JAFAX is very excited to present to you more than 60 different panels at this year's event. Led by our special guests, staff, and attendees like you, our panels cover an incredible range of subjects, including Japanese Bonsai Gardening, 3D Printing for Cosplay, Origami Crane Folding, Cosplaying on a Budget, Japanese Calligraphy, and Let's Design a Kaiju! Learn all about game design in our Sunday game block (Panel Room 4). Discover different aspects of Japanese history and culture in our designated Cultural Center (Panel Room 1). Take part in an array of interactive games and entertainment such as Name That Anime Opening, Pokemon Jeopardy, and Party Table's Mystery Hentai Theater on Friday (Panel Room 4). Participate in a variety of workshops on Saturday (Panel Room 4). Take an introductory lesson in swordsmaship, self defense, and Olympic martial arts in our Live Events room. You'll want to mark your calendar so you don't miss your favorite panels!

2025 PANELS SCHEDULE

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FRIDAY

Main Events

3 PM Storyboarding for Animation and More with Zach Giering

8 PM Toxinesis: Dance Performance

Live Events

4 PM Martial Arts Lesson: Basic Strikes and Kicks with Family Martial Arts

5:30 PM Sumo 101 with Grand Rapids Sumo

7 PM Japanese Swordsmanship Class - 17th Century with Swordsmanship Museum and Academy

Panel Room 1 (Japanese Culture Center)

1:30 PM 1,000 Origami Cranes for Hiroshima with AMHCosplays

4:30 PM Japanese Rakugo with Camila Monge

6 PM Interpreting Historical Japanese Swordsmanship with Swordsmanship Museum and Academy

Panel Room 2

1:30 PM IA: A Vocaloid to Surpass Hatsune Miku with Aria Bane-Knockeart

3 PM Generative AI: A Technical Discussion with Lexen Sterenberg

4 PM Sailor Moon: The 2nd Galaxy War. A DnD Let's Play! The Final Game with Brandon Gray

7 PM How to Build a Digital Cosplay Portfolio with Pink Petal Cosplay

8 PM Absurd Argument Arena: Anime Showdown with Aria Bane-Knockeart

Panel Room 3

1 PM The Weeb Effect with Hannah Julius

2 PM Cosplay Etiquette with Kira Elric

4:30 PM Touhou M-1 Grand Prix: Translating on Lunatic with Aria Bane-Knockeart

6 PM J-POP Trivia Game Show with The Almighty Otaku God

8 PM OTP (One True Pairing) Otaku Court 18+ with Shockolate Energy Cosplay

10 PM Kiss, Marry, Kill, Kuff? with KuffedCosplay

Panel Room 4

4 PM Anime Jeopardy with Maddie Wheeler

5:30 PM Name That Anime Opening! with Serene Newby

7 PM Pokemon Jeopardy with Nathan Moon

8 PM In-Character Dating Game 18+ with Jessica Reed

9:30 PM Party Table Presents: Mystery Hentai Theater 18+ with Party Table

Other - Cosplay/Panel Ops

9 PM Late-Night Origami with AMHCosplays

SATURDAY

Main Events

12 PM Voice Acting 101 with Tiana Camacho

1 PM Storyboarding Musica Sequences with Zach Giering

2 PM Voice Acting with David Errigo Jr. and Jessie James Grelle

3 PM ChiRi Girls Live!

Live Events

9:30 AM Martial Arts Lesson: Basic Self Defense with Family Martial Arts

1 PM Japanese Swordsmanship Class - 17th Century with Swordsmanship Museum and Academy

Panel Room 1 (Japanese Culture Center)

