Japan's top anime store Animate begins European expansion with first store in France

Japan’s top anime goods store Animate has announced the grand opening of its first physical presence in France.

A new “Animate Paris Pop Up Store” is set to commence operations this July, marking a significant expansion for the Japanese retail giant into the European market.

Animate is Japan’s largest retailer specializing in anime, manga, and video game merchandise.

Animate Mascot — Animate’s mascot is known as “Meito Anisawa” or “Anime Tenchō”

With 125 stores across Japan, the company has also established an international footprint with branches in major Asian cities including Taipei, Bangkok, Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou.

Animate Ikebukuro — Animate’s “Main Store” is located in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district

The move into Paris reflects the growing global reach and influence of Japanese pop culture, particularly in Europe.

Animate France — Animate released the above information regarding the new store in Paris

The new Animate Paris Pop Up Store will be situated at Maison Wa Sainte-Anne, located at 12 Rue Sainte-Anne, 75001 Paris.

Its central location offers convenient access, being just a three-minute walk from Pyramides Station and five minutes from Opéra Station.

The store plans to stock a diverse array of products, ranging from items related to popular and trending Japanese anime, manga, and game titles within France, to the latest releases from Japan.

Animate Store 2 — Animate’s Japanese stores stock a huge range of merchandise from a wide variety of series

The pop-up store will operate from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM, with Sunday and Monday as its regular closing days.

This opening provides French fans with direct access to a wide selection of official merchandise, which has historically been more readily available in East Asian markets.

Animate Store — Anime fans in France can look forward to a new source of official goods when the store opens

The establishment of this pop-up store could also pave the way for a more permanent Animate presence in Europe.

No end date for the pop up store has been announced, which suggests that if it is successful it may lead to the opening of a permanent location.

Should the store be a hit with anime fans in France, it’s highly likely that Animate will look to expand to other European countries and the United Kingdom.