A classroom slips into another world— The Drifting Classroom (漂流教室) POP-UP washes up in Kochi.
From February 18 to March 22, 2026, Kochi hosts a pop-up built around The Drifting Classroom (漂流教室), the landmark boys’-SF nightmare by Kazuo Umezu. The project is produced by Crazy Bump Inc., an entertainment company known for turning cult manga and anime into spaces you don’t just browse—you walk into. They’re good at reading fan psychology. Sometimes a little too good.
First published in 1972, The Drifting Classroom drops a group of children into an extreme, unlivable world and watches what happens next. Panic. Cruelty. Survival. Fifty-plus years later, it still hits hard, still reads wrong—in the best way. It remains one of those Japanese manga that refuses to behave, or age quietly.
The pop-up leans fully into the idea of “drifting.” The venue becomes the work. Scenes and characters show up everywhere, translated into apparel and objects that feel less like merch and more like souvenirs from a bad dream you can’t quite shake.
Standouts include a reversible sukajan jacket printed edge-to-edge with an iconic scene; an aloha shirt patterned with faces frozen mid-scream (yes, really); and T-shirts that pit grotesque mutant insects against protagonist Sho in heavy, unforgiving lines. Add acrylic keychains and pin badges based on characters, blind-pack items stamped with famous lines, and small goods riffing on Yamato Elementary School—the place where everything went wrong.
There are photo spots, too. The theme shifts midway. February 18 to March 5: “Mutant Insects, Attack.” March 6 to March 22: “Future Humans, Approaching.” Same drift. Different threat. Pick your poison.
For longtime fans, it’s a return to something they never quite got over. For newcomers, it’s a sharp introduction—no soft landing provided. Expect crowds, possible entry limits, and last-minute changes to how things are sold. Chaos is, after all, part of the point.
The fear and shock of a classic don’t stay on the page this time. In Kochi, The Drifting Classroom becomes real. And yes—you’re drifting with it.
The Drifting Classroom (漂流教室) POP-UP STORE in Kochi
■Dates: February 18 (Wed) – March 22 (Sun), 2026
■Hours: 9:00am–12:00am
■Venue: TSUTAYA Tosa Road Store
3-24-17 Kamobe, Kochi City, Kochi 780-8050
■https://store-tsutaya.tsite.jp/store/detail?storeId=7301
■https://store.hakabanogarou.jp/view/category/ct1039
■Presented by: CRAZY BUMP Inc.
© Kazuo Umezu / Shogakukan
