Full List of Japanese Guests at Otakon 2026
From your favorite anime studios like Studio TRIGGER and Studio Orange to famous seiyuu known for the voices of your favorite anime characters, Otakon has a gigantic list of Japanese guests this year! Considered the largest East Coast nonprofit anime convention, this event is a must for fans of anime, manga, Asian culture, and pop culture!
Otakon is happening on July 31, 2026 – August 2, 2026 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
Seiyuu
Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
Yoshitsugu Matsuoka is a Japanese voice actor affiliated with I’m Enterprise. He has voiced a wide range of characters in many popular titles, such as Arihito in The World’s Strongest Rearguard, Kirito in Sword Art Online, Inosuke Hashibira in Demon Slayer, Bell Cranell in Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Fuutarou Uesugi in The Quintessential Quintuplets, Soma Yukihira in Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Sora in No Game No Life, Vash the Stampede in Trigun Stampede, and many others.
Ayaka Fukuhara
Ayaka Fukuhara is a Japanese voice actor who made her debut in 2012 as Rin Shibuya in IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS. She has appeared in a wide range of anime, including Captain Tsubasa (Taro Misaki), Kakegurui (Sayaka Igarashi), and Sakura Wars (Anastasia Palma). Her recent roles include Tina Isemi in Rock is a Lady’s Modesty and Rui Tazaki in The Klutzy Class Monitor and the Girl with the Short Skirt. She has also lent her voice to video games such as Umamusume: Pretty Derby (Seeking the Pearl) and Street Fighter 6 (Manon).
Away from the mic, Fukuhara is a passionate cook who holds Japan’s national dietitian certification as well as a body-sculpting instructor qualification. She is also known for performing one-woman skits re-enacting famous scenes from anime.
Kenji Nojima
Kenji Nojima is a Japanese voice actor with Aoni Production, born March 16 in Tokyo and a graduate of the Aoni Juku Tokyo voice acting school. Over a prolific career, he has brought leading and supporting characters to life across many of anime’s best-loved series.
Ryotaro Okiayu
Ryotaro Okiayu is a Japanese voice actor from Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, affiliated with Aoni Production. Born November 17, he is a graduate of the Aoni Juku Osaka voice acting school. With a deep, powerful voice, he has played countless memorable characters over more than 35 years. His signature roles include the title character Nube in Hell Teacher Nube, the title role in Toriko, Byakuya Kuchiki in Bleach, Kunimitsu Tezuka in The Prince of Tennis, and Hisashi Mitsui in Slam Dunk. In the Gundam franchise, he has voiced Treize Khushrenada in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and Andrew Waltfeld in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. Other notable roles include Kaku and Borsalino in One Piece, Akio Furukawa in Clannad, and Hades in Record of Ragnarok.
Ayamori Chika
Ayamori Chika was born on July 2 and is from Tokyo, Japan. Ayamori is represented by Apro Pro. Her notable roles include Milly Thompson in TRIGUN STARGAZE, Marco in Goodbye, Dragon Life, Hello, Human Life (Sayonara Ryusei, Konnichiwa Jinsei), and Parfait Hoppe-chan in Hoppe-chan. As part of the Trigun Stargaze team with Director Masako Sato, Yamori will be presenting how they created the characters' voice personality through the creative journey.
Ayaka Nanase
Ayaka Nanase is a Japanese voice actor and singer from Tokyo, born July 11 and affiliated with Axl One. In July 2024, she made her singing debut with “STAR RUSH,” an ending theme for the TV anime Yu-Gi-Oh! Go Rush!! Her notable voice roles include Flum Apricot in Roll Over and Die, Masurao Nadeko in Mistress Kanan Is Devilishly Easy, Matsuri Makabe in CITY THE ANIMATION, Suzune in The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic, Cure Butterfly / Ageha Hijiri in Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure, Reiko in Super Cub, and Yoshino Koharu in Sakura Quest. She continues to perform widely across anime, overseas drama dubs, and video games.
Machico
Machico is a Japanese voice actor and recording artist from Hiroshima Prefecture. She made her debut as an artist in 2012 and as a voice actor in 2013, and has since broadened her activities across anime and games as well as live events and streaming programs. Her notable roles include Sara Anvilen in Roll Over and Die, Tokai Teio in Umamusume: Pretty Derby, and Tsubasa Ibuki in The Idolmaster Million Live!. In video games, she voices Pepe in Arknights, the Mysterious Ranmaru X in Fate/Grand Order, Suited in Kaiju No. 8 The Game, and Nene Kusanagi in HATSUNE MIKU: COLORFUL STAGE!, among other roles.
