SEGA/ATLUS and SPJA has officially announced five new Guests of Honor coming to Anime Expo 2026! SEGA fans can look forward to hearing from Takashi Iizuka, Atsushi Nomura, Kazuhisa Wada, Shigenori Soejima and Yoshiyuki Asai at autograph sessions and panels.
You can find more details for each Guest of Honor, as well as information on their autograph sessions below.
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Takashi Iizuka: Creative Officer of Sonic
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Bio: Takashi Iizuka is a video game director, producer, and designer. As Creative Officer of Sonic, he has been the creative force behind the Sonic the Hedgehog series for over 30 years. His contributions began with Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and include NiGHTS into dreams, Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes, Sonic Generations, and Sonic Mania. Iizuka-san is the creator of Shadow the Hedgehog and ensures each new Sonic entry brings something fresh while honoring the series’ legacy. His oversight also encompasses broader Sonic business, including the Sonic the Hedgehog film franchise.
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Autograph Session: Friday, July 3rd at 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM at JW Gold Ballroom; Sign up link
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Kazuhisa Wada: General Producer for the Persona Team
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Bio: A veteran of the Persona franchise, Kazuhisa Wada has been instrumental in shaping the series since serving as Design Director on Persona 3. Over the course of his career, he has taken on increasingly senior creative roles, including Director and Producer, before assuming his current position overseeing the Persona team as General Producer. Wada-san also serves as General Producer of Persona 4 Revival.
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Autograph Session: Friday, July 3rd at 1:00 PM – 2:50 PM at JW Gold Ballroom; Sign up link
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Shigenori Soejima: Character Designer / Illustrator at ATLUS
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Bio: A Character Designer and Illustrator at ATLUS, Shigenori Soejima has brought iconic characters to life across a wide range of acclaimed titles. His work spans the Persona series since Persona 3, as well as Metaphor: ReFantazio. For Persona 4 Revival, he serves in a supervisory role overseeing character design and key art.
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Autograph Session: Friday, July 3rd at 1:00 PM – 2:50 PM at JW Gold Ballroom; Sign up link
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Atsushi Nomura: Business Producer for the Persona Team
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Bio: As Business Producer for the Persona team, Atsushi Nomura oversees IP production responsibilities including project planning and promotion for the series. His producing credits include Persona 4 Revival, Persona 5 Tactica, and the remastered releases of Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3 Portable.
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Autograph Session: Friday, July 3rd at 1:00 PM – 2:50 PM at JW Gold Ballroom; Sign up link
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Yoshiyuki Asai: Director
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Bio: Yoshiyuki Asai began his career as an animator at Toei Animation, OLM, and Ajiado before transitioning to directing in the early 2000s. He made his directorial debut with Charlotte, and has since helmed titles including Fate/Apocrypha and The Day I Became a God. His series Buddy Daddies earned the Best Original Anime Award at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2024. Asai-san is widely recognized for his nuanced portrayal of ensemble youth dramas and everyday life, with a distinctive directorial style that thoughtfully captures the dynamics, distances, and relationships between characters.
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Autograph Session: Friday, July 3rd at 1:00 PM – 2:50 PM at JW Gold Ballroom; Sign up link
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