San Japan - Anime + Gaming Convention

Game Tournament Rules

Tournament Match Play Rules

● Choosing Sides: When both players are at the game console, they must come to an agreement which side of the machine they will play on (who will sit on 1p and who will sit on 2p). If an agreement cannot be reached, players shall follow the instructions provided by the Tournament Organizer on CPTOnline. For CPTOffline, a game of rock-paper-scissors will determine who gets to pick their side.

● Character Courtesy. If the players do not discuss the method of character selection, it should be understood that the Standard method is being used. If the players cannot come to an agreement on the method of character selection, the judge will apply the double blind method.

● Standard Selection: Both players choose their characters whenever they want. This is a free for all. Players pick who they want and go. Once either player chooses a character, neither is allowed to request that the Double Blind Selection method be used.

● Double Blind Selection: Either player must explicitly ask for the Double Blind Selection method before either player chooses a character. When a player request Double Blind, the player on the left side (1p) decides which character they will choose and whispers his/her selection to the Tournament Organizer. The Tournament Organizer then signals the player on the right (2p) to pick his/her character. Once the player on the right (2p) has finished, the Tournament Organizer makes sure the player on the left (1p) sticks to his/her original choice.

● Side and Character Courtesy: As a courtesy, the player who received his/her choice of which side to play on (1p vs 2p) can elect to choose his/her character first. This is strictly a courtesy. A player is in no way required to do so.

● Playing the Match: Once sides and characters have been chosen, the players should begin the first Game in the Match. The following rules go into effect once a Game ends:

● The Match is over when either player wins the required number of games.

● Once a player has won the required number of games, the winner of the Match should report the result to the Tournament Organizer.

● The player who won the game does not have the option of switching sides. He/she must stay on the same side if the loser does not want to switch.

● The player who won the last Game is required to keep the same character, however they can change their V-Trigger and V-Skill as long as their new V-Trigger and V-Skill choice is made before their opponent selects their own V-Trigger and V-Skill.

● The player who lost the last Game is allowed to choose whatever they wish when choosing character, V-Trigger and V-Skill.

● Reporting Rule Violations: At some point during the Tournament, a player may violate either the tournament rules or the rules for a particular game in a Tournament. The following rules apply toward rectifying rule violations.

● It is the responsibility of the players in the Match to detect all Match Rule violations and report them to the Tournament Organizer immediately.

● All non-gameplay rule violations must be reported to the Tournament Organizer before the Game starts (e.g. the Winner switching the characters after winning one Game in a Match).

● Players are not allowed to stop a Game in progress to address a non-gameplay related rule violation. Stopping a Game in progress to report a non-gameplay rule violation will result in the forfeiture the round on the part of the person stopping the game.

● The only time a player is allowed to stop a Game to report a rule violation is when that violation occurs during the middle of the match.

● Stopping a Game in progress to erroneously report a rule violation automatically results in the forfeiture of the round by the player who stopped the game.

● Rule violations must be reported at the time they occur. Otherwise, they will be ignored.

● A Tournament Organizer is allowed to report any rule violations on behalf of a player.

● If a Tournament Organizer stops a game to mis-report a rule violation, the Game is replayed with both players picking the same characters, order, and side. No one is disqualified.

● The only people allowed to stop a Game to report a violation are the Tournament Organizer and the players currently involved in a Match.

● Disputes

● If there is any dispute arising from an online tournament, players must submit a screenshot or share video footage to Blue Coast, the administrator of online tournaments (“Administrator”) for review.

● Administrator will resolve disputes on a case-by-case basis.

Controllers

● Players are allowed to use the controller of their preference.

● Use of macros, turbos, or any peripheral that tampers with standard game functionality is prohibited.

● Keyboard is allowed to use when the tournament is held on the Steam platform.

● The principle of controllers at CPT

● The Tournament will not limit cosmetic or functional controller customizations provided that fairness is maintained, with the determination regarding fairness to be made by The Tournament in its sole discretion. Additionally, we recognize that certain customizations may be required to allow players with disabilities to compete, and we allow such customizations. Permissible customization includes without limitation repositioning buttons and inputs, as well as the creation of custom controllers from scratch. However, any customization beyond the capabilities of a standard PS4 DUALSHOCK 4 is prohibited.

● When a Tournament Organizer determines that a player is using a controller that violates these Official Rules they each have the right to (1) immediately stop the use of any unauthorized controller(s), including without limitation during match competition, and (2) require that any player using an unauthorized controller immediately replace it with a controller that complies with applicable standards. In such an event, (3) the player will receive a verbal warning and explanation of the reason for the required replacement, and (4) the warning and explanation will be confirmed in writing within five (5) business days of the date the player is required to discontinue use of the unauthorized controller.

Customizing controllers

● Limited customization is permitted as long as fairness is maintained, therefore:

● The maximum number of attack command inputs allowed on any controller is eight (8), and the same command may not be assigned to multiple buttons. For example, a player cannot assign the same attack command to two (2) different controller buttons. When using a controller with more than eight (8) attack inputs, a player shall deactivate any inputs exceeding eight (8) prior to participating in any competition. The foregoing restrictions do not apply to L3 and R3 buttons on DUALSHOCK 4 as they are not attack inputs.

● The maximum amount of directional command input is four (4), and it is prohibited to put the same command into multiple buttons. For example, a player cannot assign the same directional command to two (2) different buttons.

● When assigning a directional command to a button, instead of a Directional Button on DUALSHOCK™, directional lever, or analog stick, it is called a move button. A controller can have both a move button and a lever simultaneously, however, the controller must give up the corresponding input on the lever. For example, if a player assigns the upward action to a move button, such a player must lose the upward input with the lever.

● A controller can have an analog stick along with Directional Buttons on DUALSHOCK™, a lever, or direction buttons. However, the inputs from directional actions with an analog stick must stay on analog. E.g. it is prohibited to convert the mechanical ability of analog sticks to levers or buttons.

● Players are not allowed to add a function that deletes or disables the input information for attack commands and/or directional commands. As a special exception, only the following specifications are allowed for Left/Right and Upward/Downward inputs.

● When both Right and Left directional keys are input at the same time, a controller must either maintain both of the inputs or abandon both.

● When both Upward and Downward directional keys are input at the same time, it is recommended that a controller either maintain both of the inputs or abandon both. However, as a revocable exception to the foregoing rule, a controller may take Upward directional input only when both Upward and Downward directional keys are input at the same time.

● The Tournament reserves the right to revoke/adjust this exception at any time in its sole discretion.

● Above rules will be applied to keyboards as well.

Definition of terms
● Lever – is the mechanical device that sends two statuses, “input” or “no input”, by tilting.

● Button – is the mechanical device that sends two statuses, “input” or “no input”, by depressing.

● Analog Stick – is the mechanical device that sends input status gradually by changing tilt angle.

● Machinery Ability/Machine Capability – the number of buttons or levers as well as the sensitivity of the analog stick.

● Input/Input System – includes buttons, levers, analog sticks, and keyboard keys. Additional input methods may be examined to meet players’ requirements. The Tournament is open to creating fair play environments for anybody.

● Attacking Action – an attack occurs with a single input on Street Fighter V. One controller could adopt a maximum of eight (8) attack actions including; Light-Punch, Medium-Punch, Heavy-Punch, Light-Kick, Medium-Kick, Heavy-Kick, Button Combo 1, Button Combo 2.

● shifting the analog stick, Directional Buttons on DUALSHOCK™, lever, or directional key to move characters, input Special Moves and/or Unique Attacks.

● Button Combo – a single input that performs multiple effects. Players may not set Button Combo beyond what is possible within the controller setting screen of Street Fighter V: Champion Edition. Thus the only eight (8) combinations permitted are set forth below:

● LP+LK, MP+MK, HP+HK, HP+MK, LP+MP, LK+MK, LP+MP+HP, LK+MK+HK

● For the avoidance of doubt, there is no exception for combining Attacking and Directional commands in a single input. If there are other unforeseen problems, the tournament organizers reserve the right to make a decision

● Reporting Equipment Failure: Video game hardware has a tendency to break down during tournaments. Buttons or joysticks will occasionally break down in the middle of a match, leaving the player on the broken side at a significant disadvantage. The following rules will be used in the event of a breakdown.

● In the event of an equipment failure, the player has the option to stop the Game in progress to obtain a replacement.

● If a Game is stopped in progress, the reporting player must forfeit the current round.

● New equipment must be immediately available. If replacement equipment cannot be obtained in a timely (within 5 mins of the notification) manner, the player must continue to play on their current equipment or forfeit the Match.

● Once replacement equipment is obtained, the player is given the rest of the round to configure their buttons and test the new equipment. In the event the Tournament Organizer determines that the affected player gained an undue advantage by doing so (e.g. charging an abundance of super meter), the Tournament Organizer may, in their discretion, require the player to forfeit the Game

● A player may opt to switch out equipment between Games at no penalty. When this occurs, the player will be given time (5 minutes) to configure his/her buttons before the next Game begins.

● Additional Rules

● There will be no Matches resulting in ties in any tournament. Anyone refusing to play any Match (including the finals) will be disqualified and forfeit all rights to any titles or prizes they might have otherwise earned for that tournament.

● A draw match as determined by the game must be replayed unless the game awards the draw to a player.

● Inevitable Defeat rule is in effect. This is defined as when a player has legally won the round or match (i.e., landed a move that will kill the opponent) but pauses the game before the game awards the round won icon, but will still be awarded the win. The most common occurrence of this rule is when Player 1 lands a Critical Art on Player 2, but the Critical Art animation is a grab and the damage isn’t awarded till the final hit connects, but the opponent has legally lost the round. If there is a dispute over whether the move would have knocked out the other player, a tournament official will unpause the match, see the result of the action, and proceed from there. If the attack does not kill the opponent, then the mid-game pause rules are in effect.

● Collusion of any kind with your competitors is considered cheating. If the Tournament Organizer determines that any competitor is colluding to manipulate the results or intentionally underperforming, the collaborating players may be immediately disqualified. This determination is to be made at the sole discretion of the Tournament Director. Anyone disqualified in this manner forfeits all rights to any titles or prizes they might have otherwise earned for that tournament.

● Tournament Organizer has a zero-tolerance policy toward violence, threats of violence, and any other forms of threats or intimidation. Any threat of violence, extreme intimidation, or violence of any kind will result in an immediate and lifetime ban.

● Gambling is prohibited in and/or around the event hall. Any player that gambles on the property will be immediately ejected from the tournament and may be banned.

● No-shows and or late arrivals will be sent to the loser’s bracket and eventually disqualified if the issue persists.

● Players are subject to disqualification in case of foul play or any hindrance to the tournament at the Administrator’s discretion.

● Additional rules may be imposed from time to time by the Tournament Organizer for each Tournament. All players are required to comply with any additional rules provided by the Tournament Organizer that are not part of the Official Rules.

● These rules are an attempt to ensure that the tournament runs fairly and as smoothly as possible. However, unforeseen circumstances may require a special response, and for that reason the Tournament Organizer reserves the right to change any of the tournament rules or remove any player at any time, for any reason, at their sole discretion.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate:

– Style: Stocks Stock: 3
– Time Limit: 7
– FS Meter: Off
– Spirits: Off
– Damage Handicap: Off
– Stage Selection: Anyone
– Items: Off
– Random Stage Selection (Optional)

Stage Starters:

– Pokemon Stadium 2
– Battlefield
– Final Destination
– Smashville Town and City

Stage Counterpicks:

– Small Battlefield
– Hollow Bastion
– Northern Cave

Advance:

– First to 2 Win
– First to 3 wins (Top 8)
– Stage Morph: Off
– Stage Hazards: Off
– Team Attack: On
– Launch Rate: 1.0x
– Underdog Boost: Off
– Pausing: Off
– Scoring Display: Off
– Show Damage: Yes
– Players may agree to play on any legal stage at any point in the set. Having a “gentleman’s agreement” to play on an illegal stage is prohibited.

Match Procedure:

– Verify Ruleset
– Make sure the ruleset is the same as listed above
– Starter Stage Striking Decide who goes first. (This can be done through Rock-Paper-Scissors.)
– The first player removes 1 stage from the Starter Stage list.
– The second player removes 2 stages from the remaining list.
– The first player chooses a stage from the remaining list to start on.

Character Selection:

– Players select their characters
– Players may opt to do a Double-Blind Pick with the help of another person. (Players will tell this person their selection in secret, and the person will verify it at the Character Select Screen.)
– Players start the first match.
– After a Game Concludes All stages listed are available and the strikes are reset.
– The winner of that game strikes 2 stages from the complete stage list.
– The loser of that game chooses from the remaining stages that the winner did not strike.
– Stage Clause is in effect.
* See Stage Rules.
– The winner must announce if he or she is changing character.
– The loser may change character.
– Players proceed to play on the chosen stage.

Controllers Guide:

– Nintendo Gamecube Controller, Switch Pro Controller (Wireless or Wired), Joy-Con (s).

Rules for Wireless Controllers:

– Please de-sync and unpair your controller from the Switch before leaving the setup.
– Controllers may re-enable and disrupt the menu screen and waste time.
– Using the in-game Disconnect button works to an extent but does not unpair.
– To unpair, hold down the controller’s sync button for 2 or more seconds.
– Extensive disruption may lead to disqualification at the TO’s discretion.

Situational Rules:

– Button-Checking Before the set starts, a player may request a 30-second button check to verify all inputs are registering correctly.
– Please do not take any longer than the time given.
– Incorrect Controller Setup (Player Name) This must be realized within 30 seconds for the player to reset the match and correct the name, otherwise, the player must play the rest of the current game out.
– Accidental Pausing In the case Pausing was left on, the player initiating the cause will forfeit stock that the player is currently on.
– Stalling The act of deliberately using methods that player-to-player interaction nearly impossible so that the game is unplayable is prohibited.
– The player participating in this will be subject to forfeiting the current game at the discretion of the TO.
– Coaching Coaching mid-set is only allowed between games.
– Coaching in the middle of a game and the audience yelling out influential advice is not allowed.
– Example: “Do a forward smash!” / “Watch out for his down-air!”
– A three-infraction system will be used.
– 1st Offense: All parties participating in the coaching will receive a verbal warning.
– 2nd Offense: The player will forfeit the current game of the set.
– 3rd Offense: The player will be disqualified from the event and the coach will be asked to leave the venue.
– Timeouts Sudden Death is not played out.
– Winner is determined by the most stocks, then the lowest damage percentage.
– If a tie still exists, then a 1-stock 3-minute tiebreaker is played.
– Self-Destruct Moves Winner is determined by the winner displayed on the results screen.
– If Sudden Death occurs, it is not played out and a 1-stock 3-minute tiebreaker is played.

Misconfiguration of Rulesets:

– If games in a set were completed using the wrong settings (i.e. Launch Rate 1.1x), the score will still be counted and no resets offered.
– If it was discovered in the middle of a game, the current game will be reset and replayed on the correct settings.
– Please verify the settings before starting the set.

DNF Duel

1. DOUBLE ELIMINATION
2. DEFAULT SETTINGS
3. 2/3 ROUNDS PER GAME
4. 2/3 GAMES PER SET
5. 3/5 GAMES FOR LOSERS & WINNERS FINALS
6. 3/5 GAMES FOR GRAND FINALS
7. WINNER MUST KEEP CHARACTERS
8. LOSER MAY SWITCH CHARACTERS
9. RANDOM STAGE SELECT

Dragon Ball Fighter Z

Rules pulled from: Dragon Ball FighterZ World Championship Tournaments Rules and Regulations

First to 3 wins thru all rounds of play
● Double Elimination Bracket
● Match Settings: 300 seconds.
● Stage: Random (a stage may be chosen if both players agree to it)
● Winner must keep the character
● Loser may switch character
● Control Setting: any controller function such as rapid pressing (turbo) or hardware-based macros are not allowed during the Tournament.

Guilty Gear: Strive

Tournament Format Details
● Mode: 1on1
● Random player seeding
● Tournament system: Double Elimination

Mortal Kombat 1

THE TOURNAMENT FORMAT

• Tournaments will be either Single or Double Elimination, pending the number of participants
• Each match will be the Best-of-3 Games

MATCH HOST
• The match host must be agreed upon by all the participants involved in each match. It is encouraged that the
host has the best internet connection available. We want to limit the lag/ping rates if possible.

CHARACTER SELECTION
• The winning player, of the preceding match, will choose their character first, for the upcoming round
• The losing player, of the preceding match, will choose their character last, for the upcoming round

IN-GAME SETTING
• Game Timer: 90 seconds
• Tournament Mode Default Options
• Arena Select: Off
• Interactable: On
• Variations: Tournament Mode Variations

Tekken 8

Follow the same rules as Tekken World Tour
Double Elimination
Game Setting: 99 seconds, 2/3 Rounds
Double Elimination Bracket. 2/3 games until the top 8. For the top 8, 3/5 games.

