How to Apply to Toei Animation

11 min read Last updated April 20, 2026 19 open positions
Blake Crosley
Blake Crosley Researched using publicly available information, hiring data, and ATS analysis.

Key Takeaways

  • Toei Animation is a 700-person, publicly listed Tokyo studio with 75+ years of history and stewardship of globally recognized IP including Dragon Ball, One Piece, Sailor Moon, and Pretty Cure—apply expecting a structured, formal hiring process closer to a traditional Japanese enterprise than a Western creative studio.
  • The official Recruit site (corp.toei-anim.co.jp/ja/recruit/) is the canonical entry point; new-graduate hiring follows Japan's shukatsu calendar with March entry openings for the following April's start, while mid-career and overseas-subsidiary roles are posted year-round.
  • Track selection matters—animator, production progression, director, CG, planning, and corporate roles each have distinct screening flows, portfolio requirements, and practical exams, so read the course descriptions carefully before submitting your entry sheet.
  • Japanese language proficiency at business level is non-negotiable for Tokyo roles; the production floor, internal documents, and interview rounds operate in Japanese, and JLPT N1 or N2 with date passed should be listed explicitly.
  • Your portfolio or work history should demonstrate sustained, self-directed creative or logistical output rather than one-off achievements; Toei values reliability and stamina over solo brilliance.
  • The motivation section of your entry sheet is the highest-leverage piece of the application—reference specific Toei titles, episodes, directors, or production decisions to prove you study the studio's craft, not just its brands.
  • Interviews are conducted in formal Japanese with a strong emphasis on humility, listening, and long-term commitment; candidates who push back hard, oversell themselves, or treat the role as a stepping stone are screened out.
  • Compensation follows a published pay scale for new graduates and is modest by global tech standards; candidates motivated primarily by salary should look elsewhere, while those drawn to legacy IP, craft preservation, and long careers in animation are well matched.
  • Toei's overseas subsidiaries in Los Angeles, Paris, Hong Kong, and Shanghai offer English-language entry points for licensing, distribution, and co-production roles—apply through the global creative site (toei-animation-creative.com) or LinkedIn for those positions.

About Toei Animation

Toei Animation Co., Ltd. (東映アニメーション) is one of Japan's oldest and most influential animation studios, founded on January 23, 1948 as Japan Animated Films (Nihon Doga Eiga) and later acquired and rebranded by Toei Company in 1956. Headquartered in Nakano, Tokyo, with a primary production studio in Oizumi (Nerima Ward) on the historic site widely regarded as the birthplace of modern Japanese commercial animation, Toei employs roughly 700 staff across animation production, planning, licensing, international sales, and digital operations. The studio is publicly listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Standard Market (ticker 4816) and operates as a subsidiary of the Toei Company film conglomerate, giving employees the stability of a long-established enterprise alongside the creative ambition of a global IP powerhouse. Toei's catalogue is the connective tissue of postwar anime: the studio produced Japan's first feature-length color animated film, Hakujaden (The Tale of the White Serpent, 1958), and went on to create or co-produce Mazinger Z, Galaxy Express 999, Saint Seiya, Sailor Moon, Slam Dunk, Digimon, Pretty Cure, Yu-Gi-Oh!, World Trigger, and the perennial flagships Dragon Ball and One Piece, the latter having aired continuously since 1999 and standing as one of the longest-running animated series in television history. Beyond television, the company runs Toei Animation Studio Gallery, the in-house Toei Animation Institute training program, and international subsidiaries in Los Angeles, Paris, Hong Kong, and Shanghai that handle licensing, theatrical distribution, and co-productions. The corporate culture blends the discipline of a legacy Japanese kabushiki gaisha—formal hierarchies, lifetime-employment expectations for full-time staff (社員), seniority-influenced advancement, and a strong sense of stewardship over decades-old franchises—with the gritty, deadline-driven craft culture of frontline anime production. Toei is unusual among major Japanese animation houses in that it maintains a substantial pool of in-house animators and directors rather than relying entirely on freelance subcontracting, and it has been an early mover on hybrid 2D/3DCG production pipelines, especially through its CG Studio division. For applicants, this means Toei offers something rare in the industry: a chance to work on globally recognized IP from inside a structured, well-capitalized studio that takes long-term career development—and the preservation of Japanese animation craft—seriously.

