Animation studio Sunrise is setting up a school to train young artists in drawing background art for animation. The initiative aims to address the shortage of background art staff in the anime industry.

Jirou Kouno ( Akira background artist, Megalobox art director) will serve as an instructor at the school. The school's first term will run from April to September 2021. Those who graduate from high school in Japan in March 2021, or alternatively those who are aged 18-25 with a Japanese high school diploma are eligible to apply. The school will have a subsidy system in place, providing 100,000 yen (approximately US$930) per month to students to support their daily expenses.

From 2005 to 2011 Sunrise held an animation "cram school" in order to teach young animators how to draw Sunrise's classics. The first wave of graduates are working in the industry, including Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative character designer Se Jun Kim and Love Live! character designer Yūhei Murota. Sunrise restarted the program in 2018.

Source: The Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan-Web