Senshi-Con is an annual

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 ...

Anchorage Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

. Founded in 2005, it was the first pioneering anime convention in

. The name is a combination of the English word ''convention'' and the Japanese word ''senshi'' (戦士 in

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

), meaning ''warrior''. The convention is organized by the Alaska Association of Asian Cultural Learning.

Programming

Attendees may bring a fake prop weapon as long as it complements the costume; however, live steel weapons and any gun replicas (even toys) are not allowed. Besides a

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, ...

contest, there are

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

competitions,

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

screenings,

karaoke Karaoke (; ; , clipped compound of Japanese ''kara'' "empty" and ''ōkesutora'' "orchestra") is a type of interactive entertainment usually offered in clubs and bars, where people sing along to recorded music using a microphone. The music is ...

, Cosplay Chess, and art displays. Notable persons from the world of Japanese comics and animation make an appearance and are available for autographs. Throughout the day, various contests,

game shows A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, sh ...

, and skits take place on stage. While the Senshi-Con attendance levels are lower than those of the more popular conventions in other parts of

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, the staff points out that the lines at such convention are shorter, and the planning is more thorough.

History

The first Senshi-Con was held in 2005 at West High School in Anchorage, Alaska. It was founded and organized by now-

voice actress Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talent ...

Kira Buckland Kira Buckland (born July 16, 1987) is an American voice actress, who has provided voices for English dubbed Japanese anime, cartoons, and video games. Some of her major roles are Jolyne Cujoh in '' JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean,'' 2B in ...

and the West High School Anime Club. As the convention staff graduated from high school, the convention was moved to the

University of Alaska Anchorage The University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) is a public university in Anchorage, Alaska. UAA also administers four community campuses spread across Southcentral Alaska: Kenai Peninsula College, Kodiak College, Matanuska–Susitna College, and Prin ...

. It was announced on September 30, 2012 that Senshi-con would be changing venues to the

Egan Center The William A. Egan Civic and Convention Center (commonly known as simply the Egan Center) is a convention center located in Downtown Anchorage, downtown Anchorage, Alaska at 555 West Fifth Avenue. Constructed in 1984 as part of a massive Anchor ...

in downtown Anchorage. The convention moved to the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center in 2017. Senshi-Con 2020 was cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

Event history

References

External links

* {{Coord, 61, 12, 54, N, 149, 53, 38.4, W, region:US-AK_type:event, display=title Anime conventions in the United States Recurring events established in 2005 2005 establishments in Alaska Annual events in Alaska Festivals in Alaska Culture of Anchorage, Alaska Tourist attractions in Anchorage, Alaska University of Alaska Anchorage