When anime conventions were originally created, they were made for college student age and up. In recent years anime and cosplay have become a haven for high school students, but very few have been organized by young adults. Here are two anime conventions organized by high school students and supervised by teachers and staff at their high schools:
CHIBICON SAN JOSE, CA. Branham Anime Club presents its fifth Chibicon on Saturday, March 23rd at Branham High School, located at 1570 Branham Lane in San Jose, California. On-site admission is $8 with ASB and $10 without. Its 2012 convention has an age restriction for adults not accompanied by a minor as 25 years of age, but there is no information on whether or not this age restriction will be continued for the 2013 event. More information can be found on the Branham Anime Club page on Facebook or by contacting Branham High School at (408) 626-3407.
ASAHiCON ANTIOCH, CA. Anime Society of Antioch High presents its 2013 ASAHiCon event on Saturday, April 13th at Antioch High School, located at 700 West 18th Street in Antioch, California. On-site admission is $5 with student ID and $7 without. Further information can be found on the ASAHiCon website or by contacting Antioch High School at (925) 706-5300.
CONVENTION TIP #10: PARENTS! If you were an anime fan or have a child that is into anime, take the opportunity to learn or continue to learn what the fandom is all about. Mainstream media point out the negative and the freakish side of anime fandom, but there are two sides to everything. Instead of giving your children some money to spend and dropping them off at the convention like it’s daycare (or weekend-care in some cases), take an interest in your child’s hobby and be a fan together. Some conventions encourage parents to attend with their children and provide “parent-in-tow” badges at a discounted rate. Keep in mind that some subject matters and activities at conventions may not be suitable for younger audiences, so do your research and use your own discretion.
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Already planning your convention trips for 2013? The following conventions have announced their dates so that you can mark them on your calendar!
Anime Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA) - Marriott Los Angeles Airport, Jan. 4-6, 2013.
Sac-Anime / Winter (Sacramento, CA) - Sacramento Convention Center, Jan. 4-6, 2013.
Bak-Anime (Bakersfield, CA) - Bakersfield Marriott at the Convention Center, Jan. 20, 2013.
Animation on Display (San Francisco, CA) - Hotel Kabuki, Feb. 16-17, 2013.
Anime Conji (San Diego, CA) - Town & Country Resort, Apr. 12-14, 2013.
Asahi Con (Antioch, CA) - Antioch High School, Apr. 13, 2013.
DaiCon (Davis, CA) - UC Davis Location TBA, May 4, 2013.
Fanime Con (San Jose, CA) - McEnery Convention Center, May 24-27, 2013.
Anime Expo (Los Angeles, CA) - Los Angeles Convention Center, Jul. 4-7, 2013.
Kintoki-Con (Sacramento, CA) - Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza, Jul. 27-28, 2013.
Kinyoobi-Con (Newark, CA) - Hilton Newark Hotel, Aug. 9-11, 2013.
AM^2/Anime Manga & Music (Anaheim, CA) - Anaheim Convention Center, Aug. 23-25, 2013.
Japan Expo USA (Santa Clara, CA) - Santa Clara Convention Center, Aug. 23-25, 2013.
Sac-Anime / Summer (Sacramento, CA) - Sacramento Convention Center, Aug. 30-Sep. 1, 2013.
Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo Presented By POW! Entertainment (Los Angeles, CA) - Los Angeles Convention Center, Nov. 1-3, 2013.
Pacific Media Expo (Los Angeles, CA) - Hilton Los Angeles Airport, November 8-10, 2013
No Dates Announced Yet…
Ani-Jam (Fresno, CA). Previously held at the Fresno Convention Center.
Branham Chibicon (San Jose, CA). Previously held at Branham High School.
Anime Five Cities (San Luis Obispo, CA) - Previously held at Ludwick Community Center.
Hyper-Con (San Mateo, CA) - Previously held at San Mateo Events Center.
Yaoi-Con (Long Beach, CA) - Previously held at Westin Long Beach Hotel.
Anime Destiny (Berkeley, CA) - Previously held at Martin Luther King Student Union/UC Berkeley.
AnimeIcon (Monterey, CA) - Previously held at Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa.
This list does not include Cherry Blossom Festivals or Japanese Cultural Festivals with anime programming content. Source: Various.
CONVENTION TIP #5: Shopping for supplies in advance for a convention visit will help you save time and money during con time. Most hotels and event centers may not carry supplies that you may need and if they do, they get really pricey. Whether you’re a cosplayer or attendee of any kind, insuring that all of your important supplies are in your stockpile before con will save you the headache of finding nearby places and give you more time to at the con to have a good time.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA. Still haven’t satisfied your anime convention fix in 2012 yet? The following conventions are taking place for the rest of the year. Mark your calendars, bring your cameras and make some friends!
Hyper-Con (San Mateo, CA) - San Mateo Events Center, September 7-9, 2012
Yaoi-Con (Long Beach, CA) - Westin Long Beach Hotel, October 12-14, 2012
Anime Destiny (Berkeley, CA) - Martin Luther King Student Union/UC Berkeley, October 13, 2012
Pacific Media Expo (Los Angeles, CA) - Hilton Los Angeles Airport, November 9-11, 2012
AnimeIcon (Monterey, CA) - Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa, November 30-December 2, 2012
CONVENTION TIP #1: Are you traveling out of town for the convention weekend? Make sure to plan out the travel details of your trip beforehand. Some of the most important things to work out before going to a convention are accommodations, transportation, dining arrangements and money for the bare convention necessities. The more you plan before the convention, the less drama you have to deal with when you’re there.