Iguchi Yuka
Born on July 11, Yuka Iguchi is a Tokyo‑born voice actor affiliated with Osawa Office. Her standout roles include Rozemyne in Ascendance of a Bookworm, Index in A Certain Magical Index, Kohinata Miku in Symphogear, Hinata Miyake in A Place Further Than the Universe, and Ran Hanamichi/Cure Yum‑Yum in Delicious Party Precure and many more.
Yuna Nemoto
Yuna Nemoto, a voice actor born on November 26 in Tokyo, has been affiliated with Crazy Box since 2018. Her major credits include Shiho Izumi in Whisper Me a Love Song, Air Messiah in Uma Musume: Pretty Derby, Shirota in Blue Period, and Mizuki Hino in Solo Camping for Two. She takes on her first leading role as Romelia in Romelia War Chronicles. Her career extends beyond anime to encompass video games, stage performance, dubbing for international films, and narration, reflecting her broad range of performance skills.
Kazuki Ura
Born on October 18, Kazuki Ura is a voice actor from Osaka Prefecture, Japan. He made his leading role debut as Yoichi Isagi in the anime Blue Lock, which aired from October 2022. In 2024, he won the Best Lead Actor Award at the 18th Seiyu Awards. In July 2025, he plays Shiki Ichinose, the protagonist who inherits the blood of an oni, in TOUGEN ANKI. The highly anticipated sequel, TOUGEN ANKI: Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, is set to premiere in October 2026. His notable works include the TOUGEN ANKI series, in which he portrays Shiki Ichinose; the Blue Lock series, where he plays Yoichi Isagi; Sparks of Tomorrow, in which he plays Yajiro Yagura; and Anyway, I’m Falling in Love with You, in which he plays Kizuki Hazawa.
Shogo Sakata
Born on January 23, Shogo Sakata is a voice actor from Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. Since his debut, he has appeared in numerous anime productions. In October 2022, he gained international popularity for his leading role as Aki Hayakawa in the anime Chainsaw Man. In July 2025, he portrays Ikari Yaoroshi, a classmate of protagonist Shiki Ichinose at Rasetsu Academy, in TOUGEN ANKI. The highly anticipated sequel, TOUGEN ANKI: Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, is set to premiere in October 2026. His notable works include the TOUGEN ANKI series, in which he portrays Ikari Yaoroshi; Chainsaw Man (as Aki Hayakawa); You and I Are Polar Opposites (as Yusuke Tani); Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle (as Saku Chitose); My Awkward Senpai (as Yu Kamegawa); and Kusunoki’s Garden of Gods (as Minato Kusunoki), among others.
Rumi Okubo
Rumi Okubo is a Japanese voice actor who will play Umi Ryuuzaki in the upcoming anime Magic Knight Rayearth. She is also well known for roles such as Elizabeth Báthory in Fate/Grand Order, MEM-Cho in Oshi no Ko, and Mutsuki Asagi in Blue Archive.
Simba Tsuchiya
Simba Tsuchiya is a Japanese voice actor whose work spans original anime, sports drama, and ensemble casts beloved by fans around the world. Across his career, he has built a reputation for bringing energy, warmth, and emotional range to leading and supporting characters alike. His major roles include Shotaro Futaba in Backflip!!, Shuji Ito in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, and Tatara Fujita in Welcome to the Ballroom. He has also voiced Ryota Kuzuryu in Shinkalion: Change the World, Yosuke Ueno in April Showers Bring May Flowers, and Tsutomu Goshiki in the globally popular Haikyu!!, among many other titles that continue to win over audiences both in Japan and overseas.
Tatsumaru Tachibana
Born in Fukui Prefecture on April 21, 1991. After working in stage plays and musicals, he made his voice acting debut in Case File nº221: Kabukicho.
His major roles include Eisaku Ohtomo in Aoashi, Jester Karture in Fate/strange Fake, Basen in The Apothecary Diaries, Mario in Idol Land Pripara, and Gregory Violet in Black Butler: Public School Arc, among others.
