KotoriCon was an annual two-day

anime convention An anime convention is an event or gathering with a primary focus on anime, manga and Japanese culture. Commonly, anime conventions are multi-day events hosted at convention centers, hotels or college campuses. They feature a wide variety of activ ...

held during January at

Rowan College at Gloucester County Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ) is a public community college with two campuses in New Jersey, including one in Sewell (Gloucester Main Campus) and one in Vineland and Millville (Cumberland Branch Campus). The college was established in ...

(formerly known as Gloucester County College) in

Sewell, New Jersey Sewell ( ) is a census-designated place and unincorporated community within Mantua Township in Gloucester County, New Jersey. It is named for United States Senator William Joyce Sewell. Sewell is served as U.S. Postal Service ZIP Code 08080 ...

. It was sponsored by the college's Japanese Anime Guild and KotoriCon's name came from the Japanese for little bird, inspired by the colleges roadrunner mascot. The convention was designed to be family-friendly. The convention ran its final event in 2020.

Programming

The convention typically offered anime music videos contest, artists' alley, charity auction, comedians,

cosplay Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture, ...

events, dealers' rooms,

Jedi Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are the main heroic protagonists of many works of the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Old Galactic Republic, and later supporting the Rebel Alliance, the Jedi O ...

events, karaoke, live performances,

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

demonstrations, panels, and video game tournaments.

Charity

Proceeds from the 2011 convention went to the

Doctors Without Borders Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

and Child's Play

charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * Ch ...

. In 2012 the charity auction benefited

Direct Relief International Direct Relief (formerly known as Direct Relief International) is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that provides emergency medical assistance and disaster relief in the United States and internationally. The organization is headed by an inde ...

and the Lauren Rose Foundation. Proceeds from the convention in 2012 resulted in a $700 donation to Mothers Matters. Charities the 2013 convention benefited were

Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as ''Superstorm Sandy'') was an extremely destructive and strong Atlantic hurricane, as well as the largest Atlantic hurricane on record as measured by diameter, with tropical-storm-force winds spann ...

victims and

Liberty in North Korea Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It has offices in Long Beach, California, United States, and Seoul, South Korea. The organization rescues refugees hiding in China and resettles them in South Korea or the Un ...

(LiNK). The 2014 charity auction benefited

The AbleGamers Foundation The AbleGamers Foundation (also known as The AbleGamers Charity) is an American nonprofit organization dedicated to improving accessibility in the video game space, enabling more people with disabilities to be able to play video games. The charit ...

, a North Korean human-rights group, and others. The 2015 charities that KotoriCon supported were Able Gamers, Doctors Without Borders, Liberty in North Korea, and

Pets for Vets Pets for Vets is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the United States dedicated to providing a second chance to shelter dogs by rescuing, training, and matching them with American veterans who need a companion pet. It was founded in 2009 to ...

. 2017's charities included Child's Play, Doctors without Borders, Indochinese-American Council, KotoriCon Endowment, Liberty in North Korea, Pets for Vets, and Seabrook Buddhist Temple. KotoriCon's 2019 charities included the

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the United States established to provide the means to cure cystic fibrosis (CF) and ensure that those living with CF live long and productive lives. The Foundation pr ...

Fisher House Foundation Fisher House Foundation is a charity and foundation that builds comfort homes where military & veterans families can stay free of charge, while a loved one is in the hospital. Fisher Houses are located at major military and VA medical centers n ...

, KotoriCon Scholarship Endowment, Liberty in North Korea, Seabrook Buddhist Temple, and

Samaritan's Purse Samaritan's Purse is an evangelical Christian humanitarian aid organization that provides aid to people in physical need as a key part of its Christian missionary work. The organization's president is Franklin Graham, son of Christian evangelist ...

History

The convention in 2010 started under the name Gloucester County Anime Convention. Video gaming was held in the cafeteria on Friday night in 2011. The convention was spread out among three buildings on the Gloucester County College campus including the Fine Arts Center, College Center, and The Instructional Center. The third KotoriCon was in two locations,

Pitman High School Pitman High School is a comprehensive community public high school in Pitman, in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as the lone secondary school of the Pitman School District. As of ...

and Gloucester County College; in the first location, a concert by Eyeshine took place on January 6, 2012. The 2019 convention had a ticket limit of 1,500 attendees.

Event history

References

External links