Building the World of TOHO

For the first time, TOHO Animation made the TOHO brand itself the center of its Anime Expo experience. The challenge was to introduce a new generation of IPs while honoring the legacy of the studio and the history carried by each property. The result was a memorable live world filled with discovery, interactive moments and photo opportunities, all connected by the cinematic weight of the TOHO name.

The Challenge & Developing the Experience

Five distinct properties, each with its own visual language, audience and legacy, needed to live together without losing what made them unique. The experience also had to work beyond the booth itself, drawing people in from the convention floor, guiding them through the space and creating moments they would want to stop, experience and share.

The goal was not simply to place five properties under one roof. It was to make them feel like part of one larger TOHO world.

Research into TOHO’s film legacy, the history of each property and the visual energy of Tokyo and Osaka led to the idea of a cinematic Japanese alleyway. TOHO’s lens motif became the connecting device, framing each IP as its own world while giving the entire experience one recognizable identity.

Creative direction and production carried the idea through research, concept development, sketches, spatial studies, 3D development, approvals and build. The role was both creative and practical: establishing the central idea, aligning the client, creative and production teams, solving problems as the build evolved and protecting the quality of the experience through installation.

The final booth brought architecture, lighting, signage, content and interaction together as one layered fan experience. Each property had its own place to discover, photograph and engage with, while the larger environment gave everything a shared sense of history and purpose.

TOHO was not simply a logo above five separate properties. It became the thread connecting every world.