All-female idol group Momoiro Clover Z, anime creator Makoto Shinkai and many others were added to the list of special guests at this year's Japan Expo taking place July 5-8 in France.
They will join one of Europe's largest conventions devoted to Japanese pop culture along with manga virtuoso Naoki Urasawa and other artists and stars, according to the official website.
The Japan Expo will be held at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center outside Paris.
The convention is known to feature a star-studded mix of guests from Japan. With the event gaining increased attention in Japan, the number of industry professionals and guests has drastically increased.
More than 10 stars and artists have already been announced as guests for this year's installment.
In January, it was announced that Urasawa, best known for "Monster" and "20th Century Boys," was named guest of honor at the Japan Expo.
Shinkai was invited on the backing of leading Paris-based anime distributor Kaze SAS as part of its promotion for his latest feature, "Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below," which will be released this summer in France.
Manga artist Rei Toma, whose "Dawn of the Arcana" series has gained high marks in Europe, will also make a guest appearance.
In a approach unique to the Japan Expo, which aims to cover a wider range of Japanese pop culture than other conventions held outside Japan, videogame creator Keiji Inafune will also join the event.
In addition to Momoiro Clover Z, leading anime music composer Kohei Tanaka, hip-hop artist Virgo a.k.a Hammer and many others will perform.
For more information, visit Japan Expo at (http://www.japan-expo.com/en/).
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