Exploring the niche of Japanese culture

Photo by Cory Weise

Superheroes, video game characters, cartoons, and other fictional heroes, villains, and amazing characters invaded the Oregon Convention Center in droves this past weekend for Kumoricon.

Kumoricon, gaining its name from “kumori,” the Japanese word for cloud, is the annual convention held in the Portland metro area focused on celebrating popular Japanese culture and art – the general focus being anime, manga, video games and merchandise. Events and several panel discussions with guest speakers, including voice actors and improv comedy groups, were also featured.

As I walked around the exhibition halls, excited screams and laughter spun through the air as friends connected with each other, bonded by love and appreciation of these works of art. One of the patrons said he “loved this place, because I don’t really have friends the rest of the year, and this is the place where I can be myself and meet people who like the same stuff that I do.” He went on to talk about how anime had enriched his life and that this convention had helped him to come out of his shell and talk with other people.

The food was somewhat overpriced, but the smell was intoxicating at times when you walked through the booths. The most common thing I heard from people that had been to prior conventions was that this year was much nicer when it came to logistics. In previous years, the event had been held in two hotels adjacent to each other, and the crowds would have to walk between them to view the different exhibits and visit the vendors and panels.

Some attendees, however, complained that there seemed to be much fewer artists than in previous years, and it didn’t feel like the convention had as much to offer as it had in years past.

Personally, I didn’t see much lacking when walking through the booths, although I did seem far more likely to be speaking with a “studio” representing multiple artists rather than a specific artist when talking about prints, posters and other works.

The convention did have a sort of “after hours” vibe to it after 10 p.m. when the panels and events took a turn toward the more X-rated, having discussion groups, and featured speakers on topics such as Hentai (a subgenre of manga and anime, that shows overtly sexualized characters and explicit plots) and Yaoi (animated male homosexual erotica).

One thing the convention had an abundance of was games – from role playing, such as Dungeons & Dragons, to card games including Magic: The Gathering, as well as video games from every console and PC, ranging from handheld hits like Pokémon to imported games only available in Japan, like Pokken Tournament for the Wii.

So, basically, if you are interested in Japanese pop culture at all, this would be a great place for you. If you aren’t interested in the Land of the Rising Sun, however, then this event is not for you.

Advocate Staff