Business corporation | |
Industry | Animation studio and production enterprise |
Founded | October 4, 1978 |
Founder | Tsutomu Shibayama, Osamu Kobayashi, Michishiro Yamada |
Headquarters | Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan |
Key people
|
Masahiro Okamura (President) |
Owner | Dap International, Inc. Mitsubishi Pictures Mitsubishi Group |
Number of employees
|
80 |
Subsidiaries | Dap International, Inc. |
Website | ajiado.co.jp |
Ajia-do Animation Works (株式会社亜細亜堂 Kabushiki-gaisha Ajiadō) is a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise, noted for several anime series, including Spirit of Wonder, Absolute Boy, and several others, including the long-running NHK series Nintama Rantarō. Its name can be translated as "Hall of Asia."
The studio was founded in 1978 by the noted animators Tsutomu Shibayama, Osamu Kobayashi and Michishiro Yamada, former members of the animation studio A Production, under the corporate title Yugen-kaisha Ajiadō (有限会社亜細亜堂). The name Ajiadō is a penname used by Tsutomu Shibayama and Osamu Kobayashi.
In 1985, it formally became a kabushiki gaisha (business corporation). In 1987, it produced its first series, the OVA Twilight Q (トワイライトQ Towairaito Q). It established the company Dap International Kabushiki-gaisha (ダップインターナショナル株式会社 Dappu Intānashonaru Kabushiki-gaisha) in 1990. In 1998, the studio established a digital animation division to produce its digital animation.
In 2005, the studio produced Zettai Shōnen, which was directed by Tomomi Mochizuki and premiered on NHK BS2. In 2007, it produced Emma: A Victorian Romance Second Act, the second season of Emma: A Victorian Romance.