


Snow falls at Ghibli Museum, creates a magical anime wonderland【Pics & Video】 6 views.Married Japanese men and women rank the things they miss most about single life 9 views.Our cat mom reporter learns how her cats truly feel about her through a cat translation app 37 views.Perfectly made snow Totoro spotted by anime director in Japan’s frozen north 47 views.Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!.The new facility, to be called the Animate Ikebukuro Flagship Store, is scheduled to open in the spring of 2023. So Animate has decided to snatch the space up and use it to build a large expansion that will be attached and integrated into Animate Ikebukuro’s current form. But with otaku culture more popular than ever before, even that’s not big enough, and it just so happens the Ikebukuro Public Health Center, which used to be next door, has relocated, leaving behind a vacant lot. Since Animate’s 40th birthday is drawing near the chain is planning something special to celebrate, and Ikebukuro is where it’s going to happen, with the opening of what the company says will be among the largest anime shops in the world.Īnimate’s current Ikebukuro branch is a nine-floor complex about a five-minute walk from the station. It’s not the only otaku gathering spot in the city, though, as the Ikebukuro district, particularly the area east of Ikebukuro Station, is also a popular destination for anime and video game fans.Īs a matter of fact, Animate, Japan’s largest chain of anime specialty shops, got its start in Ikebukuro, opening its very first branch there in 1983. When people think of anime shops and events in Tokyo, Akihabara is the first neighborhood that comes to mind. Specialty shop Animate stays true to its roots as it gets ready to celebrate a big milestone with a big store.
