First of all I was amazed at the size of this anime event.
I thought Wonder Festival was the biggest anime event before that but actually this AnimeJapan was the biggest.
Too many things to see that 1 day is not enough if you see all of them thoroughly.
I thought big fan of anime must be take hotel around this venue if he or she doesn’t live in or around Tokyo.
Anyway as it is the article got so long that I separate it into 2 parts.
I introduce the first part here!

How to enjoy

Roughly speaking, this event is separated into 3 areas.
Main area, creation area, business area.

• Main Area
  Main area and creation area are the ones ordinary visitor can enjoy.
  There are Red, Blue and Green stage in main area and you can enjoy Seiyu’s talk and music live at each stages.
  They are seiyu of Sword Art Online, Natsume’s Book of Friends, Touken Ranbu, Attack on Titan, Godzilla,etc.
  But you need to buy admission tickets with stage-view lottery and have to apply for the lottery in advance if you want to watch and listen to them.
  There is also an open stage where you can catch new anime announcements.
  It holds talk events devoted to the ideas and planning of the industry, too.
  You can enjoy this stage without any extra ticket if you are fine with even in the back.
  But you need to apply for a special ticket (it is also a lottery) in advance if you want to watch it in the front seat.
• Creation Area
  If you want to be comic writer, producer, creator, etc that related to anime, this is the place you should join.
  You can listen to how real work is and how to become it from professionals.
  There are Creator Workshop and Career Counseling Stage.
  These are all in Japanese that you need to understand Japanese.
  There is also production works gallery.
  Here you can enjoy technique in anime creation with display of actual production materials
  It was Detective Conan for this 2017.
• Business Area
  It is only for business-related people.
  If you are self-employed or has a company to run this is the place for you.
  While AnimeJapan for general public is held only on Saturday and Sunday, this Business Area opens on weekday just before weekend for 2 days.
  You can have a business talk with exhibition.

Report of AnimeJapan 2017

Came to Tokyo Big Site where this event held.

Actually first I mistakenly got to Kaihin Makuhari in which Wonder Festival always held.
I looked like to have a blind faith such as anime event is always held in Kaihin Makuhari, haha.
The instant I got to the front of the real venue I noticed this might be the biggest anime event as the line of people were far more than that of Wonder Festival.
It was about 11:00, that is, one hour later after its opening but still this very long line.

Anyway after waiting of more than 1 hour I could go inside finally.
What attracted me first was Connan!

Booth of “Is the Order a Rabbit?”.
I have not seen this anime but I like the name, haha.
It is good that the booth was made like cafe under the image of “Is the Order a Rabbit?”.
Looks like you can order coffee or light snack here on the menu above counter.
Instead of food you can buy items of this anime.

Touken Ranbu is very popular.
Especially for this character Munechika Mikazuki.
It is still not colored.
I want to see when it is colored.

Looked up to found Picachu there!

Looks like new anime.
It says it starts on July in 2017.

Hirune Hime!
I really want to watch this anime.
Director of Hirune Hime is Kennji Kamiyama.
He also directed movie of Ghost in the Shell in 2002 and Eden of The East in 2009.
It must be great movie.

Costume of Hirune Hime.

Booth of Rage of Bahamut.
This is also popular.
There was an advanced screening of “Rage of Bahamut VIRGIN SOUL” last month at movie theater in Ikebukuro.

Shinsen Gumi!

Booth of Onmyouji.
This booth was really cool and I was attracted.

Onmyouji means exorcist and this Onmyouji looks like RPG video game.
Looked like you can get something from the Miko inside and mainly girls were lined up for it.
I also lined up but gave up and slipped away as I thought this will be taking time.
There were shrine maiden Miko inside and cosplayers outside.

Wow, Garo!
I watched this Garo on TV several times.
It looked like there was a chance to see real actor and actress of Garo if I came yesterday.

Companion with Gouten (horse) in the back!

It’s shining!

You can buy so many anime goods all over in this event.

