Location & Travel

Anime Expo will be hosting numerous events, seminars, workshops, and countless activities at the Anaheim Convention Center, the Anaheim Hilton hotel, the Anaheim Marriott hotel, and the Coast Anaheim hotel. For Discounted Reservation rates at Anime Expo hotels, please click here.

The Anaheim Convention Center will showcase the following events:

Main Events
Live Programming Room 1
Live Programming Room 2
35mm Film
AniMatsuri: Summer Festival
Art Show/ Artist Alley
Exhibit Hall

Travel Discounts

Looking for a way to save on travel to Anime Expo 2005? Anime Expo and TravelNow.com have teamed up to offer attendees discounted airfares and rental cars. Click on the links below and book online to save up to 70% on car rental and airfare!

Airfare Discounts

Car Rental Discounts

Driving Directions

From Los Angeles International Airport (LAX): South on San Diego Freeway (Hwy 405) to Garden Grove Freeway (Hwy 22 east), exit on Harbor Blvd heading north, then left on Convention Way to the convention center/hotels. Driving time: 45 min, distance: 35 miles

From John Wayne Orange County Airport (SNA): North on Newport Freeway (Hwy 55) to Santa Ana Freeway (Interstate-5 north), exit Katella Ave to Harbor Blvd, turn left onto Harbor Blvd, then right on Convention Way to the convention center/hotels. Driving time: 25 min, distance: 14 miles

Guests of Honor

Maaya Sakamoto

Maaya Sakamoto is a highly accomplished voice actress and singer. Ms. Sakamoto performed voice roles in well-known anime series, for example: The Vision of Escaflowne and more recently, Rahxephon and Wolf's Rain. Several series featured her vocal talents- most notable is the Escaflowne opening theme song. Her current projects include Gunbuster 2, Gundam Seed Destiny, Fantastic Children, and a role in the highly anticipated new Square Enix movie, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. More on Ms. Sakamoto...

Kazue Yamamoto

Known as a popular game and manga artist in Japan, Ms. Kazue Yamamoto is President for Studio E.Go. Ms. Yamamoto's credits include character design/artwork for "Farland Saga", "Castle Fantasia", "Izumo" and "Angel Feather".

Watch a movie clip! Click on the link to download and view:
Angel Feather (15.8 MB)
Izumo (21 MB)

Hiroshi Ousaka

Famed Character Designer and Animation Director, Mr. Hiro Ousaka's achievements have included such high profile projects such as Full Metal Alchemist the Movie, Cowboy Bebop and Wolf's Rain. Mr. Ousaka has also served as character designer on G Gundam and Mobile Suit Victory Gundam.

Profile

Name: Anime Expo

Founded: 1991

Business: Anime Expo is the primary annual event hosted by The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA). As a vehicle to promote animation and comics and a venue for the fan community, it has the pleasure of being the largest tradeshow in the US of its kind. In 2004, in its 13th year of existence, Anime Expo's attendance topped 25,000 attendees over the course of 4 days. Despite this success, Anime Expo is still predominantly run by fans, who volunteer their time and efforts.

In addition to the annual Anime Expo held on 4th of July weekend, the SPJA has also hosted two other events; Anime Expo New York, which was a satellite convention held in Times Square in the fall of 2002, and AX Tokyo held in early 2004. AX Tokyo was hosted in cooperation with the Japanese Association for Science Fiction International Communication.

Anime Expo has become one of the staples of anime fandom in America. Its success over the past 13 years has encouraged multitudes of other conventions to spring up across the country. Its Exhibit Hall has been host to the largest collection of import and domestic anime and manga merchandise anywhere in America, as well as host to galleries of some of the most influential artists in Japan's recent history. Along with panels, workshops for traditional and contemporary Japanese culture and fandom, Video and Film presentations, Main Events including Live Competitions, Charity Auction, and Concerts, and AniMatsuri: The Anime Summer Festival, Anime Expo has become the convention it is now because of the Industry, Guests, and Fans that love and support it every year.

Main Office:

1733 S. Douglass Road, Suite G
Anaheim, CA 92806

(714) 937-2994

All Calls directed to the SPJA/Anime Expo Office should be made between 10am-3pm Monday â€“ Thursday PST

Staff: 250

Attendance Record:

Average annual growth: 26%

AX 1992: 1,750
AX 1993: 1,693
AX 1994: 2,057
AX 1995: 2,138
AX 1996: 2,918
AX 1997: 3,826
AX 1998: 4,883
AX 1999: 6,400
AX 2000: 9,700
AX 2001: 13,000
AX 2002: 15,000
AX 2003: 17,000
AX 2004: 25,000