Singapore — MUSE Communication Singapore, one of the largest Japanese animation licensors and distributors of official anime and goods in Southeast Asia officially launched Hakken!’s first physical outlet in Plaza Singapura on January 16, 2021.
Spanning 2,200 sq ft, Hakken! has plenty of space for Japanese pop culture fans to immerse themselves in a new experience through its “Themed Feature” section, an immersive anime set-up with standees and props where visitors can take photos, create memories and even witness guest appearances by popular local and overseas cosplayers.
“Our Themed Feature is a space in our retail shop that not only offers photo-taking opportunities with life-sized standees and vibrant themed backdrops but also products and promotions. We are currently the only Anime Merchandise retail shop in Singapore that has support from official channels to execute such a concept.
“We currently have a Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba feature that will last until the end of March.
“We’ve got some exciting plans lined up as well, so please stay keep an eye out for updates!” said says Jeff Lee, General Manager of MUSE Communication Singapore.
Lee also explained that Hakken! Carries a variety of products imported directly from not just Japan, but Taiwan and China as well.
Although collectables from Japan may be cheaper, the overall price may be actually higher due to shipping; especially during this pandemic. Hakken!’s physical retail store offers a whole new level of retail experience that cannot be matched by online shopping.
“Let’s take Kuji for an example – the excitement that consumers get when opening a Kuji ticket cannot be replicated when the purchase is done over an online platform,” Lee added.
MUSE Communication Singapore currently holds the rights to various Intellectual Property within the Japanese animation industry, including notable anime titles that are famous all over the globe such as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Sword Art Online, Attack On Titan, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, One Punch Man and many more.
MUSE Communication Singapore aims to tap into the regional market and draw more anime consumers from Singapore and around the region. Part of the strategy includes tackling the issue of consumers’ accessibility to licensed content.
By being among the first animation licensors in Southeast Asia to offer free content through their YouTube channel, MUSE endeavours to make original and quality content more accessible to the regional anime consumers.
Through their efforts, MUSE hopes to nip piracy in the bud, which can potentially cost publishers billions of dollars, and to rally more consumers to support official channels and licensed content creators. This can be achieved through event participation, content accessibility, unique retail experience, and sought-after official anime content.
“As the retail arm for Muse Communication SG, Hakken! aims to increase support in official merchandise. The current anime industry landscape in Southeast Asia is similar to a black hole, where pirated content swallows up and hides the demand for anime and manga content to the eyes of content providers and creators in Japan.
“Because there is no legitimate demand for content here, there is little reason for content providers and creators to put in resources to expand into this region of the world.
“To combat this, Muse aims to build an ecosystem where Muse Asia, Muse Communication SG’s official YouTube Channel, offers full-length anime episodes for free, promoting the consumption of content, while Hakken! provides a solution of the resulting demand in merchandise.
“As all of our content is official, there will be feedback to the content providers and creators that there is indeed a demand for content in Southeast Asia, and that is a market that is worth investing in. From there, Muse, as well as Hakken!, will be able to bring in better and more content into the region,” said Lee.
The Hakken! physical outlet is open to the public beginning January 16 2021 and is located at Plaza Singapura, 68 Orchard Road, #07-08. The opening hours are from 10 am to 10 pm, every day of the week.
For more information on Hakken!, please visit https://www.hakkenonline.com/.