Animate, the specialty store for anime, comics, and games with more than 120 locations in Japan and a growing overseas presence, has added a new layer of charm to its home turf in Ikebukuro. Recently, decorative panels reading “Animate Dori” have been installed on the street in front of Animate Ikebukuro Main Store, the company’s flagship and founding location.
Animate Dori: A Street Name With History
The street name “Animate Dori” is not just a fun fan nickname. It was formally designated on March 1, 2025, by Toshima Ward as the 62nd named ward road, following input from local residents. The street, officially known as Special Ward Road 41-30, runs north-south through Higashi-Ikebukuro 1-chome for roughly 430 meters.
Animate Dori
Animate Dori
To bring the street name to life, Animate worked with Toshima Ward officials to install panel sheets along the curbside, with the words “Animate Dori” written in 37 different languages. The panels are placed intermittently, and near intersections with crossing streets, bollards feature vertical Japanese-only text, ensuring the street is recognizable from any approach.
Animate Dori bollard
A Global Welcome in 37 Languages
According to an Animate representative, the decision to use so many languages came from the store’s international appeal. “We have many customers from Japan and overseas every day,” the representative said. “We wanted as many people as possible to recognize that this is Animate Dori, even with a limited number of display sheets.” Tax-free sales data and rising numbers of overseas visitors helped shape that approach.
English
Simplified Chinese
Turkish
Tamil
Swahili
The display isn’t just practical—it’s also a conversation starter. “We hope people will notice the variety of languages, enjoy the display itself, and perhaps feel closer to world languages,” the representative added.
The current installation covers only about one-third of Animate Dori, focusing on the northern section near the entertainment area. The representative said this was due to road conditions, but the hope is to encourage visitors to stroll from the north side toward the southern restaurant district, boosting foot traffic and sparking new discoveries along the way.
Animate Dori
Building a Bridge for International Fans
Animate, which has been expanding its global store network, sees this project as a bridge for international fans. “We want people who have fallen in love with Japanese anime, manga, and games through Animate stores worldwide to know about Animate Ikebukuro Main Store when they plan a trip to Japan,” the representative said. “If walking along Animate Dori leads them to explore the surrounding shops and eateries and enjoy the whole Ikebukuro area, we’d be very happy.”
To further that goal, Animate is currently preparing pamphlets for domestic and overseas stores that introduce the Ikebukuro Main Store and its surrounding neighborhood.
With its Guinness World Record title as the world’s largest anime shop, Animate Ikebukuro Main Store is already a major draw. The new street decoration adds one more reason to wander through Ikebukuro—and maybe get a little lost in the world of anime.
