First HizashiCon Anime Convention Is Bringing Popular Voice Actors to Northwest Florida

The first annual HizashiCon has been announced for November 8 and 9 at First United Methodist Church – 6 E Wright St, Pensacola, Florida, celebrating all things anime and Japanese culture. The Japan-America Society of Northwest Florida organized the event as part of the broader 11th Annual Foo Foo Fest, a cultural appreciation event in Pensacola spanning October 31 to November 11. You can get your tickets from the HizashiCon website and more information below.

HizashiCon will feature cosplay contests, Japanese pop performances, educational exhibits, and panels led by local scholars that “will deepen attendees’ appreciation of Japanese culture.” The convention will also feature a Shinjuku-inspired maid café, as well as fan panel discussions with guests that include media figures and voice actors. Voice actor Stephen Fu will be attending HizashiCon. He is known for roles such as:

• Naofumi Iwatami in The Rising of The Shield Hero
• Douma in Demon Slayer
• Sakuta Azusagawa in Rascal Does Not Dream series
• Weather Report in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean
• Akito Yamada in My Love Story With Yamada-kun at Lv999

Xanthe Huynh will also be at HizashiCon. She is known for gaming roles as Haru Okumura in Persona 5 and Marianne von Edmund in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and anime roles like:

• Takina Inoue in Lycoris Recoil
• Sawako Kuronuma in Kimi ni Todoke
• Mizuki Shibata in The Irregular at Magic High School
• Hiyori Iki in Noragami
• Yuna in Yuki Yuna is a Hero

The HizashiCon website adds the origins of its name. Hizashi (日差し) comes from the Japanese word for sunshine, evoking “the warmth of the sun’s rays, casting a luminous glow that illuminates the world. Pensacola — known for lush beaches, crashing waves, and an endless summer — embodies the feeling of Hizashi,” the site reads. Readers can get their passes from the site, priced at $25 for adults, $15 for students, and free for children aged 5 and younger. Other guests include the song artist and VTuber Trickle, cosplayer Spree Noel, and music producer and multimedia content creator nostraightanswer (Lupin).

Source: Press Release
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