January 17, 2016
News for Anime Expo 2016:
Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation to expand beyond anime and rebrand
by Patrick Delahanty, Executive Producer, AnimeCons.com and FanCons.com
An article by Roland Kelts in The Japan Times states that the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA), the parent organization of Anime Expo, plans to "move beyond otaku/fan culture" and will be integrating "film, gaming, tech, music and other forms of entertainment media." SPJA will open a Tokyo office in 2016 and reveal a new name and logo.
There is no word on how this rebranding may affect Anime Expo, the largest anime convention in North America since 2004. The statement comes just one month after the SPJA announced that Anime Conji is cancelled.
