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Animate Store in Akihabara all Your Needs

Japan’s largest retail chain for anime goods, Animate, will be celebrating its 30th anniversary this July, 2016. The rising number of female fans has spurred the anime industry in recent years to rapidly expand and orient itself to become female-friendly, in terms of both content and consumer experience. Animate was able to set itself apart from its competitor retail chains as one of the first retailers to adapt, and now has expanded to over 120 stores and 14 collaboration cafe locations domestically, as well as 4 international branches, making it one of the biggest anime and manga retail chains in the world.

It’s headquarters sit in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, which not-so-coincidentally is considered the main gathering grounds for female otaku and the counterpart to Akihabara’s more male-oriented environment. Animate already owns several locations inside Ikebukuro that cater almost exclusively to female fans, and is expanding in Akihabara with the opening of its third branch store within a 5 minute walk from the JR Akihabara station.

Opening on June 16, 2016, “AKIBA Girls Station”, a massive 7-floor shopping center dedicated entirely to anime/manga for the female audience, conceptualizes itself as a comfortable, easy-to-access location for the less adventurous fan that may find it intimidating to scope out their favorite ikemen in the cluttered but equally wonderful hole-in-the-wall shops of the Akihabara that we know and love.

Take the tour with TOM!

THE BOYS OF UTA NO PRINCE-SAMA, REIGNING KINGS OF 2D IDOL-DOM GREET YOU AT THE ENTRANCE.

Giant visuals promoted the third sequel for Utapuri anime this fall, Utapuri: Maji Love Legend Star.

AND EVERY FLOOR…
YOU WON’T EVEN BE BORED WAITING FOR THE ELEVATOR!
ONLY ONE BATHROOM FOR THE DUDES
FIRST STOP, THE “ANIME GOODS” FLOOR! WE DEMAND MORE SPARKLES AND MORE ROSES!!
EACH FLOOR IS SPATIOUS AND PRISTINE FOR A MORE COMFORTABLE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE!
AND POSSIBLY TO PREVENT ITABAGS FROM BUMPING INTO EACHOTHER?
THE BIGGEST FRANCHISE FOR FEMALE FANS AT THE MOMENT, OSOMATSU-SAN, GETS TWO WHOLE RACKS FULL OF MERCH.
THE STAIRS ARE PLASTERED WITH POPULAR SERIES FOR GIRLS
NOT IT’S USUAL BLUE INTERIOR, THIS ANIMATE STORE HAS A VERY CLEAN AND BRIGHT WHITE INTERIOR
THE CAST OF ENSEMBLE STARS DISPLAYED IN EYE-CATCHING COSTUMES
WITH TWO ANIME IN THE WORKS, TOUKEN RANBU IS AS POPULAR AS EVER
SO POPULAR THAT IT’S MUSICAL RENDITION RECENTLY GOT RENEWED FOR A NEW RUN LATER THIS YEAR
WHO KNEW SWORD BOYS COULD BE SO GOOD LOOKING IN 3D?
SHOUNEN ANIME ARE VERY, VERY POPULAR WITH FEMALE FANS TOO!
OSOMATSU-SAN SET RECORD SALES IN 2015
WHEN IT COMES TO “AUDIO&VISUALS”, DON’T FORGET OTOME DRAMA CDS!
PROMOTIONS FOR UTA NO PRINCE-SAMA’S 5TH CONCERT
CAST OF THE WILDLY POPULAR YOWAMUSHI PEDAL STAGE PLAY GREETED US AS WE ASCENDED
THE 5TH FLOOR, “2.5-D FLOOR”, FOCUSES ON STAGE PLAYS AND MUSICALS BASED ON ANIME/MANGA
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME EVER ANY ANIMATE SHOP HAS HAD A DEDICATED FLOOR FOR “2.5D” GENRE GOODS
YOU GOT YOUR HOT GUY BROMIDES…
YOUR ARSONARY OF GLOW-STICKS
GIANT UCHIWA FANS YOU CAN DIY FOR YOUR FAVORITE MEMBER!
AN IMPRESSIVE DISPLAY OF ACTUAL COSTUMES USED IN STAGE PRODUCTIONS
THE 6TH FLOOR IS A SPACE EXCLUSIVELY FOR SPECIAL EVENTS/TALK SHOWS!
THE SHOP WOULDN’T BE COMPLETE WITHOU A HUGE OSOMATSU-SAN SPREAD
MORE MATSUNO BROTHERS AND A SNEAK PREVIEW OF THE THEME OF THE 7TH FLOOR 😀
FOR ALL OF YOUR DOUJINSHI AND UH… OTHER NEEDS
MANGA! I MEANT YOUR MANGA NEEDS!
MANGA FROM THIS SEASON’S NEW ANIME DECK THE SHELVES.
EVEN THE LADIES ROOM IS BEAUTIFUL…YES THAT’S A CHANDELIER ABOVE THE RESTROOM SINK

A new pilgrimage site for anime and manga lovers, Animate AKIBA Girls Station will be waiting for you the next time you stop by!

Shop information
Animate Akiba Girls Station / アニメイトAKIBAガールズステーション
Address: Tokyo-to, Chiyoda-ku, Soto Kanda 1-2-13
東京都千代田区外神田1-2-13
Open: 10 am ~ 9 pm
Animate Akiba Girls Station Official Site

*This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article by Jessica T. with photography by Takemori S.*

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