In the landscape of global media franchises, few intellectual properties command the enduring cultural authority and commercial dominance of Gosho Aoyama’s Detective Conan (known internationally as Case Closed). First serialized in Shogakukan’s Weekly Shonen Sunday in 1994, the masterfully crafted mystery series made its historic leap to television screens in January 1996. Since then, the television anime adaptation has served as a cornerstone of Japanese pop culture, captivating multiple generations of viewers with its intricate puzzles, high-stakes espionage, and deeply human character arcs.
To commemorate the monumental milestone of 30 continuous years on the air, the Broadcast 30th Anniversary Commemorative TV Anime "Detective Conan" Exhibition has been officially scheduled to stop in Hiroshima in the autumn of 2026. Running from Saturday, September 19, through Monday, October 12, 2026 (a public holiday in Japan), this highly anticipated exhibition will transform the prestigious NTT Cred Hall into an immersive, state-of-the-art archive of animation history.
This landmark retrospective is designed to pull back the curtain on the rigorous creative processes of Tokyo Movie Shinsha (now TMS Entertainment) and Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation. From original character design sheets and architectural models of iconic settings to massive storyboard installations and interactive voice-recording booths, the exhibition offers an authoritative, behind-the-scenes look at how a beloved manga is painstakingly brought to life on screen. With exclusive regional visitor benefits, a highly anticipated guest appearance by the legendary Phantom Thief Kid (Kaito Kid), and a dedicated screening room showing never-before-seen footage, the Hiroshima exhibition stands as a premier cultural event of 2026, celebrating three decades of an anime that has redefined the mystery genre worldwide.
Detailed Chronology & Exhibition Architecture
The Hiroshima leg of the 30th Anniversary Exhibition is structured as a comprehensive journey through both the chronological evolution of the anime and the physical, step-by-step pipeline of animation production. Below is the detailed operational timeline and structural breakdown of the event.
Key Event Parameters and Logistics
Parameter
Details
Exhibition Period
September 19, 2026 (Saturday) – October 12, 2026 (Monday/Holiday) Note: Open daily with no scheduled closures during the run.
Operating Hours
10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Final admission strictly enforced at 5:00 PM)
Primary Venue
NTT Cred Hall, Hiroshima, Japan
Organizing Body
Hiroshima Television (HTV)
Cooperation
Broadcast 30th Anniversary Commemorative TV Anime "Detective Conan" Exhibition Production Committee
Special Cooperation
Motomachi Cred Pacela
Municipal Backing
Formal patronage from the cities of Hiroshima, Kure, Higashihiroshima, and Hatsukaichi, alongside their respective municipal Boards of Education.
To maximize fan engagement and regional tourism, organizers have structured several exclusive events during the exhibition run:
The Kaito Kid Photo Sessions: On Saturday, September 26, 2026, the enigmatic rival of Conan Edogawa, Kaito Kid (the Phantom Thief Kid), will "hijack" the venue for a series of exclusive character meet-and-greets. Held at the Motomachi Cred Pacela 6F Sky Plaza (翼の広場), the sessions will occur at three designated times: 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 4:00 PM. To maintain safety and exclusivity, participation is strictly limited to 50 groups per session (with a maximum of four individuals per group). Tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis via numbered organizer passes, entirely free of charge.
Weekday-Exclusive Visitor Benefits: Visitors attending the exhibition on weekdays will receive a highly collectible "Hiroshima Venue Original Card." Utilizing newly drawn, exclusive illustrations prepared specifically for the 30th-anniversary tour, the set consists of seven distinct character designs distributed at random, incentivizing repeat visits during off-peak hours.
A Walkthrough of the Exhibition Zones
The exhibition space within NTT Cred Hall is divided into highly curated, thematic zones that dissect the anime’s production and legacy:
Upon entering, visitors are greeted by a massive commemorative display featuring Conan Edogawa alongside 30 key characters from the franchise—each representing one year of the anime’s historic broadcast run. Immediately following this reception is a dedicated installation celebrating the anime’s iconic opening sequence. This zone compiles three decades of the legendary catchphrase: "見た目は子供、頭脳は大人、その名は名探偵コナン!!" ("A child’s appearance, an adult’s brain, his name is Detective Conan!"), showcasing how the visual style and technology of this introduction have evolved from hand-painted cels in 1996 to cutting-edge digital compositing in the modern era.
