Anime's New Empire: Building Permanent Hubs for a Global Fandom

HONG KONG – March 19, 2026 – For decades, anime has been a vibrant, if often underestimated, cultural force in cities like Hong Kong. Once relegated to the realm of “subculture,” its presence in daily life—from television screens to bustling manga shops—is now blossoming into a mainstream economic and social phenomenon. Fueled by global streaming platforms, Japanese animation is no longer a niche interest but a shared international language, and a new generation of fans is demanding more than just passive consumption.

This evolution in fandom is reshaping how the industry engages with its audience. The desire for merchandise and memorabilia is being eclipsed by a powerful craving for experiences that forge deeper, emotional connections to the characters and worlds fans love. This shift has created a market gap that transient pop-up shops and annual conventions can no longer fill, paving the way for a new type of cultural institution.

Beyond Pop-Ups: A Permanent Home for Fandom

In Hong Kong, a city with a deeply rooted anime fan base, the landscape has long been dominated by temporary activations. Mall pop-ups and large-scale conventions generate significant buzz but fade as quickly as they appear, leaving a void in sustained community engagement. Recognizing this unmet need, INCUBASE Studio is pioneering a new model: the permanent, experiential anime hub.

Sion Yip, Founder and CEO of INCUBASE Studio, observes: "Today's anime fans are no longer satisfied with simply purchasing merchandise, taking photos or consuming content. They want immersive experiences — through exhibitions, events and interactive formats — that allow them to step into the worlds of these works and build deeper emotional connections with the characters and stories."

To answer this call, the company launched INCUBASE Arena in Hong Kong in 2024. After a successful initial run, it reopened in January 2025 in a sprawling 20,000-square-foot, two-level space in Mong Kok’s Chong Hing Square. This flagship location is a testament to the concept's ambition, featuring dedicated exhibition spaces, an expanded merchandise shop, themed food and beverage areas, card battle zones, and interactive photo booths. It’s designed not as a store, but as a destination.

The venue’s programming demonstrates a commitment to high-quality, rotating content. Its inaugural exhibition featured the acclaimed Fullmetal Alchemist, while the new location launched with the first-ever overseas showcase of the Chainsaw Man Animation Exhibition, complete with a Hong Kong-exclusive area. With a portfolio that includes blockbuster names like One Piece, Dragon Ball, and Detective Conan, the arena has already become a cultural hotspot, attracting over 100,000 visitors in a single summer.

A Blueprint for Global Fandom

The success in Hong Kong is not an isolated event but the blueprint for an aggressive global expansion. INCUBASE Studio is proving its model's replicability by establishing a network of arenas across Asia. In early January 2025, the first international branch opened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, debuting with the Kamen Rider 50th Anniversary Exhibition. The event broke records, hosting the largest gathering of Kamen Rider belt fans in Malaysian history and earning a place in The Malaysia Book of Records, signaling a powerful local appetite for such dedicated spaces.

Taipei is next, with an INCUBASE Arena set to open in December 2025. Its launch will feature the highly anticipated GIVEN Exhibition, bringing a beloved story to Taiwanese fans for the first time under the Arena brand. This strategy of curating specific, high-demand IPs for local markets underscores a nuanced approach to expansion.

With established locations in three major Asian hubs, the company has its sights set on further growth, with plans to enter South Korea and Thailand by 2026, followed by a push into Western markets. This move positions INCUBASE Studio to transform its arenas from fan gathering points into essential cultural tourism destinations.

As Sion Yip notes, "When anime culture is anchored in a representative physical space within a city, it becomes more than just a gathering point for fans — it also becomes a cultural attraction for visitors."

Capitalizing on the Billion-Dollar Experience Economy

INCUBASE Studio's strategy is perfectly timed with a massive global shift in consumer spending. The company is tapping into the burgeoning “experience economy,” a market driven by the pursuit of memorable events over material goods. The global immersive entertainment market, valued at over $137 billion in 2025, is projected to soar past $1 trillion by 2033. Similarly, cultural tourism is on a steep upward trajectory, expected to become a nearly $17 billion industry by 2032.

Within this landscape, INCUBASE Arena occupies a unique niche. It is more permanent and multifaceted than a temporary convention like Anime Expo or Japan Expo, yet more accessible and dynamic than a large-scale theme park like Japan’s Ghibli Park or Nijigen no Mori. By offering a rotating calendar of world-class exhibitions in city-center locations, it combines the curated feel of a museum with the interactive energy of a fan festival, creating a sustainable and repeatable business model.

Forging Alliances for a New Cultural Infrastructure

An ambitious global rollout requires significant capital and strategic insight. In April 2025, INCUBASE Studio secured a crucial strategic partnership and equity investment from K11 Concepts Management Limited, a major player in the art and culture retail space. This alliance provides not only funding but also access to K11’s extensive customer base, ticketing platforms, and retail ecosystem, significantly accelerating the company’s ability to launch new exhibitions and enter new markets, including mainland China.

Further strengthening its position, the company formed an alliance with TORICO, a Japanese e-commerce and events company, in February 2025. This partnership enhances its pipeline for securing top-tier manga and anime IPs and co-developing events.

However, the path to global dominance is not without challenges. In South Korea, the company will face a market with a strong preference for domestic K-content, even as its anime fandom grows. Expansion into Western markets will require navigating higher operational costs, diverse cultural preferences, and a competitive landscape of established pop culture conventions. Success will depend on the company's ability to localize content and experiences effectively for each new region.

Anime is no longer just part of the content industry — it is becoming an emotional medium that connects fans, cities and culture. Its future development will depend not only on the creation of new works, but also on whether cities can provide spaces where this culture can be continuously experienced, shared, and sustained.