Tag: Sakura-Con

2026 Pop Culture Winter Convention Guide (and Early Spring)

From furry meetups in Seattle to xenomorph lore in Longview and capes along the Vancouver waterfront, this January–April 2026 guide maps the biggest and best fan winter convention (s) taking place across the Pacific Northwest so you can plan your next nerdy escape.

Pacific Northwest Conventions and Bigfoot Winter Convention GuideAfter the holidays, many geeks and weebs waste no time gearing up for the winter convention season, and 2026 brings more mid-sized and major events than ever. Some haven’t appeared in past guides simply because space is limited and timing is everything, but this year’s lineup is bursting with energy. The season may not have officially kicked off yet, but there’s nothing like the warmth of community, cosplay creativity, and spirited celebrations to chase away the winter chill.

Across the Pacific Northwest, you’ll find furries, sci-fi diehards, tabletop adventurers, cryptid hunters, fantasy readers, and even the occasional xenomorph wandering the halls. While no alien invasion is expected, one cleverly named event leans right into the folklore. Presented here is a guide to everything nerdy from January through April, organised by date to help you plan, budget, and maybe even squeeze in the time to finish that costume once Santa’s safely packed away.

OrcaCon

OrcaCon LogoJan 10–12, 2026
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport
18740 International Blvd, SeaTac, WA

OrcaCon is a tabletop-gaming con that puts community first, with spaces for board games, RPGs, miniatures, and more. The vibe is inclusive, with a strong emphasis on accessibility and diversity. Panels and playtesting opportunities give independent designers and hobbyists room to shine, making it a welcoming space for both casual players and dedicated strategists.

Guests Announced So Far: None formally listed yet for 2026.

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Character Designer & Manga Artist Kenichi Sonoda Announced for Sakura-Con!

kenichisonoda_photoBy James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

One of anime’s biggest names is coming to the Seattle and will be found at Sakura-Con 2017, the Pacific Northwest’s largest anime convention. Celebrating 20 years, it is only fitting character designer, writer, and manga artist Kenichi Sonoda will be one of this year’s guests.

Sonoda’s career started in the mid-80’s at studio Artmic, where he became a character designer for some of Artmic’s best titles such as Bubblegum Crisis (where he produced the original look of the Knight Sabers team), Riding Bean, and the Gall Force series. Sonoda was also designer on long-time fan favourites Otaku no Video and the super-deformed special Scramble Wars: Tsuppashire! Genom Trophy Rally.

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The Beauty of the Pageantry at Sakura Con 2016

SakuraConEmblemBy James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

Sakura-Con 2016 has come and gone but a wake of photographs and videos are left behind as evidence of the fun had by all. The beauty of the pageantry that’s created by cosplayers can be seen in the following videos shot by Alfred Lim of Parabellum Productions and Larry Tong Lee of LTLCinematics. Thanks must go to both of these artists for their keen eyes at capturing their subjects.

Sakura-Con will return next year. And if you wish to be a part of it (costume or not), you can follow Sakura-Con’s official sites and plan your trip:

Sakura-Con official website.

Sakura-Con Twitter.

Sakura-Con Facebook.

Source(s): Alfred Lim, Larry Tong Lee, and the Sakura-Con Photoshoots/Gatherings Facebook group.

Video Source(s): oilerfan1983 and Parabellum Productions.

Sakura-Con Releases Annual Downloadable Guidebook

By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

SakuraGuidebookFor me as a con-goer, it’s a pain to have to wander the convention floor with a floor plan in one hand and a guidebook in the other. Add to this my pens and pad for jotting down notes, my camera for photo, my spare batteries for my camera, soon its complete anarchy! Is it any wonder I need a side bag hold it all? I understand the need for a con guidebook for memory’s sake. Most people would want to get their copy autographed by as many guests as possible.

But for old-timers like me who’ve been there and done that, I would prefer a guidebook in application (app) form, one where I can know all in a single finger stroke. Since 2012, Sakura-Con has done this and I am grateful they have. It’s easy to learn where to go, to know what panels to see and to find who is appearing on what days at what times. All this and more is contained in a nice app on your mobile (cell phone).

The app is available for your smartphone and tablet for operating systems iOS, Android, and the web. You can download the Guidebook app by following this link to Sakura-Con’s official website. Or if you prefer, you can obtain it on PDF here. [Editor’s note: It’s good to see the massively huge conventions are offering this option. It’s been in place for a few years now.]

Sakura-Con is Washington State’s largest Japanese animation and cosplay convention. It will run March 25-27, 2016 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle.

Models Needed for Gouk Fashion Show at Sakura-Con

Takeshi Kunitomo was born in Fukuoka in 1970 and graduated from The Tokyo Bunka Fashion School in 1991. After graduating he performed as a fashion model in Tokyo and Paris. In 1993, he joined S-inc. and started the “T.KUNITOMO” brand.

Takeshi KunitomoThere is a call-out by JHouse-Rock Entertainment for models who want to be a part of a fashion show at this year’s anime and cosplay convention, Sakura-Con. The purpose of the show is to present the latest fashions from Japan by designer Takeshi Kunitomo of Gouk. Sakura-Con runs March 25-27, 2016 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle. Takeshi Kunitomo himself will be in attendance at this event. Submissions must be made no later than March 1, 2016. To learn more visit JHouse-Rock Entertainment’s official wesbite here.

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Sakura-Con Brings Japan’s Band-Maid To the American Masses

Band Maid - Maid in Japan Album CoverSomeone at Sakura-Con has good taste in music or they know the next best thing when they see it. It wasn’t just a coincidence that Sakura had pre-fame J-pop band Scandal as guests in 2008. Now Sakura may have history repeating itself when Japanese rock group Band-Maid perform their first concert Stateside this March.

Band-Maid was formed in July, 2013 and consists of members Saiki Atsumi (vocals), Miku Kobato (guitar, vocals), Kanami Touno (guitar), Akane Hirose (drums), and Misa (bass). Known for their maid outfits commonly worn by hostesses of Japan’s Maid Cafés, their look was a concept born from the experiences of founding member Miku who worked at Noodol Cafe in Tokyo‘s Akihabara district.

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