San Francisco, CA. Get your convention groove on!The following anime conventions are coming up in California:
Bak-Anime (Bakersfield, CA) - Doubletree Hotel, April 22, 2012
DaiCon (Davis, CA) - UC Davis Memorial Union, April 28, 2012*
Fanime Con (San Jose, CA) - McEnery Convention Center, May 25-28, 2012
AnimeIcon (Monterey, CA) - Portola Hotel & Spa / Monterey Conference Center, June 15-17, 2012
AM^2/Anime Manga & Music (Anaheim, CA) - Anaheim Convention Center, June 15-17, 2012
Anime Expo (Los Angeles, CA) - Los Angeles Convention Center, June 29 - July 2, 2012
Anime Five Cities (San Luis Obispo, CA) - Location TBA - August 11, 2012*
Kinyoobi-Con (Newark, CA) - Hilton Newark Hotel, August 11-12, 2012
Ani-Jam (Fresno, CA) - Fresno Convention Center, August 18-19, 2012
Sac-Anime - Summer (Sacramento, CA) - Woodland Hotel, August 31, September 1-2, 2012
Hyper-Con (San Mateo, CA) - San Mateo Events Center, September 7-9, 2012
Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo Presented By POW! Entertainment (Los Angeles, CA) - Los Angeles Convention Center, September 15-16, 2012*
Decepti-kon (Sacramento, CA) - Location TBA, September 29-30, 2012
Yaoi-Con (Los Angeles, CA) - Location TBA, October 12-14, 2012
Anime Destiny (Berkeley, CA) - Martin Luther King Student Union/UC Berkeley, October 13, 2012*
Pacific Media Expo (Los Angeles, CA) - Hilton Los Angeles Airport, November 9-12, 2012
Conventions currently not holding a convention in 2012 as of this article: Kintoki-Con
New convention listings are indicated by an asterisk (*).
This list does not include Japanese Cultural Festivals with anime programming content.
Source: Various.
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SAN JOSE, CA. Northern California retailer Anime V announced in a statement on their website that they will be closing their retail location, citing poor location and a choice not to renew their lease.
“I had hoped that our anchor store would attract traffic to the plaza, but it has not worked out,” states Hugo Wang, owner of Anime V. ”Because of time and cost, the store will be warehoused for the immediate future.”
Anime V will continue its retail operations online through its website at http://www.e-anime.com and will continue to make convention trips, including a booth at FanimeCon in San Jose, California on Memorial Day weekend. Anime V’s final full day of operation will be March 24th and there are no plans for a moving sale despite its migration from its retail store to its warehouses.
Anime V began in 1994 as a part-time catalog mail order operation called Paradigm Enterprises in Berkeley, California. Its first retail location was opened in 1996 on Durant Avenue in Berkeley under the name Paradigm Japanese Animation and kept the name until it changed to Anime V in 2003 after a move to its 2nd Berkeley location on Shattuck Avenue and has retained the name all the way into its final location on Blossom Hill Road in San Jose. In its lifetime, Anime V and Paradigm have been the gathering place for Bay Area anime fans, with special in-store events that included barbecues, swap meets and video game tournaments. In the anime community, Anime V and Paradigm have been prize sponsors at anime conventions and events throughout the United States.
Maid Cafe Photo from Spirit of Japantown Festival. Image Credit: CherryTeaGirl
A9ent 760 - Staff Writer
SAN JOSE, CA (Sept. 15, 2011). Japantown Community Congress of San Jose will be hosting its annual Spirit of Japantown Festival on Saturday, October 1st from 10AM to 5PM in San Jose’s Japantown area from 1st to 6th Streets in San Jose. Anime-related programming will include anime viewing rooms and a maid cafe performance sponsored by Fanime Con. Source: Spirit of Japantown Festival (http://delivr.com/18q44).
BERKELEY, CA (Sept. 15, 2011). Cal Animage Alpha will be hosting its annual Anime Destiny convention on October 1st at the Martin Luther King Student Union on the U.C. Berkeley campus. Events will also include a live performance by Kurenai. Source: Cal Animage Anime Destiny Website (http://delivr.com/18q4h).
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (Sept. 15, 2011). Japan Video & Media, in association with Japan Center Malls and Japantown Merchants Association will host a 4 hour event on Sunday, October 16th from 1PM to 4PM at the Japantown Peace Plaza. According to the Japan Video & Media website (http://delivr.com/18q3o), events will include a People’s Choice Cosplay Contest and live performances by Mari Watanabe, local performing artist Yukie Dong and an appearance by sentai cosplayer Barry Evans.
BURLINGAME, CA (Sept. 15, 2011) Biseinen-ya will be hosting Yaoi-Con on October 21st to 23rd at the San Francisco Airport Marriott Hotel in Burlingame, CA. The celebration of male beauty and passion in anime & manga will include adult-oriented events such as the Bishounen Auction and Bishounen Bingo along with conventional anime convention programming. Convention attendees must be 18 years or older to register and participate in the event. Source: Yaoi-Con (http://delivr.com/18q5b)
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