Kadokawa will open Studio One Base inside Ikebukuro's Sunshine City complex this fall, consolidating five animation studios and internal departments into a single production facility housing 400 creators.
Kadokawa will open a new centralized anime production facility called Studio One Base inside the Sunshine City complex in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, this fall. The hub will consolidate five Kadokawa-affiliated animation studios along with the company's internal animation departments into a single location, creating one of the largest dedicated anime production centers in the city.
The five animation studios relocating to Studio One Base are ENGI, Studio KADAN, Raging Bull, BELLNOX FILMS, and Chiptune. Each studio currently operates independently at separate locations scattered across different parts of Tokyo. By bringing them under one roof inside Sunshine City, Kadokawa aims to eliminate the communication barriers and logistical inefficiencies that naturally arise when production teams are geographically separated.
Kadokawa's own internal animation-related departments, including planning, production management, and administrative teams, will also move into the facility, creating a sixth organizational unit within the consolidated hub. The company estimates the space will house approximately 400 individual creators and support staff when it reaches full capacity.
Studio One Base is part of a broader and more ambitious initiative to develop the Ikebukuro district into what Kadokawa officially calls a "world-class anime city." The project involves a formal three-way partnership between Kadokawa Corporation, the Toshima City ward government, and the Sunshine City property management group.
Ikebukuro already serves as a major destination for anime and manga culture in Tokyo, home to Animate's flagship retail location and numerous other otaku-oriented businesses and event spaces. The Studio One Base project elevates the district's role from a consumer and retail hub to an active center of anime content production, fundamentally changing the neighborhood's relationship to the industry.
Kadokawa has framed the consolidation under a new corporate vision statement for its animation division: "Creating Creators. Creating Studios." The initiative focuses on three core priorities. First, improving real-time collaboration between creative teams that previously worked in isolation at separate offices. Second, creating a physical environment where animators and directors can focus on production work without logistical friction or wasted transit time. Third, developing young talent through daily proximity to experienced creators across multiple studios and disciplines.
The consolidation also targets operational efficiency at the administrative level. Scheduling, procurement, production management, and human resources functions can be shared across all six organizational units when they occupy the same space, reducing redundant overhead costs that accumulate when each studio maintains its own independent back-office infrastructure.
The consolidation reflects a broader trend across the anime industry toward vertical integration and operational efficiency as the global market continues to expand. With worldwide anime revenue exceeding 25 billion dollars annually, production companies face increasing pressure to scale their output while maintaining consistent quality standards and retaining experienced talent in a highly competitive labor market.
Studio One Base is scheduled to open in autumn 2026.
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