Making Taichung a “home of anime and comics” for fans and creators! The 10th “Taichung International Comic and Animation Expo (TaiCAF)”, organized by the Information Bureau of Taichung City Government, will take place from September 17 to 23 at Taiwan Boulevard City Hall. This year’s theme is “A Taste of Comics”. On September 9, Mayor Shiow-Yen Lu appeared as a character from “Cooking Master Boy”. She dressed as the classic character “Mao”, appearing together with Information Bureau Director Chih-I Luan, who dressed as “Meili”. Mayor Lu said anime, animation, and comics are an important policy focus for Taichung. The City Government has continued investing resources over the years, hoping to make Taichung a home for anime and comics fans, creators, and comic artists, while moving toward the goal of becoming an international base for anime, animation, and comics. She warmly invited fans from across Taiwan to gather in Taichung and enjoy this major celebration together.

Mayor Lu said the City Government has spared no effort in promoting the development of anime, animation, and comics in recent years. She has personally attended every edition of the expo during her term, and never turns down the cosplay role arranged by the Information Bureau. “Whatever they ask me to cosplay, I cosplay”, she said, showing her firm support for anime, animation, and comics through action. This year’s Taichung International Comic and Animation Expo runs for a full week, giving anime and comics fans plenty of time to come to Taichung for cosplay, exchange, and meetups. “Everyone can gather like family, share with one another, and freely show their creativity”, Mayor Lu said, experiencing Taichung’s vibrant anime and comics energy.

Mayor Lu also noted that, in addition to continuing to expand the Taichung International Comic and Animation Expo, the City Government spent years communicating and working with the central government to successfully bring the National Taiwan Museum of Comics to Taichung, laying an important foundation for the city’s anime, animation, and comics culture. She thanked the curators of past editions, anime and comics creators, and supporters from all sectors for their long-term support and assistance, which have helped Taichung steadily build results in comics, anime, and animation. She emphasized that developing anime and comics is a shared mission, and Taichung will continue moving firmly toward its goal of becoming an anime and comics city, allowing the creative energy built over the years to keep growing.

Information Bureau Director Chih-I Luan said this year’s Taichung International Comic and Animation Expo is themed “A Taste of Comics”, starting from something familiar to everyone: food. Through original Taiwanese comics, the expo presents the memories of the land and cultural stories behind food. This year also marks the first “2026 Taichung Original Short Comics Contest”, which attracted 275 submissions, offering comic creators more platforms to showcase their talent. Echoing this year’s food theme, she and Mayor Lu also specially cosplayed characters from “Cooking Master Boy”. Appearing as “Meili” and “Mao”, they invited anime and comics fans from across Taiwan to come to Taichung from September 17 to 23 and experience a different kind of anime and comics celebration this year.

Curator and Assistant Professor Ting-Kang Liu of National Taiwan Normal University said Taiwanese comics are one way of representing Taiwanese culture, so it is natural for them to include everyday elements such as food and cooking. Starting from everyday memories and local emotions, comic artists distill diverse cultures into familiar flavors of daily life, guiding readers to rediscover Taiwan’s food culture through comics.

The Information Bureau noted that this year’s “A Taste of Comics” theme uses food memories to connect with familiar everyday life, guiding audiences to see the history of the land and cultural exchange behind food through comics. It is not just about reading a story, but also about reading the life memories of Taiwanese people. A “Taichung Food Map Message Area” will also be set up on site, inviting visitors to write down their own favorite food recommendations and connect city life through anime, comics, and food.

The Information Bureau explained that this year’s exhibition features four main sections, “A Feast of Food Memories”, “Creative Kitchen”, “Taiwan Comics Teahouse”, and “New Flavors of Comics”. Selected original Taiwanese comics will present rich and diverse food cultures, while holiday programming will include an anime and comics fan creation market and comics talks. On September 19, the “A Taste of Comics” anime and comics music performance will invite Japanese singer and composer Takayoshi Tanimoto to the stage, along with Taiwanese anime singers, bands, and DJs performing one after another. On September 20, an “Anime and Comics Song and Dance Show” will be held. On the same day, the “2026 Taichung Original Short Comics Contest” awards ceremony and stage flash mob performance will take place at the National Taiwan Museum of Comics, linking the two venues to offer different anime and comics experiences. At today’s press conference, anime and comics group HAQUA also delivered a high-energy dance performance, while several popular cosers appeared as classic characters, building excitement for the event in advance.

The Information Bureau added that the anime and comics excitement will continue, with the Taichung International Animation Festival (TIAF) coming in October to carry this momentum forward. From comics creation, exhibitions, and markets to the animation festival, Taichung will continue enriching its anime, comics, and animation culture. Fans are welcome to gather in Taichung. For more event information, please visit the “Taichung International Comic and Animation Expo (TaiCAF)” Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/TaiCAF?locale=zh_TW ).