The Tokyo Anime Center is a permanent facility that has been created, to market anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 to residents of Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, as well as Western visitors. The facility will host regular events, live radio interviews with creators and voice actors, and merchandising fairs. It includes the AKIBA3DTheater. It dubs itself as "The definitive "spot" for anime entertainment!"

It is located on the fourth floor of the Akihabara

Akihabara

, also known as , is an area of Tokyo, Japan. It is located less than five minutes by rail from Tokyo Station. Its name is frequently shortened to in Japan...

 UDX building, near JR Akihabara Station.

In 2007 many promotional displays for upcoming Evangelion movie were set up inside the Tokyo Anime Center including life size cardboard stand-ups of Rei Ayanami

Rei Ayanami

is a fictional character from the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise, a Japanese anime from Gainax. She is the First Child and pilot of the Evangelion Unit 00....

and interactive demos.

More permanent sections of the center contain merchandise from popular anime series, such as mugs, key chains, promotional fliers, mouse pads, etc.