＜左から、きむらゆういち先生、冨永みーなさん、関智一さん、種﨑敦美さん、並木のり子さん＞

● The audience burst into laughter during the talk session featuring veteran voice actors Mina Tominaga and Tomokazu Seki
●Featuring popular voice actress Atsumi Tanezaki! A reading drama with an all-star cast

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Association of Japanese Animations operate the Anime Tokyo Station, a center for the exhibition of Japanese animation, which attracts many visitors from Japan and abroad as a facility that communicates the appeal of Japanese animation to the world under the motto, "Making ANIME more interesting, Bringing ANIME far into the future"

On Monday, June 1, Anime Tokyo Station held "Anime Tokyo Station: Early Summer Gathering," a live recording event for the Anime Tokyo Station official YouTube channel. Fifty-two guests, selected by lottery from over 480 applicants, attended the event.

■Host Mina Tominaga and guest Tomokazu Seki take the stage!　

The event consisted of two parts, with Mina Tominaga serving as the host. When Tominaga introduced guest Tomokazu Seki, the audience greeted him with thunderous applause!
Mr. Seki: "Wow! It looks like there are 1,000 people here!"
He looked surprised.

■Mr. Seki shares rare live remarks and engages in perfectly synchronized conversation

In Part 1, the discussion unfolded as the panelists searched for works featuring Mr. Seki using "Anime Daizen," a comprehensive database of Japanese animation located at Anime Tokyo Station.
When the topic turned to *PSYCHO-PASS*, in which Mr. Seki plays the lead role of Shinya Kogami, he even treated us to a live recitation of one of his lines!
"We have our own way of doing things."
"But it is you, the supervisor, who bears that responsibility."
When he read it out loud right there on the spot, the audience erupted in thunderous applause for that rare, impromptu line!

There’s also a scene where they have a conversation about Seki-san as a voice actor.

Tominaga: “I’ve always thought of him as a voice actor who can completely disappear into his role. As a viewer, I’m amazed at how completely he embodies his characters… and he’s appeared in so many productions, hasn’t he? Even on stage, Seki is the one who stays in character until the very moment he exits offstage.”
Seki: "I'm so happy to hear that from Mina, whom I really look up to!"
Tominaga: "So that's how you should respond when someone compliments you! That's really helpful!"
Seki: "Oh, come on—that's what you really think!"

The audience couldn't stop laughing at the couple's playful and perfectly synchronized banter.

The two of them mentioned that in recent years, they’ve been appearing more frequently in long-running series, such as the role of Panda in *Jujutsu Kaisen*. There was also a moment when they shared this concern.

Mr. Tominaga: "When you work on a single project for a long time, it becomes difficult to maintain the same voice and energy level because the voice actor themselves grows and changes."
Seki: "That's exactly right. With my role as Shinobu Koizumi in *Demon Slayer*, there's a long gap between the first recording session and my next appearance, so it's hard to stay in character until the next recording."
Mr. Tominaga: "As someone in the same line of work, I understand. Sometimes it feels like I'm just imitating my former self."

The audience listened intently to the rare anecdotes shared by the two of them, who have appeared in countless productions.

■What inspired Mr. Seki to become a voice actor?

The conversation then turned to what inspired Seki to become a voice actor. When he opened the flip chart he had prepared in advance, it revealed illustrations of *Devilman* and *Mazinger Z* drawn in Seki’s own hand! Impressed by the beautifully detailed drawings, Tominaga exclaimed, “You’re so talented!!”

Tominaga: "I met Go Nagai-sensei at a fan meeting held at Anime Tokyo Station this past March!"
Mr. Seki: "Actually, when I was in fourth grade, I had the opportunity to visit Mr. Nagai's home."
"That’s the shocking memory Mr. Seki shared with us. When he went on to recount another surprising anecdote—about how he once had a sword-fighting match with his teacher on the rooftop—the audience gasped in astonishment."

Mr. Seki also mentioned that he was hooked on the radio show "Anime Topia" back then.
Mr. Seki: “When I called the broadcasting station, they told me to come in, and that’s how I got to meet Mayumi Tanaka and Saeko Shimazu. Fourth grade was a turning point for me.”
And with that, he shared yet another fascinating story.
Mr. Seki: "Back then, the adults were very generous. Please do come visit us sometime."
he commented with a smile. The audience responded with enthusiastic applause.