Mangaka, Light Novel Authors & Illustrators
Mitsuru Sango
Mitsuru Sango is a Japanese BL manga artist published through Libre Inc., with English editions of her works available through Animate International. She made her debut in 2019 with the web serialization of Mask Danshi: This Shouldn’t Lead to Love, and the first collected volume was released in 2020. The series has since become a major hit, surpassing 1.5 million copies in cumulative circulation across its first six volumes. It has expanded into a range of media adaptations, including drama CDs and an original animation. She is also known for her manga Hebineko. Sangou is widely praised for her delicate portrayal of youthful romance, paired with a distinctive flair for sensuality and intimate detail.
Ryo Ariyama
Ryo Ariyama is a novelist based in Japan. His notable works include Romelia War Chronicles (Shogakukan Gagaga Books) and Dungeon Master Madarame (TO Books), both of which have been adapted into manga. Ariyama continues to write actively on the online novel platform Shosetsuka ni Naro.
Ryo Kamito
Ryo Kamito is a manga artist and illustrator from Hokkaido, Japan. She is known for the manga adaptation of Romelia War Chronicles and for creating cover illustrations for the original novel. Although her workflow is now predominantly digital, Kamito is also proficient in watercolor painting.
Hiromu
Hiromu is an author, originally from Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture, now based in Tokyo. Winner of the Shogakukan Light Novel Award, Hiromu debuted with the ongoing series Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle. The title has inspired an eight‑volume manga adaptation and an official collaboration project with Fukui City. The series ranked No. 1 for two consecutive years in Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! 2021 & 2022, and became the first-ever unanimated title to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The TV anime adaptation is currently airing in 2026.
Raemz
Raemz is an illustrator from California currently based in Japan. Following her debut work on Chitose is in the Ramune Bottle, she has provided illustrations for several light novel series that have received anime adaptations, including Even a Replica Can Fall in Love and Love Unseen Beneath the Clear Night Sky. Additionally, she has taken on freelance projects for mobile games and visual novels, working with clients such as Cygames.
Ichi Sayo
Ichi Sayo is a Japanese manga artist and illustrator.
She made her debut with the manga adaptation of the romance adventure game JUZAENGI ENGETSUSANGOKUDEN 1 (Kodansha). Her major manga works include the Ensemble Stars! manga adaptation (Kodansha), FOGGY FOOT (KADOKAWA), and The Female Detective and the Criminal: Reborn in an Otome Game (Shonen Gahosha), among others. As an illustrator, her credits include character design for the romance simulation game Angelique Luminarise, Craft Essence illustrations for Fate/Grand Order, and collaboration artwork for Ensemble Stars!! on the international server.
Animators
Yuji Yanase
Yuji Yanase is a Japanese anime director and episode director, working primarily with studio MAHO FILM. He has directed a wide range of series for the studio, including The World’s Strongest Rearguard, The Insipid Prince’s Furtive Grab for The Throne, Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra, I’ll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History, My Unique Skill Makes Me OP even at Level 1, In the Land of Leadale, By the Grace of the Gods, By the Grace of the Gods 2, and If It’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord, among many others.
Masako Sato
An animation director and episode director with extensive experience in both television and theatrical productions, Masako Sato has served in a wide range of roles from episode direction to series director. Her notable works include HAIKYU!! TO THE TOP.
Sato began her career at Studio Ghibli as an animator, working as an in-betweener on Spirited Away, key animator on Tales From Earthsea and Ponyo, and storyboard assistant on The Tale Of Princess Kaguya. She later became a freelancer and moved into directing.
In television series, she has handled opening and ending sequences, storyboards, and episode direction for many titles, including The Apothecary Diaries, Chiikawa, Welcome to the Ballroom, Dance Dance Danseur, and Jellyfish Can’t Swim In The Night.
Kazuki Higashiji
Kazuki Higashiji is a Japanese animation art director and background artist born in Mihama, Mie Prefecture, Japan, in 1974. After joining an animation background art studio in 1998, he began his career in anime art production. Since becoming a freelance artist in 2005, he has worked across television series, theatrical films, games, and animated sequences for live-action productions, contributing to a wide range of visual styles and genres.
As an art director, his major works include the feature films Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms and Maboroshi. His background art credits also include titles such as Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Angel Beats!, Hanasaku Iroha, and Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea.