Mario Kart Deluxe 8 Rules:

– Solos
– Players will compete in Heats, with the Top 2 advancing to the next heat.
– Doubles loss elimination
– Rock Paper Scissors, winner Veto’s 2 Circuits. The loser then Veto’s 3 Circuits. The winner then selects the Circuit they will be using.
– 200cc
– No CPU

Artist Alley Rules and Regulations

2025 Edition

ARTIST ALLEY RULES AND REGULATIONS 2025 EDITION

Location: The Artist Alley will be at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center within Exhibit Hall 1 from Friday, August 29th, 2025, to Sunday, August 31st, 2025.

Tables and Rates: The Artist Alley will consist of upward of 260 6’x 30″ tables released to the general public. The sale of these tables will be done using a lottery system. Sign-up will take place on April 12th, 2025. San Japan will use guidelines to determine who will be approved and offered an artist table after the lottery. San Japan reserves the right to change the number of tables for guests, and complimentary tables are given at their discretion. To guarantee a table in the Artist Alley, artists must be selected, approved, and invoiced for a table. There is no waiting list for artists. Tables may only be purchased by full-table increments.

Rates for Artist Alley will be $275 + service fee for a full six ′ table, including ONE (1) Artist Alley convention badge. The Artist Alley badge will have the same access as an attendee. Individual Artists & Groups are limited to one complete table. Artists who wish to share tables should register as a group. Registration for an Artist Alley table includes one convention membership or admission. Any additional Artist Alley badge will be $90 until August 1st, then $100 at the convention only, with a maximum purchase of up to 3 additional Artist Alley badges total per table.

Two chairs will be provided for each table. Additional chairs will be provided based on the number of Artist Alley badges purchased for the table. San Japan will not offer additional chairs on request beyond the number of Artist Alley badges purchased for a table. Only a maximum of four chairs will be allocated per artist’s table.

Electricity and Wi-Fi services will not be offered to Artists in the Artist Alley section in San Japan. San Japan nor the Convention Center will provide tablecloths. Artists must accommodate the internet and backup power source at their assigned table.

Artists may share a table with only one additional Artist. All artists at a table must provide validated Texas Sales Tax ID paperwork in person upon check-in. Artists found sharing a table without pre-approval will have their convention badges confiscated and removed from Artist Alley. A written violation will be issued to the purchaser of the Artist table.

Artists who purchase a table from San Japan must be at least 18 years old or older to buy a table. If the Artist is a minor, then the table may be purchased by a parent or guardian. The parent or guardian must always be present with the minor in Artist Alley. The parent or guardian must be the one who checks into Artist Alley. We will no longer allow minors under 18 to check into Artist Alley for their assigned table.

An Artist may only purchase one full increment six-foot table. Artists cannot buy a table within Artist Alley or a vendor booth within the Dealer’s Room. A circumvention of attempting to buy a second table will result in a refund of the second table and, at the discretion of the San Japan Artist Alley Department, may also forfeit the original table. Circumventing purchasing a second table using a DBA “Does Business As”) will result in a refund and a permanent ban from all future San Japan conventions. Artists who issue a chargeback for a refund will be issued a lifetime ban from San Japan.

Artists or groups who have been issued notices written in person or by email not to return to San Japan due to rules violation but still attempt to purchase a table will be refunded. Circumventing the notice using a DBA and appearing in San Japan will result in a forfeit payment. San Antonio Police will escort it off the premises. Any escorted artist who has been removed from the convention by the San Antonio Police and makes another appearance in San Japan will be arrested for trespassing.

Artists will not be permitted to move the tables with another artist to create two artist tables to sell items. Joint tables will not be allowed even if the cooperating artists sell their wares on purchased tables. The tables must be individually separated. Artists who attempt to circumvent this by asking for a table request to be next to each other and then setting up connecting displays will be removed from Artist Alley at the discretion of San Japan Artist Alley and be banned from all future San Japan conventions. All displays at a San Japan Artist Alley must be freestanding within its six-foot space and may not connect to any neighbor table. Poles or clips that attach to a neighboring table will not be allowed. Backdrops may not be jointly connected behind two tables. Artists caught with jointly connected backdrops will be asked to take it down, reduce it to one six ′ table, or remove the Artist from the convention without refund.

A limited number of tables may be made available for sale on Saturday, August 29th, at 10:00 AM for any tables that have not been filled or checked in. San Japan can not guarantee the availability of additional tables. These onsite tables will cost $175 and will not include any Artist Alley badge. The Artist or Convention badge must be purchased separately. A valid Texas Sales Tax ID will be required to buy these tables onsite. The purchaser on an onsite table will still be required to adhere and sign to the terms listed in this contract.

Reserving a Table: Once tables are available, a notice will be posted on the San Japan website and social networks. Tables will be available on the evening of April 12th, 2025. Once all tables have been purchased, a waiting list will not be enacted. Refunded tables will not be put up for sale.

Hours of Operation: Artists may occupy their tables to sell their wares from 11:00 AM on Friday, August 29th, 2025, until 5:00 PM on Sunday, August 31st, 2025. Artist Alley will close at 9:00 PM on Friday and Saturday of the current convention. Artists must remove all their material from the Artist Alley by 6:00 PM on Sunday, August 31st, 2025. Anything left behind will be thrown out or become the property of San Japan. San Japan reserves the right to change the hours of operation.

Artist Alley Check-In: Artists must check in with the Artist Alley Coordinator before setting up their tables in the Artist Alley. Artists may check in at 6:00 pm on Thursday, August 28th, 2025. Tables will be assigned to artists before their arrival. Artists who fail to check in by Saturday, August 30th, 2025, after 10:00 AM of the convention will forfeit their tables. Forfeited tables will not be refunded and may be used as the Artist Alley Coordinator sees fit.

The Artist Alley Check-In times will be open on Thursday, August 28th, 2025, at 6:00 PM Central. Artists who arrive before then are not allowed to set up at their assigned table until they have been checked in. Artists who attempt to set up before 6:00 PM will be escorted from San Japan to the Convention Center premises. Still, they will not be allowed back until the Artist Alley department properly checks them in.

Artists will be issued their convention badges upon check-in. This badge must be visible at all times. Sharing convention badges is not allowed, and if caught, you will risk having your badge revoked.

Only the purchaser of the Artist table may check in to an assigned table. If an artist wants a third party to check in, they may do so if they have the original Tax ID paperwork. If a third party checks in, they may only sell the original artist’s artwork and are forbidden to sell it unless they submit a split table with a verified Texas sales tax ID.

Artists who check in must show a government-issued photo ID or Texas ID to receive their badges and assignments. The only acceptable forms of Tax ID are the Actual ID issued by the Texas Comptroller’s office or a photocopy of the issued tax ID.

Artists must load in using the Exhibit Hall Loading Dock on I37 Service Road. No exceptions will be made. The artists will be redirected to the proper loading area.

Cancellations: Artists have until July 25th, 2025, to cancel any table reservations or pre-ordered badges to receive a refund. Table cancellations received after July 25th, 2025, will not be refunded with any exceptions, including medical, weather, or catastrophic reasons. This includes the inability to contact San Japan. To cancel a table, a request with the original table purchase confirmation must be sent in and approved by Artist Alley using the San Japan website contact form. We must get the original confirmation email with a notice of canceling the table.

Artists Alley Table and Display Regulations: Artists cannot move their tables with another table to create two tables to sell items. Artists may not have displayed over ten ′ high from the top of the table. Artists may not use convention center property or structures for display or signage. Artists may not rearrange a table to extend their display beyond the six ′ allocated to their table. Table extensions will be strictly forbidden and will be shut down if caught. San Japan will allow pop-ups, back drapes, or signage behind the Artist tables. Back drapes must be within the six ′ assigned tables and may not overlap with an additional artist table. Grid Wall to form a walk-in mini-store or boutique is strictly forbidden. Grid Wall may only be used behind the table. Displays may not extend beyond the allotted table space of 6 feet, even if a neighboring table is vacant or there is an opening to allow artists to enter and exit. Artists cannot use personal table(s) to extend beyond 5 feet of their allocated space.

The area behind the table is approximately five feet. Personal and business belongings must remain in the designated table areas for safety. Belongings must not block entrances to Artist table areas. Artists with items blocking walkways will be asked to move the items. An artist’s belongings may not cross into another assigned space. Failure to comply will result in a written warning of contract violation and require changes. This will be a one-strike policy; if you are caught again, San Japan will permanently ban you.

Artists may not display their work on another artist’s table. All art pieces are limited to the artist’s respective table. The only exceptions are limited to approved table sharing, for which the Artist must fill out a form. Artist table-sharing submissions must be in by August 1st, 2025. Any artist who contacts San Japan after August 1st on table sharing will be denied.

Artists may not sell art by proxy for another artist who was not approved or cannot attend San Japan. All artwork on display or for sale must have been created by the artist t(s) who purchased the artist’s table or jointly split the table. Even if the outside Artist approves the proxy sale, we will not allow it to be sold in San Japan. Collaborations of an outside artist attempting to sell artwork will have the seller removed from the convention with a ban issued, and the agreed collaboration will be banned. Any artist who attempts circumvention will be issued a lifetime ban.

Any table split must provide a valid Texas Sales Tax ID. The table purchaser may send a representative to sell if they cannot appear in San Japan. The representative may check in with a copy of the purchaser’s Sales Tax ID. The representative may only sell the artwork of the original purchaser. The representative is forbidden to sell their artwork within San Japan if they do not provide their Texas Sales Tax ID and submit a table split request. Artists caught selling by proxy for multiple artists (2 or more non-approved artists) who are not in attendance will be placed on a lifetime ban list, even if the Artist was permitted to collaborate.

Music at tables is permitted for personal use only and may not be used to attract customers. If San Japan receives a noise complaint that the music is too loud, it reserves the right to turn it off, which will be permanent for the rest of the convention. Non-compliance will have further ramifications; failure to comply with more than two warnings will result in the removal from Artist Alley and the forfeiture of all fees with no refund.

Artist Sales: Artists caught selling merchandise outside of Artist Alley will have their convention badges confiscated and then be ejected from San Japan without a refund. Artists caught selling their artwork at multiple tables will be issued a lifetime ban.

Artists may only be allowed to sell original fan/artwork or similar art services to the public. Fan art must not be an exact replication of a drawing, sculpture, plushie, etc., from a published anime, drawing, promotional material, digital media, manga, video game, or another form of licensed media. Stickers, buttons, engraved items, and any other tangible item sold with infringing company logos, trademarked symbols, signature poses, or character recreations without evident artist deviation and copyright icons will not be tolerated in the Artist Alley. Due to heavy disregard for tracing, poor modification, and lifting, pearler art, copyright cut-outs, and the splatter art style are barred within San Japan. Replica/duplicate of character design with Pearler sprite art will be considered tracing, which is not allowed. Artists are prohibited from selling retail and food items. This includes retail items that have been modified by less than 80%. Items may be inspected on-site by the Artist Alley department to ensure they comply with reasonable modifications. Modifications can not include removing, cutting, or reprinting a product directly from copyrighted printed media to place it on tangible, sellable items.

AI-generated artwork in which the Artist can not prove that they created the piece with standard artist programs or tools will have the Artist evicted without a refund. San Japan will be taking a zero-tolerance, zero-excuses policy on AI-generated artwork. San Japan will remove the Artist from the premises for one AI-generated piece, even if the Artist created the rest of the portfolio.

San Japan Artist Alley reasonably expects artists to be the original creators of the items for sale. Booths found to have most products for sale at the table in San Japan and are directly available without modification on Aliexpress, Temu, or other overseas mass-produced marketplaces will be asked to leave the premises.

Artists may not use copyright, brand names, or trademark names of anime series names on the products sold or apply the copyright/trademark names to their merchandise.

Artists must check the IDs of any attendee when selling any adult artwork. All artwork of an adult nature must be placed discretely and cannot be visible to the public. Artists will be responsible for checking if the buyer is at least 18 years old by checking for their legal government-issued ID. The failure to check for ID will be removed from Artist Alley. Any artists caught selling adult artwork to attendees under 18 will be immediately expelled, and no refunds will be given.

On-site industry representatives of an anime distribution company may issue a verbal grievance on any item sold in Artist Alley at their own decision if it is viewed as a potential copyright or trademark violation. San Japan will then issue a written warning notice. The Artist must immediately comply, make necessary corrections, have it taken down from display, end all sales, and then have the items in question removed from the premises during the duration of San Japan. Artists who become confrontational on this decision or do not comply will be ejected from San Japan.

The state of Texas considers for-profit raffles a form of gambling (Reference) and, therefore, prohibits them. Only charity raffles may be held, and the Artist must provide the proper 501(c) non-profit and be approved by San Japan before the convention. Non-approved raffles will not be allowed on-site.

Attempting to circumvent additional sales of infringing items after being given a written notice will result in an immediate ejection from the convention.

Volunteers: A limited number of volunteers will be onsite throughout the convention, providing water and assistance. They will wear a San Japan-issued volunteer badge, and some may wear identifying shirts.

Volunteers act as liaisons of the San Japan Artist Alley and will enforce this Artist Alley contract. Upon notification of a spot of a rule violation, volunteers will apply for enforcement on behalf of the Artist Alley contract. The severity of the infraction may cause a removal from the convention without any appeal allowed. There is no on-site mediation to counter disputes. All decisions by authorized San Japan officials will be final and upheld by San Japan’s upper management.

Volunteers may watch over an artist’s table for situations such as bathroom breaks for no longer than 10 minutes. If an Artist does not return to their table within 10 minutes, the volunteer will leave and continue with other volunteer-related duties. The artists are responsible for finding someone to look after their table should they need to go for more than the allotted time. San Japan will not be responsible for any shrinkage or loss incurred when the Artist steps away from their table.

Volunteers will not be available to aid in the Artist load-in or load-out for any reason. Artists will be responsible for arranging their own assistance before arriving in San Japan.

Exceptions Fee: Any artist who requests an exception after missing a posted deadline and giving multiple sufficient updates on cut-off dates who ask for an ‘exception’ ‘will be charged a $100 fee. This rate will be applied to the invoice. The fee must be paid before executing an exception.

Promotional Rights: The Artist grants San Japan the right to list the Artist’s name in our advertising, in all publications, and on our website and link to the artist’s website. San Japan grants the same reciprocal right to the Artist.

Prints: There is no limit on the number of prints sold in San Japan. A limit may be put in place if a copyright holder deems that the sale of a print has become excessive. Prints must not be replicas or tracings from any manga or anime series.

Notice of Violation and Disciplinary Measures: If an Artist is found to violate the San Japan Artist Alley contract, they will be issued a written warning instructing them to correct the violation depending on the offense. Artists must correct the violation immediately to comply with the Artist Alley contract. Depending on the violation, the time allotment may be increased. The Artist must comply with the designated time limit in such cases. Failure to correct a breach immediately, within the specified time limit, or a repeat of a previous violation will result in confiscating the badge(s) and forfeiting the Artist’s table without a refund.

A zero-tolerance policy will be in place for violations. Suppose an Artist is found to be in violation a second time, regardless of whether they corrected the previous violations. In that case, they will confiscate their badges, and their tables will be forfeited without a refund. Depending on the severity of the violation(s), San Japan reserves the right to ban the Artist from selling in the San Japan Artist Alley and Dealer’s for future San Japan events. The length and permanence of the ban will be determined at the time of issuance.

Security: Artists are responsible for securing their works and materials when not at their tables. San Japan is not responsible for the loss or damage to the material and works of Artists.

Taxation: At the convention location in downtown San Antonio, the applicable state sales tax rate is 8.25%. Artists are responsible for paying state sales tax and keeping proper records. All artists must have the appropriate paperwork arranged with the Texas Comptroller’s Office when tables go up for sale at San Japan. Upon check-in at San Japan for their Artist Alley table, the Artist must show the appropriate paperwork to obtain a Texas sales tax ID. San Japan will not allow any artist to set up within the convention without showing the proper verification of a Texas Sales Tax ID in person as per state law.

When applying for an Artist Table, the Texas Sales Tax ID must be a valid and active Texas ID number. The Texas Comptroller’s Office website will verify all sales tax IDs. If the Texas ID number is listed as INACTIVE or INVALID, the Artist’s application will be denied. San Japan will not contact the Artist about their invalid Sales Tax ID. Once a refund has been issued upon request for a table, the Artist will not have another opportunity to purchase another table for the convention year.

Incorporation of Rules and Regulations: Any matters about Artist Alley that are not explicitly covered by the terms and conditions of this contract shall be subject to determination by San Japan in its sole discretion. San Japan may adopt rules or regulations from time to time governing such matters and may amend or revoke them at any time, upon reasonable notice to the Artist.

