Sakura-Con

We are proud to announce the 2025 Cosplay Contest and 18+ Skit Contest will be opening applications on January 19th at 12PM PST. They will be open until January 25th at 11:59PM PST. Links will be posted both on the Sakura-con website and via social media posts.

Please review the updated rules for both events at the link below:

Cosplay Contest

Skit Contest 18+

Now is the time to get your membership at the lowest price all year! This price is only available until April 24, 2024 at 9:00 p.m. PDT—membership prices increase after!

For more information or to get your membership, see our Registration page at https://sakuracon.org/registration/.

MINT, the designer of MINT NeKO, was born in Shimane in 1984.

After graduating Bunka Fashion College, he became an assistant designer of h.NAOTO and made his debut as a designer of Sixh. in 2006.

While part of a fashion duet with the brand Sixh., MINT has created his own line called MINT NeKO. MINT NeKO uses oriental silhouettes inspired by mode style with cat character graphics. There are actually more than 250 original kitty characters that are created and used in the garments.

MINT has created cats to collaborate in the world of fashion. MINT has collaborated with many Japanese artists and is becoming one of the leading young designers in Japan.

Reports are flooding in: Sakura-Con 2023 press applications are open NOW until March 24!

Late submissions and exceptions will not be considered.

QUEEN BEE is a 4-piece band from Japan formed in 2009. With their unique and intense performances and newsworthy activities in various fields, they have created a buzz not only in the music industry but also in various other fields.

Their songs rank high on music charts, and their live shows are sold out in many places, boasting an overwhelming presence in terms of both popularity and ability. Their songs have also been used for popular anime such as “VIOLENCE”, the ending theme for the anime “Chainsaw Man”, “Kaen(Fire)”, the opening theme for the anime “Dororo”, and “HALF”, the ending theme for the anime “Tokyo Ghoul:re”.

Hisashi Kagawa is best known for being the character designer of SaiKano: She, The Ultimate Weapon, One Piece: Defeat The Pirate Ganzak!, Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne, Toriko TV, and Dream 9 Toriko x One Piece x Dragon Ball Z Super Collabo Special.
Some of his other works as an animation director includes Pokémon (1997), Angelic Layer (2001), Fresh Pretty Cure (2009), Soul Eater (2008) and Toriko (2011). He also lent his talents to Sailor Moon, which include Sailor Moon R, Sailor Moon S, Sailor Moon Super S, and the opening for Sailor Stars. His major episodes included Makoto Kino’s, Black Lady’s and Haruka Ten’o’s first appearances and the past of the Silver Millennium. He also was a character designer and animation director for the Sailor Moon S movie.
Most recently, he has worked as the Chief Animation Director for the Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai anime series.

If you are interested in volunteering for Sakura-Con 2023, take a look at the “Volunteer Staff Opening” page for staffing opportunities like helping out in the Arts and Crafts room:

https://sakuracon.org/volunteering/staff-openings/

Junichi Hayama is a Japanese animator with more than 30 years of experience. He began his career in animation in 1983, and he trained under Masami Suda on Fist of the North Star. He served as director, character designer, and chief animation director on the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood anime film. His other animation director credits include Be-Bop-Highschool, Kyō, Koi o Hajimemasu, InuYasha the Movie 3: Swords of an Honorable Ruler, Yu-Gi-Oh! TV anime series was the Key Animator for the 2016 Yu-Gi-Oh Movie, Dark Side of Dimensions. 
Most recently, he worked as an Animation Director and Key Animator on the ONE PIECE FILM: RED Movie.

Reminder!

Panel Submissions will be open until Feb 14th!

For more information, check out the Panel Page for the submission form and updated FAQ!

Time to check off another big con to-do: Sakura-Con’s hotel block is NOW OPEN! Get all the information and book your room today at https://sakuracon.org/hotels-travel/hotels/

Aaron provides the voices for Uta in Tokyo Ghoul, Klaus Lunettes in Black Clover, Khai in Dragon Ball Super, Kamui Woods in My Hero Academia, Grimsby Keane in Black Butler, Samuel in Fairy Tail, Howard Link in D. Gray-man, Yoshikazu Aihara in Starblazers 2199, Urie Sogami in Dance With Devils, and Hit in the Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 video game. Nominated for 2014 Breakthrough Voice Actor of the Year and 2018 Voice Actor of the Year by Behind The Voice Actors, Aaron Roberts has provided voices for over 200 anime series during his 7 years with Funimation. Non-anime projects include Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (VG), Smite (VG), and Paladins (VG). Aaron has been a celebrated actor for the stage and screen in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, working in all areas of production for almost 20 years.

Sakura-Con loves cosplay, and we wanna see your lineup! So share what you’ll be wearing with our official cosplay lineup frames!

To use a frame, just download the image as a PNG and place your cosplay plans using your preferred image editor. Don’t forget use #sakuraconcosplaylineup and #sakuracon2023 in your posts so our community can see!