Application Process

  1. 1
    Identify the correct entry channel: Toei Animation publishes new-graduate (新卒) a

    Identify the correct entry channel: Toei Animation publishes new-graduate (新卒) and mid-career (キャリア) openings on its official Recruit site (corp.toei-anim.co.jp/ja/recruit/) and uses Japan's standard shukatsu calendar, with new-grad entry typically opening in March for the following April's intake; international and creative-track roles are sometimes posted on the global English site (toei-animation-creative.com) and via Mynavi or Rikunabi.

  2. 2
    Choose the right job family: Toei recruits across distinct tracks

    Choose the right job family: Toei recruits across distinct tracks—production progression managers (制作進行), animators and key animators (作画/原画), directors (演出), CG artists, background and color design, sound, planning/IP, licensing, marketing, and corporate functions—so applicants must select the specific course on the entry form because requirements and screening flows differ.

  3. 3
    Submit the entry form and entry sheet (エントリーシート): Register through the official

    Submit the entry form and entry sheet (エントリーシート): Register through the official portal, complete the long-form ES with motivation (志望動機), self-PR, and Toei-specific essay questions about which titles shaped you and what you want to create at Toei, and for creative tracks upload a portfolio PDF or URL with required samples (e.g., for animator: timed walk cycle, animal action, expression sheet; for production: a written production plan exercise).

  4. 4
    Pass the document screen and webtest: Selected candidates take an online aptitud

    Pass the document screen and webtest: Selected candidates take an online aptitude test (typically SPI3 or a Toei-specific written exam covering Japanese, basic math, general knowledge, and anime/film history), and creative applicants undergo a portfolio review by the relevant department head.

  5. 5
    Attend group interviews and a practical exam: Most tracks include a group discus

    Attend group interviews and a practical exam: Most tracks include a group discussion or group interview, and creative tracks have a supervised drawing or production exercise on-site at the Oizumi studio; production progression applicants often complete a scheduling case study under time pressure.

  6. 6
    Complete two to three individual interviews: Expect a department-level interview

    Complete two to three individual interviews: Expect a department-level interview focused on craft and motivation, a management interview about career trajectory and cultural fit, and a final executive interview—all conducted in Japanese, with a strong emphasis on humility, long-term commitment, and demonstrable love of the medium.

  7. 7
    Receive the naitei (informal offer) and onboarding: Successful new-graduate cand

    Receive the naitei (informal offer) and onboarding: Successful new-graduate candidates receive a naitei in early summer for an April 1 start date the following year, attend an October naitei ceremony, and join a multi-month onboarding that includes Toei history training, OJT rotations, and for animators an intensive in-house training program before being assigned to a production line.

Resume Tips for Toei Animation

recommended

Submit a Japanese-format rirekisho (履歴書) and shokumukeirekisho (職務経歴書) for mid-c

Submit a Japanese-format rirekisho (履歴書) and shokumukeirekisho (職務経歴書) for mid-career roles—Toei expects the standard JIS-format CV with a recent photo, hanko-style formal layout, and chronological education and work history; English-only resumes are accepted only for global subsidiary roles based in Los Angeles or Paris.

recommended

Lead the motivation section with a specific Toei title and what it taught you ab

Lead the motivation section with a specific Toei title and what it taught you about animation—generic 'I love anime' framing is the most common cause of document-screen rejection; cite a specific cut, episode, or director (e.g., 'the wave of color in Sailor Moon Crystal episode 26 directed by Chiaki Kon') to show you study the craft, not just the brand.

recommended

For animator and key animator applications, your portfolio is the resume—include

For animator and key animator applications, your portfolio is the resume—include the three Toei-requested fundamentals (timed walk cycle, four-legged animal in motion, emotional expression sheet) plus a short original animated cut of 5-15 seconds; submit as a single PDF with frame-by-frame thumbnails and a separate MP4 link, and label every drawing with timing in frames.

recommended

For production progression (制作進行) candidates, demonstrate logistics and people s

For production progression (制作進行) candidates, demonstrate logistics and people skills with concrete numbers from past experience—managing a 30-person sports team budget, coordinating a school festival with a 50-person crew, or running a part-time job that required scheduling shift workers signals the same competency the role requires.

recommended

Show Japanese language proficiency clearly: list JLPT N1 or N2 explicitly with t

Show Japanese language proficiency clearly: list JLPT N1 or N2 explicitly with the date passed for non-native applicants, and write the entire ES in natural Japanese—keigo (敬語) errors and machine-translated phrasing are immediate red flags, since the production floor operates entirely in Japanese.

recommended

Demonstrate stamina and team orientation, not just talent: Toei's culture values

Demonstrate stamina and team orientation, not just talent: Toei's culture values steady, reliable contributors over solo virtuosos; in self-PR sections, emphasize examples of finishing long projects, supporting teammates, and accepting feedback from senior members rather than awards or solo achievements.

recommended

Quantify any anime, illustration, or production-related volunteer work: doujinsh

Quantify any anime, illustration, or production-related volunteer work: doujinshi sales numbers, YouTube animator subscriber counts, indie game contributions, manga awards (even regional), or fan-translation volume all count—Toei's screeners are looking for evidence of self-directed creative output sustained over time.

recommended

Tailor the 'why Toei specifically' essay to the studio's heritage: mention the O

Tailor the 'why Toei specifically' essay to the studio's heritage: mention the Oizumi studio's history, Toei's role in originating limited animation techniques, or the company's stewardship of decades-old IP like Dragon Ball and One Piece—comparisons to other major studios (Ghibli, MAPPA, ufotable) without showing Toei-specific knowledge will downscore your application.

ATS System: Toei Animation Recruit Portal (Mynavi / Rikunabi integration)

Toei Animation operates its own corporate Recruit portal at corp.toei-anim.co.jp/ja/recruit/ for new-graduate and mid-career applications, and supplements it with listings on Japan's two major shukatsu platforms, Mynavi and Rikunabi, especially during the new-graduate hiring season. The portal collects an entry sheet (エントリーシート) with structured questions on motivation, self-PR, and Toei-specific essays, and accepts portfolio uploads for creative tracks. There is no Workday, Greenhouse, or Lever-style ATS layer; screening is performed manually by Toei's HR team in collaboration with department heads. Overseas subsidiary roles in Los Angeles and Paris are typically posted on LinkedIn and the global creative site, and may use lightweight applicant tracking through those platforms.

  • Apply through the official Recruit site (corp.toei-anim.co.jp/ja/recruit/) rather than third-party aggregators when possible—direct applications signal commitment and route to the same screening team that handles Mynavi/Rikunabi entries.
  • Write the entry sheet in natural Japanese with proper keigo; machine-translated text and grammatical errors are caught at the document screen and are a leading cause of rejection.
  • Upload portfolios as a single combined PDF (with embedded MP4 links where needed) rather than scattered files—the manual screeners review hundreds of applications and reward easy-to-evaluate submissions.
  • Complete every field on the entry form, including optional sections like favorite Toei works and which production roles inspire you; blank optional fields are interpreted as low motivation.
  • For mid-career applications via LinkedIn or the global site, use the role-specific posting URL when applying so your application is correctly tagged to the hiring department, and follow up with a Japanese-language cover note for Tokyo-based roles.

Complete Toei Animation Recruit Portal (Mynavi / Rikunabi integration) Resume Guide →

Interview Culture

Interviews at Toei Animation are conducted almost exclusively in Japanese, follow the formal cadence expected of a long-established Tokyo Stock Exchange listed company, and combine the polite ritual of a traditional shukatsu process with surprisingly direct questions about craft, stamina, and long-term commitment. Candidates should arrive early, wear a conservative recruit suit (リクルートスーツ) for new-graduate interviews and clean business attire for mid-career rounds, bow at the doorway, wait to be invited to sit, and place their bag flat on the floor beside the chair rather than on a second seat. The opening is almost always a one-minute self-introduction (自己紹介) followed by motivation (志望動機) for the company and the specific role; interviewers will then probe the entry sheet line by line, asking 'why' and 'what specifically' multiple times to test whether your stated passion for animation is grounded in actual study and practice. Expect a heavy weight on questions about which Toei titles you have watched, which directors and animators you admire and why, and which episodes you would point to as examples of great animation—vague or marketing-flavored answers fail. For creative tracks, panels often include a department head (kantoku or sakuga kantoku) who will ask technically specific questions: how you would board a particular action sequence, how you allocate frames to convey weight, how you would handle a correction (shusei) request from a senior animator, or how you would budget your time across a 25-cut workload. Production progression candidates face logistics scenarios (a key animator misses a deadline three days before air; what do you do?) and case-style budget problems. Group discussions for new-grads typically present a planning prompt—'design a new program for a 6 a.m. weekend slot targeting elementary school children'—and evaluators watch for who organizes, who synthesizes, and who supports teammates rather than who dominates. Throughout, interviewers value humility, listening, and the ability to receive critical feedback gracefully; pushing back too hard or showing frustration when challenged is read as poor fit for a studio where junior staff routinely receive extensive corrections. Final-round executive interviews are shorter, more conversational, and oriented toward long-horizon questions: where do you see Japanese animation in twenty years, what would you protect about Toei's heritage, and are you prepared for the demanding hours of the production floor. Salary negotiation is minimal for new graduates (offers follow a published pay scale) and modest for mid-career hires; Toei expects candidates to prioritize the work and the company over compensation in stated motivation, even when negotiating in the background.

