← ALL WORKEXPERIENTIAL DESIGN / PROJECT

AX26 Toho Booth.

Toho Animation's Anime Expo 2026 booth, designed for 400,000+ attendees.

Toho Animation / Anime Expo 2026

CLIENT: Toho Animation
EVENT: Anime Expo 2026
COLLABORATOR: Jeff Kelly
ROLE: Concept design · Spatial layout · 3D modeling
TOOLS: Blender · Rhino 3D · Photoshop

Toho Animation brought me on in March 2026 to design their 3,000 sq. ft. booth for Anime Expo 2026.

The challenge was giving 5 shows their own spaces while making the whole booth feel like Toho. That included Jujutsu Kaisen, My Hero Academia, The Apothecary Diaries, Frieren, and Though I Am an Inept Villainess.

01 / Research & Direction

Sketching the first directions.

Jeff Kelly, the team, and I studied earlier expo booths and put together five proposals.

I sketched over simple 3D bases so we could work through entrances, displays, and visitor paths. With feedback from Jeff and the team, I built the chosen direction as a full 3D model.

Moodboard of expo booths, retail displays, and Japanese street references — Ref

PROCESS / 01

Concept Sketches.

I used these sketches to work out the entrances, display areas, and paths through the booth.

Early booth concept with circular entries and overhead signage

PROCESS / 02

3D Bases.

These quick models helped me check the size of the booth and how people would move through it.

Early gray 3D massing study of the booth

02 / Orthographics

Orthographic Views.

These views show the entrances, signs, display areas, and central store before I moved on to the final renders.

Front orthographic view of the Toho booth showing its entrances, character displays, signage, and central store

03 / Spatial Design

Making more room.

I drew from Japanese streets and Toho's history in film.

The previous booth had problems with crowding. I nearly tripled the staff space and made more room around the merchandise and visitor areas.

Aerial view of the final Toho Animation booth design at Anime Expo

04 / ACTIVATION DESIGN

A space for each show.

I gave each of the five anime titles its own space, alongside a central store. The arches, lighting, and street layout helped them feel like parts of the same booth.

ACTIVATION / 01

Jujutsu Kaisen

I used a dark city scene, layered character graphics, and a circular entry for Jujutsu Kaisen.

ACTIVATION / 02

My Hero Academia

Large hero artwork and stacked signs make the My Hero Academia area easy to see from across the booth.

ACTIVATION / 03

The Apothecary Diaries

A night-sky backdrop and a layered wooden display for The Apothecary Diaries.

ACTIVATION / 04

Frieren

Blue, cave-like forms around the entry frame a scene from Frieren: Beyond Journey's End.

ACTIVATION / 05

Though I Am an Inept Villainess

Warm lanterns, red details, and a theatrical room for Though I Am an Inept Villainess.

ACTIVATION / 06

Toho Store

I put the round merchandise counter in the center so the apparel could be seen from the surrounding paths.

Toho Animation store with a circular merchandise counter and apparel displays

05 / Fabrication & Build

Technical Details.

I handed these plans, elevations, and dimensioned details to fabricators and builders to guide fabrication and installation. They set out the layout and scale of the entrances, activations, and store displays.