Guides

AnimeChicago Our shameless plug to join our nonprofit — with over 3,000 Meetup members and access to our Discord community. https://animechicago.com Facets Anime Club Local theater with monthly screenings of hard-to-find films for anime cinefiles, plus more community perks for $15/mo. https://facets.org/programs/facets-anime-club Street Level Anime Club Bucktown nonprofit educating youth about media, technology and artistic…

Chicago Cosplay and Photography Meet-Ups Volunteer-run events and hub for cosplayers and photographers to gather, network, and collaborate. https://www.facebook.com/groups/Cosmeetupchicago/ Gunpla Builders of Chicago Community of builders spreading the love of Gundam model kits. https://www.facebook.com/gbofchicago Chicago Speaks Japanese! Practicing speaking Japanese with this paid meetup group, in partnership with the Japanese Culture Center. https://www.meetup.com/chicagospeaksjapanese/ Chicago Taiko…

Japanese Arts Foundation at the Japanese Culture Center Nonprofit programs and educational opportunities to share Japanese art equitably and accessibly. https://japaneseartsfoundation.org Japanese American Service Committee of Chicago Inclusive nonprofit for Japanese American history, culture, and wellness. Offers great intro courses. https://www.jasc-chicago.org The Japan America Society of Chicago Fostering goodwill and understanding with learning resources, networking,…

Anime Mondays at Logan Arcade Presenting all things anime and animation every last Monday of the month, starting at 7pm. https://loganarcade.com BATSU! A live game show where comedians compete in hilarious challenges to avoid punishments! Hosted at Chicago’s oldest sushi restaurant, located in Old Town. https://batsulive.com/chicago Round 1 Entertainment Play rhythm games, fighters, and redemption…

Mitsuwa Food Court Ramen, curry, soba, crepes, matcha ice cream… Mitsuwa has you covered for whatever you’re craving. https://mitsuwa.com/ch/ Konbini & Kanpai Explore craft beers, wines, sakes, and non-alcoholic beverages available for onsite tastings, carryout, or delivery. Two locations: Lakeview & Wrigleyville https://www.konbiniandkanpai.com Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Yakiniku chain where you grill at your table. Streeterville, West…

Chicago Costume Company Outfitting Chicagoan in simple to elaborate costumes since 1976. Its two locations are a good choice for traditional costumes, vintage finds, theatrical pieces. Family-owned. https://www.chicagocostume.com Fantasy Costumes Quality makeup, appendage, masks, wigs, and animatronics for any kind of cosplay need in Portage Park for 60 years. Purchased wigs can be styled by…

Mitsuwa Marketplace Japanese goodies galore at this supermarket, bakery, gift stores, food court, Kinokuniya bookstore, and more! mitsuwa.com/ch/ Tensuke Market Japanese grocery, sushi café, and Daiso reseller that also carries anime goods. tensukechicago.com Kinokuniya Chicago Located in Mitsuwa Marketplace, this bookstore carries popular manga, anime swag, Gundam kits, and Ghibli collectibles. usa.kinokuniya.com/stores-kinokuniya-chicago Nakama Toys Mom-and-pop…

AnimeChicago Members @Yamcans Kat Janda-DuWaldt, known as “@Yamcans” online, is an artist by night, and a dentist (yes, really) by day. They love creating bold, colorful devotions for their favorite pieces of media – mostly animation and video games. Their original pursuits have involved stylized abstract depictions of skulls, as a way to make modern…