Interest
Madhouse to Open Physical Goods Shop in Asagaya Anime Street
posted on by Bamboo Dong
Animation production house Madhouse Studios is opening a physical goods shop this March. The shop will be part of a larger complex called Asagaya Anime Street, which will host 16 anime shops, and measure 2,200 m² (23,680 sqft). Asagaya Anime Street will be located in Tokyo's Suginami Ward, in the underpass beneath the elevated tracks of the JR Chuo Line between the JR Asagaya and Koenji stations.
The Madhouse shop itself, currently titled Asagaya Madhouse, will measure 10 m² (107 sqft), and will offer exclusive merchandise from Madhouse properties, including Magical Warfare, Hunter x Hunter, Ace of Diamond, and more.
According to the news update posted on Madhouse's website, the theme of the store is "Anime Cosmos," and will be black and red. The black and red reflect not only Madhouse's colors, but red also symbolizes blood-boiling action, while black symbolizes deep meditation.
Although Madhouse is currently headquartered in Nakano, it was previously located in Asagaya from 1972 to 2003. In a letter posted on the official shop website, president Hiroyuki Okada calls the Asagaya opening a "homecoming" of sorts.
The shop will fit neatly into Asagaya Anime Street's theme of "the world's only place where manufacturers and audience members can get together." As of last May, developer JR East Urban Development Corp. was soliciting business operators to open anime-related shops, galleries, and cafes. It will also include space for productions studios and schools. Suginami Ward is home to several anime studios, including Sunrise, Bones, Shaft, and Gonzo, with Satelight and A-1 Pictures nearby.
[Via Ace of Diamond; Extra info from Asahi Shimbum]