Do you know “In This Corner of the World”?
This is the movie made by Crowdfunding.
It got many award of movie and evaluated from many people.
It is one of the really recommended anime movie.

This is Suzu, main character of this anime.

Sword Art Online!
Figure of Kirito!
Now “Sword Art Online – Ordinal Scale” is showing at movie theater.
I’m going to watch it this month or next month!

There were several places where you can enjoy anime in very big screen!
It is really impressive!

Anonymous Noise!
This is a new anime that is on air on April.
It is an anime of music and romance of high school students.

Bang Dream.
It becomes game next.
You can enjoy the game by Smart Phone.

Rhythm game.
Similar to “Taiko no Tatsujin”.
I could hear they play the game to the music of Evangelion.

Cosplayers of Granblue Fantasy.
“Granblue Fantasy The Animation” starts on 1st April!
Great Cosplay!!

ZERO -Starting Life in Another World!

Drive Head is anime that goes on air 15th April.
This is an anime of Tomica.

Made of balloon!
Love Live is very popular.
2nd series starts on Autumn.

One of my favorite animes is Natsume’s Book of Friends.
You can meet many Japanese Yokai but there is a friendship and a heart-warming story between Yokai and human.
Oh, next series is already 6th, it is certainly a long popular anime.
It goes on air on 11th April.

Kuroko no Basuke!
“Kuroko no Basuke LAST GAME” has been showing now.

Cardcaptor Sakura.
Spinel Sun!

Found cosplayer of Piccolo.

Costume of Goku, Vegeta, Freeza.
Which one do you want to try if you can choose?

Looks like special stage performance is going on by Seiyu or singer.

You can enjoy performance of Touken Ranbu on June and July.

Sony collaborated with “MX4 Kagerou Daze -in a day’s-“.
You can enjoy sound of high resolution.

There was also limited model of Sword Art Online that I tried.
Yes, the sound was certainly very good.
I could listen to the music of LiSA who sing a song of Sword Art Online.

Here you can draw any picture as you like.

Some of them are great for a short scratch.

Wall of setting of shrine.
Shiba dog?

Yuna Haruna from Fuuka.

Warau Salesman!
Dooon!
Thanks for the pose!
I remembered old days!

Garo again!!
It is really cool!!

You can take a picture with Garo if you want.

Time travel to school days!!

She draws such a delicate picture.
I can see Tsuki ga Kirei in Japanese, that is, moon is beautiful in English on the right side of the board.
I did not know this anime that I checked the PV and the atmosphere brought back memories somehow.
And found that the setting was Kawagoe that’s 3 stops from my home town by train, that’s why.

Kemono Friends is new anime and also became one of the really popular animes now.

Booth of Sacra Music!

Puella Magi Madoka Magica!
This is also one of my favorite animes.
I could see animation here.

First I thought this is anime just for little girls but it was not at all.
I was really attracted by the deep story and unique touch of animation.
There was a special setting for Madoca Magica and I could enjoy animation with its theme song.
Madoka Magica becomes RPG game of Smart Phone this year.

There were cosplayers of Fate/Grand Order.
There were so many people around these cosplayers.
It was like a press conference as so many people shooting and taking picture of them.
I could not get to the front that I went around and took a picture at the side.

Sagrada Reset.
This is new anime which starts on 5th April.
It looks like main character can reset memories.
I’m going to watch it when it starts.

CYBER TROOPERS VIRTUAL-ON!
Character of Video Game.

Tsukiporo The Animation.
Tsukipro is an imaginary talent agency that appears in the media works and CD series that are released from entertainment company Movic.

Captain Tsubasa became a big hit in the 1980s.
Before the anime soccer or food ball was not that popular sport in Japan.
It made a great effect on Japanese soccer.

To be continued!

Thanks for reading.
I separated the article in two as it got so long.
Hope you enjoy the latter half from here.
AnimeJapan 2017 Review The Latter Part

Author : Hiroshi