Higashiji is known for creating atmospheric environments filled with traces of time, lived-in realism, and emotional texture. His work often emphasizes the subtle presence of human life within landscapes and architecture, bringing a strong sense of authenticity to animated worlds. In recent years, alongside his production work, he has also been involved in lectures and educational activities for younger creators.
Nobuhara Kamanaka
Nobuharu Kamanaka is a Japanese anime director with roughly 29 years of experience in anime direction. He most recently served as director of Roll Over and Die. A self-described hardcore otaku, he counts models, miniature films, and anime among his passions.
Kazuki Chiba
Kazuki Chiba joined Studio TRIGGER in 2017. He began his career as an in-between animator on DARLING in the FRANXX, before advancing to key animator on PROMARE. He now fills the role of an animation director on Delicious in Dungeon and continues to contribute to Studio TRIGGER’s latest projects.
Ichigo Kanno
Ichigo Kanno joined Studio TRIGGER in 2017. Starting his career as an in-between animator on DARLING in the FRANXX, Kanno went on to work as a key animator on PROMARE, and later as an animation director for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.
For the upcoming Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, Kanno takes on the role of Character Designer and Chief Animation Director. This will be Kanno’s first time attending Otakon, and he is excited to try all the American cuisine!
Takayuki Goto
Takayuki Goto is a world-renowned animator, character designer, illustrator, and one of the founding members of Production I.G. With a career spanning more than 4 decades, he has played a pivotal role in shaping some of the most influential works in anime. Goto is dedicated to animation education and serves as a Specially Appointed Professor at Tokyo Zokei University, while training and developing emerging animators, sharing the knowledge and experience gained throughout his distinguished career.
Goto’s credits include character design and animation direction for Red Photon Zillion, Video Girl Ai, Please Save My Earth, and Hunter × Hunter, as well as animation direction on the acclaimed Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex series. He has also served as chief animation director on The Beast Player Erin, Kuroko’s Basketball, and Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These, among many other notable productions.
Yoshiaki Iwasaki
Yoshiaki Iwasaki has directed numerous anime series including Love Hina, The Familiar of Zero, Miss Monochrome, Chillin’ in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers, and Kowloon Generic Romance. His latest is Ascendance of a Bookworm: Adopted Daughter of an Archduke.
Teruyuki Omine
Teruyuki Omine is a Japanese anime director, born in 1988 in Ibaraki Prefecture. He made his directorial debut in Akashic Records of Bastard Magic Instructor as an episode director. He has since contributed storyboards and episode direction to a range of acclaimed series, including SPY×FAMILY, Attack on Titan: Final Season, and Hell’s Paradise. Omine took on his first role as series director with Kaiju Girl Caramelise, marking an important new chapter in his career.
Tetsuaki Watanabe
Tetsuaki Watanabe is a freelance director whose major works include serving as director for The Vermilion Mask, BLUE LOCK Season 1, Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 Mermaid Rhapsody, and Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 Nayuta: The Prophecy. His additional credits include ending storyboard and unit director for Flower and Asura, as well as music video production for "Neko Kaburi-Na" by Nekomata Okayu and more. He is a former member of Production I.G, and trained under directors Goro Taniguchi and Susumu Mitsunaka.
Yuji Tokuno
Yuji Tokuno is a director and animation director born in January 1990. He made his debut as an episode director on Black Clover and has since contributed to numerous major titles, including The Rising of the Shield Hero and One Piece. He has served as both storyboard artist and episode director on acclaimed works such as Fire Force, Dance Dance Danseur, Oshi no Ko, and Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory / Shibuya Incident. Chitose is in the Ramune Bottle marks his first series director role.
Toshimasa Kuroyanagi
Toshimasa Kuroyanagi made his directorial debut with the TV anime series Shonen Hollywood. He has since directed several acclaimed titles, including the TV series The Great Passage, the feature film Love Me, Love Me Not, and the Bakuten!! (Backflip!!) series, spanning both television and film.
