News

Apr 28
2

FanimeCon Dance is Back with a New Lineup & Operating Hours!

April 28, 2023

FanimeCon’s Dance Hall is back! This year we’ll be bringing you a brand new lineup featuring fresh faces who have the tunes to get you grooving all night long. These folks may be new to FanimeCon but they’ve definitely made a name for themselves in the Bay Area music scene!

The Dance Hall will start on Friday at 8:00 pm with a variety of DJs, who will bring you all kinds of music ranging anywhere from House, Disco, Trap…maybe even some of your favorite anime tracks!

Due to technical challenges and staffing concerns, FanimeCon Dance will NOT be held on Day 0 (Thursday). We want to ensure we put on a picture perfect show running for you all for the Friday Night Lights Party. So be there at 8:00 pm sharp on Friday as we kick off the night with a special birthday set by LUONGEVITY!

Mar 17
3

J-Fashion Presents – The Atelier: Handmade Coordinate Contest

March 17, 2023

Do you excel in making your own J-Fashion accessories and garments? Do you always have a handmade touch to your coordinates? Sign up for The Atelier: Handmade Coordinate Contest, hosted by the J-Fashion Department in the Hyatt Place hotel on Saturday, May 27! Participants will be judged by a panel of industry professionals to win fabulous prizes donated by our generous fashion show brands. All J-Fashion styles are welcome to participate.

Contest Information

The J-Fashion Handmade Coordinate Contest is for any J-Fashion coordinate where the majority of clothing is handmade by the entrant. Participants may choose to either wear the coordinate themselves, or showcase the coordinate on somebody else.

Coordinates should be recognizably J-Fashion (including, but not limited to styles such as lolita fashion, EGA, ouji, mori-kei, decora, fairy-kei, gyaru, menhera, or wafuku). No cosplay entries will be allowed.

How To Participate

Registration: Sign up anytime before the event at the J-Fashion Info Desk located in the Hyatt Place hotel lobby.

Participant call-time is 7:00 pm on Saturday, May 27. Please check in at Hyatt Place Salon 1.

Participants will be asked to showcase their coordinates on the runway, and be able to explain how each piece was made. Contest entries will be judged on criteria such as craftsmanship, creativity, and skill level.

Have questions? Email us at jfashion@fanime.com

J-Fashion Presents – The Atelier: Handmade Coordinate Contest

Do you excel in making your own J-Fashion accessories and garments? Do you always have a handmade touch to your coordinates? Sign up for The Atelier: Handmade Coordinate Contest, hosted by the J-Fashion Department in the Hyatt Place hotel on Saturday, May 27! Participants will be judged by a panel of industry professionals to win fabulous prizes donated by our generous fashion show brands. All J-Fashion styles are welcome to participate.

Contest Information

The J-Fashion Handmade Coordinate Contest is for any J-Fashion coordinate where the majority of clothing is handmade by the entrant. Participants may choose to either wear the coordinate themselves, or showcase the coordinate on somebody else.

Coordinates should be recognizably J-Fashion (including, but not limited to styles such as lolita fashion, EGA, ouji, mori-kei, decora, fairy-kei, gyaru, menhera, or wafuku). No cosplay entries will be allowed.

How To Participate

Registration: Sign up anytime before the event at the J-Fashion Info Desk located in the Hyatt Place hotel lobby.

Participant call-time is 7:00 pm on Saturday, May 27. Please check in at Hyatt Place Salon 1.

Participants will be asked to showcase their coordinates on the runway, and be able to explain how each piece was made. Contest entries will be judged on criteria such as craftsmanship, creativity, and skill level.

Have questions? Email us at jfashion@fanime.com

Mar 03
5

FanimeCon Masquerade Contestant Registration Opens March 4 at Noon!

March 03, 2023

Each year, the FanimeCon Masquerade holds a cosplay contest featuring astounding cosplay, performances, and dance routines inspired by anime and manga as well as Asian films, video games, music stars, and more! The Masquerade is open to all FanimeCon attendees. Contestants can compete for cash and make a name for themselves in the competitive world of cosplay!

Online Masquerade Contestant Application
(Opens March 4, 2023, at 12:00 pm PST)

Would you like to compete in the Masquerade Cosplay Contest? Please review the rules and eligibility criteria before you apply. If you have any questions, please contact masquerade@fanime.com.

Introducing our Masquerade Judges

Photo Credit: @BlizzardTerrak

The Wig Doctor entered the cosplay scene in 2004 and fell in love instantly. That love eventually turned into opportunities to work as a professional wig stylist for theater, private collections, and Epic Cosplay Wigs. The Wig Doctor can usually be found wherever there is a costume repair station, happily passing on her knowledge and bringing wigs back from the dead. She’s very excited to be judging at FanimeCon this year!

Photo Credit: Hazzel Swenson

A costumer for over 10 years, Lisa Levy A.K.A. Gone Batty Cosplay is excited to be providing craftsmanship judging for the FanimeCon 2023 Masquerade. From kimonos to armor, and full face makeup to full size wings she has skills in multiple facets of cosplay production. Lisa has been writing cosplay craftsmanship spotlights for The Geekly Grind since 2019. She is just batty about cosplay!

Photo Credit:@BlackWandPhotography

MaybeBabyCosplay is a Southern Californian cosplay duo with over a decade of costume making and competition experience. Self-taught in sewing, wig styling and prop making, they’re hyped for the return of the FanimeCon Masquerade!

Feb 06
1

 Stage Zero Applications are Now Open!

February 06, 2023

Stage Zero is now taking applications to perform for FanimeCon 2023! There’s space for all sorts of performances at Stage Zero, from dancing, musical performances, demonstrations, and more!

