[Event] Tips to Anime Japan!

As seen from the previous post, Anime Japan or AJ was just a few weeks ago. Along with my fellow writer, we managed to experience this amazing event and now it is some time for us to share with you some tips to enjoying Anime Japan to the fullest.

As a huge seiyuu fan, this event was definitely a giant treat for what it has to offer. With more than 5 stages and a multitude of events, you will be spoiled for choice which what Anime Japan has to offer.

1. Plan ahead for the event!

Anime Japan is an event that has booths by various industries as well as special stage events that will usually have appearances and performances by seiyuu. There are also special watashikai, where seiyuu will pass you the goods that you have purchased which also gives you a few seconds for you to send them your regards.

With so many different stages to check out and goods to purchase, you will want to plan out your day. In addition, you also have to note that certain stages require tickets that have to be bought beforehand. Some stages also have priority to those who have purchased goods at the respective booths, so if you want a decent view of the stages, you definitely want to grab these.

Someone had kindly provided an English schedule of the events, which made it a lot easier to plan out. As you can see, the schedule is packed and this isn’t even the whole spreadsheet.

The crowd at Anime Japan is formidable so it is best to not overload your plan and just focus on what you really like. If you see the picture below, this is the first part of the line for you to just enter the event halls. It is basically a line for you to just get in line.

2. Brush up on your Japanese!

As obvious as it sounds, it is good to have a decent level of conversational Japanese to enjoy Anime Japan to the fullest! Although the event itself is very foreigner-friendly, all the stages will be conducted 100% in Japanese so it will defeat the purpose of you attending the event if you are unable to understand what the seiyuu are saying.

However, if you feel that you do not have enough time to improve your Japanese, you might prefer aiming for stages that feature performances, where the language barrier will not affect your enjoyment as much.

3. Pack light!

As the stage schedule is packed with so many things going on, I highly recommend packing your bag as light as possible. You will spend most of your day standing at the same spot or queuing up, so a heavy bag will really dampen your mood. However, if the amount of fatigue is getting to you, the area outside the event hall can be used to sit around and rest.

Time and tides wait for no man and neither do the stage schedules, spending time queuing up for food could be time queuing for the goods you want. Just pack a light meal and eat on the move!

4. Grab the freebies along the way!

Similar to Comiket, many of the booths will be giving out all sorts of freebies. These can range from flyers to clear folders and even art books! If you follow point 3, this means your bag will have more empty space which means you can bring back all of these interesting goodies home with you. You don’t have to be rushing around the whole day, so when you get the chance to relax, take a relaxing stroll and maybe you will spot your favourite seiyuu roaming the event as well!

If you plan to head to Anime Japan next year, you might want to plan it early! Anime Japan coincides with the sakura season in Japan which will mean a greater volume of tourist, so to get a better bang for your buck, book your tickets in advance!