Any such rules and regulations are an integral part of this contract. They are incorporated herein by reference and shall have full force and effect as if such laws and regulations are fully set forth herein. Artists shall observe and abide by additional regulations made by Artist Alley as soon as these additional rules or regulations are communicated to the Artist. This contract states the entire agreement between the parties concerning the subject matter.

Indemnification: The Artist indemnifies and agrees to hold San Japan and any members, officers, directors, staff, and employees blameless for any damages caused by the Artist or his/her property, agents, representatives, employees, or consultants. The Artist further agrees to hold San Japan and any members, officers, directors, staff, and employees blameless in case of the Artist’s theft.

Contacts: Any questions or concerns can be directed to the Artist Alley Coordinator using the contact form or sent to artist@san-japan.org.

Indie Artist Artist Alley Rules and Regulations

2025 Edition

San Japan Indie Artist Contract 2025

Location: The Artist Alley will be at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center within Exhibit Hall 1 from Friday, August 29th, 2025, to Sunday, August 31st, 2025.

Tables and Rates: The Artist Alley will consist of upward of 12 10’ x 10’ booths released to the general public. A jury system will sell these tables. Sign-up will take place on May 15th, 2025. San Japan will use guidelines to determine who will be approved and offered an artist space after sign-up. San Japan reserves the right to change the number of tables for guests and complimentary tables given at the convention’s discretion. To guarantee a table in the Artist Alley, artists must be selected, approved, and invoiced for a table. There is no waiting list for artists. Tables may only be purchased by full-table increments.

Rates for Artist Alley will be $475 + tax + service fee for a full ten x ten with ONE 8-foot table and will include THREE (3) Artist Alley convention badges. The Artist Alley badge will have the same access as an attendee’s. Individual Artists and groups are limited to one complete table. No additional passes will be sold for this section.

Three chairs will be provided for each table. San Japan will not offer additional chairs on request beyond the number of Artist Alley badges purchased for a table. Only a maximum of three chairs will be allocated per artist’s table.

Electricity and Wi-Fi services will not be offered in San Japan to Artists located in the Artist Alley section, and neither San Japan nor the Convention Center will provide tablecloths. Artists must accommodate their internet and backup power sources at their assigned table.

Indie Artists may not share a table with an additional artist. Artists found sharing a table without pre-approval will have their convention badges confiscated and removed from Artist Alley. A written violation will be issued to the purchaser of the artist’s table.

Artists purchasing a table from San Japan must be 18 or older. If the Artist is a minor, a parent or guardian may purchase the table. The parent or guardian must always be present with the minor in Artist Alley and must be the one who checks into Artist Alley. We will no longer allow minors under 18 to check into Artist Alley for their assigned table.

An Artist may only purchase one full increment eight-foot table in a ten feet by ten feet space. Artists cannot buy a table within Artist Alley or a vendor booth within the Dealer’s Room. A circumvention of attempting to buy a second table will result in a refund of the second table and, at the discretion of the San Japan Artist Alley Department, may also forfeit the original table. Circumventing purchasing a second table using a DBA (“Does Business As“) will result in a refund and a permanent ban from all future San Japan conventions. Artists who issue a chargeback for a refund will be issued a lifetime ban from San Japan.

Artists or groups who have been issued notices written in person or by e-mail not to return to San Japan due to rules violation but still attempt to purchase a table will be refunded. Circumventing the notice using a DBA and appearing in San Japan will result in a forfeit payment. San Antonio Police will escort it off the premises. Any escorted artist who has been removed from the convention by the San Antonio Police and makes another appearance in San Japan will be arrested for trespassing.

Artists will not be permitted to move the tables with another artist to create two artist tables to sell items. Joint tables will not be allowed even if the cooperating artists sell their wares on purchased tables. The tables must be individually separated. Artists who attempt to circumvent this by asking for a table request to be next to each other and then setting up connecting displays will be removed from Artist Alley at the discretion of San Japan Artist Alley and be banned from all future San Japan conventions. All displays at a San Japan Artist Alley must be freestanding within its ten-foot space and may not connect to any neighbor table. Poles or clips that attach to a neighboring table will not be allowed. Backdrops may not be jointly connected behind two tables. Artists caught with jointly connected backdrops will be asked to take it down, reduce it to one eight-foot table, or remove the artist from the convention without a refund.

Reserving a Table: A notice will be posted on the San Japan website and social networks once tables are available. Tables will be made available on the evening of May 15th, 2025. Once all tables have been purchased, a waiting list will not be enacted, and refunded tables will not be put up for sale.

Hours of Operation: Artists may occupy their tables to sell their wares from 10:00 AM on Friday, August 29th, 2025, until 5:00 PM on Sunday, August 31st, 2025. Artist Alley will close at 8:00 PM on Friday and Saturday of the current convention. Artists must remove all their material from the Artist Alley by 6:00 PM on Sunday, August 31st, 2025. Anything left behind will be thrown out or become the property of San Japan. San Japan reserves the right to change the hours of operation.

Artist Alley Check-In: Artists must check in with the Artist Alley Coordinator before setting up their tables in the Artist Alley. Artists may check in at 6:00 pm on Thursday, August 29th, 2025. Tables will be assigned to artists before their arrival. Artists who fail to check in by Saturday, August 30th, 2025, after 10:00 AM of the convention will forfeit their tables. Forfeited tables will not be refunded and may be used as the Artist Alley Coordinator sees fit.

The Artist Alley Check-In times will be open on Thursday, August 28th, 2025, at 6:00 PM Central. Artists who arrive before then are not allowed to set up at their assigned table until they have been checked in. Artists who attempt to set up before 6:00 PM will be escorted from San Japan to the Convention Center premises, and they will not be allowed back until the Artist Alley department has properly checked them in.

Only the purchaser of the Artist table may check in to an assigned table. If an artist wants a third-party check, they may do so if they have the original Tax ID paperwork. If a third party checks in, they may only sell the original artist’s artwork and are forbidden to sell it unless they submit a split table with a verified Texas sales tax ID.

Artists who check in must show a government-issued photo ID and a Tax ID to receive their badges and assignments. The only acceptable forms of Tax ID will be the Actual ID issued by the Texas Comptroller’s office or a photocopy of the issued tax ID.

Artists must use the Exhibit Hall Loading Dock on I37 Service Road. No exceptions will be made. The artists will be redirected to the proper loading area.

Artists’ Alley Table and Display Regulations: Artists cannot move their tables with another table to create two tables to sell items. Artists may not have displayed over ten ′ high from the top of the table. Artists may not use convention center property or structures for display or signage. Artists may not rearrange a table to extend their display beyond the ten feet allocated. Table extensions will be strictly forbidden and will be shut down if caught. San Japan will allow pop-ups, back drapes, or signage behind the Artist tables. Back drapes must be within ten feet of the assigned table and may not overlap with an additional artist’s table. Grid Wall to form a walk-in mini-store or boutique is strictly forbidden. Grid Wall may only be used behind the table. Displays may not extend beyond the allotted table space of 6 feet, even if a neighboring table is vacant or there is an opening to allow artists to enter and exit. Artists cannot use personal table(s) to extend beyond 5 feet of their allocated space.

The area behind the table is approximately five feet. Personal and business belongings must remain in the designated table areas for safety reasons. Belongings must not block entrances to Artist table areas. Artists with items blocking walkways will be asked to move the items. An artist’s belongings may not cross into another assigned space. Failure to comply will result in a written warning of contract violation and require changes. This will be a one-strike policy; if you are caught again, San Japan will permanently ban you.

Artists may not display their work on another artist’s table. All art pieces are limited to the artist’s respective table. The only exceptions are approved table sharing, which the Artist must fill out within their application. Artist table-sharing submissions must be in by August 1st, 2025. Any artist who contacts San Japan after August 1st regarding table sharing will be denied.

Artists may not sell art by proxy for another artist who was not approved or cannot attend San Japan. All artist work on display or for sale must have been created by the artist(s) who has purchased the Artist’s table or jointly split the table. Even if the outside artist approves the proxy sale, we will not allow it to be sold in San Japan. Collaborations of an outside artist attempting to sell artwork will have the seller removed from the convention with a ban issued, and the agreed collaboration will be banned. Any artist who attempts circumvention will be issued a lifetime ban.

Music at tables is permitted for personal use only and may not be used to attract customers. If San Japan receives a noise complaint that the music is too loud, it reserves the right to turn it off, which will be permanent for the rest of the convention. Non-compliance will have further ramifications; failure to comply with more than two warnings will result in removal from Artist Alley and the forfeiture of all fees, with no refund.

Artist Sales: Artists caught selling merchandise outside of Artist Alley will have their convention badges confiscated and then be ejected from San Japan without a refund. Artists caught selling their artwork at multiple tables will be issued a lifetime ban.

Indie Artists may only be allowed to sell original artwork or similar media services to the public. Fan art is not permitted in the Indie Artist Section. The indie artist must own and create all creations for sale as their IP. Exact replication of a drawing, sculpture, plushie, etc., from a published anime, drawing, promotional material, digital media, manga, video game, or another form of licensed media is not allowed. Stickers, buttons, engraved items, and any other tangible item sold with infringing company logos, trademarked symbols, signature poses, or character recreation will not be tolerated in the Indie Artist Section of Artist Alley. Due to heavy disregard for tracing, poor modification, and lifting, pearler art, copyright cut-outs, and the splatter art style are barred within San Japan. Replica/duplicate of character design with Pearler sprite art will be considered tracing, which is not allowed. Artists are prohibited from selling retail and food items. This includes retail items that have been modified by less than 80%. Items may be inspected on-site by the Artist Alley department to ensure they comply with reasonable modifications. Modifications can not include removing, cutting, or reprinting a product directly from copyrighted printed media to place it on tangible, sellable items.

AI-generated artwork in which the artist can not prove that they created the piece with standard artist programs or tools will have the artist evicted without a refund. San Japan will be taking a zero-tolerance, zero-excuses policy on AI-generated artwork. San Japan will remove the artist from the premises for one AI-generated piece even if the artist created the rest of the portfolio.

San Japan Artist Alley reasonably expects artists to be the original creators of the items for sale. Booths found to have most products for sale at the San Japan table that are directly available without modification on Aliexpress, Temu, or other overseas mass-produced marketplaces will be asked to leave the premises.

Artists may not use the copyright, brand names, or trademark names of anime series on the products sold or apply the copyright/trademark names to their merchandise.

The state of Texas considers for-profit raffles a form of gambling (Reference) and, therefore, prohibits them. Only charity raffles may be held, and the Artist must provide the proper 501(c) paperwork and be approved by San Japan before the convention. Non-approved raffles will not be allowed on-site.

Attempting to circumvent additional sales of infringing items after being given a written notice will result in an immediate ejection from the convention.

Volunteers: A limited number of volunteers will be on-site throughout the convention, providing water and assistance. They will wear a San Japan-issued volunteer badge; some may wear identifying shirts.

Volunteers may watch over an Artist’s table for situations such as bathroom breaks for no longer than 10 minutes. If an Artist does not return to their table within 10 minutes, the volunteer will leave and continue with other volunteer-related duties. The artist is responsible for finding someone to look after their table should they need to go for more than the allotted time. San Japan will not be responsible for any shrink or loss incurred when the Artist has stepped away from their table.

Volunteers will not be available to aid the Artist’s load-in or load-out. Artists will be responsible for arranging their own assistance before arriving in San Japan.

Exceptions Fee: Any artist who requests an exception after missing a posted deadline and giving multiple sufficient updates on cut-off dates who ask for an ‘exception’ will be charged a $100 fee. This rate will be applied to the invoice. The fee must be paid before executing an exception.

Promotional Rights: The artist grants San Japan the right to list the Artist’s name in our advertising, in all publications, and on our website and link to the Artist’s website. San Japan grants the same reciprocal right to the Artist.

Notice of Violation and Disciplinary Measures: If an Artist is found to violate the San Japan Artist Alley contract, they will be issued a written warning instructing them to correct the violation depending on the offense. Artists must correct the violation immediately to comply with the Artist Alley contract. Depending on the violation, the time allotment may be increased. In such cases, the Artist must comply with the designated time limit. Failure to correct a breach immediately, within the designated time limit, or a repeat of a previous violation will result in confiscating the badge(s) and forfeiting the Artist’s table without a refund.

A zero-tolerance policy will be in place for certain violations. Suppose an Artist is found to be in violation a second time, regardless of whether they corrected the previous violations. In that case, their badges will be confiscated, and their tables will be forfeited without a refund. Depending on the severity of the violation(s), San Japan reserves the right to ban the Artist from selling in the San Japan Artist Alley and/or Dealer’s Room for future San Japan events. The length and permanence of the ban will be determined at the time of issuance.

Gross violations, such as AI artwork for sale and art theft, will remove the artist from the convention without written notice.

Security: Artists are responsible for securing their works and materials when not at their tables. San Japan is not responsible for the loss or damage to the material and works of Artists.

Taxation: At the convention location in downtown San Antonio, the applicable state sales tax rate is 8.25%. Artists are responsible for paying state sales tax and keeping proper records. All artists must have the appropriate paperwork arranged with the Texas Comptroller’s Office when tables go up for sale at San Japan. Upon check-in at San Japan for their Artist Alley table, the artist must show the proper paperwork to obtain a Texas Sales Tax ID. San Japan will not allow any artist to set up within the convention without showing the appropriate verification of a Texas Sales Tax ID in person as per state law.

When applying for an Artist Table, the Texas Sales Tax ID must be a valid and active Texas ID number. The Texas Comptroller’s Office website will verify all sales tax IDs. If the Texas ID number is listed as INACTIVE or INVALID, the Artist’s application will be denied. San Japan will not contact the artist about their invalid Sales Tax ID. Once a refund has been issued upon request for a table, the artist will not have another opportunity to purchase another table for the convention year.

Any such rules and regulations are an integral part of this contract, are incorporated herein by reference, and shall have the full force and effect as if such laws and regulations were fully set forth herein. Artists shall observe and abide by additional regulations by Artist Alley as soon as they are communicated. This contract states the entire agreement between the parties concerning the subject matter.

Indemnification: The artist indemnifies and agrees to hold San Japan and any members, officers, directors, staff, and/or employees blameless for any damages caused by the Artist or his/her property, agents, representatives, employees, or consultants. The artist further agrees to hold San Japan and any members, officers, directors, staff, and/or employees blameless if the Artist’s property is stolen.

Contacts: If you have any questions or concerns, you can direct them to the Artist Alley Coordinator using the contact form or email artist@san-japan.org.

Unlimited Tables Artist Alley Rules and Regulations

2025 Edition

San Japan Unlimited Table Artist Contract 2025

Location: The Artist Alley will be at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center within Exhibit Hall 1 from Friday, August 29th, 2025, to Sunday, August 31st, 2025.

Tables and Rates: The Artist Alley Unlimited Tables will consist of upward of 15 12’ x 10’ booths released to the general public. A jury system will sell these tables. Sign-up will take place on March 25th, 2025. San Japan will use guidelines to determine who will be approved and offered an artist space after sign-up. San Japan reserves the right to change the number of tables for guests and complimentary tables given at the convention’s discretion. To guarantee a table in the Artist Alley, artists must be selected, approved, and invoiced for a table. There is no waiting list for artists. Tables may only be purchased by full-table increments.

Rates for this section of Artist Alley will be $1075 + service fee for THREE (3) 6’ x 30” tables U-Shape Configured and will include FOUR (4) Artist Alley convention badges. The Artist Alley badge will have the same access as an attendee. This section may be split up into three individual setups.

Six chairs will be provided for each table. San Japan will only offer additional chairs on request at the number of Artist Alley badges purchased for a table. Only a maximum of nine chairs will be allocated per artist’s table.

Electricity and Wi-Fi services will not be offered in San Japan to Artists located in the Artist Alley section, and neither San Japan nor the Convention Center will provide tablecloths. Artists must accommodate their internet and backup power sources at their assigned table.

Artists found sharing a table without pre-approval will have their convention badges confiscated and removed from Artist Alley. A written violation will be issued to the purchaser of the Artist table.

An Artist may only purchase one Unlimited Section. Artists cannot buy a table within Artist Alley or a vendor booth within the Dealer’s Room. A circumvention of attempting to buy a section will result in a refund at the discretion of the San Japan Artist Alley Department and may also forfeit the original purchase. Circumventing purchasing a second using a DBA (“Does Business As“) will result in a refund and a permanent ban from all future San Japan conventions. Artists who issue a chargeback for a refund will be issued a lifetime ban from San Japan.

