Kodansha to Host First Immersive Pop-Up in NYC This October

Japan’s largest publisher, Kodansha, is hosting its first-ever immersive pop-up in New York City — Kodansha House: Where Manga Meets.

The creative team behind stories such as Akira, Sailor Moon, Attack on Titan, and Blue Lock has created an experience for manga readers that includes a giant manga shelf entryway—a portal into a gallery, cafe, lounge, and robust manga library.

It opens on October 4 and will run through October from Wednesdays to Sundays, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 45 Grand Street.

The month-long programming includes a diverse lineup of activities such as the Toast of Tardiness Challenge, live discussions, trivia night, movie screenings featuring fan-favorites like Akira, Blue Lock, Ghost in the Shell, and Blame!, as well as a speed friending event for fans to find their perfect manga-loving match. Four major manga creators will make rare U.S. appearances with Q&A sessions and signings:

• Shuzo Oshimi (The Flowers of Evil)
• Tsubasa Yamaguchi (Blue Period)
• Makoto Yukimura (Vinland Saga)
• Kamome Shirahama (Witch Hat Atelier).

In addition, there will be two interactive activations:

• Akira Slide Photobooth: Slide into pop culture history with the Akira bike meme come to life! Fans can suit up in Kaneda’s iconic jacket and goggles, hop onto a stationary Akira bike, and pose against a projected anime background. Capture the moment in a four-shot sequence that’s sure to be a hit on social media.

• Titan’s Fury – Attack on Titan Photobooth: Experience the awe of stepping into a real-life model of the Attack on Titan walled village. This massive, scaled model lets fans become Titans, acting out scenes as they reach over walls and grab tiny figures made of candy or chocolate. The fun, goofy moment is captured on video, turning fans into the stars of their very own Attack on Titan adventure.

Kodansha is Japan’s largest publisher and the source of some of the world’s most recognizable manga properties, including Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira and Naoko Takeuchi’s Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, along with a robust catalog of novels, cookbooks, craft guides, historical and cultural literature, and more. Today, thanks to recent fan-favorite and critically acclaimed hits like Attack on Titan, Battle Angel Alita, and Witch Hat Atelier, Kodansha, through its U.S. publishing arm Kodansha USA Publishing, is also one of the best-selling manga publishers in the United States.

Kodansha USA Publishing’s print books are distributed by Penguin Random House Publisher Services, and their digital books are available across a wide range of online stores.