Edit 10 October 2019: Updated prices to reflect the increase in Japan's
national sales tax.
Edit 26 May 2020: Replaced entry #9.
Previously on Sekai Ichi, I spent a day in Kyoto, including the
Toei Kyoto Studio Park. In addition to live-action productions, Toei is famous as one
of Japan's most prolific animation studios. Kyoto also happens to be the
home of the Kyoto International Manga Museum. With experience of both
under my belt, I think now would be the best time to list ten of the best places
one can learn about and experience the popular arts of
manga, Japanese
comic books, and
anime, Japanese animated films and TV shows.
In the interest of fairness, and because I have not yet experienced many of
these places in person, this list is ordered not by quality, but by geographic
location, going from north/east to south/west. I also wish to give special
thanks to the website Anime Tourism 88, proprietors of Japan's 88-site Anime
Pilgrimage list, for additional research used in this article. More
information:
(English) (Japanese)
1)
Yokote Masuda Manga Museum, Yokote
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The Yokote Masuda Manga Museum, after its 2019 refurbishment.
掬茶 / CC BY-SA
|
Opened in 1995, the Yokote Masuda Manga Museum makes claim to being the first
manga-related museum in Japan. Its unique, nature-inspired interior houses
a manga library, galleries of illustrations by manga artists, and a recreated
studio of local author Takao Yaguchi (矢口 高雄,
Yaguchi Takao,
b.1939). He was best known in the 1970s for writing the manga series
Fisherman Sanpei (釣りキチ三平,
Tsurikichi Sanpei), about the adventures of a young
fisherman. Yokote, located in eastern Akita prefecture, is also famous for
the annual Kamakura Festival, where dozens of snow huts in various sizes are
erected throughout the city.
285 Shinmachi, Masuda-chō, Yokote-shi, Akita-ken, 〒019-0701. Open from
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Admission ends 30 minutes before closing time.
Closed Mondays. Costs ¥800. More information:
(Japanese)
2)
Ishinomori Manga Museum, Ishinomaki
Also known as the Ishinomori Mangattan Museum (a play on "Manhattan"), this museum
is dedicated to and named after
Shotaro Ishinomori
(石ノ森 章太郎, 1938-1998), who was born in the
vicinity. Ishinomori-san holds a Guinness World Record for the most comics
published by one author; his career has produced a total of 128,000 pages in 500
volumes across 770 titles, the most famous being
Cyborg 009 (1963). He also developed live-action hero TV shows such as
Kamen Rider
(1971) and
Himitsu Sentai Goranger
(1975), the first in the Super Sentai franchise. This museum, along with
the rest of Ishinomaki city, suffered damage from the Great East Japan
Earthquake and tsunami of March 2011, but reopened, arguably better than ever,
within a couple of years.
2-7 Nakaze, Ishinomaki-shi, Miyagi-ken 〒986-0823. Open from 9:00 AM to
6:00 PM. Closed on the third Tuesday of March to November. Costs
¥840. More information:
(English)
(Japanese)
3)
Niigata Manga Animation Museum & Niigata City Manga House, Niigata
Niigata is the hometown of many famous manga authors and animators, including
Rumiko Takahashi
(
Ranma ½,
Inuyasha),
Takeshi Obata (
Hikaru no Go,
Death Note), and
One (
One Punch Man,
Mob Psycho 100). So in its honour, I have not one, but two sites
to represent it with! First is the paid-entry Niigata Manga Animation
Museum, which has interactive exhibits about making anime and manga, and
childrens' play areas with characters from some of the above creators. And
second is the free-entry Niigata City Manga House, whose reading room carries
over 10,000 books. Additionally, like the Comiket in Tokyo, Niigata hosts
a bimonthly fan-comic convention called the Niigata Comic Market, or "Gataket"
for short, which is the largest of its kind on the Sea of Japan coast.
Niigata Manga Animation Museum: 2-5-7 Yachiyo, Chūō-ku, Niigata-shi, Niigata-ken
〒950-0909. Open from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM; opens at 10:00 AM on weekends
and holidays. Closed on 1 January. Costs ¥200. More
information:
(English) (Japanese)
Niigata City Manga House: 971-7 Furumachi-dōri 6-banchō, Chūō-ku, Niigata-shi,
Niigata-ken 〒951-8063. Open from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Closed on
Wednesdays, and from 29 December to 3 January. Free to enter. More
information:
(English) (Japanese)
4)
Ghibli Museum, Tokyo
|
The exterior of the Ghibli Museum.
Taken by the author on Wednesday, 9 May 2018.
|
The Ghibli Museum, the official museum of Studio Ghibli, was personally designed
by
Hayao Miyazaki (宮崎
駿, b. 1941), the director of many of Ghibli's
highly-acclaimed films. Their list of works includes such beloved titles
as
My Neighbor Totoro,
Kiki's Delivery Service,
Princess Mononoke,
Spirited Away, and many more.
Since I first reported on the Ghibli Museum, they have opened up online ticket sales to overseas, English-reading
visitors, making this place no less competitive to get in, but far more
accessible, and in some cases affordable, than ever before.
