About Japan Expo

Japan Expo welcomes many prestigious guests every year and offers you the opportunity to meet them at signings, masterclasses, and panels during which they unveil the secrets of their careers and work.

Japan Expo features dozens of famous artists: mangaka, animators, chara-designers, illustrators, video game creators, producers, musicians, singers, composers…: so many make the journey all the way from Japan to attend the festival. Don’t miss the chance to meet talented artists and learn more about them.

And among all those artists, many bands, singers, and musicians hold concerts on stage. All genres are welcome to show the variety of the Japanese music scene! Young talents and famous artists alike perform for you: J-rock, RnB, J-pop, hard rock, punk, electro… and anime and video game music.

And as music has been part of Japanese culture since ancient times, traditional artists also come perform shamisen, koto, sanshin and many more enchanting traditional instruments.

Japan Expo is the perfect place to try new things! Workshops and initiation classes are set up to teach you the basics of drawing, modeling, cosplay-making, or traditional activities such as ikebana, origami or calligraphy.

Japan Expo is also and above all a huge playground: a place where games are everywhere for the attendees, on stage and on booths. Dozens associations come and propose activities and games, make you win prizes and entertain you.

Video games are an important part of Japanese pop culture and are highlighted at Japan Expo. Publishers, guests and many associations take part in the festival. Many games are available for freeplay on the booths, and you can try the latest releases or participate in tournaments.

Video game creators, artists and producers also attend the festival to tell you about games, their jobs and the industry on a dedicated stage. A perfect place to enjoy panels, tournaments, and premieres!

In 2019, Japan Expo launched esport as part of the festival program with the Také Stage revisited and equipped for this discipline cheered by the audience. 

Japanese culture is fascinating in many ways, and its traditions are among its most amazing aspects. Japan Expo show you that side of Japan by highlighting its traditions, and by hosting artists and craftsmen.

On top of music and theatre performances, and folk shows on stage, many associations contribute with activities and workshops, such as ikebana (the Japanese art of flower arrangement), tea ceremony, calligraphy, painting, traditional games, cuisine and more.

With time, cosplay has become one of the most popular attractions at Japan Expo. Talented cosplayers come up on stage in breathtaking costumes of their favorite heroes, to perform on the biggest cosplay stage in Europe: up to 14,000 people come cheer them. Japan Expo also hosts the finals of the Extreme Cosplay Gathering, and the French selections that launch every new season.

Japan Expo is the first event in the world proposing a stage dedicated to cosplay: everyone can parade freely on the Kitsune stage dedicated to cosplay.

Come admire your favorite characters as they come to life on stage and in the alleys of Japan Expo!

Martial arts are more than ever part of Japan Expo! You can easily discover a whole bunch of disciplines: an area dedicated to martial arts, the Budô area, where they can show you their best moves all day long and where you can learn the basics. Ninjutsu, kendô, jûdô, aikidô, karate, shôrinji kenpô, kyûdô and many more: you just have to choose yours.

Martial arts are not the only sports that the Japanese are fond of and Japan Expo shows you more, such as yakyû – baseball, the national sport in Japan – or puroresu, wrestling.

French and Japanese publishers are eager to show anime previews, and this way offer the attendees a foretaste of the upcoming releases and licenses available in France. A few premieres are organized in the evening to keep the pleasure of the fetsival going a little longer!

Fashion is unavoidable when it comes to Japanese trends. It’s a meeting place for fashion addicts who walk the alleys of the festival in clothes inspired from the fashion of Tokyo streets!

Designers, and Tokyo fashion brands take part in the event with fashion shows, panels and workshops. Young European designers have also been part of Japan Expo forever, presenting their creations inspired from Japanese trends.

Industry, stores, magazines, webzines, exhibits, institutions, associations and over 150 fanzines and amateur artists and designers: Japan Expo is the place for all the actors of the manga and Japanese culture industry! With booths full of Japanese products, new releases, goodies of all types, information about Japan, games and so much more, you’re bound to find something to make you happy in the alleys of Japan Expo.