Nihon SF Taikai

The Nihon SF Taikai (日本SF大会, Japan SF Convention) is an annual science fiction convention held in Japan. Each of these conventions is officially the Nth Nihon SF Taikai (第N回日本SF大会), but they are more popularly known by the official nicknames given to them based on their locations, e.g. TOKON (when it is held in Tokyo) or DAICON (when it is held in Osaka).

Each year the Nihon SF Taikai attracts between 1,000 and 1,500 science fiction fans. Events at the convention include panel discussions, lectures, readings, screenings, parties, games, concerts, and a dealing room for the sale of rare books, magazines, and other items related to science fiction.

A number of prizes are awarded at the convention, most notably the Seiun Award for the best science fiction of the year as voted by attendees of the convention.

Outside Japan, the Nihon SF Taikai is most famous for the animation for the opening ceremonies of Daicon III and IV Opening Animations, which was produced by the animators that later became Gainax. The DAICON IV opening video features a girl in a Playboy Bunny suit with cameos from many science fiction films and stories.

List of Taikai locations

1962 – Tokyo – MEG-CON
1963 – Tokyo – TOKON
1964 – Osaka – DAICON
1965 – Tokyo – TOKON 2
1966 – Nagoya – MEICON
1967 – Tokyo – TOKON 3
1968 – Tokyo – TOKON 4
1969 – Kumamoto-ken – KYUKON
1970 – Tokyo – TOKON 5
1971 – Osaka – DAICON 2
1972 – Nagoya – MEICON 2
1973 – Hokkaidō – EZOCON
1974 – Kyoto – MIYACON
1975 – Kobe – SHINCON
1976 – Tokyo – TOKON 6
1977 – Yokohama – HINCON
1978 – Kanagawa-ken – ASHINOCON
1979 – Nagoya – MEICON 3
1980 – Tokyo – TOKON 7
1981 – Osaka – DAICON 3
1982 – Tokyo – TOKON 8
1983 – Osaka – DAICON 4
1984 – Hokkaidō – EZOCON 2
1985 – Niigata-ken – GATACON Special Summer Fest
1986 – Osaka – DAICON 5
1987 – Ishikawa-ken – URACON '87
1988 – Gunma-ken – MiG-CON
1989 – Nagoya – DAINA CON EX
1990 – Tokyo – TOKON 9
1991 – Kanazawa – i-CON
1992 – Yokohama – HAMACON
1993 – Osaka – DAICON 6
1994 – Okinawa – RYUCON
1995 – Shizuoka (Hamamatsu) – はまなこん (Hamanacon)
1996 – Kitakyushu – コクラノミコン (Kokuranomicon)
1997 – Hiroshima – あきこん (Akicon)
1998 – Nagoya (Mars) – CAPRICON 1
1999 – Nagano-ken – やねこん (Yanecon)
2000 – Yokohama – Zero-CON
2001 – Makuhari Messe, Chiba – SF2001 International Future Confererence (未来国際会議, Mirai Kokusai Kaigi)
2002 – Tamayu, Shimane – ゆ～こん (Yūcon)
2003 – Shiobara, Tochigi – T-con 2003
2004 – Gifu – G-CON
2005 – Yokohama – HAMACON 2
2006 – Matsushima – みちのくSF祭ずんこん (Michinoku SF Matsuri Zuncon)
2007 – Yokohama – Nippon2007 65th World Science Fiction Convention
2008 – Osaka – DAICON 7
2009 – Shiobara, Tochigi – T-con 2009
2010 – Edogawa, Tokyo – TOKON 10
2011 – Shizuoka – DONBURACON-L
2012 – Yūbari, Hokkaidō – VARICON
2013 – Hiroshima – KOICON
2014 – Tsukuba, Ibaraki – NUTS-CON
2015 – Yonago, Tottori – COMECON
2016 – Toba, Mie – ISESHIMACON
2017 – Shizuoka – DONBURACON-LL
2018 – Minakami – JURACON
2019 – Saitama – Sci-con
2020 – Kōriyama, Fukushima – F-CON (postponed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic)
2021 – Takamatsu, Kagawa – SF60
2023 – Saitama – Sci-con 2023
2024 – Chino, Nagano – やねこんR (Yanecon R)

External links

Official Nihon SF Taikai homepage in Japanese