Tokyo Comic Con was held over three days from December 8th to 10th at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, with more than 85,000 visitors attending the three-day event.
The first day started with the Opening Ceremony where PR ambassador Mackenyu (One Piece), introduced by the host MC Ryohei Odai, appeared surprised by the packed audience extending to the wall opposite the stage. Following greetings from Makenyu and popular cosplayer Moe Iori, the introduction of the celebrities began.
This year’s crop of guests included:
- Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange)
- Tom Hiddleston (Loki from “The Avengers”)
- Pom Klementieff (Mantis from “Guardians Of The Galaxy”)
- Christopher Lloyd (Doc from “Back to the Future”)
- Daniel Logan (young Boba Fett)
- Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi from the “Star Wars” prequel trilogy)
- Temuera Morrison (Jango Fett)
- Natalia Tena (Nymphadora Tonks from the “Harry Potter” film series
- Evangeline Lily (Wasp from “Ant-Man”
- Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal)
In addition to meeting beloved stars, attendees enjoyed PR presentations for upcoming films and shows, browsed booths from major entertainment companies like Warner (DC) and Disney (Marvel, Star Wars), met their favorite comic book artists and writers, and marveled at movie props and cosplayers. Heritage Auctions also provided fans with the opportunity to see rare movie memorabilia.
The entire venue transformed into a vibrant celebration of pop culture, making it a must-visit event for movie and comic book fans alike. As an added bonus, famed character actors Micheal Biehn, Jenette Goldstein and Mark Rolston, were also on hand to sign autographs and greet fans.
On the final day, it was announced that Tokyo Comic Con would return in 2024 and Osaka Comic Con 2024 would be held next May. The celebrity guests expressed their gratitude and posed for the fans and media.
Tokyo Comic Con, inspired by San Diego Comic-Con and New York Comic-Con, began in 2016 with the goal of bringing a similar event to Japan. Originally a gathering for American comic book fans, Comic-Con has expanded to include science fiction, horror, fantasy, professional wrestling, and media like TV shows, movies, games, and collectibles. Notably, “Star Wars” had its first screening at San Diego Comic-Con.
In the 2000s, as Hollywood began focusing on superhero movies, Comic-Con became a major platform for promoting these films. The 2010 San Diego Comic-Con saw the announcement of “The Avengers,” with a star-studded cast including Robert Downey Jr., drawing over 100,000 attendees. As the popularity of superhero movies grew in Japan, Comic-Con garnered similar attention, becoming as significant as Cannes or the Oscars.
