Yoshihiro Watanabe to Be Otakon 2026 Guest

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 20, 2026) – Yoshihiro Watanabe will be a guest at Otakon 2026, according to Otakorp Inc. He is the producer behind "Leviathan" and associate producer on "BEASTARS" and "Trigun Stargaze."

Watanabe is a producer at Studio Orange, and currently working on "Trigun Stampede" as its business producer. He was born in Japen and grew up in Los Angeles. After graduating from college, he joined the U.S. branch of the animation Studio Madhouse.

Throughout his early years in anime industry, under legendary Masao Maruyama's mentorship, Watanabe gained unique international production experience ranging from live-action to international collaboration projects. His career involves a range of shows and roles: "BEASTARS" (2021, Orange, Business Producer), "GodzillaS.P" (2021, Orange, Business Producer), "League of Legend: New Journey Short" (2019, P.A. Works, Creative Producer), "Eccentric Family 2" (2017, P.A. Works, Business Producer).

Watanabe is currently with Studio Orange and producing a range of future shows, including "BEASTARS Final Season, Part 2", "Trigun Stargaze," and "Leviathan."

Otakon will be held from July 31 to August 2 in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

ABOUT OTAKON AND OTAKORP, INC.: Now entering its thirty-second year, Otakon is an annual celebration of Japanese and East Asian popular culture, and also one of the largest gatherings of fans in the United States. Otakon celebrates popular culture as a gateway to deeper understanding of Asian culture, and has grown along with the enthusiasm for anime, manga, video games, and music from the Far East. Historically, Otakon has drawn over 40,000 people for three days each year (for a paid attendance of over 100,000 turnstile attendees). Otakon is a membership-based convention sponsored by Otakorp, Inc., a Pennsylvania- based, 501(c)3 educational non-profit whose mission is to promote the appreciation of Asian culture, primarily through its media and entertainment. Otakorp, Inc. is directed by an all-volunteer, unpaid staff – we are run by fans, for fans.

For more information about Otakorp, Inc., see https://www.otakorp.org/
For more information and the latest news on Otakon 2026, see https://www.Otakon.com/