[Kyoto University of the Arts × Kyoto IP Bookstore] A Practical Educational Project Where Students Handle Everything from Planning to Selling Character Goods Begins

The Character Design Department (day course) of Kyoto University of the Arts (located in Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City; President: Taku Sato) has started a permanent exhibition and sale of works and character goods created by students at the "Kyoto IP Bookstore" inside Kyoto Takashimaya S.C. [T8], which opened on April 28, 2026. This is an industry-academia collaboration with the "Kyoto IP Bookstore" planned and operated by Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd. (CCC) (located in Nishi-ku, Yokohama City; Representative Director and President: Takanori Takahashi).

As the market for IP (intellectual property) content such as manga, anime, games, and VTubers expands, strengthening human resource development in the cultural and artistic fields is also becoming important. Creators are now required to have a practical perspective that encompasses not only creating works but also commercialization and sales.

This project aims to deepen students' understanding of practical business, connecting university education with the distribution field. It is a "social implementation type of learning" where students directly connect with the market while still in school and take the initiative in the process leading to commercialization.

■ From "Creating" to "Delivering" — Students, the next generation of the content industry, experience the entire process of commercial IP development

As a hub for Japanese pop culture, the "Kyoto IP Bookstore" offers a wide range of 2D IP entertainment content such as manga, anime, games, and VTubers, and is promoting the discovery and development of human resources through collaboration with young creators in Kyoto.

This project was conducted in the seminar of Professor Yuki Kamoshida of the university's Character Design Department, with the aim of having students produce and disseminate their own works to society using the store as a stage.

Eleven students were selected from among the applicants and are responsible for the entire process, from product planning and design to sample checks, cost management, and final sales. The unique character goods, refined through feedback from the "professional perspective" of the Kyoto IP Bookstore, now adorn the storefront.

■ Overview of the "Kyoto University of the Arts × Kyoto IP Bookstore Debut Project"

This is a practical project in collaboration between the "Kyoto IP Bookstore," a hub for pop culture targeting young people and inbound tourists, and the Character Design Department of Kyoto University of the Arts.

The department teaches diverse expression methods such as animation, games, illustrations, and CG, along with the thinking ability to delve deeply into characters, fostering human resources who can be active across all entertainment frameworks. These students will experience the real sales process in the heart of Kyoto's Shijo Kawaramachi area (inside Kyoto Takashimaya S.C. [T8]), acquiring skills that will make them immediately effective in the future IP business and creative industries.

Students will also develop their own promotions using social media and other tools, aiming to increase their recognition as creators and gain fans.

Details of the Character Design Department: https://www.kyoto-art.ac.jp/department/character/

■ Comment from the Professor in Charge of the Project

This project is a rare opportunity for student creators to face the real "market" while still in school.

There is a big gap between "creating" designs and characters and "delivering" them to society. Until the intention of a plan takes shape as a product, countless decisions outside of creation are necessary, such as pricing, quality checks, and designing sales flows. This project provides a place to experience this entire process in an actual commercial space, Kyoto Takashimaya.

Please see for yourself the moment your work reaches the hands of an individual in Kyoto, a city where people from Japan and abroad come and go.

I hope this experience will be the starting point for you as artists/creators.
(Professor Yuki Kamoshida, Department of Character Design)

■ About Kyoto University of the Arts

Kyoto University of the Arts is the largest comprehensive art university in Japan, with both day and correspondence courses and approximately 24,000 students enrolled. It will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2027.

The day course (10 departments, 24 courses in the Faculty of Arts) emphasizes the relationship between "society and art" and implements over 100 "social implementation projects" annually in collaboration with companies and local governments. It provides practical education that uses the power of art and design to solve real-world problems.

The correspondence course (5 departments, 19 courses), established in 1998, was the first four-year art university correspondence course in Japan. A diverse range of students from across the country and overseas study here, making it one of the largest private correspondence art universities in Japan in terms of enrollment. It offers an environment where anyone can study art, regardless of age or experience.

Location: 2-116 Uryuyama-cho, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture 606-8271
URL: https://www.kyoto-art.ac.jp/