Otakuthon (August 8 to 10, 2025)
Otakuthon, Montreal's largest annual Japanese pop culture convention, marked its 20th edition at the Palais des Congrès from August 8 to 10. The event drew over 34,300 enthusiasts of Japanese anime, manga, and video games. The event featured notable guests from Japan, including anime and manga creators, voice actors, and musicians. The Consulate General of Japan set up a booth to promote the JET Programme and MEXT Scholarships, and introduced Japanese traditional culture with tea ceremony workshops organized by the Montréal Association of Chado Urasenke Tankokai, a judo demonstration by Shidokan judo club, as well as a Japanese lesson for beginners using manga as a learning tool.
The convention also offered a variety of workshops on Japan, anime, and manga, including a lecture on tourism in Japan, giving participants a golden opportunity to dive into the many facets of everything the country has to offer. Additionally, Consul General Uchikawa presented the "Consul General's Award" to one of the 52 competing teams in the traditional Masquerade cosplay competition. As was the case last year, the exceptional quality of the cosplays and the participants’ passion for Japanese animation and video games made a lasting impression.