What is Toranoana?

Toranoana is a store that mainly carries "dōjinshi", self-published works created by individual manga artists.
Physical stores are located in major cities across Japan. Its headquarters is in Akihabara, a district devoted to otaku culture.

“Toranoana started out as a place to sell dōjinshi to customers who stop by Akihabara on their way home from the Comic Market. We offer dōjinshi and commercial manga, novels, anime, and game-related products that customers who like dōjinshi also like,” says Takeru Mitsuoka, the sales division director of Toranoana Inc. The majority of customers at the Akihabara stores are male.

Holding exhibitions of works to promote recognition of their creators
In each store, there is a section introducing the creators that displays commercial items created by dōjinshi artists. At the main store in Akihabara, special exhibitions to display artists’ works are held regularly. These events are aimed at the most discerning dōjinshi fans.
“We want to help to raise artists who create dōjinshi. At Toranoana, we say, ‘Let’s become like family to the creators.’ We want to be a place the artists can rely on without hesitation.”

International customers visit the store seeking “authenticity”
Akihabara also attracts many customers from abroad. The stores in Akihabara include Store A, which is oriented toward male customers, and Store B, which is oriented toward female customers. Currently, Store B is being developed as a “space for trying out interesting things.” “At Store B, we sell Sanrio merchandise on the first floor and female-oriented dōjinshi on the upper floors. International customers make up 20 percent of the people who visit Store B. They come in search of ‘authentic’ things written in Japanese. The male-to-female ratio of international visitors is 3:7, but looking at the amount they spend on purchases, it’s evenly split between the genders.”

Future initiatives and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic
Although a large number of customers frequent Toranoana, the store is not free of challenges. “Attracting the younger generation. Right now they turn to various forms of entertainment centered around their smartphones and it’s hard to get them interested in high-priced dōjinshi.”
The impact of COVID-19 is also significant. “Dōjinshi sales events were cancelled, creators lost a real space for presenting their works, and they are refraining from creating new issues. Our company grew into what it is because of the creators, so we want to support their creative activities, including through mail-order sales.”