How did AnimeJapan overcome the language barrier with international visitors? An exclusive interview with Sony Music Solutions Inc. about VoicePing implementation and the future of multilingual communication.
AnimeJapan 2025, held in March 2025 at Tokyo Big Sight, is an annual celebration of anime that attracts fans and industry professionals from both Japan and around the world. Now in its 12th year, the event was once again divided into two sections: “Public Days” for general attendees and “Business Days” for industry professionals, featuring a wide range of content and lively business discussions.
One of the most notable trends this year was the steady increase in international visitors since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this has also brought a major challenge: overcoming language barriers. How did Kansuka and Okada from Sony Music Solutions Inc., the company responsible for event operations, address this issue and incorporate solutions into their event management?
In this article, we explore their insights through an interview, taking a close look at how they utilized VoicePing for real-time translation and discussing the future possibilities for multilingual support at events like AnimeJapan.
AnimeJapan 2025: A Global Celebration of Anime Draws Fans from Around the World to Tokyo Big Sight
This interview was conducted in the VoicePing meeting room.
— To start, could you briefly introduce yourselves? What roles did you play at AnimeJapan 2025?
Kansuka: I’m Kansuka from Sony Music Solutions Inc. AnimeJapan is made up of two segments: the “Public Day” for general attendees and the “Business Day” for industry professionals. I was in charge of overseeing the entire Business Day operations.
Okada: My name is Okada from Sony Music Solutions Inc. I was also in charge of the Business Day, mainly handling coordination with speakers and support for exhibitors.
— Could you give us an overview of the AnimeJapan 2025 event?
Photo: Business Day venue map showing numerous exhibitor booths. Courtesy of Sony Music Solutions Inc
Kansuka: AnimeJapan, now in its 12th year, is one of the largest anime events in Japan. The event was divided into two sections: “Public Days” for general attendees, and “Business Days” for industry professionals, each held over two days.
First, the “Public Days,” held on March 22 (Saturday) and 23 (Sunday), were geared towards anime fans. Many anime-related companies from all over Japan exhibited their products and services. Stage events, merchandise sales, exhibitions, and a variety of other activities were held at each booth, creating a lively atmosphere. Areas like the AJ Stage, the cosplay zone, and the food court were packed with attractions for visitors to enjoy.
On the other hand, the “Business Days,” held on March 24 (Monday) and 25 (Tuesday), were dedicated to industry professionals. Numerous anime-related companies participated, facilitating active business discussions between domestic and international firms, information exchanges about the anime business, and participation in various seminars. It served as a vital platform for business networking in the anime industry.
Rising Numbers of International Visitors — But What Challenges Lie Ahead?
Scene from the AnimeJapan 2025 Business Seminar (Photo courtesy of Sony Music Solutions Inc.)
— AnimeJapan is known not only for attracting domestic fans and industry professionals, but also for drawing significant attention from fans and partner companies around the world. Have you faced any challenges in communicating with overseas participants?
Kansuka: While we don’t have precise data on the number of international visitors, it’s clear that the number has grown significantly since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve always had some level of overseas attendance, but starting last year, the increase has become especially noticeable.
In response, we’ve worked to improve the ticketing experience for international visitors. In the past, tickets were only available through Rakuten Ticket, but last year we expanded sales to Taiwan’s “KKTIX.” This year, we added South Korea’s “Melon Ticket” and the global travel booking platform “Trip.com,” enhancing multilingual and regional accessibility.
To address the language barrier, we once again implemented VoicePing this year, following its successful use at AnimeJapan 2024.
“We Want to Use VoicePing Again”—Here’s Why
Real-Time Translation at the Forefront, Backed by Trust and Proven Results
Scene from the AnimeJapan 2025 Business Seminar (Photo courtesy of Sony Music Solutions Inc.)
— What made you decide to use VoicePing again this year?
Kansuka: One of the biggest reasons is the overwhelmingly positive feedback we received when we used VoicePing last year. As I mentioned earlier, with the number of international visitors growing each year, we believe that providing strong language support remains a key priority.
In the seminars we hosted this year, most speakers gave their presentations in Japanese, as the primary audience was domestic. That said, there were still many attendees from overseas. We’ve continued to place importance on creating an inclusive environment where everyone—regardless of language—can access the information and fully enjoy the event.
Last year, the implementation went very smoothly without any major issues, and we’ve also worked with VoicePing at other events with great success. Based on that trust and experience, we felt confident in using it again this year.
From Character Names to Industry Jargon—VoicePing Delivers Real Understanding
A VoicePing QR code station set up at various locations around the venue. (Photo courtesy of Sony Music Solutions Inc.)
— How was VoicePing used at the venue?
Kansuka: For the seminars, we set up a monitor on the right side of the stage to display real-time translated captions. We also placed QR codes at the venue entrance and near the seminar stage so visitors could access the translations on their own smartphones.
Since anime content often includes specialized terms like character names, voice actor names, and anime titles, we registered these in VoicePing’s custom dictionary in advance to ensure accurate translation. The ability to pre-register industry-specific terminology—including even company names—was especially helpful and reduced the burden on our operations team significantly.
VoicePing’s custom dictionary feature allows pre-registration of specialized terms.
— What feedback did you receive from attendees?
Okada: We received very positive responses, especially from overseas participants who said they could follow the seminars smoothly thanks to the real-time translation. We also heard comments like “It was great that we could use it easily just by scanning the QR code without downloading any app.”
For international visitors who came all the way to Japan, being able to understand the content of the seminars in their native language seemed to make their experience much more valuable and enjoyable.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Multilingual Support at Events
Photo courtesy of Sony Music Solutions Inc.
— How do you see the future of multilingual support at events like AnimeJapan?
Kansuka: As anime becomes increasingly popular worldwide, we expect the number of international visitors to continue growing. With that in mind, we want to continue enhancing our multilingual support to ensure that everyone—regardless of their native language—can fully enjoy AnimeJapan.
VoicePing has been an excellent partner in helping us achieve this goal, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration in the future. We believe that real-time AI translation technology will become an essential tool for international events like ours.
Okada: I agree. The ease of use and high-quality translation that VoicePing provides has made a real difference in how we serve our international attendees. We’re excited to explore even more possibilities for multilingual support as the technology continues to evolve.
Sony Music Solutions Inc. continues to use VoicePing for their major events, providing seamless multilingual communication for attendees from around the world.
