Sakura-con is the biggest anime convention in the Pacific Northwest. It occurs in Seattle, hosting a variety of sellers, experiences, and contests broadly related to Asian media over three days.
After some convincing from my friends, I went for the first time in 2026 during the weekend. To get there, I rode on the relatively new transit system, which, to my surprise, was not crowded at all. It was very easy to navigate and by following the crowd I was able to quickly get into the main convention center building without much trouble.
After entering the main building past the conference rooms, there were vendor booths downstairs, which were simply satisfactory to me. Aside from the amazing merchandise from independent artists, there was also a surprising amount of non-fandom related items, particularly food and drinks like jerky, juices, and herbal teas, which all tasted amazing. Chain bookstore Kinokuniya and Copic, a stationary company, also had impressive booths with snacks and cheap marker refills, which made me wish I had brought mine.
Though many prices of individual sellers had great pricing, I took issue with sellers who sold bootlegs of actual merch, used AI ‘art’, and resold items from Amazon. Some products I saw were also of designs blatantly stolen from other artists, though it seemed like most buyers had a sense of authenticity based on the seller in price. I was also surprised by the inflation of common anime figures on the market. My initial assumption going to the event was that the prices of retail items were going to be cheaper because they are mass produced, and because it was an anime event.
People who know their way around anime merchandise would know their prices, and would therefore only buy items you can get online at the event for a good deal. However, I bought some great pieces from artists I really admire, which I was very pleased with.
There was a concert on Saturday night at the Seattle Convention Center Arch by Blue Encount, a J-rock band famous for their anime openings in Banana Fish, My Hero Academia, Gintama, and others. Before entering the concert venue, my friend and I had to line up at a bag check-in to get rid of our bags during the show. Mid to large-size bags were not allowed due to safety concerns, which was totally understandable. The concert itself was great- there were plenty of seating areas and a big screen to watch the band for people who didn’t or couldn’t stand up in front. I recognized two or three songs as someone who isn’t a fan, which really told me the band was a good choice as a performance for this concert. It was the band’s first time in Seattle, and though they didn’t speak a lot of English, I found it sweet that the audience was screaming Japanese phrases to encourage them. The concert lasted for around an hour and a half, and I left early alongside my friend to line up for bag pick-up, which ended up being a nightmare. My friend’s family and I went to lengths to get our bags early and leave quickly, yet it still took around half an hour to get our bags back and finally ride public transit home. There were also no accommodations made for people in the line, which proved problematic not only for disabled individuals, but children and elderly folks as well.
One controversy that was significant this year was the Con’s noncompliance to Seattle’s accessibility code, notably the cancellation of many ADA discussion meetings, which were required for safety reasons. As a first timer, I even noticed things that were inaccessible during the event before I learned about this
issue; aisles were often too tight or overcrowded, there was a lack of places to sit down, and food was far and between. One Frieren cosplayer I talked to, who is a cane user, stated, “To be honest, Artist Alley was a struggle to get to, it’s so far from the other convention center and there’s tons of people. I wish there were places or people that could’ve helped me.”
There was even a silent protest in front of the main convention building of people demanding that their needs be met, including providing chairs, ASL interpreters, and places for service animals to rest. However, I’d like to give props to the con staff for trying their best to incorporate accessibility into aspects of the event. Sakura Con is a volunteer-based function, and to me, it seemed as though many ‘accessible’ features were not pre-planned, but were there due to volunteers noticing that chairs needed to be placed for people to sit down, there had to be quiet spaces, etc. I remember a specific moment while lining up to get my bag back from the concert when a staff member hastily put down a chair near a line, saying they ‘had to because of ADA guidelines’. When your community is known for being supported by, in large part by disabled people, it is crazy to not be following accessibility guidelines, especially when everyone is paying a good amount of money thinking they are going to be accommodated per what the website says.
Despite all the issues with the Con, I plan to attend the event next year because I like supporting independent artists and had a good time seeing all the creativity with attendee cosplays. For around a hundred dollars, I think it’s quite a steal that Con-goers are able to access panels with famous voice actors, buy from independent artists, and go to concerts of famous bands. There were major flaws in the organization of the event, but I’m hopeful that with the guidance of new ADA representatives this year, they will implement better accommodations for everyone.