Artists will not be permitted to move the tables. Artists can not share the space with a fan artist to expand their setups and sell items. Joint tables will not be allowed even if the cooperating artists sell their wares on purchased tables. The tables must be individually separated. Artists who attempt to circumvent this by asking for a table request to be next to each other and then setting up connecting displays will be removed from Artist Alley at the discretion of San Japan Artist Alley and be banned from all future San Japan conventions. All displays at a San Japan Artist Alley must be freestanding within its Unlimited Table space and may not connect to any neighbor table. Poles or clips that attach to a neighboring table will not be allowed. Backdrops may not be jointly connected behind two tables. Artists caught with jointly connected backdrops will be asked to take it down, reduce it to one eight-foot table, or remove the artist from the convention without a refund.

Share/Split and Responsibility: Unlimited Table sections may split their tables up to three times. All artists selling must have a valid, current Texas Sales Tax ID.

By purchasing the Unlimited Table, the purchaser takes full responsibility for the actions and decisions of all artists in the Unlimited Table assigned section. Any artist in the assignment who violates the terms of this contract, even if it is not by the original artist who purchased it, will have everyone in the Unlimited Table assignment required to vacate without any refund and must leave the convention.

Reserving a Table: A notice will be posted on the San Japan website and social networks once tables are available. Tables will be made available on the evening of March 25th, 2025. Once all tables have been purchased, a waiting list will not be enacted, and refunded tables will not be put up for sale.

Hours of Operation: Artists may occupy their tables to sell their wares from 11:00 AM on Friday, August 29th, 2025, until 5:00 PM on Sunday, August 31st, 2025. Artist Alley will close at 8:00 PM on Friday and Saturday of the current convention. Artists must remove all their material from the Artist Alley by 6:00 PM on Sunday, September 1st, 2025. Anything left behind will be thrown out or become the property of San Japan. San Japan reserves the right to change the hours of operation.

The Artist Alley Check-In times will be open on Thursday, August 28th, 2025, at 6:00 PM Central. Artists who arrive before then are allowed to set up at their assigned table once they have been checked in. Artists who attempt to set up before 6:00 PM will be escorted from San Japan to the Convention Center premises, and they will not be allowed back until the Artist Alley department has properly checked them in.

Artists must use the Exhibit Hall Loading Dock on I37 Service Road. No exceptions will be made. The artists will be redirected to the proper loading area.

Unlimited Artists may only be allowed to sell their artwork or similar media services to the public. Exact replication of a drawing, sculpture, plushie, etc., from a published anime, drawing, promotional material, digital media, manga, video game, or another form of licensed media is not allowed. San Japan Artist Alley will not tolerate stickers, buttons, engraved items, or any tangible item sold with infringing company logos, trademarked symbols, signature poses, or character recreation. Due to heavy disregard for tracing, poor modification, and lifting, pearler art, copyright cut-outs, and the splatter art style are barred within San Japan. Replica/duplicate of character design with Pearler sprite art will be considered tracing, which is not allowed. Artists are prohibited from selling retail and food items. This includes retail items that have been modified by less than 80%. Items may be inspected on-site by the Artist Alley department to ensure they comply with reasonable modifications. Modifications can not include removing, cutting, or reprinting a product directly from copyrighted printed media to place it on tangible, sellable items.

San Japan Artist Alley reasonably expects artists to be the original creators of the items for sale. Booths found to have most products for sale at the artist table that are directly available without modification on Aliexpress, Temu, or other overseas mass-produced marketplaces will be asked to leave the premises.

Artists may not use the copyright, brand names, or trademark names of anime series on the products sold or apply the copyright/trademark names to their merchandise.

The state of Texas considers for-profit raffles a form of gambling and, therefore, prohibits them. Only charity raffles may be held, and the Artist must provide the proper 501(c) paperwork and be approved by San Japan before the convention. Non-approved raffles will not be allowed on-site.

Attempting to circumvent additional sales of infringing items after being given a written notice will result in an immediate ejection from the convention.

Volunteers will not be available to aid the Artist’s load-in or load-out. Artists will be responsible for arranging their own assistance before arriving in San Japan.

Promotional Rights: The artist grants San Japan the right to list the Artist’s name in our advertising, in all publications, and on our website and link to the Artist’s website. San Japan grants the same reciprocal right to the Artist.

Notice of Violation and Disciplinary Measures: If an Artist is found to violate the San Japan Artist Alley contract, they will be issued a written warning instructing them to correct the violation depending on the offense. Artists must correct the violation immediately to comply with the Artist Alley contract. Depending on the violation, the time allotment may be increased. In such cases, the Artist must comply with the designated time limit. Failure to correct a breach immediately, within the designated time limit, or a repeat of a previous violation will result in confiscating the badge(s) and forfeiting the Artist’s table without a refund.

Gross violations, such as AI artwork for sale and art theft, will remove the artist from the convention without written notice.

If one artist is evicted for violating the rules, all artists in the Unlimited Table assignment must also vacate their table. All artists will have their badges revoked and required to vacate. This includes violations of proxy artwork sales, AI artwork, banned art styles, and unauthorized 18+ adult sales.

Security: Artists are responsible for securing their works and materials when away from their tables. San Japan is not responsible for the loss or damage to the material and works of Artists.

Taxation: At the convention location in downtown San Antonio, the applicable state sales tax rate is 8.25%. Artists are responsible for paying state sales tax and keeping proper records. All artists must have the appropriate paperwork arranged with the Texas Comptroller’s Office when tables go up for sale at San Japan. Upon check-in at San Japan for their Artist Alley table, the artist must show the proper paperwork to obtain a Texas Sales Tax ID. San Japan will not allow any artist to set up within the convention without showing the appropriate verification of a Texas Sales Tax ID in person as per state law.

When applying for an Artist Table, the Texas Sales Tax ID must be a valid and active Texas ID number. All sales tax IDs will be verified on the Texas Comptroller’s Office website. If the Texas ID number is listed as INACTIVE or INVALID, the Artist’s application will be denied. San Japan will not contact the artist about their invalid Sales Tax ID. Once a refund has been issued upon request for a table, the artist will not have another opportunity to purchase another table for the convention year.

Contacts: Any questions or concerns can be directed to the Artist Alley Coordinator using the contact form or sent to artist@san-japan.org.

Permanent Policy

San Japan monitors official Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization COVID-19 safety protocols. Following the recommendations outlined by these groups and considering the current state of COVID-19 vaccinations and hospitalizations in our area, San Japan has adjusted its COVID-19 policy for future conventions.

San Japan will NOT require attendees to wear masks inside our function space and vendor halls, though they are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Attendees will not need to provide proof of vaccination to attend the convention, though we do recommend that attendees who can be vaccinated do so before attending San Japan.

For the safety of all of our attendees, vendors, and staff, we ask that you consider staying home if you are not feeling well or have had any form of illness in the week preceding the convention. We want the convention to remain a fun and safe environment. We are asking for your assistance in this matter for the sake of all of our attendees.

San Japan reserves the right to update these policies if the recommendation from County, State, or National governing bodies or health organizations deem that the risk of exposure to current or new strains of the Coronavirus has risen. Any adjustment made to our final policy will come at least 30 days before the closing of our refund policy and will be posted on our social media channels and website and sent to current ticket holders at the time of our announcement.

Indie Artist Alley Rules and Regulations

2023 Edition

Location: The Artist Alley will be located at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center within Exhibit Hall 1 taking place from Friday, September 1st, 2023 to Sunday, September 3rd, 2023.

Tables and Rates: The Artist Alley Indie Booth section will consist of upward of 15 10’ x 10’ booths with 1 8’x30″ table released to the general public. The sale of these tables will be done by a jury system. Sign-up will take up place on May 15th, 2023 and San Japan will use guidelines to determine who will be approved and offered an artist table after the jury process. San Japan reserves the right to change the number of tables for guests and complimentary booths given at the discretion of the convention. To guarantee a table in the Artist Alley, artists must be selected, approved, and invoiced a table. There is no waiting list for artists. Tables may only be purchased by full-table increments.

Rates for Artist Alley Indie Artist Section will be $400 10’x10′ setup with a full 8′ table and will include THREE (3) Artist Alley convention badge. The Artist Alley badge will have the same access as an attendee. Individual Artists & Groups are limited to one full table. Artists who wish to share tables should register as a group. Registration for an Artist Alley table does include one membership in the convention or admission to it. Any additional badge Artist Alley badge will be available at the convention for $95 at-con rate. A maximum of 3 extra Artist Alley badges will be sold to all groups at each table.

Four chairs will be provided for each table. Additional chairs will only be provided based on the number of Artist Alley badges purchased for the table. San Japan will not be providing additional chairs on request beyond the number of Artist Alley badges purchased for a table. Only a maximum of 4 chairs total will be allocated per artist table

Electricity and Wi-Fi services will not be offered at San Japan to Artists located in the Artist Alley section. San Japan nor the Convention Center will provide tablecloths. Artists must make their own accommodations for internet and backup power source at their assigned table.

Artists may only share a table with one additional artist. All artists at a table provide validated Texas Sales Tax ID paperwork in person upon check-in. Artists found sharing a table without pre-approval will have their convention badges confiscated and removed from Artist Alley. A written violation will be issued to the purchaser of the Artist table.

Artists who purchase a table from San Japan must be at least 18 years old or older to purchase a table. If the Artist is a minor then the table may be purchased by a parent or guardian. The parent or guardian must be present at all times with the minor in Artist Alley. The parent or guardian must be the one who checks into Artist Alley. We will no longer allow minors under 18 to check into Artist Alley for their assigned table.

An Artist may only purchase one full increment 8′ table. Artists will not be allowed to purchase a table within Artist Alley and a vendor booth within the Dealer’s Room. A circumvention of attempting to purchase a second table will result in a refund of the second table and at the discretion of the San Japan Artist Alley Department may also forfeit the original table. Circumventing in purchasing a second table by using a DBA (“Does Business As“) will result in a refund along with a permanent ban from all future San Japan conventions.

Artists or Groups who have been issued notices that were written in person or by e-mail to not return to San Japan due to rules violation but still attempt to purchase a table will be refunded. Circumventing the notice by using a DBA then appearing at San Japan will result in a forfeit of payment and will be escorted off the premises by San Antonio Police. Any escorted artist that has been removed from the convention by the San Antonio Police that makes another appearance at San Japan will be arrested.

Artists will not be permitted to move the tables with another artist to create two artist tables to sell items. Joint tables will not be allowed even if the cooperating artists sell their wares on their own purchased tables. The tables must be individually separated. Artists who attempt to circumvent this by asking for a table request to be next to each then setup connecting displays will be removed from Artist Alley with the discretion of San Japan Artist Alley to be banned from all future San Japan conventions. All displays at a San Japan Artist Alley must be freestanding within its six-foot space and may not connect to any neighbor table. Poles or clips that attach to a neighboring table will not be allowed. Backdrops may not be jointly connected behind two tables. Artists who are caught with jointly connected backdrops will be asked to take it down, reduce to one 6′ table or the artist will be removed from the convention without refund.

Reserving a Table: A notice will be posted on the San Japan website and social networks (Facebook) upon the availability of tables. Tables are to be made available on the evening of May 15th, 2023. A waiting list will not be enacted once all tables have been purchased. Refunded tables will not be put up for sale.

Canceling a Table: Indie artist booths will be not be able to cancel and get a refund. There are no refunds for any reason whatsoever.

Hours of Operation: Artists may occupy their tables to sell their wares starting at 10:00 AM on Friday, September 1st, 2023 until 5:00 PM on Sunday, September 3rd, 2023. Artist Alley will close by no later than 9:30 PM on Friday and Saturday of the current convention. Artists must remove all their material from the Artist Alley by 6:00 PM Sunday, September 3rd, 2023. Anything left behind will be thrown out or become the property of San Japan. San Japan reserves the right to change the hours of operation.

Artist Alley Check-In: Artists must check in with the Artist Alley Coordinator prior to occupying their tables in the Artist Alley. Artists may check in at 6:00 pm Thursday, August 31st, 2023. Tables will be assigned to artists prior to arrival. Artists who fail to check in by Saturday, September 2nd, 2023 after 10:00 AM, of the convention will forfeit their booth. Forfeited tables will not be refunded and may be used as the Artist Alley Coordinator sees fit.

The Artist Alley Check-In times will be open on Thursday, August 31st, 2023 at 6:00 PM Central. Artists who arrive in San Japan prior to this time will not be allowed to set up at their assigned table until they have been checked in. Artists who attempt to set up before 6:00 PM will be escorted from San Japan along with the Convention Center premises at which they will not be allowed back until they have been properly checked in by the Artist Alley department.

Artists will be issued their convention badges upon check-in. This badge must be visible at all times. Sharing convention badges is not allowed and if caught will risk having your badge revoked.

Only the purchaser of the Artist table may check in to an assigned table. If an artist wants to have a 3rd party check may do so if they have the original Tax ID paperwork. If a 3rd party checks in they may only sell the original artist artwork and are forbidden to sell their own unless they submit a split table with a verified Texas sales tax ID.

Artists who check in must show a government-issued photo ID and Texas Sales Tax ID in order to receive their badges and assignment. The only acceptable forms of Tax ID will be the Actual ID issued by the Texas Comptrollers’ office or a photocopy of the issued tax ID.

Artists will be able only to be able to load in and out through Exhibit Hall 3 Entrance and Exit. Artists are barred from using the Exhibit Hall Loading Dock located on I37 Service Road. There will not be any exceptions given for any artists for any reason to use the I37 service road loading dock. Artists attempting to use the loading dock will be denied entrance and redirected to the proper loading area.

Artists’ Alley Table and Display Regulations: Artists will not be permitted to move their tables with another table to create two tables to sell items. Artists may not have displays over 10′ high from the top of the table. Artists may not use convention center property or structures for display or signage. Artists may not rearrange a table for the purpose to extend their display beyond the 6′ allocated to their table. Table extensions will be strictly forbidden and will be shutdown if caught. San Japan will allow pop-ups, back drapes, or signage behind the Artist tables. Back drapes must be within the 6′ assigned table and may not overlap with an additional artist table. Grid Wall to form a walk-in mini-store or boutique is strictly forbidden. Grid Wall may only be used behind the table. Displays may not extend beyond the allotted table space of 6 feet even if a neighboring table is vacant or there is an opening to allow artists to enter and exit. Artists will not be allowed to use personal table(s) to extend beyond 6 feet of their allocated assigned space.

The area behind the table is approximately five feet. For safety purposes, personal and business belongings must remain in the designated table area. Belongings must not block entrances to Artist table areas. Artists with items blocking walkways will be asked to move the items Artists’ belongings may not cross into another artist’s space. Failure to comply will result in a written warning of contract violation and will be required to make changes. This will be a one-strike policy as caught once again will be a permanent ban from San Japan.

Artists may not display their work on another artist’s table. All art pieces are limited to the artist’s respective table. The only exceptions are limited to approved table sharing which the Artist will need to fill out a form. Any artist who contacts San Japan after August 1st on table sharing will be denied.

Artists may not sell art by proxy for another artist who was not approved or is unable to attend San Japan. All artist work on display or for sale must have been created by the artist(s) who has purchased the Artist’s table or jointly split the table. Any table split must provide a valid Texas Sales Tax ID. The purchaser of the table may send a representative to sell on their behalf if they are unable to appear in San Japan. The representative may check in with a copy of the purchaser’s Sales Tax ID. The representative may only sell the artwork of the original purchaser. The representative is forbidden to sell their own artwork within San Japan if they do not provide their own Texas Sales Tax ID and submit a table split request. Artists who are caught selling by proxy for multiple artists who are not in attendance will be placed on a lifetime ban from San Japan.

Music at tables is permitted for personal use only and may not be used with the intent of attracting customers. If San Japan receives a noise complaint that the music was too loud then San Japan reserves the right to turn it off which will be permanent for the rest of the convention. Non-compliance will have further ramifications; failure to comply with more than two warnings will result in the removal from Artist Alley along with the forfeiture of all fees with no refund.

Artist Sales: Artists caught selling merchandise outside of Artist Alley will have their badges confiscated and then ejected from San Japan without a refund. Artists who are caught selling their own artwork at multiple tables will be issued a lifetime ban.

Artists may only be allowed to sell original artwork from their creation. Fan art may not be for sale nor can it be a drawing, sculpture, plushie, etc. from a published anime, drawing, promotional material, digital media, manga, video game, or other form of licensed media. Stickers, buttons, engraved items, and any other tangible item sold with infringing company logos, trademarked symbols, signature pose, or character recreation without evident artist deviation, and copyright icons will not be tolerated in the Artist Alley. Due to heavy disregard for tracing, poor modification, and lifting, pearler art, and the splatter art style are barred within San Japan. Replica/duplicate of character design with Pearler sprite art will be considered tracing which is not be allowed. Artists are prohibited from selling retail and food items. This includes retail items that have been modified by less than 50%. Items may be inspected on-site by the Artist Alley department to ensure they are compliant with having a reasonable amount of modifications.

