Anime Matsuri

For the Matsuricon anime convention in Ohio, see Matsuricon.
Anime Matsuri
Status Active
Genre Anime, Japanese culture[1][2]
Venue George R. Brown Convention Center
Location(s) Houston, Texas
Country United States
Inaugurated 2007
Attendance 24,328 in 2015[3]
Website
http://www.animematsuri.com/

Anime Matsuri is an annual three-day anime convention held in March/April at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. The conventions name comes from the Japanese word 'matsuri' meaning festival.[4] Anime Matsuri is the 9th largest North American anime convention as of 2014.[5]

Programming

The convention's programming includes an artists' alley, a carshow, the attendance of celebrities and special guests, cosplay chess, cosplay contests, fashion shows, gaming events, karaoke, live concerts, maid cafe, panels, a vendors' / exhibitors' area, and workshops.[1][6][7][8][9] The Charity Auction benefited Child's Play in 2009 and raised over $3,000.[10]

History

The convention was held at George R. Brown Convention Center and Hilton Americas in 2007.[11] Anime Matsuris 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012 were held at the Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, and Anime Matsuri 2011 was held at the Crowne Plaza Houston Hotel near Reliant Park/Medical Center.[12][13] Anime Matsuri 2013 was held at Hyatt Regency Houston.[14] The Syfy reality series Heroes of Cosplay filmed the masquerade at Anime Matsuri and was featured in an episode.[15] The convention in 2014 moved to the George R. Brown Convention Center.[7][16] Complaints about the 2014 convention included long lines and delays.[8] The convention in 2015 remained at the George R. Brown Convention Center and used the first and most of the second floors.[9][17]

Event history

Dates Location Atten. Guests
April 27–29, 2007 George R. Brown Convention Center
& Hilton Americas
Houston, Texas		4,012[18] Christine Auten, Christopher Ayres, Back-On, Jessica Boone, Peter Cullen, Fizz, Tiffany Grant, Matt Greenfield, Hilary Haag, Yaya Han, Kyle Jones, Chris Patton, RikkuX, and John Swasey.[11]
March 21–23, 2008 The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel
& Convention Center
The Woodlands, Texas		5,993[18] Aural Vampire, Amelie Belcher, Bespa Kumamero, Luci Christian, JoEllen Elam, Yaya Han, Kate Higgins, Yuri Lowenthal, Matthew Mercer, Vic Mignogna, Tara Platt, Patrick Seitz, Stephanie Sheh, Sky Pirate, Space Invader, Barbara Staples, Sonny Strait, Bill Winans, and Stephanie Young.[12]
April 10–12, 2009 The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel
& Convention Center
The Woodlands, Texas		6,950[18] Takuya Angel, Clint Bickham, Luci Christian, JoEllen Elam, Quinton Flynn, Jason David Frank, Crispin Freeman, Gren, DJ Heavygrinder, Mike McFarland, Matthew Mercer, Misako Rocks!, Miyavi, Chris Patton, Cynthia Rothrock, Kristine Sa, Blake Shepard, Sonny Strait, Strong Machine 2, Diana Tolin, and Stephanie Young.[19][20]
April 2–4, 2010 The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel
& Convention Center
The Woodlands, Texas		7,113[18] Aural Vampire, Back-On, Leah Clark, Francesca Dani, India Davis, Crispin Freeman, DJ Heavygrinder, Thais Jussim, Reuben Langdon, Elizabeth Licata, Mike McFarland, Matthew Mercer, and Strong Machine 2.[21]
March 18–20, 2011 Crowne Plaza Houston Hotel near
Reliant Park / Medical Center
Houston, Texas		7,982[18] Luci Christian, Gacharic Spin, Hamutsun Serve, Hangry & Angry, Kyle Hebert, Mike McFarland, Matthew Mercer, Reni Mimura, Christopher Smith, Michael Suarez, J. Michael Tatum, and Stephanie Young.[13]
April 6–8, 2012 The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel
& Convention Center
The Woodlands, Texas		10,422[22] Airship Isabella, Troy Baker, Clint Bickham, Luci Christian, Maile Flanagan, Flow, Kathryn "Rynn" Griffin, Yaya Han, DJ Heavygrinder, Akinori Isobe, Masumi Kano, Cyril Lumboy, Mike McFarland, Matthew Mercer, Vic Mignogna, Amy Reeder Hadley, Sleeping Samurai, Strong Machine 2, Alexis Tipton, Shinichi Watanabe, Bill Winans, and Stephanie Young.[22]
March 29–31, 2013 Hyatt Regency Houston
Houston, Texas		14,989[14] Misako Aoki, Johnny Yong Bosch, David Brehm, Erin Fitzgerald, Kathryn "Rynn" Griffin, Yaya Han, Kyle Hebert, Kelly Hu, Catherine L. Jones, Masumi Kano, Mike McFarland, Matthew Mercer, Carli Mosier, Justin Rojas, Michelle Rojas, Janet Varney, Waveya, Bill Winans, and Stephanie Young.[14][23]
March 14–16, 2014 George R. Brown Convention Center
Houston, Texas		19,412[24] Misako Aoki, Johnny Yong Bosch, Luci Christian, Eyeshine, Caitlin Glass, Shunsuke Hasegawa, DJ HeavyGrinder, Aya Ikeda, Catherine L. Jones, Masumi Kano, Linda Le, Yuri Lowenthal, Mike McFarland, Matthew Mercer, Tara Platt, Marisha Ray, Reika, TeddyLoid, Janet Varney, Bill Winans, Mai Yamamoto, and Stephanie Young.[24]
April 3-5, 2015 George R. Brown Convention Center
Houston, Texas		24,328[3] Misako Aoki, Asuka, Luci Christian, Olivia Chubear, Stella Chuu, Crispin Freeman, Todd Haberkorn, DJ HeavyGrinder, Catherine L. Jones, Shigeto Koyama, Harrison Krix, Linda Le, Maki, Michiyo Murase, Atsushi Nishigori, Nylon Pink, Reika, Stephanie Sheh, Kaname Shiroboshi, Sushio, TeddyLoid, Anna Tsuchiya, Hiromi Wakabayashi, Bill Winans, Yoh Yoshinari, and Stephanie Young.[25]

