This interview was conducted over email and has been edited for clarity and length. 

It’s not a secret anymore: manga is at its zenith in North America and has remained a staple source of entertainment since the pandemic. One of the forerunners in the ever-expanding and changing manga market is Kodansha’s American subsidiary, Kodansha USA. 

The company has released several critically acclaimed hits such as Makoto Yukimura’s Vinland Saga, Tsubasa Yamaguchi’s Blue Period, and Kamome Shirahama’s Witch Hat Atelier in recent years, as well as the works of Shuzo Oshimi. 

Starting this October and running all throughout the month, the company has invited all four creators for a special immersive experience called Kodansha House, which touts itself as the “hottest manga pop-up event of the year” for manga fans to enjoy in New York City. 

The event is set to kickoff on October 4, 2024, and Anime Trending had a chance to interview Kodansha USA President and CEO Alvin Lu to learn more about the pop-up event. 

Anime Trending: How was the idea for Kodansha House first conceived, and why host it in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood specifically? 

Alvin Lu: Thank you for your thoughtful questions! Kodansha House started with the idea of doing something special to thank our fans in the U.S. We wanted to give something back to them for fueling the amazing global growth in popularity for manga and anime. We wanted to find a way to celebrate that together, so the idea of a physical location where we could gather began to take hold, and it grew from there. We [decided] on New York City because it’s our home in the U.S., so it felt natural to start there.

What is the inspiration behind the name “Kodansha House?”

Alvin Lu: Once we decided on the idea of a physical destination containing all the worlds of Kodansha, we started using “Kodansha House” as an internal project title. It seemed natural, and I guess it was a good choice for a name because it stuck and we ended up using it in the end.

Why did Kodansha feel that 2024 was the best year to kickstart Kodansha House?

Alvin Lu: For various reasons, we have experienced an amazing surge in popularity for manga and anime in the past several years. This seemed like a good time to celebrate that moment.

Kodansha USA is bringing many esteemed manga creators to the event, such as Shuzo Oshimi, Tsubasa Yamaguchi, Makoto Yukimura, and Kamome Shirahama. What made them great guests to bring over for the inaugural event?

Alvin Lu: I am extremely grateful to Oshimi-sensei, Yamaguchi-sensei, Yukimura-sensei, and Shirahama-sensei for spending their precious time and energy with us at Kodansha House. I entreat everyone who visits Kodansha House to join me in thanking them. 

Kodansha has a large roster of amazing creators, all of whom could have participated, but in the end, it was a matter of logistics and timing. It worked out well, though, I think. In ways that represent Kodansha’s ethos to “Inspire Impossible Stories” perfectly, each author brings a unique creative vision that goes beyond the well-traveled and expected genres and tropes often associated with less-inspired manga.

Events for manga often include manga libraries, signings, and creator Q&A’s. How does the Kodansha House pop-up event expand the experience for manga fans in the U.S.? Why was it important to include these types of social activities as part of the event? 

Alvin Lu: To answer these questions together, I’d say Kodansha House was designed to not only bring together our manga and our fans, but to bring together all the facets of the experience of manga. In other words, to showcase the way manga touches on so many different aspects of contemporary culture, in ways that we are perhaps not even aware of, including in the worlds of fashion, food, and even how we now socialize and communicate with one another.

To access the special events and signings at Kodansha House, a lottery system has been put in place. What made Kodansha settle on the current system, and what possible adjustments could be made in the future?

Alvin Lu: We have experience managing signings and author events at comics and anime conventions. It’s always a challenge because demand always exceeds the logistical limits of the space — or the time and energy of the authors themselves. The goal is to make them as available to their fans as possible, which is why we also host Q&As and panels that provide an in-person experience for a larger audience. But the lottery is the fairest way to provide for signings.

Kodansha House will run all throughout this coming October. Are there any current plans to bring it back for 2025 and beyond? Will there also be opportunities to host similar events in other large cities such as Los Angeles or Toronto? 

Alvin Lu: Nothing concrete to announce for now, but when we came up with the idea for Kodansha House, it was designed with the idea in mind that it could be replicated elsewhere.

Manga fans are a passionate bunch and will turn out for any chance to meet the Japanese creators and immerse themselves in fun activities. What should fans look forward to when stepping into Kodansha House for the first time? 

Alvin Lu: We wanted to make Kodansha House as accessible as possible. We picked a neighborhood in Manhattan so it would be in a central, easily accessible location. It is free to enter. So even if you didn’t win a lottery spot to attend a Q&A or signing, I wouldn’t fret. There’s plenty to do and see if you just show up and step in!

Questions submitted by William Moo and Melvyn Tan. 

Kodansha House will run from October 4, 2024 to October 26, 2024. Reservations for Q&A sessions and signings are now closed. For more information about the event and the venue’s operating hours, please visit the official website. 

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