2. The Character Design & Art Settings Gallery
This segment offers an invaluable look at the foundational blueprints of the anime. It features original character sheets, turnaround designs, and detailed background art settings. Notably, this zone highlights the specific visual elements that original creator Gosho Aoyama insists upon to preserve the manga’s aesthetic integrity on screen. Visitors can also explore physical, three-dimensional architectural models of iconic locations, such as the Mouri Detective Agency, built to exact scale using the production team’s official layout files.
3. The Storyboard Corridor (Ekonte)
Storyboards serve as the literal screenplay of animation, mapping out camera angles, character movements, and dialogue timing. This zone features entire walls lined with actual production storyboards used in the TV series. By displaying these raw, hand-drawn drafts alongside the finalized television scenes, the exhibit provides a fascinating look at the visual translation from director’s draft to final broadcast.
4. The Animation and Keyframe Laboratory (Sakuga)
Focusing on the core philosophy of "color and movement," this room dissects the intricate mechanics of traditional and digital keyframe animation. Visitors can observe frame-by-frame breakdowns of Conan’s signature actions—such as utilizing his Turbo Engine Skateboard or his Anywhere Ball Dispensing Belt. This section highlights the technical precision required of key animators (genga-sha) to maintain fluid, high-velocity action sequences.
5. The Voice Recording Studio (Afreco)
The auditory identity of Detective Conan is just as vital as its visual style. This interactive zone focuses on the voice acting pipeline, featuring original recording scripts (daiban) marked with handwritten notes from the cast. Interactive audio booths allow visitors to listen to and compare various deliveries of Conan’s famous catchphrase, "Shinjitsu wa Itsumo Hitotsu!" ("One Truth Prevails!"), across different eras of the show. The section also displays heartfelt, newly recorded congratulatory messages and autographs from the legendary voice cast.
6. The Theme Song & Music Retrospective
Over the past 30 years, Detective Conan has featured some of the most memorable opening and ending themes in anime history, collaborating with legendary J-pop artists such as B’z, Mai Kuraki, ZARD, and Garnet Crow. This zone features a massive physical timeline of the series’ discography, showcasing rare, original CD jacket artwork, promotional posters, and a comprehensive breakdown of the show’s background music (BGM) composed by Katsuo Ono.
7. The Memorial Chronicle & Thanks Theater
The final main narrative zone takes visitors on a chronological retrospective from the premiere episode in 1996 up to the latest broadcast chapters. It highlights key narrative milestones, such as the encounters with the Black Organization, Ran Mouri’s evolving suspicions, and the tragic backstories of the Police Academy characters. This culminates in the Thanks Theater, an exclusive screening room showing a custom-produced, high-definition short film expressing gratitude to the global fan base. This original animated short can only be viewed by ticket holders at the exhibition venues.
8. Next Conan’s Hint & Production Epilogue
No episode of Detective Conan is complete without its post-credits segment. This final zone pays tribute to the beloved "Next Conan’s Hint" gag sequences and reveals the behind-the-scenes production of the exhibition’s exclusive animated short, serving as a comprehensive wrap-up of the entire anime-making process.
Supporting Context & Metrics
The scale and municipal support of the 30th Anniversary Exhibition reflect Detective Conan‘s status as a massive economic driver. To understand the significance of this event, it is necessary to examine the franchise’s commercial metrics, industrial impact, and structural organization.
Global Franchise Metrics and Commercial Power
Manga Circulation: Gosho Aoyama’s original manga has surpassed 270 million copies in global circulation, cementing its position as one of the best-selling manga series of all time. It is a recipient of the prestigious 46th Shogakukan Manga Award in the Shonen category, a testament to its critical and commercial acclaim.
Theatrical Box Office Dominance: While the weekly TV series maintains consistently high ratings, the annual theatrical feature films have become a juggernaut in the Japanese box office. For example, the 27th film, Detective Conan: The Million-Dollar Pentagram (2024), shattered domestic records, grossing over 15 billion yen (approximately $100 million USD) and drawing in over 10 million viewers. This consecutive year-on-year box office growth is unprecedented for a franchise of this age.
