YOKOTA-CON PROGRAM BOOK

Welcome to Yokota-Con 2023

LT COL JORDAN D.M. HAYES

Welcome to the long-awaited return of Yokota-Con! Our hope is that this event brings team Yokota and our host nation of Japan together as we explore the artwork, talent, and creativity that lives in pop culture. Today, you will have the chance to stroll down Artist Alley, meet the illustrators, and faces behind your favorite studios, and watch incredible live performances from local artists. We’d like to extend our sincerest thanks to our featured talent, generous sponsors, the Community Centers, and the Marketing department for making this event possible.

Thank you for visiting Yokota-Con 2023, we hope you enjoy your time and we can’t wait to see you again next year!

LIVE DRAWING ARTISTS

VIP Guest

Mayumi Tanaka

Award-winning actress Mayumi Tanaka is renowned for several hit roles, including Monkey D. Luffy in One Piece, Pazu in Studio Ghibli’s Laputa: Castle in the Sky and Krillin in Dragon Ball (among other characters). In addition to her impressive catalogue of anime characters, Tanaka Mayumi has also worked on video games and Japanese dubbing for movies such as Minions: The Rise of Gru and the Sing franchise.

©︎バードスタジオ/集英社・東映アニメーション ©︎尾田栄一郎/集英社・フジテレビ・東映アニメーション

nano VIP Guest

New York-born, Japanese-raised rock singer NANO has bridged her two cultures to cultivate her rock sound. Her unique style is apparent when listening to her English covers of well-known anime songs such as Silhouette by Kana-Boon from Naruto: Shippuden. Her covers were just the beginning to her rise to popularity, and in 2012, NANO made a professional debut with the release of her first album, Nanoir. The album ranked 10th on the Daily Oricon Charts and from there, NANO continued to see success worldwide. We are thrilled to welcome her to Yokota-Con 2023!

Cosplay Corner

We welcome you to cheer on our contestants in Yokota-Con’s biggest competition, the cosplay contest! Who will take home the $1,000 grand prize? Meet the featured cosplayers who serve on our panel of judges.

FEATURED COSPLAYERS

YUI KANAN

Ms. Kanan is the CEO of Onigiri Plus Inc., a professional cosplay agency, and won third place at the World Cosplay Summit 2008 for cosplay performance. After her attendance at Tokyo Comic Con 2016–2022 as a cosplayer, we believe Ms. Kanan is the perfect addition to our judging panel!

BILLY

Billy’s first performance was nine years ago at Comiket, where he cosplayed as giant Eden from Attack on Titan. Since then, his passion has been creating cosplay that integrates his physique as part of the costume. Billy’s motivation comes from anime like Berserk, and his favorite character is Jotaro from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. He has cosplayed officially for productions such as Resident Evil and Dead by Daylight.

SWEEDY

Sweedy began cosplaying in 2014 and has participated in several events as both a cosplayer and juror. Sweedy has built an array of skills, including sewing, cosplaying, makeup and shooting. Her experiences in the cosplay world have allowed her to meet other like-minded individuals and she looks forward to continuing her journey at YokotaCon.

VINCENT

Meet Vincent, a French cosplayer and crafter based in Tokyo. With over 10 years of experience in prop making, including his own Chainsaw Man design, and six years of participation in cosplay events across Japan, Vincent is a certified expert! This year, he’s focused heavily on cosplay video projects and he’ll be joining us for Yokota-Con!

SANYA SEWS

Over the last 15 years, Sanya Sews has fostered a passion for costume construction, fabrics and her own unique designs. Joining international conventions and competitions like Yokota-Con has given Sanya the opportunity to connect with other enthusiasts and share in the creative experience!

The Prizes

1st Place:

First place winners in each category will receive:

Entertainment

MADKID

Formed in 2014, MADKID is a five-member dance and vocal group featuring two rappers and three vocalists. Their song RISE, released in 2019, served as their breakout hit when it was featured as the theme for anime “The Rising of the Shield Hero.” Their rhythmic rap and powerful vocals make for a one-of-a-kind performance.

JAPAN for your Star Wars fix!

While these groups are not sponsored by Lucasfilm Ltd., they are Lucasfilm’s preferred costuming group. Star Wars, its characters, costumes, and all associated items are the intellectual property of Lucasfilm. ©Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™ All rights reserved. Used under authorization.

KUNO1∞JAPAN

Founded by Mother Shizuka of D’CRE8, KUNO1∞JAPAN (kuno-ichi-eight-Japan) is a dance crew with moves like a ninja! Their sleek style of dance and quickchange costumes are sure to get you excited for the day’s festivities. With a routine featuring songs from famous anime and movies, we are so excited to welcome KUNO1∞JAPAN as our opening act at Yokota-Con!

GinyuforcE

GinyuforcE (ギニューフォース) was formed around 2008 and are pioneers of a new genre! You will be mesmerized by the fluidity and spectacle of wotagei dance. The style originated in Akihabara and GinyuforcE has perfected the art! Developed by the fans of Japanese idol singers, wotagei combines light and choreography to create a performance you won’t want to miss!

Anime Studio SHOWCASE

D’ART Shtajio

Founded in 2016 by brothers Arthell and Darnell Isom, D’ART Shtajio sought to revolutionize the Japanese anime industry by introducing Westernized elements of art and storytelling to the Japanese standard of animation. The word Shtajio is a play on words in both English and Japanese: 下地が 大事 (Shtaji ga daiji), meaning “The Foundation is Important” and スタジオ (Sutajio), meaning “studio.” The word 下地 (Shtaji) is used by background artists in Japan to describe the underpainting of the art. Together, Shtaji and Sutajio form Shtajio, a studio that creates lively and transformative work in the anime space.

ECHELLE ANIMATION

Yokota-Con 2023 is thrilled to host ECHELLE Animation!

