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Milwaukee’s anime scene is booming. One fan just opened his second anime-specific shop
PrevNextThe anime community in Milwaukee is so strong that one fan was able to open a second anime-specific shop 1.5 miles away from his first store. Hai Hai Anime Shop sells all things anime and is a place for the community to gather and share their love for the genre.
WEST ALLIS — You may not know this, but the anime scene in Milwaukee is strong. The only thing that was missing was a shop close to the city dedicated to all things anime. So, one anime fan took it into his own hands to open just that kind of shop. Well, business turned out to be so good, he was able to open a second anime store a few years later.
“I do have, like, Studio Ghibli notebooks, Studio Ghibli bath towels that people don’t really see much,” Navin Chittavong said.
He owns Hai Hai Anime Shop. His first location opened in West Milwaukee in 2023. Chittavong opened his second location in September in West Allis. Both stores are located on Greenfield Avenue and are about 1.5 miles apart.
James Groh
“I never thought that all these people would be into anime, and they come to me, and they share their passion, which makes me drive more,” he said.
For Chittavong, the stores are the next best thing to flying to Japan.
“I told myself if I can’t go the next few years, I might as well bring it home,” Chittavong said.
Before Chittavong’s two shops, anime fans would have to travel far or wait for a convention to buy merch. There is a similar store, the Adventurers Guild, in Sheboygan, but that’s about it as far as pure anime shops in Wisconsin.
Hai Hai Anime Shop is for people like Chittavong who love anime or people just getting introduced to the genre.
James Groh
“I want more. I need more. I want the energy to be around me more,” Chittavong said about surrounding himself with anime culture.
Sure, fans can buy some of the items he sells online. However, physical media and in-person experiences are becoming more popular. Customers are coming from all across the country to walk through Hai Hai Anime Shop.
“Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan. I think the furthest place was Oklahoma, which was pretty amazing to me,” Chittavong said.
He sells hard-to-find merch and exclusive items from anime artists across the country.
Upon hearing that Chittavong operates two stores and has two part-time employees, one might think his hands are full, and this is his full-time job. However, that’s not the case. The two Hai Hai shops are almost like his side hustle, if you can call it that. Chittavong’s full-time job is with a health care company. He works 60- to 70-hour weeks because his love for anime culture goes so deep.
Watch the story to see more of the anime merch at Hai Hai Anime Shop…
Milwaukee’s anime scene is booming. One fan just opened his second anime-specific shop
“It’s just the vibe that anime and Japanese culture just gives me. Makes me try even harder.”
Despite business going well and a clear demand for two anime shops, Chittavong still isn’t satisfied. He said the job isn’t done.
“I guess the goal’s not here yet because the goal is to bring Japan home, and it’s not here yet.”
Store hours for the twoHai Hai Anime Shops…
- Tuesday – Wednesday: 12 pm – 6 pm
- Thursday – Friday: 4 pm – 7 pm
- Saturday: 12 pm – 6 pm
- Thursday – Saturday: 4 pm – 7 pm
- Sunday: 11 am – 4 pm
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