To adhere to convention distributor requests, Artists may no longer use copyright, brand names, or trademark names of anime series names on the products which are sold or apply the copyright/trademark names to their merchandise.

Artists must check the IDs of any attendee when selling any adult artwork. All artwork of an adult nature must be placed discretely and cannot be visible to the public. Artists will be responsible to check the buyer is at least 18 years old by checking for their legal government-issued ID. The failure to check for ID will be removed from the Artist Alley. Any artists caught selling adult artwork to attendees under the age of 18 will result an immediate expulsion with no refunds given.

On-site industry representatives of an anime distribution company may issue a verbal grievance on any item sold in Artist Alley at their own decision if it is viewed as a potential copyright or trademark violation. San Japan will then issue a written warning notice. The Artist must immediately comply, make necessary corrections, have it taken down from display and end all sales then have the items in question removed from the premise during the duration of San Japan. Artists who become confrontational on this decision or do not comply risk ejection from San Japan.

Raffles of any type that are for-profit are considered as a form of gambling by the state of Texas (Reference) and are therefore not permitted. Only charity raffles may be held and the Artist must provide the proper 501(c) non-profit papers and must be approved by San Japan prior to the convention. Non-approved raffles will not be allowed on-site.

Attempting to circumvent with additional sales of infringing items after being given a written notice will be an immediate ejection from the convention.

Volunteers: A limited number of Volunteers will be onsite throughout the duration of the convention, providing water and assistance. They will be wearing a San Japan-issued volunteer badge and some may be wearing identifying shirts.

Volunteers act as liaisons of the San Japan Artist Alley and will enforce this Artist Alley contract. Upon notification or spot of a rule violation volunteers will issue a written violation warning on behalf of the Artist Alley contract.

Volunteers may watch over an Artist’s table for situations such as bathroom breaks for no longer than 10 minutes. If an Artist does not arrive back at their table within 10 minutes, the volunteer will leave the table and continue with other volunteer-related duties. It is the responsibility of the Artist to find someone to look after their table should they need to leave for more than the allotted time. San Japan will not be responsible for any shrink or loss incurred during the times the Artist has stepped away from their table.

Volunteers will not be available to aid in the Artist load in or load out for any reason at all. Artists will be responsible to arrange their own assistance prior to arriving in San Japan.

Exceptions Fee: Any artist who asks for an exception after missing a posted deadline and giving multiple sufficient updates on cut-off dates who ask for an ‘exception’ will be charged a $100 fee. This rate is non-negotiable. The fee must be paid prior to executing an exception.

COVID-19, Masking & Vaccine: By signing up to San Japan you agreed to all posted notices on the San Japan website pertaining COVID-19 policy. All artists, helpers, and volunteers will be required to wear a mask while at their table. All artists must show their vaccine status upon check-in to be approved.

Promotional Rights: The artist grants San Japan the right to list Artist’s name in our advertising, all publications, and on our website and link to the Artist’s website. San Japan grants the same reciprocal right to the Artist.

Prints: There is currently no limit on the number of prints that may be sold in San Japan. A limit may be put in place if a copyright holder deems that the sale of a print has become excessive. Prints must not be replicas or tracings from any manga or anime series.

Notice of Contract Violation(s) and Disciplinary Measures: If an Artist is found to be in violation of the San Japan Artist Alley contract they will be issued a written warning instructing them to correct the violation depending on the offense. Artists must correct the violation immediately to become compliant with the Artist Alley contract. Depending on the violation the time allotment may be increased. In such cases, the Artist must become compliant within the designated time limit. Failure to correct a violation immediately, within the designated time limit, or a repeat of a previous violation, will result in having badge(s) confiscated and forfeiting the Artist table without a refund.

A “2 strikes and you’re out” policy will be in place for minor violations. If an Artist is found to be in violation a second time, regardless if they corrected the previous violations, will have their badges confiscated and their tables will become forfeited without a refund. Depending on the severity of the violation(s), San Japan reserves the right to ban the Artist from selling in the San Japan Artist Alley and/or Dealer’s Room for future San Japan events. The length and permanence of the ban will be determined at the time of the issuance.

Security: Artists are responsible for securing their own works and material when not present at their tables. San Japan is not responsible for the loss or damage to the material and works of Artists.

Taxation: At the convention location, in downtown San Antonio, the applicable state sales tax rate is 8.25%. Artists are responsible for paying state sales tax and keeping proper records of such. All artists must have the proper paperwork already arranged with the Texas Comptroller’s Office when tables go up for sale at San Japan. The artist must show the proper paperwork in obtaining a Texas Sales Tax ID upon check-in at San Japan for their Artist Alley table. San Japan will not allow any artist to set up within the convention without showing the proper verification of a Texas Sales Tax ID in person as per state law.

When applying for an Artist Table the Texas Sales Tax ID must be a valid active Texas ID number. All Sales Tax IDs will be verified by the Texas Comptrollers Office website. If the Texas ID number is listed as INACTIVE or INVALID then the Artist will have their application denied. San Japan will not contact the artist about their invalid Sales Tax ID. Once a refund has been issued upon request on a table the artist will not receive another opportunity to purchase another table for the convention year.

Incorporation of Rules and Regulations: Any and all matters pertaining to Artist Alley and not specifically covered by the terms and conditions of this contract shall be subject to determination by San Japan in its sole discretion. San Japan may adopt rules or regulations from time to time governing such matters and may amend or revoke them at any time, upon reasonable notice to the Artist.

Any such rules and regulations are an integral part of this contract and are incorporated herein by reference and shall have the full force and effect as if such rules and regulations are fully set forth herein. Artists shall observe and abide by additional regulations made by Artist Alley as soon as these additional rules or regulations are communicated to the Artist. This contract states the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.

Indemnification: The artist indemnifies and agrees to hold San Japan and any members, officers, directors, staff, and/or employees thereof blameless for any and all damages caused by the Artist or his/her property, agents, representatives, employees, or consultants. The artist further agrees to hold San Japan and any members, officers, directors, staff, and/or employees thereof blameless in case of theft of the Artist’s property.

Contacts: Any questions or concerns can be directed to the Artist Alley Coordinator using the contact form.

Hotel FAQ

After 9pm, the mall will be closed. What food options will be available? Where can we get food?

There is a 24 hour cafe and coffee shop within the Grand Hyatt There is Denny’s less than 2 blocks from the hotel and a Whataburger that is 4 blocks away. Here is a list of places in the area that are open late night and 24 hours that are less than .5 miles from the convention.

Am I required to reserve and/or stay at the Hotel in order to attend San Japan?

No, you are not required to reserve or stay at the Hotel. However, it is quite beneficial for San Japan if you decide to reserve a room as we are required to fill a certain amount of hotel rooms in order to have access to the hotel meeting space.

To ensure that San Japan is able to hold future conventions at the hotel & convention center, we highly recommend in considering to reserve a room at the hotel. You’re also much closer to the action instead of walking 3-6 blocks in the hot Texas heat to another nearby hotel.

Are there any activities around the immediate area?

The hotel is right at the heart of the Riverwalk which you can take a tour. There is a River Taxi service a short distance from the hotel located on the Riverwalk by the mall which costs $10 each way or $12 for an unlimited pass. The Alamo, HemisFair Park with the Tower of Americas, and Ripley’s Believe Or Not are all located within a mile radius of the hotel.

Do people who are not under the San Japan room block in Grand Hyatt have to wear wristbands?

The Grand Hyatt will be forcing all patrons who are staying in the hotel during San Japan to wear wristbands in order to access the elevators.

Does the hotel have high-speed internet?

Hyatt: Wi-Fi will be free in all hotels room. Wi-Fi is not free in the convention spaces of the Grand Hyatt. There is limited free internet in the Grand Hyatt lobby.

Marriott: It is $14.95/night+tax in the hotel room. There is free internet in the lobby. If you sign up for their free membership rewards program then the internet access will be free in the hotel room

How much is parking around the area?

Hyatt: Self-Parking is $23++ day if you are staying at the Grand Hyatt and the room is under your name. The discount will only apply to one car with additional cars being the normal $45++/day rate. Valet Parking will not be discounted. The discount will be applied when you check-in but be sure to let them know at Front Desk.

Marriott: There is a 50% discount on parking if you self-park your car in the Marriott Rivercenter only (normal rate $43/day). The discount will only apply to one car with additional cars being the normal rate. There is no discount on valet at Riverwalk or Rivercenter hotel.

Parking is $11-$20 for open area parking in the immediate area. $11-$25/day for garage parking (24-hour parking). For more information on parking in the area, click here. The closest lot next to the Marriott Riveralk hotel, Marina Parking, is $11 per day which does allow overnight parking but is usually full by Thursday night of the convention. There is parking ranging from $3 to $10 but will require parking a minimum of 4 blocks from the Convention Center.

How much is the total cost per room night with tax?

San Antonio Sales & Hotel Tax is 17.92% City/State Tax + 1.25% Tourism Fee added to the final bill. This will depend if there are 1 to 4 people staying in your room.

I need to reserve more than one room, what do I do?

Grand Hyatt: Grand Hyatt will allow you to reserve two rooms per online reservation.

Marriott: You will need to setup a seperate reservation for each room that you want to reserve.

What about elevators and escalators?

All activities for San Japan on the Grand Hyatt side will be on the 2nd, 3rd floor 4th floor. Elevators in the Grand Hyatt will not be accessible to the 2nd-4th floor except for disabled attendees. There will be escalators to the 2nd-4th floor inside the Grand Hyatt hotel.

There are 4 elevators total in the Marriott Riverwalk hotel accessible to hotel rooms. In Hyatt there are 5 elevators total for hotel rooms located on the 5th to 19th floor. There are 3 elevators for hotel rooms located on the 20th to 24th floor.

What is the minimum age to rent a hotel room?

You will need to be at least 18 years old with a major credit card. Contact the hotel if you have questions about policies and setting up your reservation.

What is this charge to my credit/debit card when I check-in?!

Grand Hyatt and Marriott have national policies which they put a hold on your card for additional services and potential damages to the room. The rate is $50/day for Hyatt, $40/day for Marriott. Even if you are paying by cash you must put a credit/debit card on file as a hold will be put on your card account.These policies for a required hold are set by the national corporate offices. They are not a policy set by our host hotels.

If you are using a debit card we recommend that you have at least $150-$350 extra for the impending hold on your card so that you are not hit with non-sufficient funds fees by your bank. After you’ve checked out the funds will be released back to your account in 5-10 days.

What should I do to get the lowest hotel rate?

We list above the rates depending on how many are staying in your hotel room and the hotel selected.
Note: If there is any issue with the hotel room, like a key card being needing to be reactivated, the person/people that listed on the room will be the only person which can make necessary changes at front desk or ask for a new room key.

Will my credit/debit card be charged when I reserve a room?

Grand Hyatt & Marriott: Your credit card will not be charged when you reserve your hotel room. It does not matter if you currently do not have enough money in your account to cover the charges of the room. It will only be charged when you arrive at the convention hotel OR if you don’t show up for your reservation (so be sure to cancel if necessary). You may see a pending charge on your credit card but this is done by the hotel to ensure that it is a valid credit card. This is standard national policy with all hotel reservations. You must cancel 72 hours prior to your arrival otherwise your credit card will be charged for at least one room night. This applies for both hotels.

Does it cost anything to run a panel? Is there a minimum age to run a panel?

It does not cost anything to run a panel at San Japan. There is no minimum age to run a panel.

Is my panel approved?

We will post a list of all approved panels up to three weeks after panel submissions close. Approved Panelists will also receive an email confirmation OR linked to a list of approved panels. Approved panels do not guarantee placement on the final schedule. We are limited by the number of panel rooms and the schedule. Please do not e-mail us after you’ve sent in your panel submission to ask if you’ve been approved as this will have a major effect if you are approved at all.

When is the cut-off?

All panel submissions must be made by June 5th, 2019 at 8:59 PM Central Time.

My panel was approved but I’m not on the beta schedule, what happened?

Due to time and space restrictions, we sometimes approve panels that do not end up on the schedule. However, due to cancellations and other occurrences, we may contact an approved panelist, later on, to add them to the schedule. We encourage approved panelists to stay available until the final schedule is released.

How many panel/event hours do I need to put on to get a comp panelist badge?

For San Japan, the required amount of hours approved/scheduled to receive a complimentary badge is TWO. We will be giving out discount codes for panelists who have 1 or 1.5 hours of panel hours on the final schedule. Panelists who have less than one hour approved and scheduled will not receive any discount. These codes will be issued by August 25th, 2019 which is 7 Days before the convention begins

Where do I pick up my comp or discounted panelist badge? Do I go to Registration?

Panelists who receive a comp or discounted badge will pick up their badge at registration like a standard attendee. Once you have your badge, or if you don’t have a badge and are only attending San Japan to run your panel, please head to Panelist Check In to pick up your Panelist Ribbon.

How do I check-in for my panel?

Panelist Check-In is marked on the convention map (TENTATIVE LOCATION: Hall 4B Entrance, HBG Convention Center). Once you arrive at check in, please give your name and the name of the panel you are running. The staff here will go over what you requested for your panel on your submission, and they can help with any last-minute needs.

Please arrive no later than 45 minutes before your scheduled start time so that we have ample time to get you checked in, take care of any needs, and get you to your panel. Check-In will be open Thursday before the con. Please keep in mind that we keep track of every panelist that checks in (or doesn’t), and we will take this into consideration when selecting approved panelists next year.

What do I need to do to ensure I get the right setup?

Be as thorough as possible when filling out the tech section of your event submission. Forgetting to mention a projector or a certain kind of adapter will likely cause your panel to start late as our techs go off your original submission form when setting up.

Please do not presume that we will have adapters on-hand if you will be using a phone, tablet or a proprietary device. We will have the basics for HDMI or VGA input along with 3.5″/headphone audio input on-hand but it is highly recommended to bring your own adapters.

If you arrive at your panel then remember at that point you need an item, flag down any staff member and they will call in to have a part delivered. This request will be handled LAST if we have other technical needs that are being taken care of.

Where is a layout of the convention so I know where my panel is located?

The layout will be posted in the Times & Layouts page prior to the convention. During the convention, there will be a map in every program and posted in certain areas of the con. If you get lost you can go to one of the Info Desk locations for directions. The staff at the Panelist Check-In area can also direct you to your panel room.

What is the capacity of my panel room?

This is to be determined. We will have a field in which you should list your expected capacity so that you’re scheduled in the right size room. Please try to be as accurate as possible, though we understand this can be difficult to calculate for new panels.

Something came up. Who do I contact to let San Japan know I need to cancel on my panel?

E-mail programming(at)san-japan.org to let Panels/Programming Team know, or find a staff member with a radio to get in contact with the Panels/Programming Team. The earlier you can let us know the better. Being a no-call/no-show at San Japan will greatly affect on being approved for any future panels. We do keep track of canceled panels.

What are some tips to get my panel/event approved?

Be original. Character Panels will no longer be accepted. This even includes Character Q&A variants so take that into major consideration. Asking for an exception will not be considered. We heavily recommend creating a Fandom Meeting to allow you to hold Character Q&As. We are not the only convention in Texas to take this stance on Character Q&As.
Write a thorough description. 1-2 sentence descriptions with a generic panel title will likely get skipped. We need to know exactly what you have planned and how you are going to do it.
Make a good pitch. Tell us what will happen at your panel/event, and why attendees will want to come to it. Unique ideas will be given higher consideration. Remember that your description will end up in the program if you are approved. You want the attendees to be as excited about attending your panel as you are about organizing it.
Grammar and spelling are very important if you are going to be addressing a crowd during a panel. It also helps to make a good first impression on those evaluating panel submissions.

We will shut down panels if the person lies on their application on the material shown at which they will be banned from all future programming forever.

I only got approved for 1 - 1.5 hours, is there any kind of discount or incentive for panelists?

We will be issuing discount codes for 1 hours and 2 hours of APPROVED programming. These codes will be issued AFTER Pre-Registration has closed. They can be used for 1-day or 3-day regular attendee passes. Up to TWO (2) codes will be issued. We are no longer issuing discounts beyond two people. If your approved panel(s) has more than two people then the additional panelists will need to purchase a badge at full price.
- For 1 hours of approved panels, a 50% discount code will be issued.
- For 1.5 hours of approved panels, a 75% discount code will be issued.

I want do a fan meeting (meetup), what do I do?

Go to our Fandom Meeting (Meetup) form to fill it out. Fan Meetings do not count as panelist hours nor will a discount code be issued.

I want to run a console tournament, how do I submit it?

