Once I entered Tokyo Big Sight, it was already clear: AnimeJapan 2026 was going to go big. Taking over the entire area this year, the Tokyo Big Sight event was wall-to-wall booths, panels, cosplay, and costumed character photo ops. Even before the doors opened at 9 a.m., the buzz for AnimeJapan was running hot. And as the clock ticked down to its opening, the crowd of people was already clamoring for some anime goodness.

DAY ONE:

As a member of the press, I had the chance to walk around the floors 30 minutes before opening day. Not only did the heavy hitters have a presence, but so did the smaller studios and game companies. Bandai Namco, Bushiroad, Warner Bros., Aniplex, DMM, and dozens more companies were here to show off not only their most popular shows, but also what was to come in the future. Yes, it can be a bit overwhelming being an anime fan these days, what with dozens of new series every season. But hey, better than too many choices than none at all!

Case in point, Bandai Namco’s booth. There, a stamp rally was going on that showcased all of their upcoming series. From returning favorites like That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime and Wistoria: Wand and Sword to remakes of classics like The Ghost in the Shell and Patlabor EZY, Bandai Namco was betting heavily on these classics and new faves. But there was still plenty of room for some newcomers, including the hotly anticipated Shonen Jump series Marriage Toxin. After the stamp rally, con-goers were treated to an exclusive sticker for their hard work.

Things went a more laid-back route at the DMM booth, with a giant cherry blossom tree standing at its entrance. There, you can play a ring toss carnival game and attempt to win a prize. Alas, my aim was terrible, but I did get myself a nice caramel snack for my troubles. On top of that, the free tea they were giving out was very tasty. As I sat by the cherry blossom tree, I stared at the massive sign celebrating DMM Pictures’s tenth anniversary, as it showcased such series as Skip and Loafer, Ya Boy Kongming!, and the upcoming Kill Blue.

TMS Studios engulfed their booth with a bounty of new and returning series. The underrated Undead Unluck had a nice corner that presented some of the first season and specials’ highlights. A photo op area for both Blue Box and Sakamoto Days was a mixture of old and new technology, with Blue Box’s photo booth setup bringing a nice instant picture. However, Sakamoto Days’s usage of your phone made it a bit difficult to get Heisuke’s pet bird in the shot. The most popular area for women was certainly the Magical Knight Rayearth section, which was prepping fans for its upcoming reboot.

Aniplex had a massive section that felt like it wouldn’t end. The incoming Rillakuma anime had a display so adorable that I had to fight every urge to hug it. Hits like Dandadan, Demon Slayer, and The Elusive Samurai had their own big sections and photo op areas, while the new boys-love series Go For It, Nakamura! went full Showa era with its neon display. I was very surprised to see a section devoted to Expelled From Paradise, a long-forgotten Aniplex film that may show signs of returning in a big way. However, I was a tad disappointed that the only love given to the third season of Mashle was a poster towards the end of the booth.

As AnimeJapan is taking over the entirety of Tokyo Big Sight, it wasted no space to expand on its set up. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing depends on how you are with lots of walking. Since the Stages this year were in the South Area, that meant having to walk at least ten minutes between the two main buildings to get to the presentations. That means that those who want to check out the special Stage events had to certainly plan ahead.

This leads me to the first stage event I attended: Blue Box Season 2. The Shonen Jump romantic dramedy was a big hit when it aired in 2024, and the upcoming second season showed plenty of signs of TMS upping the ante on their animation. Its trailer showcased gorgeous film-quality detail that its previous season almost reached the first time around. We also got a first look at the new antagonist for Blue Box: Yumeka Goto, who will be played by Yoshino Aoyama.

Kadokawa had perhaps the most fanciful of booths, with characters from Re:Zero, Medalist, and The Detective is Already Dead donning fantasy outfits. Most of the areas were photo op sections, with Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian having a beach theme to their area. However, the most fun section was saved for Saga of Tanya the Evil, which had a shooting gallery in place for attendees to try out. Even if you missed the nutcracker target (like I did), you still got a prize for participating.

Almost everywhere was a place for Detective Conan. The reason: this year marks the anime’s 30th anniversary. So naturally, any booth that had something remotely to do with Detective Conan had an area set to congratulate this show’s big milestone. Whether it was at the TMS booth or Hulu, the boy formerly known as Shinichi Kudo had a place devoted to this classic series at practically every corner of the convention. (Thankfully, Yaiba: Samurai Legend got a bit of love too, especially with the second season of its reboot coming soon.)

After another walk around the main floor, it was time for the next big stage event: Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You. This comedy may romanticize a gross habit, but that’s part of its strange charm. After the stars Takuya Sato (Sasaki) and Seena Hoshiki were introduced, a trailer was played, which captured the vibe of the original manga beautifully. It was here where it was announced who’d be doing the show’s opening theme: the mysterious Zutomayo, whose vocalist ACA-ne recorded a special message for the AnimeJapan crowd.

