Ohayocon is a three-day

anime convention An anime convention is an event or gathering with a primary focus on anime, manga and Japanese culture. Commonly, anime conventions are multi-day events hosted at convention centers, hotels or college campuses. They feature a wide variety of activ ...

typically held during January in Columbus, Ohio, at the Hyatt Regency Columbus and the

Greater Columbus Convention Center The Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC) is a convention center located in Downtown Columbus, Ohio, United States, along the east side of North High Street. The convention center was predominantly designed by Peter Eisenman, constructed ...

. Ohayocon's name is derived from the similarity between "Ohio", the convention's location, and , which means "good morning" in

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

Programming

The convention typically offers an anime music contest, an artists' alley, concerts, costume contests, a dealers' room, a formal ball, a masquerade, musical events, panel discussions, a rave, table-top games, tournaments, video gaming, and workshops.

History

In 2007, the Midwest premiere of '' Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles'' occurred at the Arena Grand Theatre during Ohayocon. In 2010, crowding was a problem during the rave due to space issues. The convention shared the Columbus Convention Center with other events and only used about one-fourth of the available space. The convention's dance was moved to the convention center ballroom in 2012 to alleviate crowding issues. Ohayocon began using wristbands instead of badges to control unpaid attendance in 2014. During Ohayocon 2015, a transgender teen disappeared during the rave on Saturday night. The teen was attempting to run away and was later found safe in downtown Columbus on Tuesday. The Columbus Convention Center was undergoing construction during Ohayocon 2017, and the convention continued to use wristbands instead of badges. Ohayocon 2021 was cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, but a virtual event was held in its place. The 2022 convention had an attendance cap of 17,000 and events like the dance were not held. Ohayocon also had COVID-19 policies that included masks and testing or vaccination. The dance and formal ball returned in 2023. Ohayocon continued to have COVID-19 protocols that included masks and testing or vaccination.

Event history

References

External links

Ohayocon Website
{{coord, 39, 58, 17.83, N, 83, 0, 1.94, W, region:US-OH_type:event, display=title Anime conventions in the United States Recurring events established in 2001 2001 establishments in Ohio Annual events in Ohio Festivals in Ohio Culture of Columbus, Ohio Tourist attractions in Columbus, Ohio Conventions in Ohio