AnimeJapan 2027 Moves from Tokyo to Osaka

Article

AnimeJapan, one of the largest comprehensive anime events, will be held in Osaka for the first time in 2027, moving away from Tokyo after 13 consecutive years there. The announcement is still relatively fresh, so this piece focuses on what's officially confirmed rather than filling in the gaps.

What AnimeJapan Actually Is

For anyone unfamiliar with it, AnimeJapan isn't a single kind of event — it combines exhibitor booths, stage programs, merchandise sales, cosplay areas, and industry-facing business activities all under one event umbrella. It draws well over 150,000 visitors from roughly 100 countries and regions across its run, making it one of the anime industry's most significant annual gatherings, not just a fan convention.

That combination — part trade show, part fan festival — is exactly why the venue matters so much: a move like this affects exhibitors, industry attendees, and general fans differently, and all three groups are watching this announcement for different reasons.

What Changes, and What We Still Don't Know

According to the official announcement, AnimeJapan's Public Day for 2027 is set for March 27–28 at Intex Osaka, with the Business Day running March 26–27 — meaning this isn't a one-year experiment either, since the move is confirmed for both the 2027 and 2028 editions. The organizers have publicly framed the shift around Osaka's history as a trading hub and its momentum following the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, with support from the Osaka Tourism Bureau, describing it as a new stage for promoting anime's appeal internationally.

What isn't yet known is nearly everything about the event's actual content — exhibitors, stage programs, ticket sales, and attendance details haven't been announced. Exhibitor recruitment opened in mid-July 2026 and runs through early November 2026, which gives a rough sense of the planning timeline, but the specifics fans actually care about are still ahead. Whether AnimeJapan returns to Tokyo after 2028, or continues in Osaka long-term, also isn't something the current announcement addresses.

What To Know

AnimeJapan moving to Osaka for the first time after 13 straight years in Tokyo is a genuinely rare shift for an event of this scale, and it puts one of the anime industry's biggest annual gatherings within easier reach for fans based in the Kansai region.

AnimeJapan is structured around two different kinds of days — a Business Day for industry professionals and a Public Day for general attendees — and that distinction matters here, since only the Public Day (and part of the Business Day) has a confirmed Osaka venue and date so far, with full event details still to come.

What Fans Are Saying

• "Kansai finally getting AnimeJapan feels like a big deal after 13 years in Tokyo only."
• "Curious how the exhibitor list changes with an Osaka venue instead of Tokyo Big Sight."
• "Locking in both 2027 and 2028 in Osaka makes this feel like more than a one-off experiment."

Original Japanese

• 「13年間ずっと東京だったAnimeJapanが関西に来るの、かなり大きな出来事だと思う」
• 「会場が変わって、出展社のラインナップがどう変わるのか気になる」
• 「2027年だけじゃなく2028年も大阪と決まってるのは、一度きりの試みじゃなさそう」

Easy Japanese

アニメの総合イベント「AnimeJapan」が、2027年から初めて大阪で開催されます。13年間続いた東京開催からの変化です。