Toei Animation announced the establishment of its new production base in Osaka. The new Osaka Studio aims to further expand Toei Animation's production work, recruit talented artists in the Kansai region, and strengthen ties with the local community. With recent advances in networking and digital technology, the Osaka Studio also aims to foster an environment where creators can choose their own work location, support more flexible and creative working styles, and encourage the creation of high-quality animation works.
Toei’s managing board director and head of production, Kiichiro Yamada, will oversee this new hub in the short term as he works to recruit talented artists from across the Kansai region. He’s also aiming to forge relationships with local schools and training facilities to cultivate more opportunities for younger creators to work with the studio. Yamada stated that the labor shortage in the animation industry is becoming a serious issue. Toei believes it is crucial to recruit creators from across Japan and establish studios in other regions, in addition to its Oizumi Studio in Tokyo. According to a recent report published by Teikoku Databank, companies are incurring significant costs by outsourcing animation to more countries overseas, experiencing extended production delays, and struggling to attract and retain Japanese animators due to low wages.
Yamada added that the Osaka Studio will initially focus on background art to achieve the same capabilities as its Oizumi Studio gradually. To incentivize more local talent to join Toei, the company will create a flexible work environment by allowing creators in the Kansai region to choose where they want to work. Toei also owns and operates more established studios in Tokyo and the Philippines that serve as the main production hubs for major anime franchises.
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