Online tour offers sneak preview of Mamoru Hosoda’s Chizu Studio exhibition in Yokohama

With his latest film BELLE (in Japanese: 『竜とそばかすの姫』ryū to sobakasu no hime, which means "the dragon and the freckled princess") scheduled to premiere in Japanese theaters, fans of Mamoru Hosoda and his Studio Chizu are eagerly looking forward to July 16th. At the same time, many fans are also taking the opportunity to rewatch the acclaimed director's previous films like Mirai and Summer Wars.

As you can imagine, many promotions, campaigns and events are scheduled this summer to commemorate Hosoda's 10th film, one of which will be the "Studio Chizu Exhibition at animate ONLYSHOP" which will be held from July 16th to August 29th at animate in the Yokohama Vivre building.

The exciting exhibition will feature background art, setting materials, storyboards, scripts, and more for BELLE, as well as valuable background art and original frame reproductions from The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars Wolf Children, The Boy and the Beast and Mirai.

Join online from anywhere in the world!

But if you were rolling your eyes after reading about yet another exciting opportunity you can't enjoy because you're not in Japan or you prefer to maintain social distance during the pandemic, then we have some good news for you:

On July 15th, the day before the film opens in theaters, Animate Co., Ltd. will hold a free online tour and sneak preview of the "Studio Chizu Exhibition at animate ONLYSHOP"!

Shōtarō Ōtani 大谷章太朗, the deputy store manager of animate Yokohama Vivre, who is also active as a YouTuber, will serve as a guide and introduce valuable exhibits and limited edition products!

In addition, there will be a campaign where 10 customers purchasing Studio Chizu film-related merch on the animate online store will be selected by lottery to receive BELLE original goods. There will also be a lottery for all tour participants, so please check it out.

Event Information

Name: "Studio Chizu Exhibition animateONLYSHOP" Free Online Experience Tour
Date and time: July 15, 2021, 21:45 - 22:45 (JST)
Participation fee: Free
Guide: YouTuber Shōtarō Ōtani 大谷章太朗, Deputy Store Manager, animate Yokohama Vivre
Reservation period: June 24 - July 15, 2021
Reservation website: HIS

Please note that director Mamoru Hosoda and other cast members will not appear. There is a possibility that the contents may be changed, postponed, or canceled. Online tour will be conducted in Japanese.