Tokyo X is back for its fourth year, and this edition may be the most ambitious yet. Tokyo X transforms Houston’s NRG Center into the city’s ultimate Japanese food, anime, and pop culture festival this weekend. Bridging ancient traditions with ultra-modern trends, the two-day event delivers non-stop entertainment featuring live music, martial arts showcases, fierce cosplay competitions, and ramen-eating showdowns. Organizers expect more than 25,000 attendees over the weekend.
Browse a massive lineup of vendors at Tokyo X, where hundreds of booths take over the market floor. You can shop for anime apparel, collectibles, artwork, and specialty goods from exhibitors like BookOff, Bandai Gashapon, Kinokuniya, and Bedrock City Comics.
When you need a break from shopping, the food lineup covers everything from Dumpling Haus and Uncle Tetsu to ROYCE’ Chocolate and Paris Baguette. The festival floor also features interactive spaces, including a dedicated cosplay area and the Anime Museum.
The event will feature an artist alley, where visitors can browse original prints, handmade crafts, and custom merchandise from over 120 creators setting up shop in the Tokyo X Houston Artist Alley. The massive lineup features local and independent artists including A Tale In Threads, Indoor Cat Press, LunarMile Crochet, and Zen Art Calligraphy.
Whether you’re looking for fan art, original illustrations, or unique accessories, you can shop directly from creators like Squint Print Studio, The Goblin Collective, and Wonderland Geekery as you make your way through the market floor.
The headline draw is a rare simultaneous appearance by all four international voice actors of Goku from the Dragon Ball franchise: Masako Nozawa (Japanese), Sean Schemmel (English), Mario Castañeda (Latin American Spanish), and Ankur Javeri (Hindi) — all on stage together on Saturday. It’s the kind of casting reunion that almost never happens outside a recording studio.
On Sunday, CODA — the band behind some of the most recognizable theme songs from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure — performs a live concert exclusive to the event. Members of the USA Olympic Fencing Team are also scheduled to appear across the weekend.
Beyond the pop culture programming, Tokyo X makes a genuine push into Japanese cultural heritage. More than 1,000 authentic historical artifacts will be on display, including samurai armor, swords, and traditional artwork — one of the larger temporary exhibits of its kind in the region. Cultural demonstrations and interactive programming run throughout both days.
Hot Import Nights brings over 100 custom and Japanese-inspired vehicles to the floor, while the food section features more than 40 Japanese vendors plus a Ramen Eating Contest. Additional programming includes cosplay meetups, a Beyblade tournament, a maid café, a dance contest, and gaming zones.
The full event schedule and guest list are available on the official Tokyo X website.
The festival takes place Saturday, September 26 (11 a.m.–9 p.m.) and Sunday, September 27 (11 a.m.–8 p.m.) at Reliant Center, 1 Fannin St, with VIP and media access starting at 10 a.m. each day.
Single-day general admission: from about $30.27–$30.48 per day; Sunday-only passes are still available as of this article.
VIP packages: starting around $168.44 for full-weekend VIP access, which includes perks such as early entry, premium sake-tasting access and exclusive merchandise; single-day VIP passes are reported sold out.
