About Us

Who are we?

Iisaka Station is a small upcoming retail LLC, owned and operated solely by Forrest Reed, age 31, of Cleveland, Georgia. Presently, we are located within Charlie's Collectible Show, at 6009 Memorial Dr Unit 14, Stone Mountain, GA 30083, and we operate on Weekends only. For now, online orders will be shipped on Mondays only, following our weekly events at this location.

Iisaka Station was established in September 2023, followed by our e-commerce launch in December. In 2024, we've attended over 20 markets festivals and conventions, including JapanFest Atlanta, CCS Summer and Fall AnimeFests, and Augusta AnimeFest, with Anime Weekend Atlanta on our calendar this December. And, we're also hoping to attend Momocon, in May 2025. The application has been submitted and we're just waiting to hear back.

 

What is Iisaka Station? What does it mean?

In life, sometimes people get lost or left behind at the station, and lose sight of their hopes and dreams. At Iisaka Station, we pick up where we once left off and make old dreams come true.

I (Forrest Reed) have been a student of Japanese language, animation, and culture, since around age 12. From age 13 to 15, I studied Japanese through the Irasshai program directed by Professor Tim Cook (チっム先生).
At 17, I studied and tutored Japanese for two and a half years at University of North Georgia, formerly Gainesville State College. Then I received a retroactive check from the Hope Scholarship for my good grades and spent the whole $3,500 to go to Japan for two and a half months, where I celebrated my 20th birthday and worked with the WWOOF (World-Wide Organization of Organic Farming) Program, to study rural Japanese life and farming methods. 

After returning home, life happened, and I lost my way. It took all of ten years to fully restore my passion for Japanese language learning and culture… Which is why I am now proud to present: IISAKA STATION, the one and only stop shop for all your Japanese needs! Gather ’round and prepare for good stories and a great time!