From music to fashion, A-to-J Connections showcases the best in Japanese culture. On their website and YouTube channel, they deliver great interviews with folks such as cosplayer Vampy Bit Me, rock band BAND-MAID, and producer/DJ TeddyLoid. Over on Twitch, they deliver weekly shows such as Ultra Podcast Z and their D&D actual play podcast Drink Talk Roll. A-to-J Connections' Editor in Chief Manuel Figueroa talked with us about the website’s formation, working with people worldwide, and their forthcoming panels at Pacific Media Expo.

MP3s and NPCs: When did the idea for A-to-J Connections come about?

Manuel Figueroa: The idea for A-to-J Connections first came about in 2014 with the concept of a media site that would cover all aspects of Japanese pop culture. From day one we also decided to promote ourselves by hosting panels on various related topics at local conventions. There were many other sites similar to A-to-J back then and the panels were originally a way for us to stand out and to find like-minded people who we could recruit to A-to-J. A-to-J has grown a lot since then but our original goals and methods have largely remained the same.

MP3s and NPCs: A-to-J Connections has a team of people from various countries. What's it like working with such a diverse group of individuals?

MF: It's proven beneficial in many ways actually as we not only have people in various places who can independently cover/report on topics and events local to them, it also allows us to have a foothold in places that we travel to. It also allows for us to do things like have one of our Japan-based members be on-site physically during a couple interviews we've livestreamed. Having a diverse, spread-out membership has really helped in a post-pandemic world where travel isn't quite as easy as it was before.

MP3s and NPCs: You're set for a slew of panels at Pacific Media Expo. What's the usual process for putting a panel together?

MF: We usually start by determining who will be attending whichever convention followed by brainstorming among ourselves on past topics that might be worth revisiting, or brand new ones that we've been waiting to put together. PMX is an interesting convention as they requested we cover a couple panel topics specifically and, as chance would have it, they were ones that had been in the back of our minds for a while. Once we settle on a topic it usually takes many conversations between the hosts to put together an outline which is then transformed into the PowerPoint presentations we use.

On the topic of panels, the fact that we're such a diverse group also helps us create new and/or unique ones we probably wouldn't otherwise. By nature of us having different A-to-J members attend different conventions, we can repeat an earlier panel but present it completely differently since each host injects their own views and knowledge into the topic. Generally speaking, we never present the exact same panel more than once.

MP3s and NPCs: What is it about Pacific Media Expo that makes it stand out from the other conventions in the region?

MF: PMX is interesting as while most contemporary conventions focus on anime, or even just general pop culture, Pacific Media Expo celebrates media from around the Asian-Pacific region. I have been attending on and off since the very first one in 2004 and it's interesting in that it popularized a lot of things we consider normal in conventions today, like appearances by music artists from overseas. Also, due to their more open-ended nature they were always open to some of our more unique or different panel ideas over the years. Beyond that, it's one of the longest-running conventions in Southern California and has never really abandoned their roots. A-to-J's first-ever panel was at Pacific Media Expo 2014 and we've attended every in-person convention since then in some capacity.

MP3s and NPCs: You've done several panels at conventions in the past. What panel stands out the most for you?

MF: The best panels for us are the ones that really captivate the audience. We have a particular panel on the history of Eroguro, titled "Erotic Grotesque Nonsense", that we've hosted at various conventions over the years, with the most memorable being at Kraken Con 2018 in Oakland, CA. We were in a relatively small room but it was completely full of people with even some standing in the hallway to watch. Everyone who attended stayed to discuss the topic with us as we were leaving and one of those who attended actually took notes and wrote their own article on the history of eroguro following the convention. That panel in general has always proved interesting and unique and while we don't have any plans to do it at any upcoming convention, we do hope to bring it back soon.

MP3s and NPCs: Where do you see A-to-J Connections in five years?

MF: We're actually coming up on our eighth anniversary soon, and it's amazing that we've not only lasted this long but that many of the same people who were there on Day One are still around now. While we'd of course love to see intense growth over the next five years and become a much larger entity on the scene, I think we'd be happy just continuing on as we have been with the people we've met along the way. Hopefully, our audience will still be with us as well!

Follow A-To-J Connections on Twitch for livestreams and check out past streams on their YouTube channel. A-To-J Connections will have a slew of panels at Pacific Media Expo, which will take place from October 21 through October 23 at the Sheraton San Gabriel in San Gabriel, California. Badges are on sale to the general public here. More information about this year’s event can be seen on their website.