Kumoricon is Oregon’s three-day convention dedicated to Japanese animation (anime)—a place where fans arrive from near and far to participate in events, contests, discussions, and viewings on anime and Japanese culture—a weekend where fans surround themselves with friends and like-minded individuals celebrating their shared passion.

For three days this Labor Day weekend, join us in our world—of fans in costume, all-day theater rooms, games, contests, and panels—at the Red Lion Hotel on the River, Jantzen Beach, located in Portland. With the convenience of nearby downtown but the cozy isolation of an island, waterfront venue, Kumoricon promises to be an unforgettable experience.

Welcome to Kumoricon. This September will mark our fourth year, and we hope to see you! Our attendance topped 1700 last year, and this year we expect even more.

What can you expect?

Returning and first-time attendees alike are welcomed into a fun and friendly atmosphere. Talk and mingle with fans as you explore the convention space. Admire the elaborate costumes of fellow con-goers dressed as their favorite characters, or show off your own!

Drop into the video theater rooms at any time to watch episodes of the latest titles and classic anime, or take a break in our always-open gaming room, featuring both free play and tournaments for console and PC games.

The Kumoricon dance lasts into the night playing Japanese songs and anime remixes. If the music is your thing, then try singing in the karaoke—in Japanese!

All three days, our exhibition hall features large vendors, local craftspeople, and artists selling anime, manga, posters, figures, merchandise, supplies, and art.

Our charity auction raised more than $1600 last year for p:ear, a local Portland outreach program for youth.

By fans, for fans

Most of all, Kumoricon is about the fans. Multiple panels run at all times throughout the convention, providing the opportunity to attend presentations and discussions with small groups of fans in relaxed settings. Featuring a broad range of topics such as costume design, cat ear creation, authentic Japanese tea ceremonies, bonsai care, and lessons in art and writing, our panel programming brings a wealth of events to Kumoricon focusing not just on anime itself, but also on its surrounding Japanese culture, industry, fandom, and trivia.

Don’t miss the fan creation station, one of our most popular panel rooms, hosting original creative works of all types. Anyone is welcome to come in and create and share original drawn art and fan fiction throughout the weekend.

Whether you are hanging out with friends in the convention halls, jumping from panel to panel squeezing in every event on the schedule, or attending our large main events, there is always plenty going on at Kumoricon!

Extending a welcome to all!

This year will be marked by the growth of our fan base and staff, the creation of our gorgeous new website, and our outreach to other anime groups and the public at large. This promises to be a banner year for Kumoricon. So whether you are attendee, press, vendor, donor, volunteer or staff we look forward to seeing you there!

When is it?

Kumoricon 2006 will be held in Portland on the Labor Day weekend of September 2-4.

Please visit the links along the top of the page for more information on registration, the hotel, events, and contests. Join us for a fun-filled three-day weekend to celebrate all aspects of anime—by fans, for fans!

For more information, contact
Meg Uhde
Convention Chair
chair@kumoricon.org