(Neo-Tokyo 2099 25th Anniversary) Flashback 1993 Part 1

The year 1993.

Neo-Tokyo 2099 was born.

A BBS site before the Internet became mainstream, the main technology was a PC running on Windows 3.1, 2,400-bit/s modems were common, while 9,600 bit/s V.32 modems were for those willing to spend a lot of money for it.

To reach to a BBS, one would need to connect via modem using their telephone line and at the time, to get information on Japanese pop culture or anime was to be a member of a BBS and there would be ratios for how many files one can download, but more time was given for those who upload.

To obtain mainstream Japanese music, Kinokuniya was the primary source.  But San Francisco’s Japantown, Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo, San Jose’s Nikaku Animart, Berkeley’s Kimono my House and UC Irvine’s Bookstore and Tower Records were primary locations to visit.

And for anime conventions, there was Anime America which was held in Santa Clara, California and Anime Expo which was held in Oakland, Califoria.  And because these two cons were in the Bay Area at the time, it was a time known as the Anime Con Wars.

Meanwhile, the 24th Annual San Diego Comic Convention was primarily a convention for fans of comic books and the artwork.

Meanwhile, the primary ways for fans to connect with each other were through anime clubs during a time when clubs were ran by those who put on the anime conventions and were well-organized while intermissions would feature fans selling items for other fans who may want them.  A pre-cursor to the swap meets that many conventions do today.

The first issue of “Animerica” Magazine was released in March 1993.

“Protoculture Addicts” which was previously bi-monthly would become a monthly magazine with issue #25.

While the UK had “Anime UK” which was going strong at the time.

While Tower Records was the way for anime fans to obtain anime-related magazines from Japan.

And for LD’s, “Tower Records”, UC Irvine’s book store, Laser Perceptions and Mikado Laser Japan in San Francisco were the primary places to pick up anime LDs.

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