AnimeJapan 2027 Moves to Osaka for First Time, Exhibitor Recruitment Opens
After 13 years in Tokyo, the move to Osaka signals a strategic expansion of Japan's largest anime festival into western Japan, leveraging the international attention from the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo to attract a broader global audience.
Key Facts
- AnimeJapan 2027 will be held at Intex Osaka on March 26-28, 2027, with Public Day on March 27-28 and Business Day on March 26-27.
- Exhibitor applications for both Public Day and Business Day opened on July 15, 2026, and close on November 2, 2026.
- AnimeJapan 2027 is the 14th edition of the event, which first launched in 2014.
- AnimeJapan 2026 attracted over 150,000 visitors from approximately 100 countries and featured more than 210 exhibitors and 300 works.
- AnimeJapan 2027 and 2028 will both be held in Osaka, marking the first time the event is held outside Tokyo.
Reporting from 3 sources: GameBusiness.jp, Anime Anime, OtakuKart Anime.
The AnimeJapan Executive Committee announced that AnimeJapan 2027 will be held at Intex Osaka in March 2027, marking the first time the event takes place outside Tokyo. Exhibitor applications for both Public Day and Business Day opened on July 15, 2026, with a deadline of November 2, 2026. The 14th edition of the festival, which began in 2014, will run Public Day on March 27 and 28 and Business Day on March 26 and 27. The move to Osaka follows 13 years in Tokyo and is part of a two-year commitment that also includes AnimeJapan 2028 at the same venue. The committee cited Osaka's role as an international gateway and the momentum of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo as reasons for the relocation. AnimeJapan 2026 drew over 150,000 visitors from roughly 100 countries, with more than 210 exhibitors and 300 works on display. The event is organized by the AnimeJapan General Incorporated Association and supported by the Osaka Convention and Tourism Bureau.
The two-year Osaka run, covering both 2027 and 2028, represents the first time AnimeJapan has committed to a multi-year stay outside Tokyo since its founding in 2014. The AnimeJapan Executive Committee said in a statement that the goal is to deliver an "even more evolved" event for returning visitors while bringing "surprise" and "discovery" to fans in western Japan. Public Day will occupy Intex Osaka Halls 2 through 6, featuring exhibition booths, live stages, official merchandise sales, and organizer initiatives. Business Day, held in Hall 1, will include business seminars and an Anime Business Concierge service for networking. The committee noted that the 2026 edition set records with over 210 exhibitors and more than 300 stage performers, and the Osaka edition aims to build on that scale. The Osaka Convention and Tourism Bureau is supporting the event, which the committee described as a new stage for sharing anime's appeal with fans, exhibitors, and production staff worldwide.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.