IMPORTANT: Stage Zero performers must be registered attendees or staff of FanimeCon 2023. Due to this year’s COVID-19 protocols, we will not be escorting performers who are unregistered to and from the stage. All performers will need to register for a FanimeCon 2023 badge.

Applications are due March 31, 2023. Check our page for more information!  

Jan 13
5

2023 FanimeCon Open House: February 5th at the Guildhouse

January 13, 2023

We are happy to announce the 2023 FanimeCon Open House!

At the Open House, we will pull back the curtain to show you how we make FanimeCon happen with an all-volunteer roster. Meet our dedicated staff, learn how we do what we do, and win some prizes too! 

Hang out with us as we show you what it takes to put together FanimeCon – and how you can join our FanimeCon family.

(You can also join us now via apply.fanime.com and meet us on the day!)

The Open House will be held at the Guildhouse at 420 S 1st St, San Jose, CA 95113 on Sunday, February 5, 2023 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

Click here for directions to the Guildhouse.

See you there!

Jan 04
38

COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

January 04, 2023

(Last updated: 5/24/2023 – added link to the FAQ)

Everyone attending FanimeCon 2023 must be fully vaccinated and boosted* prior to Thursday, May 25, 2023. 

Medical and personal exemptions, or a negative COVID-19 test, will not be accepted in lieu of vaccination. 

*Fully vaccinated and boosted: 

  • 6 months to less than 5 years of age: Primary series 
  • 5 to 17 years of age: Primary series and (1) booster 
  • 18+ years of age: Primary series and (1) booster

Please see the U.S. Centers for Disease and Control (CDC) for recognized vaccines eligible [link] to attend FanimeCon. 

The rules may change based on new guidelines from federal, state, and local agencies. As a private event, we may enact stricter COVID-19 policies than are required. We ask for your help in following our COVID-19 policies and your understanding as we navigate another unique year at FanimeCon. 

Indoor Masking Required

  • FanimeCon will require all attendees, guests, and staff to wear a mask covering the nose and mouth in all FanimeCon indoor event spaces.
  • Prolonged periods of mask removal are not permitted for eating or drinking; the mask must be worn between bites, sips, and taking medication. Exceptions are allowed if you are inside personal hotel rooms, designated eating or drinking areas, or for FanimeCon performers actively on stage performing. Please follow instructions from stage show managers for additional policies if requested. 
  • For cosplayers with large helmets/cosplay masks, a mask must be worn underneath the cosplay. 
  • Please follow masking policies for restaurants and other spaces operated by our facility partners.

Information on COVID-19-related refunds and rollovers:

If you purchased your FanimeCon 2022 badge before April 2022 (before and including March 31, 2022):

  • You can request a rollover to FanimeCon 2023.
  • You can request a refund if your badge was purchased before our COVID-19 rules were announced, or, in some cases, was purchased years ago and you are now unable to attend FanimeCon due to major life changes.

If you purchased your FanimeCon 2022 badge after April 2022 (after and including April 1, 2022):

  • You can request a rollover to FanimeCon 2023.

If you would like to request either of the above, please send a request to us by Sunday (May 29, 2022, the deadline has now passed).

Send an email to covidrequests@fanime.com and indicate in the subject line if you would like a REFUND or ROLLOVER.

Please include the following information within the email:

  • Your full name as it appears on your registration
  • Registration ID as it appears on your registration

Otherwise, we do not issue refunds or rollovers.

COVID-19 FAQ

You can see our COVID-19 FAQ at this page.

May 26
13

FanimeCon 2022 No Longer Using WaitWhile Virtual Queuing For Registration

May 26, 2022

We are no longer using WaitWhile to organize the FanimeCon 2022 Registration lines throughout the weekend due to technical difficulties. 

Please follow staff instructions on how to line up to get your badge. The entrance to Registration and the vaccination check can be found at the entrance of the San Jose Convention Center on San Carlos by the Idea Tree and the FanimeCon dancing noodle.

FanimeCon 2022 will still be using WaitWhile for other events that may experience long lines, such as Panels, Black & White Ball, and Maid Cafe.

May 26
19

Welcome Back To FanimeCon 2022! We Missed You!

May 26, 2022

Wow! It’s really been three years! We’ve all been through trials, tribulations, struggles, and so much more. This Memorial Day Weekend, at FanimeCon, we can finally come together as fans to celebrate what we hold near and dear to our hearts. What better theme to celebrate a homecoming than food?

Our excellent staff has worked diligently to serve you many of your favorite FanimeCon staples, such as Black & White Ball, Panels, Maid Cafe, Cosplay Gatherings, Artist Alley, Dealer’s Hall, and lots more fun stuff that you can find in your Program and Pocket Guides. We are also proud to announce that we have a lovely lineup of Guests of Honor, including a special guest who enjoys cooking food from different anime, Alvin Zhou! 

While not all of our departments will be joining us this year (we’ve jokingly called it a “food coma”), we are delighted to present something brand new this year: J-Fashion! We’re excited to see what they have to offer on and off the runway – from the streets of Shibuya and Harajuku to the streets of Kyoto! 

We are also proud to announce that our festivities include many Guests of Honor, who are joining us from around the globe, both virtually and in person! Our guests represent many aspects of the anime industry and fan community, from producers and voice actors to cosplayers and a certain special anime chef! 

Finally, none of this could have been made possible without our amazing staff working hard behind the scenes to bring back a wonderful convention filled with a community willing to share their love for anime and Japanese culture! If you are curious about what the staff does or how we function to bring FanimeCon to life, please consider volunteering with us this year! You can learn more about volunteering here: https://www.fanime.com/about-us/volunteer/ 

And without further ado: welcome back, welcome home, おかえりなさい ! We hope you enjoy FanimeCon 2022 to your heart’s content!