anime Japan

Anime Japan is more than just an anime convention as it is an industry event backed by nearly all the major anime publishers in Tokyo. Anime Japan is an annual anime event held in Tokyo, Japan. The event features a wide variety of anime-related content, including new anime series and films, merchandise, and cosplay. It also features guests from the anime industry, such as voice actors and directors, who give talks and participate in Q&A sessions. The event is typically held in late March or early April and is attended by thousands of anime fans from around the world. It is one of the largest anime conventions in the world and hundreds of thousands of people flock to Tokyo for it.

Japan Expo

Japan Expo is an annual event held in France that celebrates Japanese culture, including anime, manga, video games, music, and fashion. The event features a wide variety of activities, such as cosplay contests, live performances by Japanese musicians, and exhibitions of traditional Japanese arts and crafts. It also features guests from the anime and manga industry, such as voice actors, directors, and mangaka, who give talks and participate in Q&A sessions. The event is typically held in late July and is attended by thousands of fans of Japanese culture from around Europe. It is considered one of the largest Japanese culture conventions in Europe.

Anime Friends

The biggest anime convention in South America is probably Anime Friends, which is held annually in São Paulo, Brazil. The event features a wide variety of anime-related content, including new anime series and films, merchandise, and cosplay. It also features guests from the anime industry, such as voice actors and directors, who give talks and participate in Q&A sessions. The event is typically held in late June or early July and is attended by thousands of anime fans from around the region. It is considered one of the largest anime conventions in South America.

I hope you can come to some of these amazing conventions around the world and make friends with your fellow anime fans! There are tons of other places anime fans should visit in addition to these conventions. You can even go to Japan cheaply if you decide to check out Anime Japan in Tokyo.

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Ryan L. Kopf
Ryan L. Kopf

Written by Ryan L. Kopf

Serial C.E.O. and Entrepreneur. Great at technology, innovation, and entertainment arts.

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