Famitsu 40th Anniversary Festival Hits Akihabara on November 7

Event dates: 2026-11-07 – 2026-11-07

Where: Bellesalle Akihabara

Genre: Gaming Media Anniversary Festival

Famitsu, one of Japan's longest-running video game magazines, celebrates its 40th anniversary with a one-day festival at Bellesalle Akihabara on November 7, 2026 -- playable demos, a history exhibit, and limited merchandise.

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Famitsu has been Japan's go-to video game magazine for four decades. On November 7, 2026, it's celebrating that milestone with a one-day festival in Akihabara -- open to the public, free of charge.

When and Where

The Famitsu 40th Anniversary Festival runs November 7, 2026 (Saturday), 10:00 AM-6:00 PM, at Bellesalle Akihabara (3-12-8 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), inside the Sumitomo Fudosan Akihabara Building, about a 3-4 minute walk from the Electric Town exit of JR Akihabara Station. Admission is free, organized by KADOKAWA Game Linkage.

What's Playable and What's On

Six titles are confirmed as playable at the event, including Super Danganronpa 2x2 and Persona 4 Revival, alongside demos for other upcoming releases. Beyond the hands-on games, the festival includes a workshop letting visitors experience tasks from Famitsu's own editorial work, a retrospective exhibit covering the magazine's 40-year history, photo spots, and stage programming -- reportedly split across two floors, with exhibits/hands-on content on the ground floor and the stage program held one level below.

Merchandise is a major part of the day: over 150 confirmed goods are available, split between venue sales and a separate mail-order option for anyone who can't make it in person or wants backup availability.

Getting In

Several of the festival's programs -- stage viewing, playable-demo access, and autograph sessions among them -- run on a pre-event lottery application system rather than first-come entry. Reported application deadlines have varied across coverage of the event, so checking Famitsu's own site directly for the current, final deadline is the safest way to confirm whether you can still apply.

Marine's Take

What's interesting here is that this festival isn't built around one game or franchise -- it's built around a media institution. Famitsu has been the publication Japanese gaming fans and the industry itself check first for 40 years, so an event celebrating the magazine, with its own editorial staff as part of the attraction, is a different kind of fan gathering than a typical game-specific con.

More About This Event

This Year's Highlights

• Six playable game demos confirmed, including Super Danganronpa 2x2 and Persona 4 Revival.
• 40-year history retrospective exhibit and photo spots.
• Over 150 merchandise items, sold at venue and via mail order.

Scale & Past Events

• Famitsu has published continuously since 1986; this is its first dedicated 40th-anniversary festival.

Tickets

Admission is free. Several programs (stage viewing, playable demos, autograph sessions) use a pre-event lottery application system; reported application deadlines vary by source -- check Famitsu's own site for the current deadline.

Access

Bellesalle Akihabara, 3-12-8 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo (Sumitomo Fudosan Akihabara Building) -- about 3-4 minutes on foot from JR Akihabara Station's Electric Town exit.

What To Know

Famitsu isn't just any gaming outlet -- it's one of Japan's oldest and most influential video game magazines, running continuously since 1986 and still the publication Japanese gaming media and fans check first for new release details and weekly sales charts. A 40th-anniversary festival is a rare chance to see the people and history behind that institution in person, not just read their coverage.

Japanese gaming magazines have historically held an outsized role in shaping how new releases are covered and discussed domestically, with Famitsu's own review scores and weekly sales charts functioning as de facto industry benchmarks that Western outlets often cite secondhand. An anniversary event like this is also a window into otaku-adjacent publishing culture more broadly -- fan events built around a media brand itself, not just the games or characters it covers, are a distinct and recognizable category in Japan's convention calendar.

Easy Japanese

日本のゲーム雑誌「ファミ通」の40周年を祝うイベントが、11月7日にベルサール秋葉原で開催されます。入場は無料です。