Producers
Nozomi Shimakura
Nozomi Shimakura is a producer at MAHO FILM. She has served as Producer on the live-action voice actor variety program “We’ll Leave it to the Voice Actors!” and as Associate Producer on “By the Grace of the Gods 2,” “Blue Miburo,” and “A Playthrough of a Certain Dude’s VRMMO Life.” Her earlier credits include Assistant Producer on “The World’s Strongest Rearguard,” domestic licensing for “I’ll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History” and “In the Land of Leadale,” production settings on “A Playthrough of a Certain Dude’s VRMMO Life” and “By the Grace of the Gods 2,” and post-production coordination on “The Insipid Prince’s Furtive Grab for The Throne” and “Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra.”
Yoshihiro Watanabe
Yoshihiro Watanabe is a producer at Orange, and recent works are TRIGUN STAMPEDE and STARGAZE as its business producer. Throughout early years in anime industry, under legendary Masao Maruyama’s mentorship, he gained unique international production experience ranging from live-action to international collaboration projects, Watababe-san’s career involves range of shows and rolls; BEASTARS (2021, Orange, Business Producer), GodzillaS.P (2021, Orange, Business Producer), League of Legend: New Journey Short (2019, P.A.Works, Creative Producer), and Eccentric Family 2 (2017, P.A.Works, Business Producer). He is currently producing a range of future shows.
Takayuki Yoneyama
Takayuki Yoneyama is a member of Furyu Pictures, where his work spans the planning and production of home-video products, sales-promotion planning, license management, and the planning and production of anime. Titles he has been involved with include the Laid-Back Camp series, the Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest series, Masamune-kun’s Revenge R, and Hell Mode.
Hiromi Wakabayashi
Previously a member of Studio GAINAX, Hiromi Wakabayashi has been involved in several works with Hiroyuki Imaishi. Most notably, GURREN LAGANN as design production. Hiromi also contributed to Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt as head of story, writer, and episodic director. After transitioning to Studio TRIGGER, Hiromi has been actively involved in the production of KILL la KILL, PROMARE, and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners as creative director and music editor. Hiromi is currently the head of story and co-director for TRIGGER’s latest New PANTY & STOCKING with Garterbelt.
Maki Terashima
Maki Terashima-Furuta is President of Production I.G USA and a veteran entertainment executive with more than 28 years of experience in the global animation industry. A bridge between the Japanese and North American entertainment markets, she has played a key role in bringing some of Japan’s most influential animated works to audiences around the world.
Throughout her career, Terashima-Furuta has worked on acclaimed productions including Ghost in the Shell, FLCL, Blood: The Last Vampire, JIN-ROH: The Wolf Brigade, Kill Bill, IGPX, B: The Beginning, Fena: Pirate Princess, Housing Complex C, Castlevania, and Uzumaki.
She has overseen international production, licensing, distribution, and strategic partnerships with leading companies such as Warner Bros. Discovery, Adult Swim, Netflix, Crunchyroll, Sony, and HBO Max. She is currently producing Yokoso! Scooby-Doo, an upcoming original animated series for Tubi in collaboration with Warner Bros. Animation and OLM.
Yoko Ueda
Yoko Ueda is a Director at Production I.G, overseeing the IP & Communications Division as well as corporate management. With extensive experience spanning publicity, licensing, merchandising, production, corporate communications, and business strategy, she has played a key role in the development and promotion of numerous projects. Throughout her career, Ueda has been involved in a wide range of productions, contributing to every stage of the process, from planning and production to marketing, licensing, and international brand development. Her credits include publicity for Library Wars, licensing for Sengoku BASARA Two, Associate Producer for The Ancient Magus’ Bride (Season 1) and Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, Co-Producer of GREAT PRETENDER, Animation Assistant Producer for Ranking of Kings, and Producer of YAIBA: Samurai Legend and Attack on Titan: The Final Season.
Keita Yoshinobu
Animation producer Keita Yoshinobu began his career at Answer Studio in 2015 and joined WIT STUDIO in 2018, where he served as production desk on Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song-. He currently produces Ascendance of a Bookworm: Adopted Daughter of an Archduke and Love Through a Prism.
Goshi Yoshida
Goshi Yoshida joined Yomiuri TV in 2011 and began working as an anime producer with the 2021 TV series Kemono Jihen. His major credits include Ascendance of a Bookworm: Adopted Daughter of an Archduke, Detective Conan, Yaiba: Samurai Legend, Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre, and Sorcerous Stabber Orphen, and more.
Masahiko Minami
Masahiko Minami is the president and a producer of the Japanese animation studio Bones Inc.