Cristina Vee is a Los Angeles based voice actress, director, and producer. In animation, she is known as Sailor Mars in Sailor Moon, Hawk in The Seven Deadly Sins, Killua in Hunter x Hunter, Darkness in Konosuba, Homura Akemi in Madoka Magica, Meiko in Digimon Adventure Tri, Sakura Matou in Fate Stay/Night, Mio Akiyama in K-ON!, Miki Makimura in Devilman Crybaby, Kotori Minami in Love Live!, Xochi in Victor and Valentino, Jay-Ten in Steven Universe, and Marinette Dupain Cheng aka Ladybug in Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir. Other roles include parts in Re:Zero, Bleach, One Punch Man, Mob Psycho 100, Sword Art Online, Tiger and Bunny, One Piece, Violet Evergarden, Naruto, Boruto, Fairy Tail, Magi, Kill la Kill, Your Lie in April, Kakegurui, Pokémon, Gantz: O, Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters,The Promised Neverland, Lupin III, Yokai Watch, Inazuma Eleven, and so many others. Fans may be surprised that she provides the English voices for Disney’s Violetta and Tokyo in Netflix’s Money Heist.

2023 are officially OPEN! Apply now at https://sakuracon.org/exhibitors/artist-alley/.

Applications will close Friday, January 20 at 10:00 a.m. PST, so don’t forget to get yours in! Late submissions and exceptions will not be considered.

Mark your calendars, artists! Artist Alley applications for Sakura-Con 2023 will be opening Friday, January 13 at 10:00 a.m. PST!

If you’re interested in applying for an Artist Alley table, please review our updated 2023 FAQ before submitting your application; late submissions and exceptions will not be considered. https://sakuracon.org/exhibitors/artist-alley/faq/

Applications will close on Friday, January 20 at 10 a.m PST.

Erica Schroeder (A.K.A. Bella Hudson) Erica is one of New York’s premier voice actresses. She has provided the voice for over 150 characters in the world of animation for television, film and video games over the past 15 years.

Erica is known for being active in the autistic community, supporting her fan’s challenges and triumphs. She has voiced over 10 characters in the 5 YU-GI-OH series, making her the only voice actress to appear in all 5 series, including such characters as: Mai Valentine, Akiza Izinski, Dark Magician Girl, Rally Dawson and Cathy Catherine. Over the years she has voiced over 50 characters and various Pokemon on POKEMON including: Nurse Joy, Fantina, Bianca, Grace, Meloetta, Pidove, Panchum, Sylveon, Tapukoko, and many more. Other notable roles include: Monkey D. Luffy in ONE PIECE, Blaze the Cat and Wave the Swallow from the SONIC video games, the legendary Emma Frost in Joss Whedon’s Stop Motion Comic ASTONISHING X-MEN, Faragonda, Icy the Witch, Piff, Daphne, Galatea, Squonk and Critty from WINX CLUB, Lyserg from SHAMAN KING, Rai and Komorka from TAI CHI CHASERS, Bridgette Verdant (Lettuce) from MEW MEW POWER, Olgariki from GO GO RIKI, Shiho from AH! MY GODDESS, Scarlet Claw in CUTIE HONEY, from the makers of THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE, The Spirit of the Mountain (role shared with Sean Schemmel), in THE BOY WHO WANTED TO BE A BEAR, The Witch in the Cannes Film Festival’s LITTLE LONG NOSE and many more titles. Select newer roles and releases include: YOUR NAME, GUNDAM SEED and GUNDAM DESTINY (role to be announced), Melissa Trail in YU-GI-OH Arc V, Akemi in ZETMAN, Yurika Yamagiwa in PSYCHIC SCHOOL WARS, Zarafa in ZARAFA, Nagako Aoki in MAI MAI MIRACLE and her newest role to hit Saturday morning, Astoria Rapunzel on Nickelodeon’s fantastical REGAL ACADEMY.

Mike has been acting professionally for over 20 years in various capacities, but is most known for his voice work in animation and video games. Notable roles include “Master Roshi” in DragonBall Z and DragonBall Super, “Jean Kirstein” in Attack on Titan, “Lt. Jean Havok” in Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, “Ojiro” and “Ectoplasm” in My Hero Academia, “Buggy” in One Piece, “Amon” in Tokyo Ghoul, “Gordon” in Black Clover, “Carnage Kabuto” in One-Punch Man, and “Cain Nightroad” in Trinity Blood, all as seen on Cartoon Network. Other fan favorites include “Estonia” in Hetalia and “Otabek Altin” in Yuri!! On Ice.

Mike’s voice can be heard in the gaming world as “Paul Phoenix” in Street Fighter X Tekken, “Charlie Nash” in Street Fighter V, and on such titles as Borderlands 2 & 3, Aeon Flux, Halo Wars, Orcs Must Die!, Tales of Xillia 2, and Smite. As an ADR/Voice Director, Mike has helmed many of the titles listed above, as well as the Evangellion: Rebuild movies, Summer Wars, Wolf Children, The Boy and The Beast, Eden of the East, Blood Blockade Battlefront, and many more…