Little Tokyo Anime Festival was created to celebrate Japanese Animation in the Los Angeles area. Originally named "Cosmic Summer Anime Festival" in its earlier years, the festival acknowledges Japanese animation (known as "anime") in America and includes events such as costume (or "cosplay") events and free video screenings of the latest in Japanese animation distributed in the United States and Japan.
The Little Tokyo Anime Festival is a joint presentation of Project 760 Productions and The Nisei Week Festival, organized through the Nisei Week Foundation in Los Angeles, California. The Nisei Week Foundation promotes the Japanese and Japanese American heritage and traditions while bringing together the diverse communities of Southern California through arts and cultural education.