Retailer Animate is reopening one of its biggest merchandise stores in Ikebukuro on March 6, 2023 to commemorate its 40th anniversary in operation. The news comes from a report earlier this November by journalist and anime industry analyst Tadashi Sudo of the Animation Business Journal.
The reopening is part of a new expansion on the site of a former Ikebukuro Public Health Center. The expanded area will be integrated with the current Ikebukuro location with the goal to become the “world’s biggest anime store.”
Animate also released two commercials announcing the grand reopening and introducing the floor plan in detail.
The expanded building will consist of 10 total floors, including a basement section. Interactive experiences and services will be included alongside anime, manga, and other related merchandise. The floor plan details an event hall, theater space, exhibition area, and a café.
Animate hopes its new store will connect people who love anime from around the world and help them experience it with excitement. The purpose for expansion was because of Ikebukuro’s growing status as a pop culture center in Japan. The store’s location will connect with the Hareza Ikebukuro commercial complex and is expected to become a landmark and must-see attraction for travelers.
Animate’s Ikebukuro store serves as the retailer’s headquarters in Japan and is the first store that opened back in March 1982, in front of Ikebukuro Sunshine City. Since its founding, Animate has grown to be the largest anime, manga, and video game retailer chain in Japan. There are now over 120 stores worldwide, including locations in China, Taiwan, Thailand, and South Korea. The retailer has also become more involved in the anime industry, assisting animation productions, product development, publishing, and special events.
More information about Animate’s Ikebukuro store reopening is available on the company’s official website.
Source: Animation Business Journal, Anime News Network