AnimeCon: Run Thessaloniki V Celebrates Japan Pop Culture

Photo source: Animecon Run Thessaloniki/TTO.

Thessaloniki, the northern Greek city with a vibrant university student population and a growing interest in the Japanese pop universe, recently played host to AnimeCon: Run Thessaloniki V, a celebration of anime, manga, and Japanese culture.

Established in 2013 by the Mangatellers manga art group, the 2023 event, was held at the Ioannis Vellidis Conference Center under the auspices of the Thessaloniki Tourism Organization (TTO), and drew over 4,000 attendees.

Popular manga and anime hero dummies stole the show at the event, with young and older fans of Japanese culture having the opportunity to join workshops on Japanese Kanji calligraphy, martial arts, and learning to make sushi from Oriental Express.

Photo source: Animecon Run Thessaloniki.

Visitors also attended a tribute to Japanese cinema in collaboration with Thessaloniki’s Aristotle University Film Department.

A special section at the event exhibited the live construction of a traditional Japanese Kimono by Athanasios Gerogiannis, a haute couture designer. Interested individuals could also acquire information about student exchange programs and educational and cultural event-related materials from the Embassy of Japan in Greece’s booth.

For the first time, Greece was honored to have a Japanese studio animator visit the event. Levent Kotil discussed the anime industry, his career at TOEI Studio, and how to work for a Japanese anime production studio.

Photo source: Animecon Run Thessaloniki.

Visitors also got to meet and take photos with Dimitris DK Kirsanidis, a Greek World Parkour Champion who shared his love for anime series and how they impacted his athletic career.

AnimeCon: Run Thessaloniki V is the only event in the Balkans that features international artists from Japanese pop culture, while Thessaloniki is widely regarded as the center of anime and manga culture in Greece.

Photo source: Animecon Run Thessaloniki.

Anime (Japanese cartoons) and manga (Japanese comics) are the cornerstones of this culture, attracting a large audience of schoolchildren, students, and young adults aged 10-35.

“Greece is a popular vacation destination for Japanese travelers, as indicated by the Long-Haul Travel Barometer of the European Travel Commission (ETC) and Eurail,” said TTO President Voula Patoulidou adding that “events like AnimeCon:Run Thessaloniki V showcase the city to Japanese audiences and can draw visitors from across the world who enjoy Japanese pop culture.”