Kawaii-Kon

The 2008 Kawaii-Kon is being held at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu, Hawaii from April 18th to April 20th. This is their 4th convention. For more information on hours of operation, events, and prices for attendance, visit their website:

Kawaii Kon

In the world of otaku and fans of Japanese pop culture in particular, you’d be hard pressed to find an anime fan that wasn’t into games or an import gamer that wasn’t into anime. So even though this is technically an anime convention, there is going to be gaming and stuff, too. As I was browsing the forums in anticipation for the event, I came across a partial schedule of events that included video game tournaments and a panel called “Video Game Industry: How to Break Into It.” I have no idea who’s leading the panel, but when I pick up my preregistration packet on Thursday night, I’ll definitely be checking that out.

I’ve been to all the previous Kawaii Kons and each year it gets bigger and better. Hawaii really is the perfect place for a convention all about Japanese pop culture. We’re smack dab in the middle of the Pacific Ocean between Japan and the continental United States. I really want Kawaii-Kon to become one of those conventions that people actually talk about on the net and people actually fly here to attend. And it’s not because I have anything to do with the convention. I don’t. I don’t volunteer for them or work for them. I just attend their convention.

Hawaii almost always gets passed up for everything cool. Video game music concerts. Non-video game concerts, for that matter. Tours for game promotion. Even some independent films. Still, Hawaii is a great bridge between East and West. Hironobu Sakaguchi has an office for Mistwalker here and he lives here part time. Because of the state’s proximity to Japan, it’s financially more feasible for Japanese guests to attend a convention in Hawaii.

I know I sound like I’m begging. Oh hell, I AM begging. If you’re into Japanese pop culture and you live in Hawaii, support the anime convention this weekend! I’ll be learning how to use my husband’s digital camera and taking pictures and taking notes about all the cool stuff. Maybe I’ll even post a picture of my son in his Kingdom Hearts cosplay outfit I bought for him for Christmas…lol.