Anime aficionados, Japanophiles, geeks in the
otaku vein, J-culture fans, and a host of tweens, teens, and 20-somethings armed themselves with fantastical-looking faux weaponry and descended en masse upon the
Renaissance Glendale Hotel over Labor Day weekend for Saboten Con 2014. The three-day extravaganza, which is considered to be the largest Japanese pop-cultural convention in Arizona, offered a slew of panels, programming, masquerades, concerts, and other activities devoted to anime and manga, as well as video games, J-pop, and (of course) cosplay.
Photos by Benjamin Leatherman