ECHELLE animation is a Frenchowned anime studio in Tokyo, lead by Mr. Eddie Mehong, an industry veteran of over 20 years.

ECHELLE has partnered with some of your favorite brands, including Taco Bell and Spotify, and has worked on several anime and video games. To learn more about anime production, visit their booth at Yokota-Con and get the inside scoop on their upcoming projects!

Live drawing Art

HIROSHI SHIMIZU

Performing live art at YokotaCon 2023 is the accomplished Hiroshi Shimizu. Hiroshi Shimizu is not only a skillful artist, but also has years of professional experience as a director and key animator. His work can be spotted through many Studio Ghibli films such as Princess Mononoke and Porco Rosso as well as other projects including FLCL, Fullmetal Alchemist and Samurai Champloo. Don’t miss this great artist in action!

SAKURA EBI

Hailing from Osaka, Sakura Ebi is a manga artist, MC, model, performer and cosplayer. Inspired by popular anime ONE PIECE, her artwork is the perfect display of her incredible talent!

Artist Alley

HARUKA INUI

Haruka Inui teaches art classes and works as an artist. Her main mediums are oil, acrylic and pen.

AYAKA KATO

Working towards an Illustration degree, Ayaka Kato’s art captures the simplistic beauty of landscapes.

MADOKA NAGATANI

Madoka Nagatani is a professional illustrator. She works on stand-alone illustrations as well as manga and web pieces.

COYO

Meshing light and dark, Coyo is an illustrator and designer that creates cute art with a twist.

AGEHA SAOTOME

Ageha Saotome is a manga artist and writer. The content of her works ranges from action to comedy using a variety of techniques. Her projects include Phantom Gohan and Ninja Slayer: Glamorous Killers.

B’Z JOINT

B’Z Joint has a passion for airbrush art. Using his talent, he teaches and inspires others in his medium.

LASER & BASS

Hiroshi Yoshimura of Laser & Bass, uses a laser processing machine to create intricate pieces of art from wood.

NINSAI

As a professional Kaiju illustrator and designer, NINSAI’s works have been exhibited at numerous events since 2019.

RAYNART

Raynart is a professional mangaka, illustrator, character designer and concept creator in Tokyo, Japan.

THE JINJA NINJA

James Harris is a physical media artist who works in themes ranging from comic characters to fantasy and sci-fi.

TKC WORKSHOP

Visit the character cosplay booth. Put on a character helmet and take a picture!

Photo Booth

Asukanet

Asukanet Co., Ltd. is one of Japan’s leading photography companies producing over 300,000 photo books annually. Working with major digital camera makers, Asukanet has developed superior printing techniques. So don’t miss your chance to get your photo taken at their booth.

THEMED COCKTAILS

IRON

Tropical Pineapple

Juice, Orange Juice and Cherry Vodka

CAR EXHIBIT

WALKING EXHIBIT

Come say hello to K’s Car Life and friends! Sporting intricately handcrafted costumes and props, you won’t want to miss checking them out!

No Federal endorsement of sponsor intended.

Guidelines/Policies

•All costumed guests, including contestants whose costumes include any form of prop weapon, must have the item inspected at the door for safety prior to entering the event venue. Prop weapons will be allowed into the event providing they meet the rules below.

•All prop weapons must be carried in plain view and cannot be concealed.

•Staves, bo sticks, bokken, shinai and wooden swords are permitted.

•All fake, prop or homemade weapons are permitted if they are in no way dangerous to attendees.

•All weapons deemed unsafe by Taiyo Community Center staff must be removed from the event or checked at the Event Coordinator’s table. Your name and number will be placed on the checked item, which will be available for pickup when you leave.

•Misuse of any weapon or prop, such as swinging it in a public area or causing a hazard to attendees, will result in the weapon or prop being deemed unsafe for the event. If a weapon or prop is deemed unsafe for the event due to misuse, it will be removed from the event or checked at the Event Coordinator’s table.

•Metal weapons of any kind are not permitted.

•Bullwhips and other stock whips are not permitted, unless they are rolled up and secured at the Weapons Checking Station and remain secured throughout the event.

•Guns and projectile weapons are not permitted. Examples of guns and projectile weapons include, but are not limited to, working guns, pellet guns, BB guns, air guns, crossbows, dart guns and blowguns. Replicas of guns or projectile weapons are permitted if they are easily identifiable as props.

•No ammunition of any kind is allowed at the event.

•Nunchaku and other flail weapons are not permitted.

•Incendiary devices are not permitted. All devices which spark, shoot flames, burn, smolder, can otherwise cause combustion, or which exist for no purpose other than to be lit with a combustion device, are considered incendiary devices.

•Illegal weapons are not permitted. SFS will be notified if any illegal weapons are found in any person’s possession.

•All dress, cosplay or otherwise, deemed too revealing by the Taiyo Community Center staff, may be asked to change.

Prize Rules/Eligibility

Prize Eligibility

Winners must be Military ID cardholders/SOFA status.

プライズの抽選は、横田基地配属のミリタリー/SOFA IDを所持している

方のみ参加できます。

Winners must be present to win.

The 374th Force Support Squadron Director, Deputy Director, Flight Chiefs, Marketing personnel, program/event organizers and their family members are not eligible.

All judges’ decisions are final and binding in all matters. Prizes are non-transferable. No cash redemption or substitution allowed. Limit one grand prize per family. By accepting a prize, winner consents to the use of his/her name and photograph for promotional purposes by the 374th Force Support Squadron and promotion sponsors. Winners are responsible for any taxes incurred.

No Federal endorsement of sponsors or prize donors intended.

The winner’s spouse or adult dependents may claim the prize for the winner. If under 18, prize must be claimed by a dependent who is 18 or older.