Thank you everyone for joining us for the Grand Opening of our Atlanta store on December 9 and 10! The weekend was full of musical performances, cosplay contests, store promotions, and more!
On Saturday, December 9, we started the day with special welcoming speeches by mayor of Johns Creek, John Bradberry, Consul-General of Japan in Atlanta, Mr. Maeda, Senior Vice President of Kinokuniya USA, Mr. Eiji Matsuoka, and Regional Manager of Kinokuniya USA, Shigekazu Watanabe. Followed by the speeches was a special shamisen performance by Japanese artist, Sumie Kaneko.
Rain or shine, the show must go on. Willie Jackson band was the first to hit the outdoor stage bringing us the blues. Soon after, performance 20 kids dancers produced by Maki made the parents proud.
Roro is one of a kind. Danced on and off the stage, boosted the energy in the crowd, and put on an extra performance as a lion/dragon. Later, we found out she made 1000 handwritten notes in the form of a star to throw to the audience. Not only was she a blast interacting with the audience, she showed huge support for others on stage.
Without k1netik, the event wouldn’t have been complete. As a DJ, he knows what he’s doing, catering to the audience what they want to listen to. Thanks for hosting all day, and reminding our customers who is performing and about our in-store promotions.
Best known for "Holy Steel," the fan theme song for Jojo 's Bizarre Adventure, Shihori sang her heart out. An outstanding singer and song writer, we wish everyone was there to hear her background stories in between songs. Thank you for continuing to sing and write music.
Last one on stage for the day was by content creator, Chang Hee Kim. It was cold and gloomy by the time of his performance, but without fail, he curated and covered hit songs to brighten up the mood and end on a high note. Chang has a huge passion for singing, and we look forward to the release of your first single soon!
On Sunday, December 10, we had a surprise appearance by the whimsical creature, Smiski, that everyone loves! Smiski tried hiding from fans, but couldn’t catch a break from taking pictures with the customers.
Our last special guest for the day was Amanda C. Miller, voice actor of Boruto and Sailor Jupiter! Thank you for taking the time to autograph and interact with fans.
Cat Bus from My Neighbor Totoro decided to take a stop for the grand opening until mid January. Stop by the store, and check out The Boy and the Heron movie stand and our wide selection of Studio Ghibli goods! Purchase any Studio Ghibli item, and receive a free exclusive tote bag while supplies last.
We released new Acky Bright x Kinokuniya t-shirts, hoodies, and tote bags featuring a new illustration in tribute to the Georgia Aquarium (largest in the US) for our latest collaboration. They are still available exclusively at our Atlanta location.
Supporting our local artists is important for us and the community. We were pleased to have Tiffblot, amuimui, BEEBAOBUN, Kittygorian, TOTO-O, and Eonhawk as vendors at our Artist Alley. All of them are nice and talented individuals, and we loved seeing them gain new fans! Hope to see you guys at the next convention!
Thank you Kinoko Yokai for the Artist Market flyer!
For both days, we thank Maruman for hosting the Loose Leaf Mini - Mix & Match Event, Anime Weekend Atlanta for hosting a cosplay contest, and Leuchtturm1917 for providing embossing on notebooks. And thanks to the face painter and balloon maker for bringing extra happiness to the customers.
Lastly, thank you Dragon Izumi for documenting the whole event. Please take a moment to watch the Grand Opening recap video filmed and edited by Dragon.
