Source: Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation press release Official Site: anime-expo.org Anime Expo (AX), North America’s largest anime, manga and Japanese pop culture expo, celebrates its most successful event in its 21-year history with a record 49,400+ unique attendees and a turnstile attendance of over 130,000 during its four days at the Los Angeles Convention Center, June 29th – July 2nd, 2012. Anime screenings, the enormously popular AMV contest, karaoke rooms, Maid Cafe, and AX`s new central players` hall featuring table top, console and arcade gaming welcomed the near fifty thousand visitors to the convention while colorful cosplayers flitted across the convention center for photos, meet-ups, and to participate in Anime Expo`s annual masquerade competition. Anime Expo 2012 continued the convention`s tradition of bringing noteworthy Guests of Honor to its attendees, creating a roster of amazing talent featuring Ryo Horikawa, Steve Blum, Jamie Marchi, Monica Rial, Tatsuo Sato, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Rikiya Koyama, Hikaru Kondo, Ei Aoki, Joel McDonald, Ian Sinclair, Madhouse, and Master of Ceremonies Danny Choo, along with memorable concerts from Yuki Kajiura / Fiction Junction, breakout star LiSA, and AniMetal USA. New for 2012, popular Japanese Lolita model Misako Aoki and Danny Choo hosted Japan Fashion Mix, a global fashion show featuring designs by Galaxxxy, Kapi-Bara-San, and dolldelight, a progressive Lolita label wildly popular among anime and street fashion fans created by another of Anime Expo`s Guests of Honor, Cyril Lumboy. Anime Expo continues to be grateful for all the fans that made AX 2012 an outstanding success and is already working hard to create new and exciting programming for 2013!

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About Anime Expo

Now in its 21st year, Anime Expo is North America’s larges celebration of anime, manga and Japanese pop culture. Anime Expo gives fans the rare opportunity to meet and hear from some of the most famous anime, manga, musical, game, and fashion artitsts from Japan. AX 2012 will feature an exciting schedule of exclusive screenings; artists’ panels; live concerts; cosplay; dance parties, karaoke, and video competitions; non-stop video gaming and unsurpassed shopping from more than 3,000 vendors. AX 2012 takes place June 29-July 2, 2012 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

About the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation

The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to popularize and educate the America public about anime and manga, as well as provide a forum to facilitate communication between professionals and fans. This organization is more popularly known by its entertainment property, Anime Expo®. For more information, please visit spja.org.