Danica Davidson
March 18, 2024 
A lot of anime fans want to also buy anime merchandise, and where are the best places to do that? If you’re looking for a brick and mortar building as opposed to the internet, then the Ikebukuro neighborhood in Tokyo is bound to please, because it’s lined up with all sorts of otaku interests. But is one anime store the best of them all?
The store Animate Ikebukuro decided it was going to go for the Guinness World Record for largest anime store. People’s opinions on what merchandise is best might be different, but size is something measurable, and Animate Ikebukuro was indeed able to prove to Guinness that they are the largest anime store in the world.
Guinness explained on its site:
The largest anime shop is 8,554.673 m² (92,081 ft² 105 in²) and was achieved by Animate Co., Ltd. (Japan) in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan on 1 March 2024.
The flagship store, “Animate Ikebukuro Main Store,” opened in front of Ikebukuro Sunshine City in March 1983 and moved to its current location in November 2012. The grand opening took place on 16 March 2023. To celebrate the first anniversary of the grand opening, they attempted to set a Guinness World Record for the largest anime shop.
The store held a ceremony to celebrate, which included bringing in voice talent Shōta Aoi, who has acted in Cardfight!! Vanguard overDress, Detective Conan: The Culprit Hanzawa, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, and Uta no Prince-sama – Maji Love 2000%, among others, and has done theme song performances for multiple anime as well. Also in attendance were Animate Ltd. CEO Jun Fujiki, Animate Ikebukuro Manager Tomoyuki Noichi, and a representative for Guinness World Records.
You can watch the recorded livestream of the ceremony here:
What’s the best anime store you’ve been to?
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
