Kyoto International Manga Museum
Apr 3rd, 2009 | By Shane Sakata | Category: Events, Kyoto, Museums
Since the latter half of the 1980s, Japanese manga and animation have been increasing popular around the world. More and more works are translated into other languages, manga is used in advertising materials and in the creation of public relations campaigns and has even made it’s way into Japanese textbooks. Manga is even being used by many students trying to improve their Japanese reading comprehension.
Since 2006, the Kyoto International Manga Museum, in cooperation with Kyoto City and Kyoto Seika University, has taken on the role as conservator and archivist for the vast amount of manga material created every year as well as historical works of the genre.
In 2009, the museum is holding two special
Sugiura Manga Festa
Active in the world of children’s manga from the 1930s through until the 1950s, Sugiura Shigeru was an influential manga artist. To celebrate 100 yeasrs since his birth the Kyoto International Manga Museum will hold a commemorative exhibition from March 20th – May 24, 2009.
“His well rounded works were known for a cheerful painting style and original fantastic ideas as well as contrary elements such as the depiction of an otherwise classical world through the use of puns and comic stories, and a surreal literary style reminiscent of the Spanish painter Salvador Dali.”
The exhibit includes original artwork, publications, supplementary volumes and books introducing the works of Shigeru Sugiura and you can even become on of his characters in “Photography Corner” where disguises and faceless cardboard cutouts can be tried on for size.
Kyoto Manga Festa 2009
Running simultaneously with the Sugiura Manga Festa, the Kyoto Manga Festa 2009 offers visitors a number of different events that bring the art of manga together with caligraphy and music through a number of special events.
Manga concerts
On Saturday April 11, 2009 from 2-4PM, experience the music of Nodame Cantabile from the animated television series performed on the piano by Iku Miwa. (Nodame Video – YouTube Link)
On Sunday, May 3, 2009 hear anime songs perfromed by the Kyoto Northern Hills Wind Instrument Orchestra at 2 & 4PM.
Manga Club
Monday, May 4, 2009 finds the Kyoto International Manga Museum transformed into a club space when a painter and a DJ collaborate to create a fusion of art and sound inspired by manga.
For more information on these events, admission and access information, visit the Kyoto International Manga Museum website.
Image Credit: Flickr, Kyoto Manga Museum
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We, of course teehee, popped in here when we were in Kyoto a few weeks ago. It looked like they always have some exhibition going on in a particular space and there are drawing demonstrations and even a kind of an animation studio with computers where you can do your own “puppet animation” though it looked like it was mostly for kids. I was pretty sure I saw a sign advertising drawing classes (though it seemed to be once a month and either way my kanji is non existent so it may have been something else entirely) and they certainly had all the manga drawing books available for reading and plenty of desk space where people were drawing. Basically it’s a GIANT Manga library and manga-fan hang out. It’s definitely worth a look if you are a manga or anime fan there is a wall of manga in different languages though obviously there is more for you if you read Japanese. It’s not hugely browse-able though so you will want to have series in mind to target when you go. We noticed that you can buy yearly passes for 6000Y for an adult, too, which would be great if you lived in Kyoto!