KADOKAWA has announced the opening of Studio One Base, a new production hub that will bring together several anime production studios in one location. The facility will open in Sunshine City in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, in Fall 2026.
This initiative is part of KADOKAWA’s new concept, “Create creators”, aimed at significantly strengthening its production system in both the animation and live-action sectors.
In recent years, Japan’s animation industry has continued to grow both domestically and internationally. However, while the number of projects and large-scale productions has increased, studios have also faced challenges such as a shortage of creators and increasingly complex production workflows. As a result, the industry needs to build a more sustainable production system.
To address these challenges, KADOKAWA will establish a Studio Business Bureau in April 2025, which will oversee the company’s animation and live-action production studios. The bureau will focus on improving working conditions and strengthening recruitment and training systems. Measures will include consolidating back-office functions, expanding employee benefits, and organizing joint recruitment across studios.
Studio One Base will physically bring together multiple animation studios in a space of approximately 1,400 tsubo (about 4,600 m²). By centralizing production teams, KADOKAWA aims to accelerate information sharing and collaboration, create an environment where creators can focus on their work, and encourage the exchange of expertise between studios while nurturing young talent.
In addition, beginning with the opening of the facility, KADOKAWA will strengthen cooperation with Toshima Ward and Sunshine City. The goal is to expand Ikebukuro’s role beyond being a place where people enjoy anime and related experiences, by turning it into a hub for creating, developing, and promoting the animation industry, with the ambition of making Ikebukuro a “world-class anime city“.
Source: Comic Natalie
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