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Tag: anime

  • Animate Revives Anime Merch Magic in Hong Kong: New Store Promises Authentic Japanese Shopping Experience

    Animate Revives Anime Merch Magic in Hong Kong: New Store Promises Authentic Japanese Shopping Experience

    Animate, a popular retailer of Japanese anime merchandise, has made a comeback in Hong Kong by inaugurating a new store in Mong Kok. This move comes a few years after it shut down its previous location.

    The retailer initially launched in Mong Kok back in 2012 and managed to operate for nearly eight years before closing its doors in 2020. Alongside the store closure, Animate Cafe, also recognized as Youme Cafe, ceased operations as well.

    The latest Animate outlet is situated on the fourth floor of the TOP (This Is Our Place) shopping mall in Mong Kok. The company disclosed that the decision to operate the store under a direct management model will permit swifter access to new anime merchandise. This includes not only peripherals but also manga and audiovisual products.

    Additionally, the revamped operation model will expediently hasten product launch timelines. It will also offer customers a shopping experience more akin to Animate’s stores in Japan.

    Animate expressed optimism about the new store serving as a communication hub for anime enthusiasts in Hong Kong. The company anticipates it will attract a larger number of both local and international visitors.

    Questions & Answers

    What is the significance of Animate choosing a direct management model for its new store?
    Adopting a direct management model allows Animate to provide faster access to the latest anime merchandise. It also expedites product launch timelines, enhancing the overall shopping experience for customers.

    Where is the new Animate store located?
    The new Animate store is located on the fourth floor of the TOP (This Is Our Place) shopping mall in Mong Kok, Hong Kong.

    What does Animate hope for its new store in Hong Kong?
    Animate has great expectations for its new store to become a communication hub for anime fans in Hong Kong. It also aims to attract a larger number of both local and overseas visitors.

  • Animate’s Much-anticipated Return To Hong Kong: A Boost For Anime, Manga, And Game Enthusiasts

    Animate’s Much-anticipated Return To Hong Kong: A Boost For Anime, Manga, And Game Enthusiasts

    Excitement is brewing among anime, manga, and video game fans, as Japan’s prominent retailer, Animate, is making a much-anticipated comeback in Hong Kong. This news is particularly thrilling for local enthusiasts, who often make trips to Japan, visiting various Animate outlets nationwide to stock up on the latest merchandise.

    A Teaser for the Upcoming Store

    Animate, on September 12, hinted at its Hong Kong store’s imminent launch through a post on its Facebook page. The message was primarily targeted towards potential employees, inviting them to apply for active positions. The remaining content of the post remained mysteriously brief, only hinting at the store’s impending arrival.

    The Return of a Familiar Face

    Previously, Animate operated a retail branch in Hong Kong’s Mong Kok, along with an Animate Cafe, known as Youme Cafe. However, both facilities closed their doors in 2020. Five years on, local fans can anticipate the return of Japan’s foremost retailer of anime, manga, and games-related merchandise – again, in Mong Kok. However, the particulars regarding the opening date and precise location are yet to be clarified. In Japan, Animate boasts over 100 retail stores. Globally, the brand maintains several outlets in mainland China, Thailand, Taiwan, and the US. Its flagship store, a nine-story building located in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district, holds a Guinness World Record for being the ‘largest anime store’ in the world.

    A Timely Reopening

    With Japanese anime and manga content enjoying immense popularity among Hong Kong’s audience, Animate’s return couldn’t have been better timed. Currently, an Attack on Titan exhibition is being held in Kai Tak, and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castle continues to screen in cinemas. Furthermore, the large-scale Ani-Com & Games Hong Kong event happens every summer. This context sets the stage perfectly for Animate’s return, potentially adding to the excitement of the fans who are already saving up to splurge on the upcoming merchandise.

    Questions & Answers

    When is Animate expected to reopen in Hong Kong?
    The exact opening date has not been disclosed yet.

    Where will the new Animate store be located?
    Though the exact location is not confirmed, it is expected to be in Mong Kok, where Animate’s previous store was located.

    What does Animate specialize in?
    Animate is a leading retailer in Japan, specializing in anime, manga, and video game merchandise.

  • Kadokawa targets foreigners with EJ Anime store online

    Kadokawa targets foreigners with EJ Anime store online

    Kadokawa Corporation has launched an EJ Anime store online where people living overseas can purchase official merchandise for Japanese anime, comics, light novels, and games.

    The EJ Anime store stands on a burgeoning anime market in Japan that has continued to increase for nine years, reaching sales of ¥2,180 billion (US$20.07 million). The rapid increase in the overseas market is contributing to this major growth, with more than ¥1 trillion ($9.2 billion) in sales and accounting for 46.3 percent of the market.

    The Kadokawa EJ Anime store aimed at the Japanese domestic market has also seen an increase in overseas traffic (increasing roughly 170 percent over four years since 2016), demonstrating a high level of interest in Kadokawa products among people living overseas, mainly in North America and Asia.

    Opening an EJ Anime Store online allows people living overseas to buy official merchandise and premium products that are difficult to obtain overseas.

    When the site opens, target areas for sales will include 17 countries and regions, including the US, France, Spain, the UK, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Australia – with plans to expand to 80 areas, including China.

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  • Animate Japan to open in Bangkok

    Animate Japan to open in Bangkok

    Japanese retail initiative Animate Co will open a store in Bangkok’s MBK shopping centre in the second quarter of next year, part of a program to help spread anime and manga culture throughout Southeast Asia.

    According to Japanese news media, the store will be run by Animate JMA, a Japan Manga Alliance subsidiary formed in September to promote manga and anime businesses outside Japan. It provides officially released products and aims to eradicate copyright thieves, pinpointing Thailand as a market with increasing copyright issues.

    Animate was joined in the JMA’s creation by publishers Kadokawa Corp, Kodansha, Shueisha and Shogakukan.

    The JMA Animate store at MBK will take up a massive 561 sqm space in the 89,000 sqm, eight storey mall.

    The store will stock manga and anime titles, character goods, video software, figurines and other products. It will also provide spaces for live concerts featuring anime singers and concept shops.

    JMA says if the initiative proves a success in Thailand it will open stores in other Southeast Asian markets.