Anime Tourism | GameTrader.SG

What Is TOKYO ANIME NEXT?

TOKYO ANIME NEXT is the Japan Animation Association’s first major Tokyo-based event at this scale. The headline venue is Tokyo Tatemono Brillia HALL in Ikebukuro, with additional programming spread across multiple locations in the Toshima Ward district — the same neighbourhood that houses Sunshine City, Animate Ikebukuro, and some of the densest concentration of anime goods stores in the world.

The event’s stated mission is to showcase both the present and future of Japanese animation: connecting anime with international audiences and providing a platform for emerging animation talent.

What to Expect Across Four Days

The programme spans a genuinely broad range of formats. According to the official announcement, TOKYO ANIME NEXT will feature:

Screenings — acclaimed works and latest notable titles

Exhibitions — deep dives into animation production and craft

Workshops — children’s and educational programmes

Symposiums and talk events — panels on the state of the industry

Stage events — live performances and presentations

The finale on 2 November at Brillia HALL is the headline moment: a special orchestral performance synchronised with footage from anime titles popular overseas, framing both the art form’s history and its global future. Think less Comiket floor-scramble, more curated cultural showcase — with a live orchestra as the close.

The Bigger Picture: A Major 2027 Event Is Coming

Here is the part that has us paying close attention. The October 2026 event is explicitly described as a launch project — a test run, in effect, for a full-scale international anime festival planned to open in earnest in 2027. Organisers will use the finale on 2 November to formally announce those 2027 plans. In other words, what we are seeing now is the prologue to something bigger.

With Sony Music Solutions handling operations and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government as co-host, the backing is serious. This is a government-supported push to establish Tokyo as a permanent, globally recognised anime events destination — similar to what AnimeJapan does for the spring season but with a stronger international and creative focus. The official website is already live at tokyoanimenext.jp, and the secretariat can be reached at info2026@tokyoanimenext.jp — programme details are listed as “coming soon.”

Last words

Late October into early November is arguably the best time of year to be in Japan — autumn leaves, cooler temperatures, and now TOKYO ANIME NEXT to anchor the anime side of any trip. Ikebukuro already draws Singapore otaku in big numbers given its Animate flagship and the Sunshine City figure shops; adding a four-day curated anime festival to the mix makes the case for a late October 2026 Japan trip even stronger.

Programme details and ticketing are still to come from the official site. We will update this page when announcements drop. Keep an eye on our events page for the latest Japan and SG anime event news.

If you’ve ever watched the Survey Corps go screaming through the canopy on ODM gear and thought “I want to do that,” there’s a forest in Kyushu that has been waiting for you. Forest Adventure Okuhita — tucked deep in the hills of Hita, Oita — runs a limited-time Attack on Titan collaboration that turns its zipline obstacle course into a Scout Regiment training run. Cloak on, blade in hand, the only thing missing is the Titans.

Why Attack on Titan, and why Hita?

This isn’t a random anime tie-in. Attack on Titan creator Hajime Isayama is from Hita, and the town has leaned into being the spiritual home of Shingeki no Kyojin — there’s even a bronze statue trail of Eren, Mikasa and Armin nearby. So when the official Forest Adventure Okuhita park recreates the “Forest of Giant Trees” arc, it’s doing it on the franchise’s home turf. The course frames your safety briefing as Survey Corps enrollment, then sends you out on a mission inspired by the Female Titan capture operation.

So what does “role-playing as a Scout” actually involve?

The base attraction is a proper high-ropes adventure course: 35 activities spread across four sites, including swaying suspension bridges, a single-plank bridge that won’t stop wobbling once you start, and a Tarzan swing that flings you off a treetop platform onto a net. The headline thrill is the ziplines — four of them, with two stretching over 150m across deep valleys, and the longest runs around 180m at roughly 30km/h. The whole circuit takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.

That’s the part that does the heavy lifting for the fantasy: gliding between cedar trunks on a harness is about as close as a theme attraction can get to the feeling of ODM gear without the imminent threat of being eaten.

The Attack on Titan magic comes from the add-on collaboration option, which has run at roughly ¥1,500 per person on top of admission. It kits you out with:

“Wings of Freedom” original non-slip gloves
A rental Survey Corps “blade” prop to carry through the course
A special completion certificate carved from Hita cedar — your proof you survived recruitment

Travel creators have captured the vibe well. In a widely shared Instagram reel, food-and-travel account @japanomnom framed the experience simply: “POV: It’s your first day in the Survey Corps.” During special collaboration runs, guests can even don Survey Corps cloaks for the photo spots dotted along the trail.

“POV: It’s your first day in the Survey Corps” — via @japanomnom on Instagram

Watch it in action

We Got the Ultimate Attack on Titan Experience — via OniGiri on YouTube

The practical stuff: price, height limits and getting there

Standard admission runs ¥3,800 per person for adults and children, dropping to ¥3,500 each for groups of eight or more, with the collaboration option layered on top. To take on the course you’ll need to be at least 140cm tall or 10 years old, and under the 110kg weight limit. Kids 17 and under need an adult along (one adult can supervise up to three children), while high-schoolers can go solo with ground-level supervision.

The park sits in Nakatsue, Hita City, near the old Taio Gold Mine — punch “Taio Gold Mine” into your navigation. It’s roughly a 1.5–2 hour drive from Fukuoka, so a rental car is basically essential. Bookings, including the Attack on Titan option, go through the park’s official reservation site.

One important caveat: the Attack on Titan collaboration is a recurring limited-time event, not a permanent fixture. It has returned across multiple seasons (2021, 2023 and 2024 among them) and the themed option has been listed again heading into 2026, but the exact dates shift each run. Check the official booking page or the Hita City Tourism Association for the current window before you plan around it — the base adventure course, however, runs year-round.

Worth building a trip around

Kyushu is an easy, underrated add-on to a Japan itinerary: fly into Fukuoka, and Hita is a doable day trip — the same region as Yufuin and Beppu’s onsens, if you want to soak away the muscle ache afterwards. For an Attack on Titan fan, slotting in a morning where you actually strap into a harness and play Scout beats another merch run, and it’s hands-down one of the closest real-life brushes you’ll get with the world of Shingeki no Kyojin.

For more trips and tie-ins worth your leave days, browse our community features and guides.

Tag Archives: Anime Tourism

Tokyo Is Building a Brand-New Anime Festival — TOKYO ANIME NEXT Lands in Ikebukuro This October