Giant balloons depicting Pokemon characters and boy detective Conan filled the air at the Thursday kickoff of the Tokyo International Anime Fair 2007 in Tokyo, as 270 companies, including 55 from overseas, came together for the world's biggest animation festival.
Companies from Japan, China, South Korea, the U.S. and Canada are taking part in the four-day event at Tokyo Big Site in the capital's Odaiba district, although the first two days are open only to the press and businesses.
The fair is an ideal venue for Japanese and foreign distributors alike to sniff out another smash hit like the Pokemon or Dragon Ball series to introduce to Western audiences.