E-mail gaming(at)san-japan.org in your interest to run a game tournament. Gaming tournaments do not count as panelist hours.

What is the maximum panel length?

We will only allow most fan panels/events to be up to 90 minutes long. If your panel/events require more than 90 minutes, then you will need to send multiple panel submissions. If your event includes a preliminary round then a finalist round, or if you would like to hold more than one session, you will need to submit multiple panels.

My panel is more than 90 minutes, what do I do?

Please send multiple panel submissions split into 1 or 1.5 hours long. If you want to run an event that is longer than 90 minutes, you must contact us privately along with sending us your proposal, which we will discuss privately. We don’t want to discourage great ideas from hitting our inbox. We have had some great ideas come through like a Persona event block so don’t hesitate to contact us

Why is the maximum panel length 90 minutes?

We want to give as many panelists as possible a chance to talk or put on an event at San Japan. We’ve run into issues over the years with people trying to put on 2-4 hour events with the sole intent of getting a free badge. Only selected long-time panelists who’ve shown multiple years of putting on quality panels will be granted extended run-times.

When will the discount codes be distributed? Will it be before pre-reg ends?

The codes will be distributed on or around August 25th, 2019 at around when the San Japan Guidebook has been posted to the public.

We do not send out codes at the following times:

After you panel is submitted.
When we inform you that your panel is initially approved.
When PRE-REGISTRATION is open.
AFTER Pre-Registration closes.
When the BETA schedule is released.
Immediately after the FINAL schedule is released.

We can not stress this with a ton of emphasis due panelists constantly e-mailing Programming: Panelist Codes are sent out on or around August 25th, 2019. We will send out a mass e-mail to all approved panelists with their panelist code.

I pre-registered for San Japan but then got approved for 2-4 hours, do I get a refund for my badge? Or reimbursed?

We will not be issuing refunds to approved panelists who have already pre-registered for a convention badge. There will not be any exceptions.

I am a panelist but I don’t have a badge, how do I get into the panel room?

Stop by Panel Check In at least 45 minutes before your panel set up time is scheduled to start. We will ensure you’re able to get into your assigned panel room first.

Tenative Placement for Check-In is by the Hall 4B Entrance in the Convention Center right by Hall 4B Entrance.

I used the discount code but now I can't make it to San Japan. Do I get a refund?

There will be not be any refunds for badges purchased using the discount code, nor will we allow you to transfer it to anyone.

Someone else is helping me set up for the panel, how do I ensure they’re let in along with me?

When checking in, note that you or your friend is helping out so a PANELIST ribbon is issued to both of you. This will let the staff member at the door know to let you in before the others.

Do you compensate a group beyond a comp badge to anyone?

All groups who are not announced guests will only be offered a complimentary badge if they are approved and scheduled for at least 2 hours of programming. Groups who solicit their services requesting a room/booth/travel/payment to put on certain programming will be declined.

I have my own equipment that I brought with me for my panel. Where can I store it?

We do not allocate any space for storing personal items used for panels. Please make sure that you plan ahead and either have a hotel room or another storage option on-site. We are not liable for any lost, stolen, or damaged items that are left at San Japan.

I submitted my panel and didn't hear anything. Was I rejected?

We do not send rejection emails to panelists. We do list approved panels on the website and approved panelists will be sent an e-mail about it along with general announcements.

What changes will be enacted for Programming?

Here is a list of changes we will try to enact:

Programming for Saturday will be limited to one panel total per standard panelist. This is being enacted as just about every submission we get in wants their panel on that day. When we release the schedule we get flooded by messages saying it is schedule conflict causing us to nearly rewrite the entire Beta schedule. This will also allow us to put in a lot more variety on Saturday for panelists.
Friday will be limited to two panels total per standard panelist.
There will be a much higher chance of approval if the panelist says they’re willing to hold the panel on Sunday. There will not be any limit on the number of panels they can hold on Sunday. We are putting a much greater emphasis on Sunday programming.
We are no longer holding 17+ panels. All panels rated 18+ will require all attendees to show a government-issued picture ID in order to enter.
We will not allow game demos as a panel. Game demos from a company must take place in the appropriate gaming section.
We will try to send at least one mass email sent out to approved panelists along with posting a list of approved panels. It will be on the panelist to ensure they check their Spam mailbox.
We have lowered the number of required hours down to TWO hours. In doing this we’re only approving up to TWO badges per person.

There's a lot of discussion about Character Q&A's. What is San Japan take on it?

We decided that after years of seeing submissions that we’re putting a ban on Character Q&As and variants. The reason for these decisions is based on the quality of these panels in the past and the feedback received from attendees which have not been favorable.

I missed the deadline to submit my panel. Can I submit it by e-mail or through this contact form? What about last minute fill in?

Your panel submission will not be considered if you miss the deadline. We do not consider submissions submitted through our contact form or by e-mail. Please have your submission in by June 5th, 2019

ACCEPTABLE ATTIRE FOR WOMEN

Dresses must be mid-knee length to floor length.
Dresses should not be too revealing (low cut, slits that are too high, mid-drift, etc.).
High-low dresses will be allowed as long as the highest part of the dress is at least knee length.
Pant suits are allowed.
Lolita style fashion, traditional eastern dress, and steampunk attire is allowed so long as it adheres to the above mentioned rules.
Attire should not be overly see-through. All garments with translucent elements should have at least the minimum coverage required by San Japan cosplay rules.
Appropriately formal footwear should be worn. Sandals are not allowed. Open-toed shoes should be worn with caution.

Volunteer FAQs

How do I volunteer?

You fill out a volunteer form. When it is open there will be a link at the top of the page. Cut-off date is July 20th, 2019. We will NOT be accepting any general volunteers after that. No exceptions will be made (so don’t be late). We will accept walk-up volunteers, however, those volunteers get no perks and you must work your allotted hours before gaining access to the convention.

What are the benefits of being a General Volunteer?

You receive the following benefits as a general volunteer:

A volunteer badge that gives you access to all places like a regular attendee.
Access to our convention suite for snacks and drinks (no longer prepping/serving hot meals due to health code concerns).
Crash space allocated for non-local volunteers.

We will no longer force general volunteers to pay an application fee we are removing the prior benefits of a vendor room voucher along with the $5 food gift card.

Where do I go to check-in as a volunteer? Who do I speak with?

When you arrive at San Japan, head over to Room 207B in the HENRY B. GONZALEZ Convention Center. When you arrive at this room the HR Department will be able to help you out. When checked in they will help to direct you to your department head.

Is filling out the form on the volunteer application the only way I can register to volunteer for San Japan?

For General Volunteer Registration, this is the only way to volunteer. Read below if you have already made arrangements with a staff head to help out San Japan. RANGERS (Staff) Volunteers do get a few extra perks.

I'm not sure about pre-registering, how will I know I was accepted as a volunteer?

We will inform you immediately if you are rejected. If you hear nothing then 99.99% chance you have been accepted as a volunteer. We absolutely need as many people as possible to help us out. However, if you do not send in payment to volunteer then you will not be accepted. Don’t procrastinate!

Does working on Thursday, prior to the beginning of the convention, go toward my required 12 hours?

It does not count if you are only working towards 12 hours. It will count if you have crash space as you will be required to fulfill 21-27 hours. If you are a crash space volunteer you will be required to work at least 6 hours on Thursday. We do track Volunteers hours.

Is there a minimum age you must be in order to volunteer for San Japan?


YES, all volunteers need to be seventeen (17) or older at the time of the convention. HOWEVER, in order to receive crash space you must be at least 18 years old. We are not taking anyone under the age of 17 anymore for legal liability. We are not allowing parents to give us the authorization to let their child who is under 18 to have crash space for San Japan. If you are 16 now but you will be the 17 at the beginning of San Japan then you may apply to be a volunteer.The only exception will be if you’ve been personally recruited by one of our staff heads which in that case that staff member will be your responsibility and not under the responsibility of the volunteer department.We will be requiring general volunteers to show proof of being 17 at the start of San Japan due to prior volunteer applicants who have not been honest about their age.

What about volunteer crash space?

General volunteer crash space at one of our host will only be given to people who do not live in the San Antonio Area (must be at minimum 30 miles from the Convention). We do not allocate crash space at the hotel for locals for general volunteers with no exceptions given.

General Volunteer rooms will have to share a room with up to 5 other people in there. We do not give anyone their own separate room for any reason and asking for an exception will be denied.. All rooms are separated by gender. You must be at least 18 years old to be given crash space for legal liability reasons.

All rooms will be assigned a Room Leader who will be checking in with the Volunteer Department for the duration of the convention. Information to volunteers who qualify for crash space will be sent out in LATE August 2018.

Can I volunteer & cosplay at the same time?

Cosplaying while volunteering for San Japan is allowed as long as the costume does not interfere with your duties in helping San Japan and approved by the department head. If it is noticed that your cosplay is interfering with your duties then you may be asked to change out until your shift has been completed. However, this does not apply to the Safety department as you will be required to wear a safety shirt. If you are assigned to Assets, Events or Safety department as you will be asked to wear normal clothes.

If I sign up to volunteer, do I have to also pre-register?

No, you do not have to pay to pre-register if you sign up to volunteer and you’re accepted as a volunteer.

What positions are available to volunteer at San Japan?

Here is a list of the positions that will be available:

Artist Alley Helper
Convention Suite (Catering/Snack Suite) Helper
Craft Room Helper
Asset Control Helper (ConOps)
Human Relations Helper (HR)
Dealer Room Helper
Programming Helper
Info Desk / Merchandise Helper
Lines & Signs Helper
Load-In/Load-Out Helper
Main Stage Helper
Merch Helper
Registration Helper (NON-Cash Handling Position)
Event Safety Volunteer
TechOp Volunteer / Setup
Video Gaming Departments
Video Rooms Helper

Maid Cafe and Guest Relation positions are personally recruited by the department head. They do not accept outside general volunteer applications. Details about each position are listed in the volunteer application.

Is it possible to volunteer for the Maid Cafe?

The Maid Cafe is the most popular department that people want to join. There are no open positions for the Maid Cafe for General Volunteers. The maid cafe applications are opened at intervals times and selected from applicants.

You can add them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SweetnessMaidCafewhere they’ll announce about the applications. We receive frequent inquiries on how to be a maid which you will be required to be vetted in as a helper by that group before being offered a maid or butler position.

I'd rather be on San Japan Staff, are there any available positions there?

We can always use some extra staff members. If you have advanced technical skills in Audio/Visual, willing to help out in Events setup, have a customer service smile even under stressful situations, want to help keep our volunteers happy, you have exceptional organizational skills, or have a skill that would be highly beneficial to San Japan then we’d like to hear from you. Just check out our Open Staff Positions. You can use the form on the page to submit an inquiry to join the staff. We highly recommend coming in as a Ranger first prior to applying as we need to see you in action first.

I signed up and I haven't heard anything for a while, what's going on?

Unless you heard back from the volunteer coordinator saying there’s something wrong with your volunteer application, you don’t have anything to worry about. We contact all of our volunteers by August 5th, 2018 with confirmation of status. Then you will be contacted a second time with their position assignments and other information. If you have any concerns then e-mail volunteer@san-japan.org. Volunteer Confirmations will be sent out no later than August 5th, 2018.

Does San Japan cover any transportation costs, expenses or parking?

No. You will be responsible for your own transportation to San Japan and you will have to cover your own parking charges.

I have completed my hours by Saturday evening, is my volunteer badge still valid?

Your volunteer badge is valid for all three days of the convention.

The volunteer deadline already passed, are you taking any additional volunteers?

No. After July 20th, 2018 we are not taking any additional volunteers. If you e-mail asking us to make an exception, the answer will be no.

What is the difference between a RANGER and a GENERAL volunteer

A RANGER (Staff) volunteer is a volunteer who was recruited or asked to help out a department. They are generally arranged by the department head/coordinator. They have additional benefits including guaranteed hotel space arrangements, receive a free t-shirt, free meals throughout the weekend and access to a special invite-only after-con event held on Sunday evening. They are expected to work much longer hours than General Volunteers.

GENERAL volunteerssign-up through the San Japan website and are generally either new or have volunteered for less than 3 years. RANGERS are given a private link to sign-up and have generally been volunteering for over 3 years with San Japan.

If you would like to work directly with the convention or a department as a RANGER for future conventions then we suggest staying in touch with a department head or director. We are always looking for a few good people to help make San Japan a great convention. If you need to get in touch with a department head we will get you in touch with our HR department.

When looking over the application what are some things you'll be looking at?

When we review the application we will be looking to see if you’ve applied at prior conventions, what departments you’ve helped, your qualifications if you’ve applied for a department that needs technical skills, and if you have Customer Service skills.

We are putting a larger focus on volunteers who have Customer Service experience and can handle the stress of being a volunteer. We want to ensure that our volunteers on the floor are friendly to our attendees. If this sounds a bit intimidating, don’t be discouraged as we will have all kinds of positions to choose from as we need plenty of volunteers to help in the background.

Why the sudden change in policy to start allowing 17 and up volunteers? You use to only accept 18 and up.

The change is due to our rapid growth. We need as many willing and able volunteers to help out in many aspects of San Japan. It was decided to loosen some of our rules to see if we can find more willing volunteers to continue to help make San Japan a great convention. We are still enacting the rule that you must be at least 18 years old at the beginning of San Japan to receive hotel crash space.

I want to help on Thursday of the convention during setup. What should I do?

Be sure to arrive at San Japan by around 11 AM Thursday to help with setup. The assigned Volunteer Coordinator will get you checked-in. (TENTATIVE LOCATION: Room 207B, HBG Convention Center)

We will have a limited amount of crash space set aside for those who arrive on Thursday but you will be required to work at minimum of 6 hours on Thursday along with 27 hours over the duration of San Japan Thursday – Sunday with at least 8 hours a day on Friday and Saturday.

All General Volunteers MUST inform us 2 weeks ahead of time that they plan to arrive on Thursday of the convention. Do not presume that crash space will be available on Thursday.

I keep seeing the phrase 'crash space'. What does that mean?

Crash space is a common phrase amongst convention attendees for ‘space in a shared hotel room amongst other patrons’. All general volunteer rooms are gender separated. General Volunteer Crash Space may have to share a room with up to 5 other people.

I'm still a bit confused on your volunteer processes. Do I have to pre-register or purchase a badge in order to volunteer at San Japan?

No, you do not any shape or form need to purchase a convention badge in order to volunteer at San Japan if you are accepted as a general volunteer.

I volunteered for previous San Japan conventions, do I still have to register as a General Volunteer?

No. If you have been directly recruited to work under a department then you will be directed to the staff volunteer page for sign-up to be renamed as RANGERS. There are additional perks to being part of the RANGERS staff are listed further down the FAQ. However, if you wish to remain a general volunteer you may for up to 3 years. We are pushing for multi-year General Volunteers to become a RANGER with San Japan.

We will have a separate private form to sign-up as a RANGER. The RANGER form is not on the San Japan website.

When will I know if I'm accepted as a volunteer and when will I know if I have crash space.

We will be sending out all volunteer acceptance e-mails by August 5th, 2019 and e-mails about Crash Space will be sent in some time in LATE August 2019. We ask for your patience until then.

How will the Volunteer/HR Staff keep track of my hours to ensure that I've worked enough hours for benefits?

You will be sent your department assignment and shifts by the HR Department. We will be tracking them by check-in and check-out. The department head will be given notice on this.

All general volunteers are expected to complete their assigned shifts. If we are notified by the department head that you did not show up to your volunteer shifts without informing your department head or HR on why you were a no-show then we will be revoking your convention badge along with being removed from crash space.

Are there any restrictions for RANGERS or GENERAL VOLUNTEER Staff

We will be adding these restrictions due to issues we’ve had in the past:

All volunteers and staff may not bring their pets or children to the convention to stay within allocated crash space. We do not offer a babysitter service.
Volunteers may not have their child work beside them if they are less than 13 years old.
Illegal activities will not be tolerated at all. We will press charges for theft, drug activity, or hotel/venue damages.

Acceptable Mask for Men & Women Masquerade Ball

Men

Women

Masks must be worn at all times.
You must have a mask to enter the ball.
Masks may be painted on but should be of quality and style appropriate to a formal occasion. Slapdash or messy masks may be turned away at the door.
Masks on a stick will be acceptable for those with glasses.
Unacceptable masks include: Monster or Halloween style masks, Military masks (gas masks or tactical gear, etc.), Luchador or other wrestling style masks, comic or anime character masks, or helmets.