Anime Matsuri Hawaii

Anime Matsuri Hawaii (AMHI) is a three-day anime convention held during November at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.[26]

Event history

Dates Location Atten. Guests
November 27-29, 2015 Hawaii Convention Center
Honolulu, Hawaii		 Stella Chuu, Maile Flanagan, and Reika.[27][28]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Anime Matsuri Convention". KHOU-TV. Retrieved 2013-05-12.
  2. ↑ "Great Day Anime Matsuri". KHOU-TV. Retrieved 2014-04-17.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Anime Matsuri's 2015 Overview attendance". Facebook. April 7, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  4. ↑ Berardo, Maggie (March 31, 2015). "Turning Japanese, Houston-Style". Houstonia. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  5. ↑ Delahanty, Patrick (2015-01-05). "Ten Largest North American Anime Conventions of 2014". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2015-01-11.
  6. ↑ "11 Photos Of Awesomely Dressed People Outside Anime Matsuri". Houston Press. March 29, 2013. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 One F, Jef With (March 13, 2014). "Anime Matsuri". Houston Press. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Haydon, DL (March 18, 2014). "Anime Matsuri: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly". Free Press Houston. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Cook, Phaedra (March 30, 2015). "Anime Matsuri Returns to Houston and It's Bigger Than Ever". Houston Press. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  10. ↑ Veron, Red (April 13, 2009). "Anime Matsuri '09: Child's Play Charity Auction". Japanator. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Anime Matsuri 2007 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2013-03-13.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Anime Matsuri 2008 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2013-03-13.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Anime Matsuri 2011 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2013-03-13.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 "Anime Matsuri 2013 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2013-11-19.
  15. ↑ Bertschy, Zac (2013-09-10). "5 Things I Learned From SyFy's "Heroes of Cosplay"". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2013-09-30.
  16. ↑ "Anime Matsuri set to take over Houston". KIAH-TV NewsFix. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  17. ↑ Hlavaty, Craig (April 4, 2015). "The cosplay-heavy Anime Matsuri invades the George R. Brown Convention". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 "Anime Matsuri Archives". AnimeMatsuri.com. Retrieved 2013-10-03.
  19. ↑ "Anime Matsuri 2009 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2013-03-13.
  20. ↑ Aoki, Deb (7 April 2009). "This Weekend: Sakura-Con, Anime Matsuri and Kawaii-Kon". About.com. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Anime Matsuri 2010 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2013-03-13.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Anime Matsuri 2012 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2013-03-13.
  23. ↑ "Anime Matsuri announces Kelly Hu as Special Guest for 2013". Anime News Network. 2012-07-31. Retrieved 2014-07-30.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Anime Matsuri 2014 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
  25. ↑ "Anime Matsuri 2015 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2015-03-30.
  26. ↑ "Anime Matsuri to Host New Convention in Hawaii". Anime News Network. March 24, 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  27. ↑ "Anime Matsuri Hawaii 2015 Guests". Retrieved April 24, 2015.
  28. ↑ "Anime Matsuri Hawaii 2015 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2015-03-30.

External links

Coordinates: 29°45′8″N 95°21′28″W / 29.75222°N 95.35778°W