I had the honor of attending Kawaii Kon 2025 as a member of the press. This vibrant anime convention, dedicated to Japanese animation and manga, was held at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu from March 14 to 16. According to Kawaii Kon’s official Twitter account, the event drew in over 20,000 attendees this year.
The convention was full of energy throughout the weekend, offering a wide variety of events and activities. Thanks to the Kawaii Kon App, powered by the Guidebook platform, navigating the venue and selecting panels to attend was convenient and straightforward. Highlights included a combined Dealer’s Room and Artist Alley, anime premieres, video game tournaments, tabletop gaming, cosplay contests, and a full schedule of panels spread across the weekend.
We came across an enclosed section in the dealer’s room, and to our surprise, it turned out to be an 18+ adult area. Entry required an ID check, which was a nice touch, ensuring that only the truly cultured could browse the goods.
This year also featured a noticeable increase in trading card merchandise and more video game tournaments and tabletop gaming in the activity rooms.
I’m Jake Caprino, who is more commonly known by the online alias Swaps4. I’m a business owner based in Japan. I enjoy writing about anime, video games, and bits & pieces of Japanese culture.