Tokyo International Anime Fair
Encyclopedia
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
trade fair
Trade fair
A trade fair is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and examine recent market trends and opportunities...
s in the world, held annually in Japan. The first event was held in 2002 as "Tokyo International Anime Fair 21". The event is held at Tokyo Big Sight
Tokyo Big Sight
is the popular nickname for the , a Japanese convention center that opened in April 1996. Located in Odaiba, Tokyo Bay, the center is one of the largest convention venues within the city, and its most iconic representation is the visually distinctive Conference Tower.-Construction:Contracted by the...
, a convention and exhibition center in Tokyo Bay, in late March. Usually, the first one or two days of the fair are weekdays and the entrance is open only to industry members and the press; the last two days are scheduled on the weekend and the fair is open to the public.
Besides being an international trade fair, the TAF includes related events such as business symposia and other events. Notably, the Tokyo Anime Award
Tokyo Anime Award
The Tokyo Anime Award started from 2002, but was named in 2005. The first, second and third awards were only named simply 'Competition'. The award ceremony is held at the Tokyo International Anime Fair....
s are given for domestic and foreign creations and creators in the event with the name of the event. The event is supported by the government agencies of Japan, like Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Ministry of Economy and the Cabinet Secretariat
Cabinet Secretariat
The Cabinet Secretariat is responsible for the administration of the Government of India. It functions from the Secretariat Building, New Delhi, where most of Cabinet of India sits...
. The Association of Japanese Animations
The Association of Japanese Animations
The Association of Japanese Animation , an industry group consisting of animation production companies is affiliated to 52 companies.- AJA's Duties :...
, funded by Tokyo Metropolitan Government
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, supports the event since 2002.. The chairman of the event is the governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara
Shintaro Ishihara
is a Japanese author, actor, politician and the governor of Tokyo since 1999.- Early life and artistic career :Shintarō was born in Suma-ku, Kobe. His father Kiyoshi was an employee, later a general manager, of a shipping company. Shintarō grew up in Zushi...
, one of the most powerful politicians of Japan at that time, who contributed a lot to the creation of the event and its promotion. Therefore, though the event does not have a long history, it and its prizes are recognized in the industry.
Event History
| Date | Attendance | Exhibitions | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 15-17, 2002 | 50,163 | 104 | Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo |
| March 19-22, 2003 | |64,698 | 138 | Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo |
| March 25-28, 2004 | 72,773 | 166 | Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo |
| March 31-April 3, 2005 | 83,966 | 197 | Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo |
| March 23-26, 2006 | 98,984 | 256 | Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo |
| March 22-25, 2007 | 107,713 | 270 | Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo |
| March 27-30, 2008 | 126,622 | 289 | Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo |
| March 18-21, 2009 | 129,819 | 255 | Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo |
| March 25-28, 2010 | 132,492 | 231 | Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo |
2011 Boycott Threat
In December 2010 a group of ten large manga publishers known as the announced plans to boycott the 2011 event. The boycott is in protest at revisions to the Tokyo Youth Development OrdinanceTokyo Metropolitan Ordinance Regarding the Healthy Development of Youths
The is a prefectural law passed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly in 1964. Its purpose is to promote the healthy development of people under the age of 18 by restricting their access to published material that is considered harmful...
that increase regulation of manga and anime sales to under-18 year olds. This has been seen as a deliberate snub of Governor Ishihara, who is closely associated with both TAF and the changes to the law. Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan
Naoto Kan
is a Japanese politician, and former Prime Minister of Japan. In June 2010, then-Finance Minister Kan was elected as the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan and designated Prime Minister by the Diet to succeed Yukio Hatoyama. On 26 August 2011, Kan announced his resignation...
has expressed concern about the impact of the boycott and urged the parties involved to work towards resolving the situation.
2011 Cancelation
Due to the devasating earthquake and tsunami2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
that hit the northeast coast of Japan on March 11, 2011, it was announced five days later, that the 2011 event would be canceled. In addition, Tokyo Big Sight, which the event is held annually, suffered unspecified damage during the quake in the Tokyo area.
External links
- Tokyo International Anime Fair official site (Japanese)
- Tokyo International Anime Fair official site (English)
Convention reports
- "Tokyo International Anime Fair 2010 at Tokyo Big Sight", by Kanako, musicJAPANplus, Tokyo, 6 April 2010
- "Tokyo International Anime Fair", by Jon Tarbox, Anime News Network, 3 April 2003
- "Tokyo International Anime Fair 2006", by Kat Avila, Sequential Tart, April 2006
- "The Award for Best Satanic Rabbit Goes to …,", by Virginia HeffernanVirginia HeffernanVirginia Heffernan is an American journalist. In March, 2011, she began to write regularly about digital and pop culture for the Opinion pages of The New York Times. She is also known as a television critic for The New York Times, and as "The Medium" columnist at The New York Times Magazine. In...
, New York Times, 2 April 2006