Anime & Manga Spot EXPO 2026 Turns Ikebukuro Into a Celebration of Japan's Anime Destinations

Event dates: 2026-11-07 – 2026-11-08

Where: Naka-Ikebukuro Park / Toshima Civic Center, Toshima, Tokyo, Japan

Genre: Anime Tourism Expo

Anime & Manga Spot EXPO 2026 runs November 7-8, free admission 11am-6pm, across Naka-Ikebukuro Park and the Toshima Civic Center in Tokyo, with local-government booths from 19+ regions nationwide showcasing real anime/manga-related destinations across Japan.

Article

Nineteen-plus regions of Japan are bringing their own anime and manga landmarks to Ikebukuro this November.

A Free Weekend Across Two Venues

Anime & Manga Spot EXPO 2026 runs November 7-8, 2026, 11am-6pm, free admission, across Naka-Ikebukuro Park (exhibition/stage) and the Toshima Civic Center (workshops, traditional crafts exhibition).

Real Places, Not Just Characters

Local-government booths from more than 19 regions nationwide showcase real anime/manga-related destinations in their areas, organized by the Anime & Manga Spot Expo Executive Committee - Toshima City, Animate, and the Anime Tourism Association - with the Agency for Cultural Affairs and Japan Arts Council as partners.

Stages, Crafts and Workshops

Programming includes stage events featuring popular anime titles, an Anime Song Stage, and "Anime Meets Craft" workshops pairing traditional crafts - including tenugui hand-towel making and custom tatami-mat creation - with anime IP, plus animator instruction from KADOKAWA.

Ask Marine

Want to know which regions are represented or what workshops are happening? Ask Marine.

More About This Event

This Year's Highlights

• Local-government booths from 19+ regions nationwide showcase real anime/manga-related destinations.
• Organized by Toshima City, Animate, and the Anime Tourism Association, with the Agency for Cultural Affairs and Japan Arts Council as partners.
• "Anime Meets Craft" workshops pair traditional crafts with anime IP, alongside stage events and an Anime Song Stage.

Tickets

Free admission, 11am-6pm both days.

What To Know

This isn't a generic con - it's a direct map from favorite anime/manga scenes to real places fans can actually visit, built by the local governments that manage those places themselves.

"Seichi junrei" (anime pilgrimage) - fans traveling to real locations that inspired anime/manga settings - is a well-established phenomenon in Japan, and this expo is essentially that phenomenon's own trade show, run by the municipalities it benefits.

Easy Japanese

東京の池袋で、11月7日と8日にアニメ・マンガの聖地を紹介するイベントが開かれます。入場は無料です。

Marine's View

19以上の地域が集まるなんて、日本中の聖地巡礼好きにはたまらないイベントですね。