Last year, Kodansha House made its debut in New York City, bringing an interactive manga pop-up to NYC’s SoHo. For the month of October, the location’s telltale manga shaped entrance drew in manga fans and any given passerby, giving way to an entertaining space centering manga and the people who love it. This year, Kodansha House is back and its location is as prone to grab attention as ever. Today, the first day Kodansha House was open to the public, I noticed multiple groups of people who noted to staff that they were unfamiliar with manga and anime but were intrigued at what they could see from outside. While I was quite partial to the manga shaped doorway, the new space is still eye-catching in its own way.
Some of the best parts of Kodansha House are unchanged, and that includes the kind of programming the space will host during its time in NYC. Kodansha previous announced its full lineup of creators set to make appearances at the pop-up: Atsushi Ohkubo (Fire Force, Soul Eater), Fujita (Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku), and Suu Morishita (A Sign of Affection) will all appear at the event with Q&A sessions and signings. In addition to visits from creators, Kodansha House will be hosting speed friending events, movie nights featuring films like Ghost in the Shell and Attack on Titan: The Last Attack, karaoke nights, and manga book clubs. Some activations made their return as well, including the Attack on Titan model of Shiganshina District, which I was glad to see.
From the time I spent at the new location, the most noticeable change is a welcome one: the sheer amount of space. The new location at 210 Lafayette St, SoHo, New York City is much more spacious and conducive to foot traffic than last year. During the event’s opening night, which Kodansha was gracious enough to invite us to, I felt like I was able to move through the space a lot more easily than last year, making it even easier to enjoy some familiar sights, including walls dedicated to different manga series. One that especially caught my eye was the section of wall dedicated to BLUE LOCK. I’ve read bits of its manga before but seeing so many of its incredibly drawn pages in one space gave me a renewed appreciation for the work and for manga in general.
BLUE LOCK was one of the series to receive a new activation for this year’s event alongside Ghost in the Shell, with both joining the returning Attack on Titan Titan’s Fury activation. Another thing that seemingly got an upgrade this year was the food and drink options available on site; Kodansha House is partnering with Isshiki Matcha to provide manga themed drinks and pastries. From a quick glance around the place this afternoon, the various themed matcha beverages were especially popular ones, so definitely give them a try if you stop by.
Like last year, the one caveat I would give to experiencing Kodansha House is that it isn’t something you’re likely to spend a whole day at. In my opinion, outside of the official events, this is a space where you can comfortably pop in, see some cool exhibits, check out some manga, grab a cappuccino, and enjoy yourself. This is by no means a bad thing; SoHo is the kind of place where it’s quite natural to pop in and out of places. And, as always with events like this, there’s a social component. While some events (like Speed Friending) do it explicitly, this is a place where you meet fellow manga fans and enjoy a common interest.
Overall, I would recommend checking out Kodansha House if you’re in the area. While many of the events (especially any involving mangaka) were available only via lotteries that have since closed, the general space is open to the public. Even more, Kodansha House has standby lines for any sold out programming, with 100+ standbys having already been admitted to the events over the opening weekend. And, there are still events you can reserve a spot for on the Kodansha House website. Kodansha House 2025 is open from Tuesday to Sunday 12PM – 9PM from October 4th through 19th. Be on the lookout from more coverage from our time at the event, including interviews with some of its guest creators.
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