Broadcast Longevity: Having broadcast well over 1,100 episodes, Detective Conan remains a staple of Saturday evening television in Japan. The production pipeline involves hundreds of specialized animators, directors, and sound engineers, representing a significant portion of the domestic anime industry’s workforce.
The organizational structure of the Hiroshima exhibition illustrates how deeply integrated the franchise is with regional administrative bodies. The event is hosted by Hiroshima Television (HTV), a major regional broadcaster, and is produced in coordination with the official 30th Anniversary Exhibition Committee.
Furthermore, the formal backing from the municipal governments and Boards of Education of Hiroshima City, Kure City, Higashihiroshima City, and Hatsukaichi City highlights the event’s educational and cultural value. By aligning with local educational boards, the exhibition is positioned not merely as a commercial venture, but as a significant cultural exhibition that fosters community engagement, regional tourism, and appreciation for the arts.
Official Statements & Creative Insights
Behind the longevity of Detective Conan lies a rigorous creative philosophy championed by Gosho Aoyama and executed by the production staff.
In past industry retrospectives and promotional statements, Gosho Aoyama has emphasized the delicate balance required to adapt his complex mysteries to television:
"When drawing the manga, I have to think about the limitations of the black-and-white page. But when the anime staff adapts my work, they bring color, movement, and sound to the tricks. I am always incredibly particular about how the mystery clues are framed on screen. If a clue is too obvious, the mystery is ruined; if it is too hidden, the audience feels cheated. The anime staff has spent thirty years perfecting this visual balance."
The voice cast has also frequently spoken about their deep connection to the characters. Minami Takayama, the legendary voice behind Conan Edogawa, shared her reflections on the enduring nature of the role:
"To voice Conan for three decades is to carry the heart of a child who never loses his passion for the truth. Over the years, the technology used to make the anime has changed completely—from physical cels to digital painting—but the soul of the recording studio remains unchanged. We still record with the same intensity and dedication to the story as we did in 1996."
Production representatives from TMS Entertainment highlight the logistical triumph of maintaining a weekly broadcast for thirty years:
"The TV Anime Conan Exhibition is our way of opening up the archives to show the sheer volume of human effort that goes into every single frame. From the initial storyboard sketches to the final sound mixing, each episode is a collaborative triumph. This exhibition is both a monument to the artists who have worked on the series and a profound thank-you to the fans who have watched us every Saturday for thirty years."
Future Outlook
As Detective Conan enters its fourth decade of broadcasting, the franchise shows no signs of slowing down. The Hiroshima exhibition in 2026 serves as a bridge between the historic achievements of the past and the technological innovations of the future.
Technological and Artistic Evolution
The next decade of Detective Conan will likely see further integration of advanced digital tools. TMS Entertainment continues to pioneer the use of 3D CGI layouts to assist hand-drawn keyframe animation, allowing for more dynamic camera movements during action sequences without losing the classic aesthetic of Aoyama’s character designs. Additionally, AI-assisted coloring and digital archiving processes are being implemented to streamline the production pipeline, ensuring that the weekly broadcast can maintain its high-quality standards despite the industry-wide labor shortages in Japan’s animation sector.
Global Expansion and Demographic Adaptability
One of the most remarkable aspects of Detective Conan is its multi-generational appeal. Parents who watched the premiere episodes in 1996 are now attending theatrical releases and exhibitions with their children. This demographic sustainability ensures a continuous market for merchandise, exhibitions, and theme park collaborations (such as the recurring attractions at Universal Studios Japan).
Furthermore, international streaming platforms have introduced Detective Conan to newer audiences across North America, Europe, and Latin America. As localization efforts improve and global streaming distribution becomes more synchronized with Japanese broadcasts, the franchise’s international footprint is poised to expand significantly.
Conclusion
The Broadcast 30th Anniversary Commemorative TV Anime "Detective Conan" Exhibition in Hiroshima is more than a simple display of animation memorabilia; it is a celebration of a cultural phenomenon that has defined the mystery genre for thirty years. By offering fans an unprecedented look at the artistry, voice work, music, and writing that shape the series, the exhibition honors the legacy of Gosho Aoyama’s masterpiece. As the franchise looks toward the future, the Hiroshima event stands as a monument to a simple, enduring truth: even
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