OTAKUKON is Zimbabwe’s first ever Anime Convention created by Otaku Konnect. We held our first full day convention in December 2023. Otaku Konnect is a Zimbabwean organization dedicated to creating an environment where fans of Japanese animation (anime), Japanese graphic novels (manga), related gaming, and Japanese pop culture can share and learn from one another through community-based events and conventions. Otaku Konnect’s main annual event, OTAKUKON Anime Festival, is the annual gathering and realization of this commitment. Our goal as Otaku Konnect is to grow the community that appreciates Japanese pop culture within Zimbabwe.

In 2023, we hosted our first annual community focused event, which was a movie watch-day combined with a merch fair, gaming, and cosplay competitions. This first event saw an attendance of 85 participants. This event saw us identify the different sub-communities within our community and how to grow them.

With the aim of growing the community and providing safe and enjoyable events for fans of Japanese pop culture, Otaku Konnect plans to host mini-events bi-monthly, targeting various sub-sectors within the demographic.