What Toei Animation Looks For

  • Demonstrable, sustained love of animation as a craft—not as a consumer brand—evidenced by specific knowledge of directors, animators, and production techniques rather than just title recognition.
  • Japanese language fluency at business level (JLPT N1 strongly preferred for headquarters roles, N2 minimum), including the ability to handle keigo, read production documents, and participate in group discussions without translation.
  • Stamina and resilience for the realities of anime production, including long hours during crunch periods, frequent revisions, and the patience to spend years moving from in-between animator to key animator to animation director.
  • Team orientation and humility: Toei's production lines depend on dozens of people executing in concert, so candidates who emphasize collaboration, deference to senior staff, and willingness to accept correction are favored over solo stars.
  • Concrete craft evidence appropriate to the track—strong portfolio fundamentals for animators, demonstrated logistics ability for production progression, original IP or planning samples for planning roles, and measurable business results for licensing and corporate roles.
  • Genuine interest in Toei's specific catalogue and heritage: candidates who can speak knowledgeably about the studio's history, its role in Japanese animation's evolution, and its current franchise stewardship score significantly higher than generalists.
  • Long-term commitment signaled by stable career history (or a clear narrative for any gaps), willingness to relocate to Tokyo, and absence of statements suggesting the role is a stepping stone to another studio or to overseas work.
  • Cultural fluency with Japanese corporate norms—punctuality, formal communication, respect for hierarchy, and the ability to read context (空気を読む)—which together signal the candidate will integrate smoothly into a 75-year-old institutional culture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Toei Animation hire non-Japanese applicants for roles in Tokyo?
Yes, but it is uncommon and the bar for language and cultural fluency is high. Toei has hired non-Japanese animators, CG artists, and planners for its Tokyo studios, but applicants are expected to interview in Japanese, hold a valid work visa or be eligible for sponsorship, and demonstrate the same long-term commitment as Japanese hires. JLPT N1 is strongly preferred for Tokyo roles, and N2 is generally the practical floor. For English-first roles, Toei's Los Angeles and Paris subsidiaries offer better-fit entry points in licensing, distribution, and international production.
What is the difference between the new-graduate (shinsotsu) and mid-career (kyaria) hiring tracks?
New-graduate hiring follows Japan's shukatsu calendar: entries open around March, screening runs through spring and early summer, naitei (informal offers) are issued in summer, and successful candidates start the following April after a structured onboarding. Mid-career hiring is rolling, posted as specific role openings, and evaluates candidates on prior production credits, portfolio depth, and demonstrable results in their previous studio or company. Mid-career applicants submit a shokumukeirekisho (work history CV) in addition to the standard rirekisho.
What should an animator portfolio for Toei include?
Toei publishes specific fundamentals it wants to see for animator (douga/genga) candidates: a timed human walk cycle, a four-legged animal in motion (typically a running quadruped), and an emotional expression sheet showing the same character across multiple states. On top of those, include a short original animated cut of 5-15 seconds demonstrating timing, weight, and acting choices, plus a small selection of life drawings or rough boards that show your observational skills. Submit as a single PDF with frame numbers labeled, plus an MP4 link for any moving pieces.
Is Toei Animation's work culture as demanding as the broader anime industry's reputation suggests?
Toei is widely regarded as one of the more stable and structured employers in Japanese animation—full-time staff (shain) receive standard salaried benefits, social insurance, and bonuses, and the company has invested in production-pipeline modernization and limited overtime initiatives. That said, anime production is inherently deadline-driven, and crunch periods around episode delivery and theatrical releases involve long hours. Toei is more humane than the freelance subcontracting fringes of the industry, but candidates should expect a demanding workload that prioritizes the production schedule.
How important is it to mention specific Toei titles in my application?
Very important. The motivation (shibou douki) and self-PR sections of the entry sheet are the highest-weighted components of the document screen, and screeners explicitly look for evidence that the applicant has studied Toei's catalogue rather than treating it as a generic anime studio. Cite specific titles, episodes, directors, or production techniques—for example, referencing how a particular One Piece arc handled action choreography, or how Pretty Cure has evolved its transformation sequences over generations—to show you understand the studio's craft and heritage.
Does Toei accept English-language portfolios and resumes?
For Tokyo headquarters roles, no—submit the rirekisho and shokumukeirekisho in Japanese, and write your entry sheet in natural Japanese without machine translation. Portfolios can include English captions but should be primarily understandable in Japanese. For roles based at Toei Animation Inc. (Los Angeles), Toei Animation Europe (Paris), or other overseas subsidiaries, English-language applications are standard, and those postings are usually listed on the global creative site (toei-animation-creative.com) or LinkedIn rather than the Japanese Recruit portal.
What is the production progression (seisaku shinkou) role and why is it a common entry point?
Seisaku shinkou is the production progression manager who shepherds an episode or sequence through the pipeline: collecting key animation, routing in-betweens to subcontractors, coordinating with directors and animation directors, tracking schedules, and physically (or digitally) moving materials between teams. It is a demanding logistics-heavy role with long hours, but it is the most common entry point for non-creative track candidates who want to build a career in anime production, and many directors and producers at Toei began as seisaku shinkou. The role rewards organization, stamina, communication skill, and emotional intelligence more than artistic ability.
What salary should I expect at Toei Animation?
Toei publishes a starting salary scale for new graduates that is competitive within the Japanese animation industry but modest by global tech standards—typically in the range of 220,000-260,000 JPY per month for new-grad starting salaries depending on track and educational background, with biannual bonuses and standard Japanese benefits. Mid-career compensation depends on prior credits and role; senior animation directors, episode directors, and producers earn substantially more. Salary negotiation is limited for new graduates and modest for mid-career hires, and candidates are expected to prioritize the work over compensation in stated motivation. Verify current figures directly on the official Recruit page.
How does Toei's CG Studio differ from the traditional 2D animation track?
Toei has invested heavily in 3DCG production through its CG Studio division, which handles full 3DCG sequences, hybrid 2D/3D shots, and increasingly entire series segments. CG track applicants are evaluated on Maya, Blender, or equivalent software proficiency, character rigging, animation principles applied in 3D, and an understanding of Japanese animation's specific 3D aesthetic (cel-shaded look, limited animation timing, manga-style poses). The CG Studio is a parallel hiring track to the traditional 2D animator path, and candidates should choose based on their portfolio strengths rather than treating it as a fallback.
What is the timeline from application submission to start date for new graduates?
For Japanese new-graduate hiring, the typical timeline is: March-April entry sheet submission, April-May document screen and webtest, May-June group and individual interviews, June-July final executive interview, July-August naitei (informal offer), October naitei ceremony, January-March pre-employment training and paperwork, and April 1 official start date. The total elapsed time from submission to start is roughly 12 months. Mid-career hiring is much faster, typically 6-10 weeks from application to offer, with start dates negotiated based on the candidate's notice period at their current employer.

Open Positions

Toei Animation currently has 19 open positions.

Check Your Resume Before Applying → View 19 open positions at Toei Animation

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