The organizers of AnimeJapan have confirmed a significant departure from tradition for their 2027 iteration. Moving away from the long-standing Tokyo Big Sight venue, the event will take place at the Intex Osaka convention center from March 26 to 28. This marks the first time the massive industry gathering will be held outside of Tokyo in its history, with an additional Osaka event already confirmed for 2028.
The scheduling structure also sees a notable adjustment. While the event will span three days, March 27 will serve as a hybrid day where business operations and public access overlap. The business-only portion will begin on March 26 and conclude on the 27th, while the public-facing portion will run from the 27th through the 28th. This hybrid approach has only been utilized once before, during the 2016 event.
This announcement clarifies previous industry speculation regarding the event's timeline and location. Since its inception in 2014—following the merger of the Tokyo International Anime Fair and the Anime Contents Expo—the convention has served as a primary hub for industry announcements and fan engagement. Following a record-breaking 2026, which saw 156,000 attendees, the move to Osaka represents a major shift in the event's regional strategy.
