A free, ten-day manga pop-up is landing just blocks from the Javits Center this fall, and it's bringing a Japanese creator with it. Kodansha House returns to New York City from October 9 through October 18, setting up at 508 West 37th Street in Hudson Yards with a manga library, art galleries, themed photo zones, and a dedicated retail space, all open to the public at no cost.
A Return Trip, With a New Address
Kodansha House is coming back to New York City this fall, according to PIX11, which reports the pop-up will offer immersive experiences based on popular Japanese series along with autograph signings and Q&A sessions with manga creators. The Hudson Yards venue is a change of scenery from last year, when Kodansha House operated at 210 Lafayette Street in SoHo from October 4 through October 19, as noted by Anime News Network. This year's location puts the pop-up just two blocks from the Javits Center, according to the Kodansha House official site.
The timing is no accident. New York Comic Con runs October 8 through October 11 at the Javits Center as the show celebrates its 20th anniversary with a Coney Island theme, per the event's own press materials. NYCC routinely draws over 200,000 attendees to the West Side, meaning Kodansha House's opening weekend overlaps directly with one of the city's biggest pop-culture crowds before the pop-up continues on its own for another week.
What Fans Will Find Inside
Kodansha House will feature properties including Attack on Titan, Blue Lock, Witch Hat Atelier, and The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity, per PIX11's reporting. Visitors can browse a free manga library and lounge, take photos in themed installations, and shop a dedicated retail space. Hours on opening day, October 9, run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with admission free throughout the run.
Kinokuniya USA has a New York bookstore and a translated manga selection; Hoodline previously noted Kinokuniya's translated manga selection among the city's standout bookstores.
Meeting the Creator Behind Fragrant Flower
Saka Mikami, creator of The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity, is scheduled to meet fans at Kodansha House on October 10 and October 11, per PIX11. Mikami first launched the series on Kodansha's Magazine Pocket app in October 2021, and it has accumulated 23 collected volumes in Japan as of mid-2026, according to Anime News Network. Kodansha USA is releasing English Volume 15 on October 13, right in the middle of the pop-up's run, the outlet reports.
Getting face time with Mikami won't be simple. Selection for the creator meeting runs through an online lottery, with just 60 winners chosen for the signing and Q&A sessions, per PIX11's reporting. This 60-person lottery is confirmed for Mikami's event; the sources do not establish it as a general Kodansha House policy or explain it as a response to space constraints and demand.
Part of a Bigger Publisher Strategy
This isn't Kodansha's first pop-up rodeo this year. The publisher made its West Coast debut in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, from July 2 to July 12, partnering with Anime Expo, North America's flagship anime convention, according to Anime News Network. That Los Angeles event featured creators from Blue Lock and Witch Hat Atelier, building the template Kodansha is now repeating in Hudson Yards.
Kodansha USA Publishing, LLC was established in 2008 in New York City as the American subsidiary of Tokyo-based Kodansha Ltd., Japan's largest publishing house, founded in 1909, per Wikipedia. Kodansha publishes global franchises including Attack on Titan.
Why the Timing Makes Business Sense
Why the Timing Makes Business Sense The pop-up expansion brings Kodansha's titles and creators to readers in New York.
The picture looks different back in Japan. In New York, Kodansha House is focused on connecting fans with manga titles and creators in person.
New York's fall calendar is already crowded with fan gatherings, while Saboten Con takes over downtown Phoenix hotels with 800 hours of anime fun. Anime NYC had already taken place at the Javits Center the previous month, drawing roughly 170,000 attendees, while Kodansha House will run in Hudson Yards.