ACCEPTABLE ATTIRE FOR MEN

Tuxedos and suits are highly encouraged.
Vests, sports coats are also acceptable.
Dress shirts and ties are required.
Ethnic dress and steampunk attire will be allowed so long as they adhere to the above mentioned rules.
Polo shirts, khakis, and t-shirts will not be permitted.
Jeans of any color or type will NOT be allowed into the room.
Appropriately formal footwear should be worn. Please greatly refrain from tennis shoes or sneakers. Don’t be THAT guy as we put a ban on them if too many show up in sneakers.

General FAQ

What is San Japan? Who are you? Why should I attend? What should I expect?

The above video created by TWC News in 2015 does an excellent job to answer those burning questions. We couldn’t even write out a better description. We had over 17,000 attendees for our 2017 convention.

When & Where is San Japan happening this year? Is San Japan ever moving to a different location?

San Japan is happening on August 31st – September 2nd, 2018 in downtown San Antonio, Texas at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio Grand Hyatt Hotel and also the Marriott Riverwalk Hotel. We take place at the center of the famous River Walk. It is located right by the Rivercenter Mall.

Address:

900 E. Market St.
San Antonio, Texas 78205

This is our permanent convention location. We are not planning to move to a different venue within San Antonio.

If you are looking for the dates for the next San Japan we will always take place on Labor Day Weekend forever.

What time does things start at San Japan?

The convention officially starts at 9 am on Friday, August 31st, 2018, Labor Day Weekend. For specific times, click here for the exact times for registration and Dealer room hours. We will be posting schedules on the San Japan website starting in mid-August on when panels & events would be happening.

Do I need to dress up in a costume in order to attend San Japan?

It is not required at all. You will see a lot of people who will be dressed up but all we ask is to bring yourself and try to have fun at San Japan.

Is there a minimum age in order to attend San Japan?

San Japan is an all-ages convention. However, if you are under the age of 13, you will need to have a parent or legal guardian who is 18 or above with you at all times.

Do I need to bring an ID? When is an ID required? What kind of ID will be acceptable?

Your ID is only necessary if you plan to pick up your pre-registration badge by showing your ID OR if you plan to attend any 18+ events. It mustbe a government-issued ID for all 18+ events. You do not have to show your ID in order to purchase a badge at the convention. The electronic dance is an all-ages event and does not require ID to enter. All events will require a convention badge which will be checked at all events.

We will only accept Government Issued ID with a picture ID such as a driver’s license, Texas State ID or USA Issued Passport. We will notaccept school IDs, birth certificates, or social security card. If you plan to attend any 18+ events, it is imperative that you have an ID. We will not make any exceptions if you do not have a government-issued picture ID and attempt to enter an 18+ as we check everyone’s ID upon allowing entry. An expired ID is okay as long as the birth date and the photo is recent.

We will not allow an underage person, even with parent or guardian permission, into an 18+ panel. No government issued picture ID = No admission to an 18+ panel, even if you look 60.

If I buy a convention badge, does it cost extra to enter the Cosplay Show, go to a certain event or go to the concert?

No, it does not. Your convention badge is your ticket. We will NOT be charging extra for you to see any of the music acts that we’re bringing in or charge extra to watch the cosplay show. We do not charge extra to attend a panel.

We want everyone to enjoy all the fun they can with just their badge. The only time a panel or event will cost extra will be if we absolutely need to charge extra. This applies to panels which include additional materials like workshops or the Maid Cafe. We will inform attendees about this ahead of time.

Which event will require a ticket beyond my convention badge?

Only the Cosplay Show and the Formal Masquerade Dance will require a ticket in addition to your badge. We list on our Event Tickets page on how to acquire them. Music events designated in the Grand Hyatt do not require a separate ticket.

We will always list on the schedule if an event requires a separate ticket.

Can I bring my own food to San Japan?

You are perfectly allowed to bring your own food to San Japan. You can store it in a bag or in your hotel. The only restriction is that you can’t sell food on the convention floor in the hotel or convention center.

If I cosplay at San Japan, am I required to enter the Cosplay Show?

No, we do not require cosplayers to enter the Cosplay Show or cosplay events. You may show up in a costume if you’d like and no further action is required besides having fun.

What is the San Japan room party policy?

It is the policy of San Japan that what goes on in the privacy of a hotel room is not of the convention’s concern. However, we do ask that room parties be kept to a reasonable size (remember the fire marshal restrictions) and that the noise is kept at a reasonable volume. Hotel security will break up parties that receive complaints. However, if San Japan safety personnel have reason to believe that illegal activities or activities that could threaten the welfare of the convention are taking place at a room party, they have a duty and a responsibility to act to ensure the safety of all involved.

All patrons staying in the San Antonio Grand Hyatt will be required to wear a wristband in order to access their hotel room. Please put this into consideration. This policy will always be enacted for all years that San Japan uses them as their main host hotel.

Does San Japan require a bag check to attend? Is my backpack allowed? Do you offer lockers?

San Japan does not perform bag check inside the convention center. All bags, including backpacks, are allowed at the convention. We do nothave a clear bag policy at our venues, unlike the Alamodome or AT&T Center.

The only time bags are not allowed is after 11 PM in our Main Stage Ballroom on Friday and Saturday of the convention weekend. The Hyatt hotel will not bag check for free so be prepared for this. We do not offer lockers nor will we watch your bags.

What is the convention theme?

The San Japan theme changes to year-to-year. The 2019 Theme is Sports which is everything that involves sports anime. You are not required to adhere your cosplay to this theme.

Programming FAQ

I have an awesome idea for programming that I'd like to help with. Who can I talk to?

We will be taking Event Submissions starting in late January 2018. We are now taking event/panel submissions which ends on June 5th, 2018.

What kind of programming will be available at San Japan?

As an Anime convention, we will be bringing you multiple viewing rooms, gaming, interactive events, game shows, industry panels, guest panels, karaoke and more.

How can I be a panelist? How many hours do I have to do to receive a free badge?

We will be posting on our Panelist FAQ that answers these questions in detail along with many more.

To receive a free 3-day panelist badge, you must hold at least 2 hours of approved panels/events. If you have a companion(s) helping out, that companion must also be with you in your panels for all 2 hours of panels/events. We will give out discount codes for panelists with 1-1.5 hour in approved programming.

Can I use space in the convention area for a private function?

Sorry, but liability prohibit us from offering this. We will have a form at a later time for Fandom Meetings.

Will there be a 'Dance' at San Japan?

We will have multiple ‘dances’ takes place within San Japan. On both Friday & Saturday night starting at around midnight will be a ‘dance’ with Electronic Dance Music and multiple DJs (we can’t answer the question on what type of music that will be played there, that is up to the DJ). The EDM Dances are all-ages shows which take place in the Grand Hyatt.

On Friday evening will be the Formal Masquerade hosted by the San Japan Masquerade Event Staff. This will be a strict formal dress code which requires a mask. The rules for the formal dance are on the San Japan website.

Cosplay Show FAQ

Do I have to attend ALL of the Pre-Judging Sessions?

No, you only have to attend your appointment time. Once you’ve been judged then you’re done for the pre-judging section. You will still have to participate in the Cosplay Show. If you no-show at the Cosplay Show you are disqualified. If you miss your appointment time you may come to another time but you will have wait until the very end of the pre-judging session which will be two hours of waiting so don’t be late or no-show when you’re called up.

Do I have to wear my cosplay to the Pre-Judging Session?

No, you can bring the cosplay on a coat hanger.

What else should I bring?

ANY reference photos, printed or you can show on your phone. Construction photos of your cosplay also helps.

To answer questions about cosplay in general at San Japan like props and dress code, please read the convention San Japan Cosplay Convention Rules first.

What about children who are age 0-5? Do I have to pay for a badge for them?

Attendees who are age 0-5 will be issued a FREE child badge with a paid full price badge. Child badges can only be picked up at the convention. The child must be with an adult at all times.

I read/heard that Formal Masquerade Tickets and the Cosplay Show now require tickets. Is this true? How much does it cost? Where do I get them?

Yes, this is true for Formal Masquerade. We are changing the Cosplay Show to be ticketed in the MIDDLE ORCHESTRA SEATS ONLY as we are switching to first-come/first-serve seating for all other Cosplay Show sections in 2019. Cosplay Show Tickets for the MIDDLE ORCHESTRA will be a charity donation of $5 for your valid San Japan Badge available at the CHARITY SECTION. Pickup will be available throughout the convention.

The Formal Masquerade Dance has switched over to being a charity event. We have a page with details on how it will be handled..

Are you sold out of passes at San Japan?

We are not sold out of regular San Japan convention passes. We do not have a limit on the number of passes. The only limit we have is on Gold Passes and Premiere Passes which typically sell out within minutes once they are released to the public. We recommend on pre-registering for San Japan but if you need to purchase passes at the convention then you can do so at the convention.

You are not required to purchase a pass on the San Japan website as you may purchase a pass at the convention location. We have convention badges for sale at the convention. Don’t worry, we will not be sold out as our facilities can comfortably fit over 40,000 people and we anticipate around half that size in attendance.

I can only make it to the convention on X day and/or have to register at the convention. Will One-Day passes be available? How much will it cost?

Yes, we do sell 1-Day passes/badges when they become available which will be after pre-registration has closed. We do not offer 1-day passes/badges until pre-registration has closed. The prices for them will be listed after pre-registration has closed which is when they will go on sale.

Rate Announced July 10th, 2019 – Friday – 1-Day Badge (Age 13 & Up)
Rate Announced July 10th, 2019 – Saturday – 1-Day Badge (Age 13 & Up)
Rate Announced July 10th, 2019 – Sunday – 1-Day Badge (Age 13 & Up)
Rate Announced July 10th, 2019 – Regular 3-Day Pass (Age 13 & Up)
Rate Announced July 10th, 2019 – Child Pass (Age 6-12). Child Pass is Valid for ALL 3-Days Of The Convention. Child Passes are only sold at the Convention. We do not sell Child Passes online.
FREE for anyone 5 years old and under (ONLY AVAILABLE AT THE CONVENTION)
Lost Badge Fee For 3 Day Only – $75. We will not replace Lost 1 Day Badges.
$5 Military Discount with a Valid Military ID (Active Military Only) will be given At Door Only (Does not apply to Pre-Registration, ALL On-line registration, Gold Passes or Premiere Passes). Applicable to 1-Day and 3-Day Badges. There are no Military Discount for Child Passes.

Regular 1-Day and 3-Day passes will be available for on-line purchase starting on July 11th, 2019.

Regular 1-Day and 3-Day passes will be available to purchase on-line while the convention is happening up until September 1st, 2019 at 3PM. We will have badges/passes to purchase at the convention. You are not required to purchase them on-line in order to attend San Japan.

Where and When do I go to pickup/get my badge?

Registration will be located in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in the Bridge Hall (near Hall 4B) in the redesigned HBG Convention Center.

Pre-Registration/Online Registration pickup is available on: Thursday 8/29/19 at 5:30pm-11:30pm.

Normal Registration/Pre-Registration and Online Registration pickup will open at the following times:

Thursday 08/29/19 at 5:30pm-11:30pm
Friday 08/30/19 at 9:00am-9:30pm
Saturday 08/31/19 9:00am-8:00pm
Sunday 09/01/19 10:00am-4:00pm.

Please note that all times are when Registration will be open but we might be open later if there are a lot of people still wanting badges when we’re scheduled to close.

Do I have to pick up my pre-registration badge on Thursday or Friday of the convention?

No. You do not have to show up at the convention on Thursday or Friday. You can pick up your convention badge at any time during the duration of the convention when Registration is open during the convention. Your convention badge is valid for the duration of the weekend.

We list our registration hours and layouts on the Times & Layout page

What is a Gold Pass? What are the benefits of purchasing a Gold Pass?

The price of Gold Passes are $196.49* with 165 passes released for our 2019 convention. Gold Passes have always sold out. We are anticipating the same in 2019. They will be available on April 15th, 2019 at 8:00PM Central.

People who purchase the ‘Gold Pass’ will get the following benefits:

First in line for most panels/events* including the concert(s).
An exclusive badge to show your support for San Japan.
Exclusive early access to the dealers room 30 minutes before regular attendees for Friday & Saturday.
Pre-determined San Japan Merch.
Sunday brunch with most of the attending guests.
Free Convention T-Shirt.
Includes the regular benefits of a regular attendee badge to attend all events.
The Gold Pass will not include front of the line access for autograph sessions on Friday or Saturday. An exclusive autograph session will be on Sunday afternoon (Does Not Include Paid Autograph Only Guests).
We do not issue free tickets to the Maid Cafe for Gold Pass holders. The Maid Cafe is a paid event for all San Japan attendees.
We will be issuing a limited number of tickets for our Cosplay Show (Center Orchestra Seats) and Formal Masquerade Dance. Gold Pass holders will be issued one ticket to the Cosplay Show and Formal Masquerade Dance.
Gold Pass will not be issued any complimentary tickets for paid autograph sessions. Paid autograph sessions is a paid event for all San Japan attendees.

Attendees 12 and under will not be allowed to attend the VIP brunch. We will not be selling a separate brunch ticket for children ages 0-12. This is due to limited food and seating.

*There is a $3.50 Service Fee applied to each individual Gold Pass purchased

HELP! I made a mistake and realized it after I registered. AND / OR I want to change the name on my badge, how do I do it?

The current solution is to send an e-mail to registration@san-japan.org. Please include a copy of your receipt.

Do not just send us your name and e-mail. Please send as much information as possible including your name, address, e-mail, transaction confirmation number and DOB. We receive thousands of pre-registrations so we need all the info possible to confirm whom you are.

NO further changes will be allowed to your online registration after July 20th, 2018. requested changes after July 20th, 2019 will need to be discussed in personat the San Japan Registration section.

If you purchased a Friday pass on-line but meant it to be for Saturday pass then we advise to just show up at the convention. regIT staff will help in making an exchange.

I lost the e-mail and/or print-out for my registration confirmation, what do I do?

E-mail registration@san-japan.org. Be sure to include your full contact information to verify yourself. We ask to please format your email with the following:

Your Name:
Your Address:
Your E-mail Address:
Your Date Of Birth:
Transaction Receipt # (If Possible):
Confirmation # (If Possible):

As much information given will greatly expedite your inquiry. You can also bring your VALID government-issued ID (Drivers License, Passport) as your confirmation too.

How do I purchase a Child Pass (6-12)? Why must I purchase it at the convention? What if my child is 0-5 years old?

Child Passes are only sold at the San Japan convention at the registration area which will be located in the HBG Convention Center BRIDGE HALL (near Hall 4B). They are not sold online. We have no plans to sell them online. We will only be selling general attendee badges for those 13 and up online. We do this to comply with COPPA laws. We also require a visual verification to ensure that a child pass is issued to a child that is 12 or under and not to someone who is trying to get a lower cost badge. All adults who are purchasing child passes must also purchase or have already purchased a regular adult pass too and must be with the child at all times to ensure the safety and well-being of the child. Children age 0-5 are issued FREE passes at the convention only. To answer another frequent question which we are receiving: Child passes will be available on Thursday evening for credit card purchase only. They will be available on Friday of the convention date for cash and credit card purchase. If you do pre-register online, we will not force you to go back in line to purchase a child pass. We will redirect you to the front of the on-site pass purchase line.

Can someone else pickup my badge for me?

Yes, you may pick up a friend, family or significant other convention badges if you have their barcode confirmation paperwork. If you do not have their confirmation paperwork then we will not allow you pick it up for them on their behalf.

I purchased a 3-Day or 1-Day badge on-line, can I pick it up on Thursday August 29th, 2019 or the day before I'm suppose to attend?

You can pick up your 3-Day Pre-Registration, 3-Day Online Registration or Friday 1-Day Badge on Thursday 08/29/19. An ID is not required in order to purchase a badge at the convention so you can purchase them for friends and family. You can not pick-up your Saturday or Sunday 1-Day pass until that day of the convention. You will be turned away if you attempt to pick it up.

I'm just a parent/guardian taking my child to San Japan. Do I still need to purchase a badge?

If you will be entering into any parts of the convention that require an attendee badge to be shown then the answer is yes. We do not offer a parent discount pass. If your child is 12 or under you or a guardian will have to be with them at all times including all Convention Access. The Guardian must have a standard San Japan attendee convention badge. Parents of attendees over 12 years old may wait nearby at of the nearby lounge areas at the Marriott Riverwalk, Grand Hyatt or inside the Henry B. Gonzalez which do not require to have a badge to be displayed.

How much will it cost to pre-register for the convention? What forms of payment are accepted?

Pre-Registration will cost the following amount (up until 11:59PM Central Time):

$44.00* Tier 3-Day Pre-Registration from October 21st, 2018 through November 12th, 2018
$51.50* Tier 3-Day Pre-Registration from November 13th, 2018 through January 1st, 2019
$56.50* Tier 3-Day Pre-Registration from January 2nd, 2019 through March 14th, 2019
$61.50* Tier 3-Day Pre-Registration from March 15th, 2019 through May 14th, 2019
$66.50* Tier 3-Day Pre-Registration from May 15th, 2019 through July 8th, 2019

For Pre-Registration, we will accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, and Debit cards if you purchase the pass online. To purchase a pass now, go to our Pre-Registration page. We do not accept Mail-in Pre-Registrations. You can pay by eCheck.