■A customer and Mr. Seki take on an anime quiz!

Then, we moved on to the final segment of Part 1: the “Instant Anime Quiz,” where we came up with quiz questions on the spot about an anime chosen right then and there! Believe it or not, this segment was an audience participation event! Many hands shot up in the audience, and the selected guest chose *PSYCHO-PASS*, a series starring Seki-san, and answered all five quiz questions correctly! The two hosts exclaimed, “Amazing!” and applauded, and the participating guest received a commemorative gift from Anime Tokyo Station.

Seki, who was also invited to take the quiz, chose *Getter Robo*, a series he loves. When questions such as “What is the name of the genius scientist who created Getter Robo?” were asked, Seki answered them all instantly and, once again, got every single one right! Seki looked relieved and said, “I’m so glad I got them all right!”

At the end of Part 1, Noriko Namiki—who serves as the host of the “Let’s Watch Anime Together” segment on Anime Tokyo Station—appeared as the MC. Along with a video clip of the screening event, she introduced the workshops and the special exhibition currently being held on the second floor. After the video, Mr. Tominaga addressed Mr. Seki—who mentioned it was his first visit to Anime Tokyo Station—saying, “We’d be delighted if you’d keep an eye on Anime Tokyo Station in the future!”

The audience responded with repeated bursts of applause and laughter throughout the event, captivated by the rare behind-the-scenes stories and perfectly synchronized banter that only these two veteran voice actors—who have long been active in the industry and voiced characters in a wildly popular anime—could share.

■ Atsumi Tanezaki Takes the Stage! She Delivers a Highly Immersive Reading Performance

For the second part of the program, another guest, Atsumi Tanezaki, took the stage to perform a live reading of “In the Mist,” the fourth installment in the “On a Stormy Night” series—a staple of Anime Tokyo Station events. Regarding Ms. Tanezaki’s appearance, Mr. Tominaga explained that it all began when he reached out to her after they had co-hosted a program together in the past, and she watched the livestream of their previous reading drama—which ultimately led to her participation this time.

The three performers delivered a live performance so vivid it felt as though the scenes were unfolding right before our eyes. In particular, Mr. Saku played the three roles of the wolves Gab, Barry, and Gilo all by himself, distinguishing each character perfectly. The fourth reading drama, featuring live percussion by Soichi Mitani, original background music, and sound effects—as well as a live flute performance by first-time participant Kunihiro Kamata—created an atmosphere that made it feel as though the entire audience was immersed in the world of the story. The audience gathered at the venue listened quietly to the reading drama—an experience unique to this event—and after it ended, the stage was met with thunderous, unending applause.

Following the reading performance, Mr. Yuichi Kimura, author of the *On a Stormy Night* series, took the stage.
Mr. Kimura: "That was wonderful! Even with so many characters, the way you differentiated their voices was amazing. It really made me realize how much more vivid the written words come to life when voiced by a voice actor."
...was the feedback she received. When Ms. Tanezaki, who played the role of Mei the goat, was told by the teacher with a smile, “You were so cute,” she replied, “I’m flattered…!” while letting a look of relief show on her face.

Mr. Tominaga asked Mr. Seki and Mr. Tanezaki for their thoughts on today’s event.
Mr. Seki: "I felt that Anime Tokyo Station is a wonderful place to learn about the history of anime and gain insight into its future. Now that I know they host such fantastic events, I’m eager to get more actively involved!"
Tanezaki: "I was really nervous about reading aloud alongside my senior colleague in front of the original author, but it was a lot of fun. It’s an honor to have been given the opportunity to perform at an event like this!"
And so, everyone shared their own thoughts.

Footage from this event, which was a huge hit from start to finish, is scheduled to be streamed for a limited time on the Anime Tokyo Station official YouTube channel for approximately one month, from Saturday, June 13, to Sunday, July 12.

[Overview of the "Anime Tokyo Station: Early Summer Gathering" Stream]
Streaming Period: Saturday, June 13, 2026, at 12:00 PM – Sunday, July 12, 2026, at 11:59 PM
▼Available for a limited time on the official Anime Tokyo Station YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/ @ Anime Tokyo Station