April 18-20, 2025: And here we are! Star Wars Celebration Japan! The crowds were AT LEAST as busy as the streets of Shibuya and Shinjuku, so we should be used to it by now:
To be fair, this was my third Star Wars Celebration and all of them were just as crowded. It’s the nature of the beast! The amazing thing is that every one of these humans is here for Star Wars!
The panel schedule for the Celebration (main) stage was posted in the entry way of the convention centre. There were secondary stages with panels as well, occurring on all three days. I managed to reserve a spot for the Ahsoka panel on Saturday. That was the only way to get in to the big panels like The Mandalorian & Grogu, Ahsoka, and Andor. The halls aren’t big enough to accommodate everyone at the show so when reservations become available online, they get snatched up faster than passes to get into the show. I got lucky with one!
This 23 CD box set of all the Star Wars movie and TV shows would be an amazing collector’s item to have! I don’t think I have anything left in my home or vehicle that plays a CD though, haha! It would still be nice to have! I have since seen it listed on ebay for $600.00 USD and higher. I wonder if anyone is buying it for those prices. If I recall, it was still more than $500.00 CAD at the convention.
There were a lot of well known North American vendors on the floor. Hydro Flask had some really cool designs, shoulda got one! Unfortunately I already have too many YETI’s in my cupboard. Maybe I should have downsized, or followed the rule of, ‘Buy something, donate something else.’
There were vendors unique to us as well, including Daruma which I had no idea what they are, but they were exclusive and SOLD OUT. Had to Google it. Daruma are dolls modeling Buddhism, and are talismans for perseverance and good luck, among other things. Different colours mean different things. I am definitely curious what the black Darth Vader symbolizes! Well they were sold out, so that’s that!
One more crowd shot before my next post, this one somewhat closer to the Star Wars Celebration Live Stage, where anyone can listen in or watch if they can get close enough. A lot of celebrities get interviewed on this stage:
