Meet Jun Sugawara from Animator Supporters, a Tokyo-based non-profit founded in 2010 to give a leg up to new, underpaid talent in the anime scene. Sugawara kicked things off with the New Animator Grand Prix in 2011, a contest that spots fresh talent and helps them out with housing costs.

By 2014, he opened the doors to the first Animator Dormitory, creating a space where up-and-coming animators can live, work, and receive training from industry veterans.
The dormitory only costs residents $250 dollars a month, including rent, utilities, and internet.
The Animator Dormitory has supported over 60 animators to date, many of whom have gone on to be directors.

The journey didn't stop there.
In 2020, he branched out into producing original anime music videos, working with industry veterans and international talent alike to both train new talent and ethically produce original anime.

Aiming to set up a full-blown animation studio by 2025, he's currently working on his second project: a collaboration with Haruhi Suzumiya voice actress, Aya Hirano.

Swing by Animemazement to hear Sugawara and his team share behind-the-scenes insights into the anime industry, the harsh conditions that anime is made under, and what we can do to fix it.