The last stage event of AnimeJapan’s first day that I attended was for MAO, the latest series from legend Rumiko Takahashi. Yuki Kaji (Mao), Natsumi Kawaida (Nonoka), Momoka Terasawa (Otoya), Hiro Shimono (Hyakka), and Toshiyuki Toyonaga (Kamon) entertained the crowd with a lively banter and a fun call-and-response section towards the end. But the real fun came from a game where the cast members each had to summarize MAO in less than 26 seconds. And after reading through the Wikipedia page about the series, I can honestly say that it was amazing that they were able to do so!

DAY TWO:

Members of the press had an hour to walk the floors before Day Two of AnimeJapan began. I took the opportunity to visit some booths that were a little overcrowded the day before. First on the list was NBC Universal, which was showcasing the upcoming dodgeball anime Dodge Danko and the return of Reincarnated as a Sword. A walkthrough the Toei Animation booth had great displays for Girls Band Cry and Dragon Ball Super. But perhaps the coolest part was getting your picture taken with the One Piece hero Luffy D. Monkey.

TV Tokyo was gearing up for the incoming season, with sets based on Kill Blue and the new season of Ace of Diamond. One of the neat things about the booth was how it was designed to look like a TV studio, with a control booth and green screen areas. Toho Animation’s booth paid tribute to the recently completed My Hero Academia, and had a classic crocodile-bopping arcade game to promote the new season of Dorohedoro. (I scored an 89!)

Then it was off to the first stage show of the day: Kindergarten Wars. Arriving first on stage were voice actors Atsumi Tanezaki (Rita) and Kentaro Kumaga (Doug), who greeted the crowd with loud enthusiasm. Three more cast members were announced: Mariya Ise (Sylvia), Satoshi Hino (Luke), and Hitomi Ohwada (Hana), who took the stage to big applause. They gave a synopsis of the story, which mixes action and romance in very comedic ways. Although it’s not due to be released until 2027, a fun short trailer showed a bit of what viewers can expect, as a sniper eyes the teachers until Rita comes in with the save.

Next on the stage was Gals Can’t be Kind to Otaku!?, which had some fun with its voice actors. Sho Komura (Takuya), Yu Serizawa (Kotoko), and Konomi Inagaki (Kei) participated in a drawing contest, with each of them attempting to draw the best Sphinx they could. While Serizawa and Komura went for more cartoonish drawings, Inagaki wowed the crowd with her more realistic approach to the Sphinx. With the aid of the MCs, the voice actors took part in some mochi-making, with their shouts playing with puns revolving around otaku. Overall, it was an entertaining talk!

A special Sgt. Frog talk show was later held at the TV Tokyo booth. For it, voice actors Kumiko Watanabe (Keroro) and Etsuko Kozakura (Tamama) were joined by singer Ano and supervising director and screenwriter Yūichi Fukuda. A new illustration from creator Mine Yoshizaki depicted Ano as the space frog Anono, which matched her personality perfectly. The presentation was filled with nostalgia, as the original series aired back in 2004. Now with a brand-new film coming out this summer, the voice actors were excited to return for one last ride. (The new Sgt. Frog series coming in the fall will have an entirely new voice cast.)

Ano spoke of her love for the series and shared that Tamama was her favorite character, a fact that made Kozakura happy. Writer Fukuda also spoke about the comparisons between Sgt. Frog and Gintama, both being parodies that went all in for a very good joke. As the trailer for the new film showed, the ARMPIT Platoon seemed to be gearing up for what could be their greatest adventure yet! Despite it not being a zodiac character, 2026 looks certain to be the Year of the Frog!

Lastly, the White Stage held a presentation for what is sure to be this spring’s biggest hit: Akane-banashi. On the stage were Anna Nagase (Akane), Rie Takahashi (Hikaru), Jun Fukuyama (Tohru/Shinta), Akihisa Shiono (Kaisei), and Takuya Eguchi (Karashi). With Fukuyama MC’ing the presentation, the chat was certainly a lively affair. A video clip showed the voice cast attempting to do rakugo themselves, a feat that is easier said than done. After all, not only do you have to tell the story; you also need to engulf yourself in every character in the story.

The AnimeJapan staff then brought out a traditional setup, with pillows and fans. It was a gesture game, where each of the cast members had to guess what each was doing with the items on hand. Eguchi and Takahashi went first, as the others made four successful guesses. Fukuyama and Nagase went next, with the others guessing three correct gestures. Considering how much fun the cast was having during this event, it seemed certain that their performances on Akane-banashi will be worthy of a standing ovation!

This year’s AnimeJapan went big, entertaining and enthralling the many attendees throughout the weekend. The question now is, with it moving to Osaka for the next couple of years, will they be able to keep that momentum going? Considering how determined the anime fanbase has been these last few years, I say a trip further south for AnimeJapan won’t be too much of a hassle. I just hope the hotels in Osaka are prepared to handle them!

Special thanks to the staff at AnimeJapan 2026 for all of their assistance!