Tokyo Anime Center originally opened in Akihabara in 2006, but unfortunately closed on July 29, 2017 after 11 years. But you don’t have to miss it anymore – Tokyo Anime Center re-opened in the DNP Plaza in Ichigaya on October 28, 2017! We were able to attend the opening ceremony and get a glimpse of the new, powered-up Tokyo Anime Center.
Tokyo Anime Center was originally opened as a space where not just fans but also those in the industry could interact with different kinds of Japanese animation and technology. The opening of the new center was attended by various guests, including idol and seiyuu Tanaka Minami from Wake Up, Girls! and character designer and illustrator Yoshida Suzuka, best known for cute works like Yobarete Tobidete! Akubi-chan. In honor of the opening of Tokyo Anime Center, she drew some adorable illustrations that can be seen or even purchased if you visit.
DNP Plaza is a multi-function facility made up of a cafe, photo-printing center, a bookstore, and now the Tokyo Anime Center. The technological expertise of Dai Nippon Printing Ltd., the sponsors of DNP Plaza, allowed them to create a section within the Tokyo Anime Center called FUN’S PROJECT, an area where you can learn how to use the tools that actual animators use in their jobs. This includes digital tablets as well as manual tracing tools. Your completed work can go up on the FUN’S PROJECT COLLAGE, an exhibition area for visitors’ work!
The very first exhibit in the Tokyo Anime Center is dedicated to Tatsunoko Production, an anime studio that has reached its 55th anniversary. In honor of that anniversary, some of their most popular works such as KING OF PRISM, Infini-T Force, and Wake Up, Girls! are on display. You can take photos with your favorite characters and see exclusive items such as goods, scripts from certain episodes, messages from seiyuu and characters, and the animation process.
There is also a timeline of Tatsunoko Production’s history, featuring goods and information about some of their earliest, breakthrough works such as Space Ace and Speed Racer. It’s not often that you can get a side-by-side comparison of a company’s oldest and newest works! There’s even a monitor playing scenes from some of their historical anime.
The Tatsunoko Production exhibit is scheduled to run until November 27, 2017. Don’t worry if you miss it – there is a large touch-screen panel in both English and Japanese where you can see highlights of previous exhibitions that will continuously be updated as time passes. We can’t wait to see what will be featured next!
For more photos of Tokyo Anime Center, check out our full album below!
Tokyo Anime Center
Address: DNP Ichigayatamachi Bldg. B1F, 1-14-1 Ichigaya-tamachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 11:00 am–8:00 pm
*Closed Tuesdays, year-end/New Year holidays, facility inspection days, exhibition replacement days
Website: https://animecenter.jp/en/index.html
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This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article with photography by Hara T.