25 Years of Japan Expo: A Horrific Retrospective
In this festival we call home, everyone hail to the pumpkin song! Whether you’re masked or unmasked, today Japan Expo celebrates Halloween with you! So watch out, beware, listen and take care !
Trick or treat!
Japan Expo didn’t wait for the night of October 31st to celebrate Halloween in style!
In 2025, just like in every previous edition, the festival has never been afraid... to scare!
And as every cosplayer knows: Japan Expo, like Halloween, is never complete without a costume!
From Japanese vampires and ghosts to the yôkai of Shinto mythology, the creatures of darkness are an essential part of world culture - and they’ve always had their place at Japan Expo!
2025 – A chilling summer
The 2025 edition of Japan Expo, held last summer, was drawn to the macabre, only to be swallowed by an eldrich entity.
That year’s line up took on the form of Junji Itô, guest of honor and master of horror manga, known for his terrifying masterpieces:
Uzumaki, chronicling the madness of a town haunted and driven insane by mysterious spiral patterns;
Tomie, the cursed and immortal young woman, both enchanting and at war with her own ego;
and countless short stories, each as mesmerizing as they are disturbing.
Despite his mere presence casting a gloomy aura over the halls of Japan Expo, the mood quickly shifted, thanks to the author’s radiant personality!
Cheerful and full of life, Junji Itô led several conferences (including one in collaboration with Celio), met his fans during signing sessions, a Meet & Greet, and explored the immersive exhibition dedicated to his work:
- Junji Itô: Nightmare & Obsession, an interactive gallery spanning over 400 m², featuring a collection of original artwork, exclusive merchandise, and a special interview with the master of horror himself.
The Curse of Junji Itō was casted all across the entire festival!
We had the pleasure of welcoming Anji Matono, horror manga artist and author of The Hundred Ghost Stories That Led to My Death, who appeared for signing sessions at the FEUX publishing booth.
YP, director of the independent web series Jubaku Shojo BAGIRA-chan!, was also in attendance, accompanied by the lead actress herself - dressed as none other than Bagira-chan, the cursed girl!
But it was Youth Theatre Japan and their chilling horror musical who drew the deepest inspiration from Junji Itô’s work, delivering an hypnotic and blood-curdling performance.
Their original creation, Purple Spiral – Shiunka, brought to life a true danse macabre, blending elegance with spine-tingling terror.
Were you too, possessed by the spectacle?
After these eerie festivities, many Japan Expo fans took part in the Horror-Themed Envelope Contest!
And the winners didn’t just leave with candy in their bags… but with a bundle of prizes as well!
flashback - darkness from the past
In its twenty-five-year history, Japan Expo has more than once welcomed guests worthy of the Day of the Dead!
Death Note fans, in particular, have had plenty of reasons for having a heart attack, three times, to be exact:
- 2008 – with Takashi Obata, the mysterious artist behind the legendary manga
- 2013 – with Nightmare, the visual kei powerhouse behind the first opening and ending themes of the anime
- 2022 – with Alexis Tomassian, the French voice actor of Light Yagami
The year 2008 was also marked by the appearance of another cult figure: Alucard, the coolest vampire in manga history, brought to life before the audience’s eyes by his creator, Kôta Hirano!
Few manga artists embrace a Halloween aesthetic quite like Atsushi Ohkubo, the creator of Soul Eater — a series teeming with witches, pumpkins, and a wicked sense of dark humor!
Present at Japan Expo 2018, he even joined in on a live drawing battle against comic book artist Jordi Lafebre!
For a more mature audience and in a far more unsettling register, Toshio Maeda, the legendary manga artist known for turning stomachs (and occasionally other body parts), honored us with his presence in 2012.
His most infamous work, Urotsukidoji, stands as a mythic horror hentai, overflowing with tentacled monsters and gore!
Horror films often go hand in hand with special and pratical effects!
At Japan Expo, visitors can dive into the secrets behind the movie monsters that haunt cinema’s most iconic pantheon.
And if there’s one creature that reigns supreme above them all, it’s Godzilla!
In 2024, Shinji Higuchi, director of Shin Godzilla, and Yuji Kaida, the celebrated illustrator, came to share their passion for the King of the Kaiju, in every shape, size, and scale imaginable!
The legendary Godzilla even had his very own exhibition, roaring with power at the heart of the festival!
In the same year, the HAKKI-YAKO troupe led a funeral dance of yokai on the Sakura Stage, performing a silent show that put the supernatural creatures of Japanese folklore in the spotlight.
The world of video games isn’t short on frights!
In 2009, two developers from the Resident Evil saga, Masachika Kawata and Kentaro Noguchi, came to present what was then the latest installment in the franchise: Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles.
In 2011, it was Akira Yamaoka, the legendary Silent Hill composer, who took the stage to share his creative journey and inspirations.
That same year, visionary creator Suda51, a true fan of cult horror cinema, was also among the guests. He was then collaborating with James Gunn on what would become Lollipop Chainsaw.
Together, Yamaoka and Suda51 hosted an exclusive conference devoted to their joint project: Shadows of the Damned!
Even beyond Japan’s borders, the Amazing lineup keeps a keen eye out for lovers of horror and the fantastical!
Every true creature of the night has heard of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the cult TV series that aired on M6 from 1998 to 2004.
Nearly a decade after the end of its U.S. broadcast, part of the cast reunited for the Buffy Reunion, held as part of Comic Con.
Fans had the chance to meet Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia), Kristine Sutherland (Joyce), and Nicholas Brendon (Xander) - gathered for a roundtable filled with nostalgia, laughter, and good vibes!
He visited Japan Expo twice, in 2008 and 2019: the legendary manga artist who has profoundly shaped horror storytelling around the world — Gô Nagai!
Famous for classics such as Cutie Honey, Mazinger Z, and Goldorak, Gô Nagai is also a horror icon, thanks to two groundbreaking works whose influence is undeniable: Devilman and Violence Jack.
From the horror punk music of Glenn Danzig (The Misfits) to the cinematic universe of director Rob Zombie, Devilman remains a major reference in global horror culture.
With a career spanning over 50 years, his works have inspired an entire generation of manga artists:
Parasite by Hitoshi Iwaaki, Chainsaw Man by Tatsuki Fujimoto, and Berserk by Kentarô Miura, all pay homage to Gô Nagai’s legacy.
Even Junji Itô has admitted drawing inspiration from Devilman when creating Hellstar Remina!
Fun fact:
Gô Nagai makes a cameo in the 1988 American horror-comedy film The Toxic Avenger 2!
25 Years of Japan Expo – What Does the Crystal Ball Say?
Looking back at its past, Japan Expo is summoning a future full of promise!
For the 2026 edition, visitors at Japan Expo Marseille won’t be spared - they too will have one foot in the grave!
The exhibition Junji Itō – Obsession and Nightmares, following in the footsteps of the 2025 Paris edition, will be open to all adults or minors accompanied by an adult.
For its 25th anniversary, the festival brings back its greatest moments and unforgettable encounters, while celebrating Japanese culture in all its forms… even the most terrifying!
A monstrously unforgettable edition awaits - thrills guaranteed!