The spirit of anime runs strong through Bandai Spirits’ office culture, where just going to the conference room is a dramatic experience.
In-series, anime’s giant robots are created in environments as cool and futuristic as the mecha themselves. Maybe it’s a secret fortress on the dark side of an alien moon, or a forgotten laboratory deep beneath the earth.
The figures and models of those robots, however, tend to be born in much more mundane settings, primarily the urban offices of Japanese toymakers. But while the job of anime merchandisers is to create a tangible piece of real-world life from anime art, sometimes that art ends up influencing their reality as well.
This pair of silver doors seen below is located in the Tokyo headquarters of Bandai Spirits, one of the many divisions of anime retailer Bandai. Sure, the zigzagging divider is kind of cool, but aside from that, they’re as dull as any other set of office doors…until an employee scans his keycard in order to unlock them.
昨日盛り上がったのを見ていた寺野さんが星矢の火時計の現物を見せてくれるというので、三田に引っ越した#BANDAI SPIRITSさんの新本社へ。入館ゲートが楽しいので何度も通過したくなること請け合い。#聖闘士星矢 pic.twitter.com/5GsMYHhCSw
— TENJIN天神英貴 (@TENJIN_hidetaka) January 25, 2019
In this video, posted to Twitter by anime mechanical designer and illustrator Hidetaka Tenjin (@TENJIN_hidetaka), an authorized tap of the panel next to the doors causing the surface of the portal to erupt in a display of technological light as the word “ACCEPT” appears, recognizing the employee’s right to enter. Then, as the doors slide open, animated lines on the floor usher Tenjin and his guide into the conference area beyond.
Though Tenjin refers to the doors as being the building entrance, it looks more likely that they’re the gateway to that particular floors’ workspace, and not directly connected to the street (and really, if it was, passersby would probably be clogging the sidewalk to watch the show). Bandai Spirits says the doors were installed back in August, but it wasn’t until October that the lights and animation were added, under the logic that the company thinks of the conference room as its base of operations, and so it felt like it should have a cool secret-base effect as you step inside.
Other Twitter users are, predictably, incredibly jealous, leaving comments like:
“SO AWESOME!”
“Too cool.”
“I should be used to seeing this sort of thing from watching anime, but with a real-life version, I just keep watching the video over and over.”
“So if you don’t have access, does the light turn red and a warning siren sounds?”
“The colors and design look just like something out of [anime series] Psycho-Pass.”
“Every guy watching this wishes his office had an entrance like that.”
Unfortunately, the doors’ lighting and effects look to be a custom project, so there’s no off-the-shelf version you can buy for your home or workplace…but then again, since Bandai Spirits is all about making cool anime stuff for grown-ups, maybe they should get working on a for-sale version for the rest of us.
Sources: Twitter/@TENJIN_hidetaka, IT Media
Follow Casey on Twitter, where he’s been using Condition Green as his workday opening theme for the week.

University library in Tokyo may be world’s coolest with its “floating” meeting rooms【Pics】
Gundam metaverse’s Gunpla scan/share system plans to connect fans from all countries and angles
1:1-scale Ultraman artwork appears on headquarters of Japan’s biggest toymaker【Photos】
Anime studio’s new Tokyo office building has the ultimate amenity: a natural hot spring!
Japanese hair salons going bankrupt in record numbers
The average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey shows
Foreign tourist needs ambulance to pick him up at Mt. Fuji after hiking closed trail
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
Is Mister Donut’s all-you-can-eat Donut Buffet still worth it?
Beard Papa goes beyond just matcha with its new premium green tea cream puffs
Japan’s rice warehouse stockpile rate hits record high as consumers, restaurants reject high prices
Looney Tunes is now an adorable anime series with Looney Tunes Gokko[Videos]
Seaweed bread is one of the most unusual baked goods in all of Japan
Shogun Cultural Experiences merges a walking tour, sweets, and the music of traditional Japan
Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Studio Ghibli releases new anime keychains that are like miniature figurines
Studio Ghibli releases crystal glass paperweights featuring Totoro and the Catbus
Samurai Coffee: Try Edo period coffee once enjoyed by Japanese warriors
Retro-style Evangelion T-shirts coming to Uniqlo sister brand GU[Photos]
Sega opening 65th anniversary store in downtotn Tokyo with deep-cut game merch
Viral tweet suggests Japanese convenience store ripping off customers with donuts, so we investigate
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
Brand-new Pokémon manhole covers coming to help the recovery of a disaster-stricken part of Japan
Japan’s awesomely beautiful Alpen Route snow corridor is now open
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Newest Gundam anime robot model kit is made with green tea leaves, smells like green tea
Japanese design company creates world’s most badass…sewing supply box?!?【Video】
Studio Ghibli in Real Life video beautifully combines the worlds of reality and Hayao Miyazaki
Amazing stop-motion artist recreates Akira anime’s most famous sequence with figures【Video】
If anime silhouette capsule toys look this awesome, they need to be more of a thing ASAP【Photos】
Moving Howl’s Castle that actually walks once again available for Howl’s Moving Castle fans【Video】
The world’s first Pokémon GO specialty store just opened in Tokyo!【Photos】
World’s first permanent Pokémon Cafe opens in Tokyo, and SoraNews24 is at the table!【Pics】
There’s now a moving Gundam anime robot model that you can control with your brain【Video】
Wait, anime IS like reality? How to recreate Ghibli’s Spirited Away “name-stealing” magic【Video】