We have selected Nine-Tails as our store to pre-register which you can pay with cash or credit card. Nine-Tails does charge an 8.25% Sales Tax if you pay by Credit Card. You may purchase your pass from Nine-Tails starting on November 15th, 2018. The address is Wonderland of The Americas Mall, 4522 Fredericksburg Road, San Antonio, TX. They are located on the 2nd floor near Stein Mart & Bijiou Theater.

*For our 2019 convention there will be a $3.50 Service Fee for each individual badge for all pre-registration passes purchased on-line or at Nine-Tails.

Where will a badge be required?

We will have badge checkers at all Exhibit Halls, video gaming, all panel/programming rooms, Lila Cockrell Theater and at Main Events. Badge checkers will be checking to ensure all badges are valid San Japan badges. ‘Sneaking’ into areas requiring an attendee badge will have you escorted over to on-site SAPD which further actions will be considered by San Japan including charges filed. If you plan to attend San Japan but only plan to be in public spaces with friends at the host hotels or have photos taken in Hemisphere Park then you’re allowed to do that without restriction.

Is there a group discount?

The group discount rate for 2019.

8-12 Badges Purchased = $3.50 off per badge.
13-19 Badges Purchased = $5 off per badge.
20-29 Badges Purchased = $7.50 off per badge.
30 & Up Badges Purchased = $10 off per badge.

All badges must be purchased at the same time. The discount is applied at checkout. The group discount will only apply to pre-registration passes. After July 8th, 2019 the group discount will no longer apply on-line or in person. We do not accept checks or invoices for group discount purchases.

How do I go about transferring my Pass to a new Pass owner?

READ BELOW IF BEFORE JULY 20TH, 2019.

If you would like to transfer your Pass, please forward your barcode Confirmation email to registration@san-japan.org along with the following information about the new Pass owner at the top of the email body:

First Name:
Last Name:
Badge Name:
Email:
Gender:
Birthday:
Phone Number:
Street Address:
City:
State:
Zip code:

The deadline date is July 20th, 2019. Transfers of all types are not allowed after July 20th, 2019 with no exceptions made. This includes nickname changes.

READ BELOW FOR AFTER JULY 20TH, 2019.

Once the transfer deadline of July 20th, 2019 has already passed absolute no Passes may be transferred with changed information at this point after July 20th, 2019. You may still give or sell (it would be on you to receive any money from the new Pass owner) your Pass to someone else by giving them your Barcoded Confirmation email and requesting a “blank” Pass be issued for that Pass so that a new Pass owner may write their own badge name on their Pass. The new Pass owner only needs to show the barcoded Confirmation email and mention that they need a “blank” Pass at the convention to claim their “blank” Pass.

When is Registration open? What are the hours? Where is it located? What should I do to pick it up? How long will I be waiting?

We have an extensive On-Site Registration FAQ which answers the most common questions broken down by day with everything you need to know and do to pick up your badge/pass at San Japan. We even list the expected wait times. Our wait times in 2018 never exceeded 45 minutes at peak traffic times and was below ten minutes for a majority of the time.

I made a double payment and I need a refund. What should I do?

Be sure to contact regIT at registration@san-japan.org. We will work with you to get your refund if before the registration cutoff or if there has been a double payment. If you initiate a chargeback refund through credit card instead of contacting San Japan then you will be blocked from using online registration for all future San Japan conventions.

There is still a strict no refunds policy on all refund requests after July 8th, 2019 on all badges. This includes duplicate badges purchases if it is not the fault of the regIT registration portal. If you are unsure that you are not able to make it San Japan then we highly recommend to purchase your badge/pass at the convention or buy it online on the day of the convention.

I bought my pass and never received my confirmation e-mail? What should I do?

First, please check your spam filter to ensure it is not in there as all passes are sent immediately after payment has been received (except for eChecks). Next, contact regIT at registration@san-japan.org. You can send an inquiry through our contact form but it will be forwarded to that e-mail address.

We will need the following information when emailing us.

Your Name:
Your Address:
Your E-mail Address:
Your Date Of Birth:
Transaction Receipt # (If Possible):

If your registration information comes in but it doesn’t have a barcode, DON’T PANIC. regIT will be able to look up your information with the numbers listed on the confirmation.

I read/heard that Formal Masquerade Tickets and the Cosplay Show now require tickets. Is this true? How much does it cost? Where do I get them?

The Formal Masquerade Dance has switched over to being a charity event. We have a page with details on how it will be handled..

How long is Online registration open until? When does it close for the convention?

Pre-registration for our 2019 convention opens up on October 21st, 2018 at 12:01AM and ends on July 8th, 2019 at 11:59PM CENTRAL Time. There will be tier pricing so the earlier you pre-register the cheaper the price.

The availability for 1-Day passes/badges and regular 3-Day passes/badges begins on July 11th, 2019. Online Registration for our 2019 convention will be open until Sunday, September 2nd, 2019 3:00PM. Passes will always be available online as we do not turn it off until one hour before San Japan registration closes on Sunday September 1st, 2019.

What's the deal with the discount codes? Are there discount codes available for attendees? Has San Japan considered a Groupon special?

The discount code box are for internal codes only. There are no general public San Japan discount codes nor will there ever be general discount codes. The only discount available to general attendees is by pre-registering up to 50 days when the convention begins. We will never be offering San Japan passes on Groupon or any deal website. The lowest rate will be pre-registring as early as possible.
Why is there a ‘service fee’?	The

Why is there a 'service fee'?

The service fee is to ensure a smooth and efficient Registration experience. The service fee is not being imposed by regIT but is being implemented by San Japan as a way to cover/defer the cost of using regIT. The fee is required for every individual attendee badge.

Do I have to reserve a hotel room or be in a costume/cosplay in order to attend San Japan?

No, you do not have to reserve a hotel room in order to attend nor do you have to be in a costume. Cosplaying is completely optional and it is not required at all. All you have to do is show up at the convention as yourself. We do encourage attendees to reserve a room at the Grand Hyatt or Marriott which is quite beneficial for San Japan since we are required to fulfill a large room block in order to hold the convention at the hotel (only $154-$161/night) Go to our Hotel Information page for info and hotel reservation links. However, you are not required at all to reserve a room at the convention in order to pre-register or attend the convention.

Does San Japan mail out badges after I pre-registered or purchased it on-line?

No, we do not mail out badges of any kinds at all. You must pick them up in person. Mailing out badges are not being considered.

What is the field ``Nickname``. What does it mean? Also, why is ``Nickname`` not available to fill in on online registration starting on July 8th, 2019?

This is the name that’s put on the front of the badge which can be a personal nickname, the name of a character or an online name. The name must be a PG nickname as we do screen all of them. We will send you an e-mail requiring a new nickname if we deem it to be racy or offensive . After July 8th, 2019 we will be turning this feature off. Any badges purchased July 8th will be issued a blank badge and issued a sharpie to write your name.

This section only applies for Pre-Registration only as all pre-registered badges get a pre-printed badge. We do not ask for your nickname after July 8th, 2019. Blank badges are issued for badges purchased after Pre-Registration has closed. We do not issue pre-printed badges that have been purchased after July 8th, 2019. We will have sharpies on-site to write in your name.

I'm having issues with registration. What do I do?

E-mail registration@san-japan.org about your issue. Be sure to state what device and browser you are using. Be as thorough as possible.

What exactly does 'Pre-Registration' mean? Does it mean I'm purchasing a 3-Day pass?

This would be correct, you are pre-purchasing a 3-day San Japan pass at the lowest current tier price when you purchase pre-register. Pre-registration is the lowest rate you’ll spend for a convention pass at San Japan. We do not offer 1-Day pre-registration as it will only be (and always will be) 3-Day pre-registrations. 1-Day passes are available after pre-registration has closed.

I've already pre-registered for San Japan but I would like to purchase a Premiere or Gold Pass. Is there any way to ``upgrade`` my badge when Gold or Premiere Pass goes on sale?

For those who’ve already pre-registered, we do not offer any “upgrade” when purchasing a Gold Or Premiere Pass when they are released to the public. If you are able to obtain one, as they will be in high demand when they go on sale, you will have to pay the full price for a Gold Or Premiere Pass. There will be a refund fee after 60 days of purchase of all types of passes up until July 8th, 2019.

What do I need to check-in if I've pre-registered?

You may print out and/or bring any one of the following to pickup your Pre-Registration or Online Registration if you have any of the following:

Barcoded Confirmation email from San Japan (ID is not required in order to pick up your badge IF you have the confirmation email)
A Valid, government-issued photo ID is only required if you do not have the barcode confirmation email printed out or shown on your phone.
You have the Paypal confirmation e-mail printed out or shown on your phone.

In most cases, displaying your Barcoded Confirmation email on your smartphone will allow us to scan the barcode directly from your smartphone.

To answer an extremely commonly asked questions, Yes, you can pick for your friend if you have their barcode confirmation email. An ID is not required in order to pickup a friends or family badge if you have the barcode confirmation. We will not accept your family/friend Paypal confirmation.

What is a Premiere Pass? What are the benefits of purchasing a Premiere Pass?

In 2019 we are introducing the Premiere Pass for attendees who want the first in line benefits to most panels/events* but are not interested in the Gold Pass perks of the VIP Brunch/Autograph session. The price of Premiere Passes are $126.50* with 150 passes released for our 2019 convention. They will be available on April 15th, 2019 at 8:00PM Central.

People who purchase the ‘Premiere Pass’ will get the following benefits:

First in line for most panels/events* including the concert(s).
An exclusive badge to show your support for San Japan.
Exclusive early access to the dealers room 30 minutes before regular attendees for Friday & Saturday.
Pre-determined San Japan Merch.
Free Convention T-Shirt.
Includes the regular benefits of a regular attendee badge to attend all events .
The Premiere Pass will not include front of the line access for autograph sessions on Friday or Saturday. It does not include access to the Gold Pass Autograph session on Sunday afternoon.
We do not issue free tickets to the Maid Cafe for Gold Pass holders. The Maid Cafe is a paid event for all San Japan attendees.
We will be issuing a limited number of tickets for our Cosplay Show (Center Orchestra Seats) and Formal Masquerade Dance. Premiere Pass holders will be issued one ticket to the Cosplay Show (Center Orchestra) and Formal Masquerade Dance.
Premiere Pass will not be issued any complimentary tickets for paid autograph sessions. Paid autograph sessions is a paid event for all San Japan attendees.

The Premiere Pass does not include access to the Sunday VIP Brunch or VIP Autograph Session. They are only available to Gold Pass holders. You will be turned away on arrival.

*There is a $3.50 Service Fee applied to each individual Premiere Pass purchased.

Is there a military discount at all?

There is a military discount for San Japan which is only offered at at the convention. It is only valid for active military only. It is a $5 discount on 1-day and 3-day on-site badges. We do this as we must have visual verification of the ID.

We do not offer it:

Via online code.
For pre-registration.
For Military Family Members.

Has San Japan considered a DEALER ROOM ONLY Badge or a GAME ROOM ONLY Badge at a discount rate?

The suggested badges will never be considered. We only sell one type of badge which is an all-access badge to the entire convention. It’s on the attendees to decide what they do with that. If you would like a cheaper badge then we heavily recommend pre-registering at the earliest possible as the first registration price tier will always be cheaper than a 1-day badge on Friday or Saturday.

What about children who are age 0-5? Do I have to pay for a badge for them?

Attendees who are age 0-5 will be issued a FREE child badge with a paid full price badge. Child badges can only be picked up at the convention. The child must be with an adult at all times.

How will I receive a confirmation of my Pre-Registration? Will I get any kind of ``ticket`` or membership information in the mail? Or will it be by e-mail only?

If you pay online then you will receive an e-mail confirmation of your registration. We do not mail out tickets / badges. Please Save Your E-mail If you pay in person at Nine-Tails, you will receive a printout plus your confirmation by e-mail.

Even if you lose the e-mail or printout, Don’t Panic! We will have your information in our database. You can still show up to the convention to show us your government-issued photo ID .

What if I don't have/don't have access to a government-issued photo ID or a printer?

In this case, please bring your Pre-Registration Payment Confirmation email/page to claim your badge. However, State IDs are very easy to obtain for all ages. We will accept pre-registrations if you have the San Japan Pre-Registration Confirmation E-mail displayed on your smartphones, tablet or other electronic device.

We do accept drivers licenses (all kinds, expired ID is okay), military ID and passports. We do not accept birth certificates, School IDs or temporary paper ID without a picture on it. The government-issued ID must have a picture ID on it in some fashion. No exceptions are made.

What do I need to Register at the door?

Just your smiling self and some money or credit card. IDs are not required to register at the door if you’re paying for a normal pass/badge. We are strongly encouraging as many people as possible to Pre-Register to get the guaranteed lowest convention member badge rate. Payment for sure accepted at the door will be accepted in the form of Cash, Visa, Discover, Mastercard or American Express. We will not accept checks.

I will be unable to attend San Japan. Can I get a refund?

Please direct refund requests to registration@san-japan.org up until July 8th, 2019. After July 8th, 2019 we will not be issuing any refunds or credits for any reason. This includes medical or catastrophic emergencies. This applies to Gold Passes along with standard attendee badges. This includes 1-Day or 3-Day badges purchased after July 8th, 2019.

If you are unsure if you’ll be attending or going on a different day then we highly suggest to purchase your badge at the convention. All purchases after July 8th, 2019 will not have refunds for any reason whatsoever including medical, personal or natural disaster emergencies. You may transfer your badge to another person after July 8th, 2019 up until July 20th, 2019 at no charge. Transfers will no longer be allowed after July 20th, 2019.

There will be a refund fee after 60 days of purchase but there will not be any refund at all after July 8th, 2019. The fee is $5 per badge for a regular attendee badge, $10 for a Gold or Premiere Pass.

If you can’t make it to San Japan and have gone past the refund deadline that the bar code confirmation is valid to whoever redeems it. A transfer is not required as we do not require an ID in order to pick up a badge if the person redeems a barcode confirmation. Your San Japan barcode confirmation is like an unused concert ticket which anyone can use. This includes the Gold Pass and Premiere Pass.

Refund requests processing submitted before July 8th, 2019 can take up to 5 business days. Multiple inquiries will not speed up your refund request.

I want to volunteer with Registration. How do I help?

We appreciate that you want to volunteer at San Japan. Check our volunteer page for information on how to volunteer. We will try to have the application up by April 2019 with online signup ending on July 20th, 2019.

Are convention badges available to purchase at the convention in-person or am I required to buy them online?

You are not required to purchase them online.

Yes, convention badges will be for sale at the at-con rate if you show up on the day of the convention. If you wish to pay in cash you have to show up on Friday – Sunday of the convention. Please visit our On-Site Registration FAQ which we answer a lot more questions.

I'm still not sure about picking up my badge. Is an ID required at all to pick up my convention badge?

If you arrive with your Barcode Confirmation E-Mail which is e-mailed to immediately after you purchase your convention badge you are not required to show your ID to pick up your badge. This applies for picking up friends and family member badges too as we will only accept their confirmation paperwork. You do not have to print out your barcode confirmation out as we can accept them from a phone or tablet.

Do you sell 2-Day passes of any type (Friday/Saturday, Saturday/Sunday).

No, we do not. You must purchase a 3-Day badge even if you are only attending for 2 days. It is still cheaper than any combination of 2 1-day passes.

I purchased my badge online. My child is under 5 years old so I can obtain a free child pass. Am I required to go back in line after I pick up my badge?

No, you will be redirected to the front of the line to pick up your child badge.

Do you offer Thursday early badge pickup? What are the wait times? What do I need to do on arrival at San Japan to pickup my badge?

All questions that we’re receiving to date pertaining to what to do when you arrive at San Japan to pick up your badge are answered in the San Japan On-Site Registration FAQ.

It answers:

Thursday Pick-Up / Purchase.
Registration hours.
Expected wait time.
Where to purchase / pickup your badge.
How to purchase a convention badge at San Japan.
What is needed to pick up your badge.
Gold Pass Pickup.

It is broken down by the day of arrival including Thursday pickup.

What is the minimum age that a person can be to purchase a badge online? Can I buy it for anyone?

The minimum age a person has to be to purchase a badge on-line through regIT is 13 years old. For anyone under 13 you must purchase a child badge in person. We list our reasons for this within the FAQ. You can purchase a badge for anyone including siblings, family members or friends.

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