AnimeJapan 2019 – Convention Report Part 5 (Booths and Stages)

As I continue my coverage of AnimeJapan 2019, let’s take a look at the stages and more of the booths inside the various exhibition rooms.

The biggest draw now for AnimeJapan 2019 is the numerous stages showcasing the latest anime series featuring staff and seiyuu (voice talent) for those series. One biggest difference compared to the earlier years of AnimeJapan are the addition of more stages and programming blocks that keep attendees busy throughout the day.

AnimeJapan 2019 featured an AJ “Rock” Stage, Killer Pink Stage, Cobalt Blue Stage, Rose Red Stage, Oasis Green Stage to name a few.

If anything, the AnimeJapan 2019 Complete Guidebook was important to have for scheduling and maps because navigating around Tokyo Big Sight to find certain booths or stages could get a bit difficult because the large location and the expansion of the convention, has literally made the location quite massive.

But that’s a good thing!

For example, here is BS Fuji’s public panel. Most panels on stages do not allow for photos or video but this was one of the few that did:

Typically you had the company with their photographers and a video unit recording the panel (possibly for special features for Blu-ray/DVD releases?) but fans were definitely into it including the voice talent.

And with programming on spot and possibly the best I have ever seen it for AnimeJapan, I do have a few problems and this is more or less something that is not just AnimeJapan, I see it happen at a lot of huge conventions and it’s miscommunication.

For example, at one stage for a major TV station, five TV station employees gave me access to cover the event. After a half hour of covering the event, the anime studio (which is separate from the TV station), told me that press was not allowed to cover the event. Only production companies.

So, it’s a little frustrating when you have one group giving you permission to cover an event at their own booth and then being told later on, that wasn’t the case.

Another example is when the staff outside say no press, no photos and no video. But then someone from the interior who sees your badge, rushes to get you to cover their event and tells the outer staff that it’s OK for me to go to the front row to cover it.

So, it was a bit uncomfortable at times but again, this is not just only AnimeJapan, this tends to happen a few times even with the bigger events as well in other locations around the world.

But most importantly, at least the attendees and fans had fun partaking in these stage panels!