Interview with Kenichiro Ikeuchi, General Producer of AnimeJapan 2024! This year, "Family Anime Festa" will return, bringing together "all things anime" in the true sense of the word! We're giving away tickets for admission!

AnimeJapan is a large-scale anime event that has been held in late March every year since 2014. Now in its 11th year, the event has become a popular event for anime fans to see a wide range of works, from current popular works to those expected in the future, as many exhibitors showcase their works and stages are held each time.

This year's AnimeJapan 2024 is scheduled to be held at Tokyo Big Sight for two days on March 23 (Sat.) and 24 (Sun.), 2024. The Family Anime Festa and Food Park, which had been canceled at the Corona Disaster, will be back, and the event is sure to be even busier than last year.

What is the goal of "AnimeJapan 2024"?　A new era of anime. We interviewed Mr. Kenichiro Ikeuchi, General Manager of Dupity, Gundam Business Department, IP Division, Namco Bandai Filmworks, Inc.

--What is the role of the general producer of AnimeJapan?

Ikeuchi: I believe that the general producer's job is to encourage proposals during discussions among the companies participating in the executive committee, and to serve as a facilitator when opinions diverge. I also think it is my job to discuss the theme and direction of the event with the executive committee.

--When did you start working as a general producer?

Ikeuchi: The general producer is selected from the members of the AnimeJapan Executive Committee. I have been involved in AnimeJapan since the first event in 2014, and I was appointed to the role of general producer for the second and third events. It's been a while since then, but I've been asked to take on the role again just as the Corona Disaster is coming to an end. As AnimeJapan enters its 11th year, the members of the Executive Committee have gotten younger compared to the first event, so I thought it would be a shame for me to take on the role again. Since the Corona Disaster, we have had four producers, and although I am interviewing on behalf of the committee today, we each share information and manage the event. So my workload has decreased compared to before, and I also enjoy working together with staff members from other companies.

--Last year (2023), I had the opportunity to interview Makoto Asanuma, who served as chairman of the board of directors, and he said, "This year's theme was Restart, so the significance of the exhibition should be questioned next year. I think one of the themes this year will be to go beyond the restart. ......?

Ikeuchi: Last year, our main focus was to return the show to the way it was before the Corona Disaster, when it was held without an audience, and we were not able to introduce new things. For example, last year, even though the Corona disaster was beginning to dawn, we thought that some parents might hesitate to have their small children go to the event. Because of this situation, we decided not to hold the Family Anime Festa last year. However, the original catchphrase of AnimeJapan was "Everything about anime is here. If we follow that policy, then we will be able to hold the festival for many years to come. If we are to follow that policy, we need to make sure that not only adults, who have been familiar with anime for many years, but also children can enjoy the event. That is why we have decided to revive the Family Anime Festa.

-This time, we are also bringing back the food park where you can eat food at the venue.

Ikeuchi This too had been cancelled along with the Corona Disaster, but we thought it would be better to have food at the venue so that people could enjoy the event all day long. We had a lot of discussions about how much of the anime element we could add to the food park, and after weighing various factors, we were finally able to bring the food park back to life. In addition, we have also created an exhibit called the " Production Works Gallery," which focuses on the behind-the-scenes production of anime. AnimeJapan may conjure up images of the fun of touring the many corporate booths and picking up items that can only be purchased there, but we hope that visitors will also pay attention to the behind-the-scenes process of how the anime you are watching is actually made.

--Of course, the latest anime announcements, live performances, and talk events on the "RED STAGE," "GREEN STAGE," and "BLUE STAGE" are highlights of the show, but from your point of view, what are the other points you would like people to see? What are the other points you would like to see?

Ikeuchi: The booths where each company is putting their own unique ideas into their booths. Until the day before the event, I only knew about the layout of the booths, so I was looking forward to seeing what they would actually create on the day of the event. I am looking forward to seeing what the booths will actually look like on the day of the event. I would like people to pay attention to the individuality of the booths, whether they are designed in such a way that visitors can enter from anywhere, whether they are designed to be rotated in a certain order, or whether they are small and concentrated at a single point. ...... Some of the booths have their own stage separate from the three RGB stages, so I think you can get an idea of the current anime trends by looking around the booths.

--The situation surrounding animation has been changing day by day since the Corona Disaster. Even in the field of theatrical anime, I feel that the popularity of anime has changed since the hit "Demon Slayer: Infinity Train Arc".

Ikeuchi: I think that more and more people want to enjoy movies not only in the traditional way, but also in an event-like way. If you just want to know the story, you just see the movie once and that is it, but I feel that more and more people are seeing "seeing a movie in a theater over and over again" as an event, just like a roller coaster ride. The number of screening formats such as 4DX, MX4D, and IMAX is increasing, and I feel that the industry is trying to make movies an event. Even our current production, "Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Freedom," is being screened in a variety of formats, including 4D and Dolby Cinema.

--What about the TV series?

Ikeuchi: I have the impression that the number of short animations under 5 minutes is increasing rapidly. There have been many hits among them, such as "PUI PUI MOLKER" and "Chiikawa. I also feel that the form of animation is changing rapidly, as it can be seen around the world at the same time as being broadcast on TV. I feel as if a new era of anime is underway.

--I feel like we are in a new era of anime, and that is exactly what the catchphrase for AnimeJapan 2024 is all about: "A new era of anime. Ikeuchi That's a catchphrase we were aiming for.

Ikeuchi That's not the catchphrase I was aiming for (laughs). Last year was the 10th AnimeJapan, so we came up with "New Era" as a way to start the next 10 years. We don't know what will be popular next in anime. It is possible that a hit work will emerge from a place that no one has paid attention to yet. But that hit that you haven't seen yet must be lurking somewhere in the venue. Please come to AnimeJapan 2024 so that you don't miss out on that wave!

(Reporting and writing by Shohki Ota (TARKUS))

Present Campaign Outline

Two pairs of tickets to "AnimeJapan 2024" will be given away to two lucky winners by lottery!

Two pairs of tickets for admission to "Animejapan 2024" will be given away to two lucky winners each! One ticket entitles you to admission for one day only, either March 23rd or 24th.
One ticket entitles you to admission to only one of the two days, March 23rd or 24th.

＜Entry requirements

Application period: March 6, 2024 (Wed) - March 13, 2024 (Wed) 23:59

Number of winners: 2

Announcement of winners: Prizes will be shipped to the winners.

Prizes will be sent out sequentially.

How to apply: Use the dedicated application form below.

<Note

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