Jul 7, 2021

Mappa aims to "improve the working environment" by opening a new 5,000-square-foot studio in Tokyo

Japanese animation studio Mappa (Yasuke, Attack on Titan, Dorohedoro) has opened a new 5000 square-feet studio annex in the Suginami ward of Tokyo, in response to a recent increase in projects.

Suginami, and the neighboring Nerima ward, are home to 241 anime production companies, or 44% of all the prodcos in Tokyo.

Mappa's new three-story studio, formerly a pharmacy, was designed by Key Operation Inc., which set aside the first and second floors for the animators while turning the third floor into a space for studio management. A lounge space was also installed for the animators with “an awareness of improving the work environment.”

The custom-built desk were made with larch plywood, a warm material that, according to architect Hikaru Koyama, is intended to improve the artists' moods:

Mappa has been in the news recently for the revelation that the studio pays rock-bottom rates to its artists. Animator Ippei Ichii pointed out on Twitter that Mappa artists were paid 3,800 (USD$34) per cut. Some studios in Japan pay as much as 15,000 yen per cut.

A freelance animator who recently left the studio complained that the studio operates like a “factory” and overworks its artists instead of properly training them. He said that the vast majority of artists at Mappa had similar complaints about the company's operations.

Meanwhile, architect Koyama points out that studios in Japan are actively working to improve conditions to address the shortage of animators:

Mappa director Ryu Nakayama (Chainsaw Man) touted the new studio in a tweet, inviting “young and motivated” artists to reach out. He added that the new studio is close to the metro and convenience stores.

Historically, in the United States, when studios have spent lavishly on new facilities, but not raised wages for their artists, the end result has occasionally been labor trouble. The Disney animation studio unionized in 1941, less than two years after opening its new studio in Burbank. Similarly, Nickelodeon artists went on strike after the new studio was opened in Burbank. Nickelodeon unionized in 2000.

Below are some additional photos of Mappa's new studio and the architect's floor plan: