Highlights
- KADOKAWA announced the establishment of Studio One Base, a large anime production hub in Ikebukuro.
- The facility will consolidate multiple KADOKAWA-affiliated animation businesses to increase production capacity.
- The project aims to support around 400 creators under one roof.
KADOKAWA Corporation has announced plans to build a large anime production hub in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, positioning the site as an envisioned “world-class anime city.” The company said the facility, named Studio One Base, will consolidate animation businesses to increase production capacity and strengthen talent development.
The complex will be developed in an office within Ikebukuro’s Sunshine City Building. It is being developed in partnership with Toshima City and Sunshine City Corporation as part of an urban development plan for Ikebukuro, a Tokyo district known for anime retail hubs and fan events.
According to the March 5 announcement, Studio One Base will consolidate five KADOKAWA-affiliated animation studios (Raging Bull, Chiptune, Studio KADAN, Bellnox Films, and ENGI), along with KADOKAWA’s internal animation departments, under a single operational base. The new production hub is the launching ground of KADOKAWA’s new vision, “Creating Creators. Creating Studios.”
According to KADOKAWA, the production center is expected to house around 400 creators. The partners are expecting this new facility to combine anime production infrastructure with local tourism and cultural initiatives and transform Ikebukuru into a creators ecosystem to “Create, Nurture, and Deliver.”
KADOKAWA Expands Anime Infrastructure With World-Class Anime City Planning
The Studio One Base project reflects KADOKAWA’s recent effort to stabilize its anime production ecosystem. The company recorded a ¥904 million ($5.9 million USD) operating loss in its anime unit for the fiscal year ending Dec 31, 2025.
Takeshi Kikuchi, chief studio officer at KADOKAWA, said the project aims to strengthen global intellectual property creation and partnerships with Toshima City and Sunshine City Corporation. He further added, “We will improve the treatment of creators to build and enhance our production hub so that they can be proud of their workplace."
Sunshine City president and CEO Hidemi Waki also acknowledged that the new establishment would expand Ikebukuro’s role as a hub for anime culture and creative industries. KADOKAWA’s infrastructural scaling coincides with the company launching ANIMEC, a joint venture with Aniplex focused on international anime film distribution.
Other companies across the anime sector are making similar investments and restructuring to sustain the growing demand for anime. Netflix recently secured long-term access to Toho’s studios for developing multiple anime projects annually. Bandai Namco, another prominent IP holder, is going through internal restructuring and division consolidation, aiming to increase production capacity.
