Sakura-Con 2025: The good, the bad, the ugly!
(Author's note: There will be some videos in this review/commentary. I apologize if the quality isn't all that good.)
All Pictures and videos used in this legal under the terms of the fair use agreement of 1976.
Hello readers, it’s time for my critique of Sakura-Con 2025. As before the Japanese culture and anime convention took place in Seattle Washington. For 2025 Sakura-Con took place from April 18th through the 20th. Of note was that there were more people there. It seems with the expansion to the Summitt building the convention has grown more.
Thus, allowing more of the Arch building to get used. Which is good because Sakura-Con’s long-time home deserves a lot of respect as it’s still quite useful.
This year was a little different as I spent a lot of time with my girlfriend. Nonetheless there was still ample chance to assess things. While there were many things that got improved on there were others that Sakura-Con could work on. This critique will follow my seven tier criteria for convention assessment. As always, I’ll be firm yet fair and this is no way meant as a personal attack on anyone at Sakura-Con.
Now criteria number 1 is Customer/attendee service. From my assessment of the info booths and the way they handled things Sakura-Con did very well. They got badges to people in short order. To be fair on Saturday they had some issue with their printer being down. But that can get excused because technology can pick the darndest of times to break down.
The Sakura-Con staff did a very good job on this part as did the ADA. But more on the ADA later in the critique. Now on to the next criteria.
Next up we have organization. On this part Sakura-Con did very well. This held true for where name badges got handed out and in the autographs section. Things were very organized yet very relaxed. In a video Peach and I did I observed this.
Organization is an important key to keeping a convention running smooth. The Sakura-Con staff did an excellent job of this and there is zero complaint on this score.
Next up comes enthusiasm from the staff and volunteers. Again, there’s zero complaint on this one. The staff and volunteers were enthusiastic and seemed to love what they were doing. A happy staff makes for a happy convention. And Sakura-Con did an excellent job on both the organization and enthusiasm part.
So, no complaints and bravo to you Sakura-con.
Accessibility is the next criteria up foer examination. This is important for many people who attend this convention. And this year this one criterion is where the meat and potatoes of the critique is. There was some good in this category and some things Sakura-Con should improve on for next year. First up the good and then the thing that needs improvement.
Now the good part is down in the Merchant’s Hall they had one area designated for ADA. This was a good idea on their part. By having one area for ADA, it allows the staff to come to them and see which autograph they want to go to. A centralized location makes for less confusion. On this part Sakura-Con ADA did very well.
Now a couple things of note for the Sakura-Con team. First, this is for those with mobility issues. They might consider some kind of transport between the Arch and Summitt building. Going up and down the hills can be a bit difficult for some. Some people have asthma issues, and this would be an absolute godsent for them.
It’s something to consider for the future.
Now the second thing to consider is far easier. This observation is for the ADA. I recognize this is the age of the internet but there are con goers who have some visual impairments. So much so that reading the small print of a mobile device can be rather hard for them. Which is why another suggestion is this.
Granted it may cost a little more but making a large-print version of the pocket guide would help a lot.
As someone who has a visual impairment this is of personal importance to me. Now for the record many of us con goers appreciate the digital signs with the larger print. That’s a very good first step. But a large print version of the pocket guide for those who have visual issues would help even more. As stated, it may cost more but it will make a lot of con goers with visual issues very happy.
Now to the next piece of criteria for the convention Panel/Event variety. This year's panel variety was a little stale. In fairness there were some issues that happened at the convention. Those issues will come up at the end of the con critique. That said the number of panels this year was a little flat.
More variety for next year is the offered solution to this.
Now the next piece of criteria is food availability. Any good con staff member or con goer will say this. A hungry con goer is not a happy con goer. Now that said in the Summitt building they had plenty of places and things to eat so that wasn’t an issue. In the Arch Building there was a Taco Del Mar, a Gyro place, and even a café to get some good stuff to eat.
And The Hyatt at Olive 8 had a restaurant and a little breakfast café which was good.
My only real complaint is that many of these places are card only. Now again I understand this is the age of the internet. But having places be card only is very…unwise. For the simple reason that things can happen such as what if the power goes out for some reason? That would throw everything into chaos.
The digital transaction system shouldn’t get disregarded, so this is the solution. Instead try a happy compromise of both cash and card. That way if the power goes out and the system goes down the other will pick up the slack.
It’s often said that putting all one’s eggs in a single basket is a bad idea. So, with commerce let’s take a mix of both cash and card. That way business at the convention can continue no matter what. As stated, things can happen with the power system natural or manmade. So having a backup plan would help a lot.
Now comes the criteria that while last is also very important. That criteria being how well did the convention keep modern politics out. Now as stated what a person’s personal beliefs are shouldn’t matter at an anime convention. That said we can have debates of all kinds. We can debate what worked and what didn’t in a show or movie.
We can debate which characters are the strongest or the best. We can even debate what couples do and don’t work in a series or movie.
That kind of healthy fandom debate is welcome. As is the idea of waving a flag for the Survey corps, the Holy Britannian Empire, or even the Galactic Republic. That’s fine that’s fandom and that’s welcome.
What I’m talking about is keeping real world politics out of the convention scene. Because to be blunt politics is a clown show and not in a good way. Best to keep that nonsense out so it doesn’t poison the proverbial well of a fan convention’s good vibes. Now that the disclaimer has gotten pointed out on with the review.
To be fair one restaurant had the LGBTQ+ flag on a window of the Summitt building. But I'm pleased to say I didn’t see any signs of political activism in the con itself. Now a restaurant virtue signaling can get excused because that’s not the con’s fault. That’s the restaurant and that’s on them. Sakura-Con did a good job of keeping modern politics out of the con.
And that is very pleasing as it allows all to unify around the love of anime and all things in it.
Of note this year the Merchant’s Hall set up was very efficient and well done. They also had a booth dedicated to a kitty cat adoption shelter which was adorable! Who doesn't love a cute kitty cat? Now there should be more events in the Arch building next year as the place is still quite useful. Some transport between the two major convention center buildings would help.
ADA should have a large print version of the pocket guide. And finally, more panel variety would help for next year.
It should be of note that some of the events at the Arch building got canceled. That was because a place known as The Cheesecake factory had a nasty fire start. In an ironic and what some would call suspicious twist the place was due to close in May. That caused all kinds of havoc!
Still a special shout out goes out to the Seattle Fire and police departments. They got everyone evacuated, put out the fire, and kept things calm and organized. Thank you for all that you do and keeping us safe.
And on that note this convention gets a B minus this year. They did pretty good especially in the organization department. Accessibility, Panel/event variety, and some parts of food availability could use improvement.
And with that said this concludes the con critique. Another one will be coming in November with Kumoricon. See you then con goers.
Thanks for reading this con critique. I hope I provided some great insight into Sakura-Con 2025 and some good suggestions for next year. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section. Did I do good or are there ways I can improve? Constructive criticism is welcome here.
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