11 AM Swords in Media: Myth vs. Reality with Swordsmanship Museum and Academy

12:30 PM Japanese Food and Lifestyle with Kohei Hattori

1:30 PM The Serenity of Japanese Gardens with Ted Bentley, Meijer Gardens

2:30 PM Japanese Bonsai: Look to the Trees with Ted Bentley, Meijer Gardens

4 PM Interpreting Historical Japanese Swordsmanship with Swordsmanship Museum and Academy

5 PM Koshirae: Art of the Japanese Sword with Swordsmanship Museum and Academy

7 PM Sengoku Jidai: Japan's Warring States Era with Swordsmanship Museum and Academy

Panel Room 2

9 AM Closet Cosplay and Character Building with Nicole Kinnunen

10:30 AM Cosplay and Conventions on a Budget with Shockolate Energy Cosplay

12 PM Cosplay Positively+ with Shockolate Energy Cosplay

1 PM What's Good? Reading Manga, Watching Anime with Nicole Kinnunen

2:30 PM So You Want to Become a V-Tuber? with V-Tuber Arkadia

7 PM Anime Jeopardy! with Mitch Guzek

8:30 PM Scamming in the Cosplay Community: Don't Get Fooled with Shockolate Energy Cosplay

10 PM Kiss, Marry, Kill, Kuff? with KuffedCosplay

Panel Room 3

9:30 AM What the Heck is a Touhou Project? with Aria Bane-Knockeart

11 AM Cosplaying While Trans with Gianna Mask

12 PM Kaigai Idols — The Idols You Can Meet! with the ChiRi Girls

1 PM Vocaloid Jeopardy! with Kelsey Hall

2:30 PM Party Table Presents: Are You a Great Senpai?! with Party Table

7 PM Improv Comedy Grand Prix with Aria Bane-Knockeart

8:30 PM Produce Me! A Guide Through the iDOLM@STER Circle of Idol Hell with Aria Bane-Knockeart

10 PM Waifu Rumble 2025 with The Almighty Otaku God

Panel Room 4

9 AM AMV Autopsy with Gianna Mask

10:30 AM PLUR-C! with KuffedCosplay

12 PM 3D Printing for Cosplay with Pink Petal Cosplay

1 PM Basic Electronics for Cosplay with Pink Petal Cosplay

2 PM Advanced Wig Styling for Cosplay with Pink Petal Cosplay

3 PM Let's Design a Kaiju! with Natalie Budrick

7 PM We Love Your Cosplay, and You Should, Too! with V-Tuber Arkadia

9:30 PM Intro to Armor Building with Exuberant Cosplay

Other - Cosplay/Panel Ops

9:30 PM Late-Night Origami with AMHCosplays

SUNDAY

Main Events

12 PM Storyboarding Action and Fighting Sequences with Zach Giering

1 PM Q&A with a special celebrity guest!

2:30 PM Party Table Presents: JAFAX Anime Pictionary

Live Events

10 AM Martial Arts Lesson: Basic Strikes and Kicks with Family Martial Arts

11 AM Sumo 101 with Grand Rapids Sumo Club

Panel Room 1 (Japanese Culture Center)

10 AM Japanese Daily Life with Soga Japan Center

11:30 AM Japanese 101: Language Lessons for Beginners with Soga Japan Center

1 PM Japanese Table Conversation with Soga Japan Center

2:30 PM Japanese Calligraphy with Soga Japan Center

Panel Room 2

9 AM Nerd Chapel at JAFAX with Eric Anderson

10 AM Cosplay Fitness with the Cosplay Medic with Brandon Gray

12:30 PM sasakure UK's Doomsday Anthology: The MOST Depressing Vocaloid Series with Aria Bane-Knockeart

2 PM The People Who Brought You Mekakucity Actors, IA, and Listeners: 1st PLACE Co., Ltd with Aria Bane-Knockeart

Panel Room 3

10 AM Next Time for Con, Imma... with Nicole Kinnunen

11:30 AM Cosplay Guest Q&A with AMHCosplays, Kira Elric, and Exuberant Cosplay

12:30 PM JAFAX Feedback Panel with Con Chair Lexen Sterenberg and Con Vice Chair Eric Foertsch

2 PM Introducing Obscure Anime with Jessica Reed

Panel Room 4

9 AM Happy Circle Clicking: osu! History with Gianna Mask

10 AM From Idea to Indie: How to Start Making Your First Video Game with Kevin Barnes, Birdtek Games

11:30 AM So Your Kid Wants to Get into Game Design with Lexen Sterenberg, Big Mitten Games

12:30 PM Start Your Business and Stay Motivated! with Nicholas Payton, Happy Slaying Games

2 PM How 3D Platformers Get Made with Peter Lantz