By CHRISTOPHER MAKOTO YEE
SPECIAL TO THE RAFU
The first weekend in July usually means two things for Los Angeles — nightly fireworks for a week and Downtown L.A. becoming an international hub for Japanese animation and culture thanks to Anime Expo, which took place this year from July 2 to 5.
Founded in 1991 by members of UC Berkeley’s Anime Club, the first Anime Expo was simply called Anime Con and was held at what was then the Red Lion Inn in San Jose. Three years later, the convention moved to Southern California and was held in the Long Beach and Anaheim convention centers before finding a permanent home at the Los Angeles Convention Center in 2008.
Event organizers eventually formed a nonprofit organization known as the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA), which is dedicated to celebrating and uplifting the unique and deep culture that surrounds anime.
Last weekend, Anime Expo celebrated its 35th year with its largest convention yet, with festivities covering every corner of the L.A. Convention Center and into surrounding venues like Crypto.com Arena, The Novo, Peacock Place, and L.A. LIVE, with the stretch of Figueroa Street in front of the event venues closed to traffic to create a festival corridor.
While Anime Expo continues to grow as the largest celebration of Japanese pop culture in North America, it continues to leave an increasingly noticeable mark on Los Angeles, expanding the city’s reputation as a gathering hub for international culture and business.
This year’s event was completely sold out, and the L.A. Convention Center’s halls were often packed full of attendees, many of whom cosplayed their favorite characters.
Major figures in anime, video games and more in attendance included Aniplex of America, Arc System Works America, ATLUS/SEGA, Bandai Namco, CD PROJEKT RED, Crunchyroll, HoYoverse, Hulu, KADOKAWA, Lucasfilms, MAPPA, NEXON Korea, Secretlab, Square Enix, Takaratomy, VIZ and more.
“With such a diverse lineup of exhibitors, panelists and guests, AX 2026 reflects both the continued growth of the event and its increasing impact on Los Angeles,” said Ray Chiang, CEO of SPJA, in a statement. “We’re proud to deliver an experience that raises the bar for fans while contributing meaningfully to the local community.”
Mayor Karen Bass thanked SPJA for partnering with the city and extolled Anime Expo’s lasting economic contributions to Los Angeles. Bass said she looks forward to continuing to welcome Anime Expo back to L.A. It is slated to return on the exact same days next year, July 2-5, 2027.
“Los Angeles is proud to host Anime Expo at the L.A. Convention Center, showcasing the cultural impact of our Japanese community and their immense contributions to our city’s history,” Bass said. “With more than 400,000 attendees, fans delivered an economic impact of over $100 million and brought new energy to our Downtown neighborhood.”
Cosplay – costume play – is a main staple of AX. Among characters represented were video game icon Yoshi (above) and No Face from “Spirited Away.”
Anime Expo’s growth each year might have meant that the event would outgrow the Convention Center, but work is already underway on a massive expansion and renovation project that will add 193,000 square feet of new exhibit space, bringing the total for the entire campus to 750,575 square feet. The expansion, specifically focused on the area between the South and West halls, will increase the areas of the contiguous exhibit, meeting rooms, and the top multi-purpose level.
A majority of the construction is expected to be complete by spring 2028, in time for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, allowing related events to take place on-site. Once the games end, construction will resume with a target completion estimate of spring 2029. Despite the construction, the Convention Center will remain fully operational through-out the expansion.
“For events like Anime Expo, the modernization and expansion of the Los Angeles Convention Center will further strengthen Los Angeles’ ability to support the continued growth of major international events while enhancing the overall experience for attendees, exhibitors, and organizers,” said Mario Thompson, chief sales officer for the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board. “The expanded and modernized facility will provide greater flexibility, increased capacity, and upgraded amenities, ensuring the Convention Center remains well-positioned to accommodate evolving event needs and reinforce Los Angeles’ status as a premier global destination for large-scale conventions and exhibitions.”
In Anime Expo’s Artist Alley, small business owners sold fandom-inspired art, enamel pins and more. Walkways were crammed full of people eager to buy from artists who help celebrate one fandom or another.
Audrey Ly, owner of pin and jewelry brand Maintaining Mediocrity, was selling at her first Anime Expo this year after applying to be a vendor for the past seven years. Ly said she felt she had reached a major career milestone by vending at Anime Expo.
“It’s like the big leagues of cons,” Ly said. “It’s up there with New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic Con.”
Artists are not guaranteed to be reinvited by default each year, but Ly said she hopes to get the chance to sell at future Anime Expos.
“Overall, this weekend has been amazing,” Ly said. “It’s been so nice seeing customers old and new, and the community is so kind and supportive and vibes are great even if it’s been so crowded.”
Attendee Mike Arroyo echoed Ly’s sentiments about the good vibes despite the immense crowd size. By comparison, Arroyo is a veteran Anime Expo attendee who hasn’t missed a convention in 30 years, since the event was held at the Anaheim Convention Center.
This year, Arroyo only had a few specific goals for Anime Expo, including taking in Hololive v-tuber content, and he said the rest of the time he would simply walk around and take in the convention.
“My favorite part of Anime Expo is the sense of community, seeing that there are a lot of like-minded people out there who share similar interests,” Arroyo said. “Community is especially important because so much of this stuff like anime and video games is Internet-based.”
Arroyo co-owns pin brand BB- CRE8 but has never sold his wares at Anime Expo. He said one day he and his partner may apply, but if they are unable to sell, he won’t be disappointed.
“Meeting up with old friends, making new ones, that’s what this event is all about,” Arroyo said.
As for the city, the focus continues to remain on evolving along with Anime Expo and the many other events that bring people from around the world to Los Angeles.
“As Anime Expo has grown into a global event, Los Angeles has continued to evolve alongside it,” Thompson said. “Our diverse communities, deep cultural ties with Japan, world-renowned entertainment industry, and expanding hospitality infrastructure create an environment where inter-national visitors feel welcomed and where events like Anime Expo can continue to thrive.”
This year’s Anime Expo served as the industry’s biggest stage for new announcements. Among the highlights were the reveal of a new “Solo Leveling” theatrical film, the first major showcase for “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2,” updates on “Ghost in the Shell” and “Black Clover,” and the surprise announcement of a “The Apothecary Diaries” feature-film.
Publishers and studios also unveiled new manga licenses, upcoming anime adaptations and exclusive previews throughout the weekend.
The popularity of anime has been fueled by the rise of streaming platforms, which have introduced anime to audiences worldwide. Series such as “Demon Slayer,” “Solo Leveling,” “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End,” “Delicious in Dungeon” and “The Apothecary Diaries” have become international hits, while manga sales continue to climb across North America.
Once considered a niche interest, anime has firmly established itself as a mainstream form of entertainment.