Animation Schools in Japan

Visa notes: The schools listed below will not be able to provide student visas as they are all specialty, trade and technical schools. Students wishing to attend them will probably be able to go under a Japanese language or other cultural visa. I have not seen tuition rates for any of the schools for quite some time.

If you want the most current information available buy a copy of NewType, Animage, AX or Comickers magazines. They'll have the newest advertisements from all the schools. (That's where I find these.)

Note: I get a lot of mail from people wanting to learn how to work in an "anime or manga" art style and much of it asks for information about schools. There are no schools anywhere in the world that teach anime or manga style art. Not even in Japan. The instructors at anime and manga schools in Japan push you to develop your own style, regardless of influence. You may develop an anime art style because the projects you work on are in that style but nobody teaches just the style. There is no one anime style. There is no school of thought or classification system or any serious scholarly work done on the subject. There is no instruction on how to draw eyes or mouths or bodies in an anime style because everybody does it differently. It's something you need to develop yourself from being immersed in it and studying the work of others. You could develop an anime art style at home just by watching enough anime and learning from it. Be aware that working in an anime art style is not a particularly marketable skill by itself. It is very important to be able to animate or illustrate well, much more so than a particular art style. Styles go out of fashion quickly but good draftsmanship is forever.

Information about working while in school

Yoyogi Animation School
(Yoyogi Animeshon Gakuin)
1-20-3-CS-4 Yoyogi
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001
          0120-310-042
Fax: 0120-210-595
          http://www.jki.co.jp/YAG/
e-mail: yag_info@infosphere.or.jp
Courses Years
Animation 2
CG Animation/ Games 2
Voice Acting 1
Digital Animation Artist (Digital Ink & Paint) 1
Manga/Comics 1
Animation Production Management 1
Background Artist 1
Animation AV Operator 2
Animation Camera 2
Illustration 2
Junior Novels 1
Music Artist 2
Music Business 2
Multimedia Creator 1
Locations:
  • Tokyo
  • Harajuku
  • Hachioji
  • Osaka
  • Nagoya
  • Fukuoka
  • Sendai
  • Sapporo
  • Hiroshima
  • Shizuoka
  • Wakayama
  • Takamatsu
  • Miyazaki
Tokyo Designer School
(Toukyou Dezaina Gakuin)
2-11 Suragadai
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101
03-3294-2831 
Courses Years
Animation 2
Game Creator 2
Character Design 1
Computer Graphics 1
Manga/Comics 1
Illustration 2
College of International Design
(Kokusai Dezainkarejji)
2-22 Asahi-cho
Kouchi-shi, 780
0888-75-0099

Courses Years
Graphic Design 2
Interior Design 2
Architecture 1
Manga/Comics 1
Amusement Media School
(Amyu-zumentomedia Soukou Gakuin)
2-29-8 Higashi
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0011
          0120-41-4600
Fax: 03-3406-5070
 
Courses Years
Voice Acting 2
Game Creator 2
CG Animation Creator 1
Multimedia Creator 2
Manga/Comics 1
Computer Game Creator 2
Novels 2
Comics 2
Animator 2

They also have night courses for other areas of interest.

Locations:

  • Tokyo
  • Osaka
Toei Animation Institute
(Toei Animeshyon Kenkyuujyou)
Surugadai Bldg.
1-2-5 Surugadai Kanda
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101
03-5281-2730
http://www.toei-anim.co.jp (Japanese)
Toei has just built their own school.

 

Courses Years
Animation  
Planning/Producer  
Director  
Digital Animation Artist (Digital Ink & Paint)  
Writer  
Background Artist  
Tokyo Animation School
(Toukyou Animeta Gakuin)
3-4-9 Mizakicho
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0061
03-5276-1511
          Fax: 03-3234-2469
          http://www.tag.co.jp
 
Courses
Animation
CG Games
Voice Acting
Manga/Comics
Animation Character Designer
Background Artist
Airbrush Illustration
Illustration
Junior Novels
Writer
Japan Manga Institute
(Nihon Manga Gakuin)
1-3-98 Nishinakanobe
Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142
03-3785-4429
Fax: 03-3785-0298

Courses

  • Manga/Comics
Career School Fare
(Kyariasuku-ru Fa-re)
Part of Tokyo Designer School
4-16 Sakurahamachou
Shibuy-ku, Tokyo 150
03-3770-5485

Courses

  • Various Manga/Comics
Kodansha Culture Center
(Kodansha Karucha Senta-)
1-15-12 Toranomon
Minato-ku, Tokyo 105
03-3501-7419
Fax: 03-3501-3674

Courses

  • Comic Illustartion
  • Manga/Comics
  • Illustration 24
Multimedia Art School
(a-to gakuen)
3-8-7 Nishi Azabu
Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0031
03-5421-2671

Courses Years
Special Animator 1
Animation Content (?) 1
Technical Art 1
Story Comics 1
Digital Comics 1
 
 
Tokyo Game Designer Institute
(Toukyou ge-mudezaina-gakuin)
1-47-3 Yoyogi
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0053
03-5350-2422

Courses
Animation
Animation Creative
Digital Animation
CG Animation & Game Character Design
CG Animation & Games
Manga/Comics
Illustration
Voice Acting Talent
Game Creator

last updated: 01/03/06

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