He left Sunrise to co-found Bones together with animators Hiroshi Osaka and Toshihiro Kawamoto. Whether working on original projects or adaptations of existing works, Minami aims to create productions that place special value on the expressive, animator-driven movement of their characters.
Over the years he has produced a wide range of acclaimed titles, including Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, Eureka Seven, Sword of the Stranger, Space Dandy, Bungo Stray Dogs, My Hero Academia, Metallic Rouge, and Gachiakuta.
Yuki Watanabe
Yuki Watanabe began his career at Tsuburaya Productions in 2009, where he worked across rights management, events, and video production for the Ultraman series. He joined PONY CANYON in 2019 and has since been actively involved in the planning and production of anime. His major producing credits include Romelia War Chronicles (2026), Hanaori-san Still Wants to Fight in the Next Life (2026), The Drops of God (2026), Kirio Fan Club (2026), Übel Blatt (2025), Solo Camping for Two (2025), and many others.
Yuya Ogisu
Yuya Ogisu is a Japanese anime producer, born in 1993 in Gifu Prefecture. He joined LIDENFILMS in 2016 and began his career as a production assistant on Monster Strike The Movie. He has since stepped up to the role of producer, with his current credits including Tonari no Yokai-san and Call of the Night Season 2. Outside of his work in animation, Ogisu remains an active competitive track and field athlete.
Takanori Matsuoka
Takanori Matsuoka joined PONY CANYON INC. and became a member of its Anime Production Department. He has served as a producer on numerous anime projects, including Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything with Low-Level Spells, Loner Life in Another World, TOUGEN ANKI, Noble Reincarnation: Born Blessed, So I’ll Obtain Ultimate Power, and Petals of Reincarnation. Drawing on his extensive experience in anime production, He continues to work at the forefront of developing titles that attract audiences both in Japan and around the world. In October 2026, the highly anticipated sequel arc of TOUGEN ANKI, "Nikko Kegon Falls Arc," is scheduled to premiere.
Kengo Abe
Film producer at Bandai Namco Filmworks. Worked on franchises including Mobile Suit Gundam, Space Battleship Yamato, and Armored Trooper VOTOMS. Served as producer on Ghost in the Shell: ARISE (2013–2014), Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 (2020–2023), and THE GHOST IN THE SHELL (2026).
Kozo Misawa
Kozo Misawa is a Chief Producer of Ascendance of a Bookworm, The Vermilion Mask, Araiguma Calcal-dan, and Blue Miburo.
Takuma Kishida
Takuma Kishida is a Producer with the animation company TMS Entertainment. He has worked on several titles such as I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in the Real World, Too (Iserebe), The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse, Blue Box, and more.
Takeshi Dekura
Takeshi Dekura is a public official in Fukui City and a key figure behind the collaboration between the city and the popular light novel Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle (Chiramune).
Based in Fukui—the setting of the story—he has turned Fukui City into an immersive destination for fans. Working closely with local restaurants and commercial facilities, he has developed experiences that connect the narrative with the local community. Through these initiatives, he has helped enhance visitor engagement and satisfaction in content-driven tourism.
Kodai Fujishima
Kodai Fujishima is a publicity producer born in August 1994. He joined KADOKAWA in 2020 and has since overseen anime promotion for more than a dozen titles, including the KonoSuba -God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! series and The Detective Is Already Dead.
For Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle, he serves as the publicity producer, leading domestic promotional strategy and directing key visuals and promotional videos for the series.
Mizoguchi KAN
Mizoguchi Kan is an animation producer affiliated with Cypic, who studied under master Tsumura Reijiro at the Hitotsubashi Kanze Society. His works include Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Road to the Top, Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Beginning of a New Era, and others.
Yuji Matsukura
Yuji Matsukura is the Chief Producer at J.C.STAFF Co. Entrusted with producer responsibilities at the unusually young age of his twenties, he has since produced numerous hit anime series.
His notable works include Revolutionary Girl Utena, Shakugan no Shana, The Familiar of Zero, Toradora!, A Certain Magical Index / A Certain Scientific Railgun, Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma, Hi Score Girl, and Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, just to name a few. He is widely regarded as the producer with the largest number of anime titles to his credit in the world.
