Yokohama City University’s COI-NEXT hub Minds1020Lab, in collaboration with Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP), launched a pilot program for “Anime Therapy®” on October 1, 2025.
This initiative targets young adults aged 18 to 29 who experience social or emotional difficulties. Through anime-inspired online counseling, the program aims to evaluate how “Anime Therapy” can function as a form of social prescribing—a non-medical approach to improving mental well-being and overall Quality of Life (QOL).
By leveraging the emotional depth and empathy found in anime narratives, the study seeks to explore how storytelling can promote psychological healing and personal transformation.
What Is Minds1020Lab?
Minds1020Lab is a research center established under Japan’s COI-NEXT (Center of Innovation) program, which fosters collaboration among academia, industry, government, and civic organizations to realize a better future society.
At Yokohama City University, the lab focuses on issues surrounding the mental health and “sense of difficulty” experienced by young people. It develops services and content that enhance psychological resilience—the ability to recover from hardship—and builds interactive platforms that connect different sectors of society to promote open dialogue and cooperation.
Understanding “Anime Therapy”
Proposed by Francesco Panto, “Anime Therapy” is defined as a therapeutic approach that leverages fictional works—especially Japanese anime—that realistically depict human conflict, relationships, and emotional struggles.
By immersing oneself in these narratives and empathizing with the characters, participants are encouraged to experience psychological healing, emotional insight, and self-understanding. In essence, anime becomes a mirror through which individuals can reflect on their own inner world and emotions.
DNP’s Role in Bringing Anime Therapy to Society
Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) began exploring the potential of Anime Therapy in 2023, after hosting a company seminar featuring Mr. Panto as a guest lecturer.
In March 2024, DNP officially joined the Minds1020Lab project and started developing a social prescribing program based on Anime Therapy.
For this pilot study, DNP is responsible for:
- Designing and producing original characters used in the sessions
- Developing the system for the online counseling environment
Together with Mr. Panto, who also serves as a visiting researcher at Yokohama City University, DNP helped design the framework for the experimental study.
Overview of the Online Counseling Pilot
Duration
October 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026
Participants
20 young adults aged 18–29
Process
- Character Selection: Participants choose one of six original characters created by Mr. Panto, each with its own narrative background.
- Counseling Session: A licensed psychologist conducts online counseling through their chosen character avatar, based on Anime Therapy principles.
- Evaluation: Participants complete psychological assessments before and after the session to measure emotional and cognitive changes.
Anime Therapy as “Social Prescribing”
Social prescribing refers to an approach that complements traditional medical treatment by encouraging participation in community or cultural activities.
It addresses social determinants of health—such as loneliness and lack of purpose—that are difficult to treat through medicine alone.
This initiative positions Anime Therapy as a form of emotional and social connection, where fictional characters serve as mediators for empathy, self-reflection, and interpersonal healing.
Participant Recruitment
Minds1020Lab is currently recruiting participants for the online counseling pilot.
Applications can be submitted via the form below. Please note that registration may close without notice once capacity is reached.
Conclusion
The Anime Therapy project by Yokohama City University’s Minds1020Lab and DNP represents a new frontier in mental health care—where anime and psychology converge.
By channeling the empathy and immersion of storytelling into therapeutic practice, the initiative could pave the way for a new model of emotional support in society.
For the latest updates and details, please check the official website or official X (Twitter) accounts of Yokohama City University and DNP.
