Each Star Wars Celebration welcomes its own host of unique programming and features, a quality which has kept fans coming back to the beloved event time and again. For Star Wars Celebration Japan, Lucasfilm has explored every opportunity to capture the culture and character of this year’s host country in the panels, exhibits, activities, food, merchandise, and artwork that fans will see and experience at the Makuhari Messe and surrounding areas.
Panel Presentations
In addition to the highly-anticipated announcements, reveals, and live celebrity interviews to be presented at Celebration Japan, there are some panels that focus specifically on the Star Wars experience in Japan: Lucasfilm Publishing’s Manga Mania! will explore the past, present, and future of Star Wars manga from authors and artists from around the world; a Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 panel will cover the first two seasons of this acclaimed series as well as a sneak peek of Season 3, with entries produced exclusively by studios in Japan; and an exploration of Japanese influences in Star Wars and how the saga itself has been reflected back into Japanese pop culture, art, storytelling, and more.
There will be fan-hosted panels discussing Star Wars origami, shadow puppets, and a nearly-forgotten Star Wars/Lucasfilm-themed live stage show in Japan from the 1990s, as well as the influence of iconic Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa on the Star Wars saga.
Collecting panels will include rare looks into the fascinating and often playful field of Japanese Star Wars collectibles, including Star Wars Japanese oddities, early collectibles in Japan, 1978 Star Wars Coca-Cola bottlecap premiums, vintage Japanese die-cast toys, and Star Wars keshi gomu (small rubber erasers that look like colorful, minimalist Star Wars sculptures!).
Fans from Japan will also be featured on the Podcast Stage — “Cantina Japan” and “Ilanina” — and in fan booths with tables for the Japan Star Wars Modeling Alliance, Jedi Order Japan, Star Wars Mania Fan Club Japan, and Star Wars Nano Club (Star Nano).
On the Show Floor
The Anime & Manga Pavilion on the show floor celebrates Star Wars animation with a Japanese sensibility. Featuring Star Wars: Visions anthology displays, manga art, and a curated fan exhibit, this space offers a unique experience of these artistic mediums and more.
Limited-edition art prints are being offered in the Celebration Japan Artwork Show, several of which are by Japanese artists or influenced by Japanese design. These are all in addition to the striking set of 17 Celebration guest badges that feature Star Wars characters depicted in the traditional Japanese ukiyo-e style by artist TAKUMI.
