If you have been with us for a while, you might have seen an article that I wrote back in November of last year when AnimeJapan announced that its upcoming event AnimeJapan 2021 would be held not only online, but in person as well. However, thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic State of Emergency that is currently in effect in Tokyo, the organizers announced today that the event will still happen from 27 March 2021 through 30 March 2021, but will be online only.
The organization behind AnimeJapan made the official announcement today on the official AnimeJapan homepage and on their Twitter account. They had the following to say about the change in plans:
In light of the current situation of the new coronavirus infection and the declaration of a state of emergency issued by the government on Thursday 7 January, AnimeJapan 2021 has decided to cancel the real event and to hold the event online only, after considering the health and safety of all the visitors and people involved.
Furthermore, the artist Takanori Nishikawa has been appointed as the official ambassador of AnimeJapan 2021, and will work together with us to make AnimeJapan more exciting!
The AnimeJapan 2021 Presentation event will be held on Nico Nico Douga on 18 February 2021 with festivities kicking off at 7:30 p.m. Japan Standard Time. Currently, there is no indication that a Nico Douga Premium account is required. The purpose of this live stream is to share with people what will be presented at the online event, and how to make the most of it.
With Takanori Nishikawa (TM Revolution) being appointed as the official ambassador of AnimeJapan 2021, one thing is for sure: we can expect a ton of energy as the man has an endless supply of it. AnimeJapan posted a comment video from Nishikawa on their YouTube page and he states that he will do his best to help ‘power up AnimeJapan to a new level’ and that he ‘looks forward to participating in the event after two years.’ Voice actors Ryota Suzuki and Mayu Mineda will be the official MCs for the event.
The AnimeJapan 2021 Presentation is set to kick off on 18 February 2021 on Nico Nico Douga. If you’re interested in watching the event, you can do so at this link.