Kenta Suzuki
Kenta Suzuki joined Aniplex Inc. in 2009 and CyberAgent Inc. in 2025. As a Producer and Promotion Producer, his works include Kaguarabachi, The Promised Neverland, Erased, GRANBLUE FANTASY The Animation, Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online, Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- Rhyme Anima, and Sarazanmai.
Scriptwriters
EnJoe Toh
EnJoe Toh is an author. He is the lead scriptwriter and series composition director for the 2026 anime series The Ghost in the Shell. His representative works include Self-Reference ENGINE, Mojika, Code Buddha, and Last Year, Honnoji. He has also translated Ugetsu Monogatari into modern Japanese and Lafcadio Hearn’s Kwaidan. He was a researcher and screenwriter for Godzilla Singular Point. His recent publication is Clay Dolls and Moving Corpses.
Final Fantasy XIV
Michael-Christopher Koji Fox
Michael-Christopher Koji Fox is a Localization Director at Square Enix. Born in the U.S. in the state of Oregon, he taught English at a junior high school in Hakodate, Japan after receiving his teaching license from the Hokkaido University of Education. He joined the Localization team at Square (now Square Enix) in April 2003, and has since worked on the localization for projects including FINAL FANTASY XI, FINAL FANTASY XIV Online, and FINAL FANTASY VII Dirge of Cerberus. He most recently served as Localization Director on FINAL FANTASY XVI, as well as lead writer on the game’s official lore book, LOGOS. Koji is also lyricist and vocalist for THE PRIMALS (official band of FINAL FANTASY XIV).
Toshio Murouchi
Toshio Murouchi, also fondly known by fans of FINAL FANTASY XIV as ‘Foxclon,’ is the Head of Square Enix’s Community & Service Division and Global Community Producer for FINAL FANTASY XIV. He initially transferred to Square (now Square Enix) from the Japanese Game Master team for Ultima Online and established an online game management team for FFXI from the ground up. Following his roles in FFXI as European Online Producer and Global Community Producer, Mr. Murouchi now oversees Square Enix’s global customer service as Head of the Community & Service Division, and is often seen hosting the FINAL FANTASY XIV Letter from the Producer LIVE broadcasts alongside FINAL FANTASY XIV Producer and Director, Naoki Yoshida.
Food Sample Artisan
Kunio Oka
Kunio Oka (岡邦夫) is a master craftsman of replica food samples, the strikingly realistic models of menu items displayed outside Japanese restaurants. Now 76, he entered the trade straight out of high school, training under a demanding apprenticeship before striking out on his own. Over a career spanning half a century, Oka has produced an enormous number of wax food samples and mastered replicas across a wide range of subjects. His work has been featured in numerous media, and among his most memorable moments was crafting a sample tied to the final project of the idol group Arashi before their hiatus — an occasion that let him see the group in person. Ever in search of new materials, he has expanded beyond food to create medical models as well. Today he shares his craft through hands-on workshops open to people of all ages.
Comedy
Tonpeties
Making their Otakon debut this year, Tonpeties (とんぺてぃーず) are a Japanese comedy duo who blend traditional Japanese performing arts and entertainment with a pop sense of humor.
Kasamawashi - "umbrella spinning" - is a centuries-old Japanese acrobatic art in which auspicious objects such as a wooden box, a ball or a metal ring are spun atop a twirling Japanese umbrella: a celebratory performance meant to bring the audience good fortune and laughter. Tonpeties have transformed this time-honored tradition into fast-paced, crowd-pleasing entertainment that anyone can enjoy.
About Otakon and Otakorp, Inc.
Now entering its thirty-second year, Otakon is an annual celebration of Japanese and East Asian popular culture, and also one of the largest gatherings of fans in the United States. Otakon celebrates popular culture as a gateway to deeper understanding of Asian culture, and has grown along with the enthusiasm for anime, manga, video games, and music from the Far East. Historically, Otakon has drawn over 40,000 people for three days each year (for a paid attendance of over 100,000 turnstile attendees). Otakon is a membership-based convention sponsored by Otakorp, Inc., a Pennsylvania- based, 501(c)3 educational non-profit whose mission is to promote the appreciation of Asian culture, primarily through its media and entertainment. Otakorp, Inc. is directed by an all-volunteer, unpaid staff – we are run by fans, for fans.
Which guest are you the most excited to meet?
Source: Official Website, Press Releases
