Yaoi-Con

Yaoi-Con
Status Active
Venue Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport
Location(s) Burlingame, California
Country United States
Inaugurated 2001
Attendance 1,500 in 2007[1]
Organized by Since 2012: Digital Manga Publishing[2]
Website
http://www.yaoicon.com

Yaoi-Con is an annual three-day anime convention, founded in 2001, aimed at fans of yaoi-related anime, manga, and other aspects of Asian culture. It typically takes place during the Fall in California.

Since the 2012 edition, its organizer and main sponsor is Digital Manga Publishing. It is known mostly for its unique events that use volunteers known as "bishounen". The bishounen are male volunteers who represent the attractive characters shown in Yaoi manga, and run many of the events.

Programming

Two cosplayers (as Sora and Roxas from the video game Kingdom Hearts) strike a pose at Yaoi-Con 2008.

As with other anime conventions, Yaoi-Con has panels and workshops (with a yaoi twist), a 24-hour video room, a manga library, swap meet, a Dealers' Room filled with merchandise, a cosplay Masquerade and an anime music video contest. In addition, Yaoi-Con holds a fan fiction contest, Bishounen Bingo, and its extraordinarily popular Saturday night fundraising Bishounen Auction. At bingo, and the auction, the bishounen volunteers put on shows and strip to entertain the convention goers.

Each year Yaoi-Con sponsors at least one Japanese yaoi manga artist as guest of honor. And, as yaoi publishing expands in the U.S., the companies who attend Yaoi-Con have become interested in bringing guests with them. Guests of honor usually participate in question and answer/autograph sessions as well as sketch sessions where they demonstrate to attendees how they produce their work.

Because of the adult nature of its theme, Yaoi-Con requires all attendees to be at least 18 and checks the legal ID of all attendees upon registration. As of 2003, 85% of Yaoi-Con membership are female, and they are mostly heterosexual.[3]

History

Event history

Dates Location Guests
September 1, 2001 Radisson Miyako Hotel
San Francisco, California
You Higuri, Azusa Kurokawa, Shinjuku Nishiguchi, Gilles Poitras, Yoshihiro Yonezawa and Flash Mama.[4]
October 18–20, 2002 Holiday Inn Golden Gateway
San Francisco, California
Youka Nitta, Andrew Conway, Patrick Drazen, and Secret Secret.[5]
October 17–19, 2003 Renaissance Parc 55
San Francisco, California
Shushushu Sakurai, Jo Chen.[6]
October 29–31, 2004 Westin San Francisco Airport
Millbrae, California
Ayano Yamane, Jo Chen, Lucina Project and John O'Donnell.[7]
October 28–30, 2005 Westin San Francisco Airport
Millbrae, California
Kazuma Kodaka and You Higuri.[8]
October 20–22, 2006 Westin San Francisco Airport
Millbrae, California
Asia Watanabe.,[9] Toko Kawai, Yishin Li, Lara Yokoshima, Studio Kawaii, Jo Chen
October 26–28, 2007 San Mateo Marriott San Francisco Airport
San Mateo, California
Mamiya Oki and Kawahara Tsubasa.,[10] Hinako Takanaga, Dany & Dany
September 26–28, 2008 San Mateo Marriott San Francisco Airport
San Mateo, California
Nase Yamato, Tatsumi Kaiya, Lynn Flewelling, Wendy Pini, Yamila Abraham, Yayoi Neko, M.A Sambre.[11]
October 30-November 1, 2009 San Mateo Marriott San Francisco Airport
San Mateo, California
Kazuka Minami, Kano Miyamoto
October 29–31, 2010 Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport
Burlingame, California
Ayano Yamane, Ryōtarō Okiayu, Hidenobu Kiuchi, Hinako Takanaga,[12] Kano Miyamoto, Yasuhiro Nakamura, Lynn Flewelling, Jo Chen, Yayoi Neko
October 21-23, 2011 San Francisco Airport Marriott
Burlingame, California
Fusanosuke Inariya, Jo Chen
October 12-14, 2012 Westin Long Beach Hotel
Long Beach, California
Uki Ogasawara, Jo Chen
September 12-14, 2014 Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport
Burlingame, California
Shoko Takaku, Reika
September 18-20, 2015 Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport
Burlingame, California
Makoto Tateno, Martha Asahi
September 16-18, 2016 Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport
Burlingame, California
Hinako Takanaga
October 6-8, 2017 Hyatt Regency Santa Clara
Santa Clara, California [13]

References

Convention reports

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