Here's what's happening at the Japanese pop culture expo
By Missael Soto • Published June 30, 2023 • Updated on June 30, 2023 at 6:43 pm
Arvin Soun, dressed as an anime character, walks down the steps while posing for photos during the Anime Expo Thursday, July 5, 2018, in Los Angeles. More than 100,000 fans are expected at the expo to celebrate Japanese pop culture. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Thousands of anime fans flock to downtown LA this weekend for the largest convention of its kind in North America.
The Anime Expo invites fans of all backgrounds to celebrate Japanese pop culture with a four-day event. The expo begins on Saturday with an opening ceremony that will introduce this year's special guests' like anime creators, artists and voice actors.
Here's a preview of what you can expect at the Anime Expo:
Fashion Show: Discover some of Japan's latest fashion trends with a fashion show. The showcase intends to present the guests with up and coming Japanese brands that are available for purchase at the event.
AMV Competition: The Anime Music Video Competition is an event where fans submit creative music videos which are premiered in front of an audience. The winner is decided by the crowd depending on who they believe had the best music video.
Gaming: Test your gaming skills with over 60 free-to-play gaming stations. Play against friends, strangers or even by yourself in a single-player game.
Karaoke: Have fun and sing your heart out at the karaoke room with songs from anime's and Japanese pop. There will also be karaoke contests and karaoke quiz shows.
Meet and Greets: Meet some of the biggest names in anime. Creators and artists from Japan will be present to sign autographs. Full schedule and times can be found on the Anime Expo Website.
Attendees of the expo are invited to show up in cosplay of their favorite Japanese pop culture icon.
Tickets to the expo are all sold out including day passes for any of the event's four-days. The expo concludes on Tuesday July 4 with a closing ceremony to send everyone off.
I had a good time today but it was the busiest event I have ever been to at the convention center. There were lines to everything. Supposedly at some point the fire marshal even shut the entrance. It's still a blast but make sure to get there early or it'll be a 1+ hour line to get in.