1-1-83 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka-shi, Tōkyō-to 〒181-0013. Open from 10:00 AM
to 6:00 PM. Closed on Tuesdays. Costs ¥1,000; advance reservations
required. More information:
(English)
(Japanese)
Elsewhere in Tokyo, I also recommend:
-
Suginami Animation Museum: A small, but free, general exhibition of animation, with some
hands-on activities. Open from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Closed on
Mondays, and from 28 December to 4 January. Free to enter. More
information: (English) (Japanese)
-
One Piece Tower: An indoor theme park with a specific focus on
One Piece, located at the base of Tokyo Tower. Open from 10:00
AM to 10:00 PM. Costs ¥2,300, or ¥3,300 with admission to a live
show. More information:
(English)
(Japanese)
5)
Fuji-Q Highland, Fujiyoshida
|
Evangelion World at Fuji-Q Highland.
Taken by the author on Wednesday, 16 November 2016.
|
The Fuji-Q Highland theme park has a couple of anime-themed attractions, such as
the GeGeGe no Kitaro Haunted Mansion, but the big one, almost worth the price of
admission alone, is Evangelion World. Replacing a similar Godzilla-themed
attraction, this museum-esque attraction features re-creations of sets from
Neon Genesis Evangelion (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン,
Shin Seiki Evangerion), the titular giant-robot anime franchise.
The centrepiece is a life-size bust of the Unit-01 robot, which features in a
regular light show. You may read my report from Fuji-Q Highland
here, and my separate report from Evangelion World
here.
5-6-1 Shin-Nishihara, Fujiyoshida-shi, Yamanashi-ken 〒403-0017. Open from
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, or to 6:00 PM on weekends and holidays. No closing
days. Costs ¥800 for Evangelion World, or ¥5,900 for unlimited rides
throughout Fuji-Q Highland. More information:
(English) (Japanese)
For more official Evangelion shopping, I also recommend:
-
Evangelion Store. Open from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Located
immediately north of Ikebukuro Station (JR Yamanote, Saikyo, etc. lines).
-
Eva-ya. Open from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Located directly below
Hakone-Yumoto Station (Hakone-Tozan line).
6)
Go Nagai Wonderland Park, Wajima
Go Nagai (永井 豪), born Kiyoshi Nagai (永井 潔, b. 1945),
whose manga career has just marked its 50th anniversary, is influential,
iconoclastic, often controversial, and highly productive. His most famous
works include
Devilman,
Mazinger Z, and
Cutie Honey, with the latter two series codifying the giant-robot and magical-girl
subgenres of anime. This museum dedicated to his many manga creations is
located in his hometown of Wajima, a city on the Noto Peninsula, along the
city's famous Morning Market.
1-123 Kawaimachi, Wajima-shi, Ishikawa-ken 〒928-0001. Open from 8:30 AM
to 5:00 PM. No closing days. Costs ¥520. More information:
(English) (Japanese)
7)
Kyoto International Manga Museum, Kyoto
|
The courtyard of Kyoto International Manga Museum.
Taken by the author on Friday, 18 November 2016.
|
A particular favourite haunt of mine whenever I'm in town, the Kyoto
International Manga Museum was established in 2006 in a former school
building. The museum boasts a collection of 50,000 manga books that are
free for visitors to read, and uniquely for these types of museums, a fair
selection of them are in English and other languages. In good weather, the
courtyard (shown above) is a pleasant place to read the books, or even meet up
for cosplaying. You may read my report from the Kyoto International Manga Museum
here.
Kinpuki-cho, Nagagyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto-fu 〒604-0846. Open from 10:00
AM to 6:00 PM. Closed on Mondays and 1 January. Costs ¥800.
More information:
(English) (Japanese)
Elsewhere in Kyoto, I also recommend Toei Kyoto Studio Park. The theme
park and studio of this major film/TV company also has content related to its
many anime productions. You may read my report from Toei Kyoto Studio Park
here.
8)
Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum, Takarazuka
Osamu Tezuka (手塚
治虫,
Tezuka Osamu, 1926-1989) is often likened as Japan's Walt
Disney. Of course there have been comics and animation made in Japan long
before Tezuka-san's heyday in the 1950s and '60s, but his success shaped these
industries into the juggernauts they are today. His manga stories,
including
Astro Boy,
Kimba the White Lion,
Princess Knight, and
Black Jack, were adapted into some of the earliest and most popular TV anime
series. After his death, this museum was built in his honour in his home
city of Takarazuka, a suburb of Osaka and Kobe. If the name Takarazuka
rings a bell to visitors, it may also be because of the all-female
Takarazuka Revue
theatre troupe. They are, of course, named after the city, and perform
there as well as across the country.
7-65 Mukogawa-chō, Takarazuka-shi, Hyogo-ken 〒665-0844. Open from 9:30 AM
to 5:00 PM. Closed on Wednesdays, 29-31 December, and 20-28/29
February. Costs ¥700. More information:
(Japanese)
9) Shigeru Mizuki Memorial Museum, Sakaiminato
Shigeru Mizuki (水木 しげる), born Shigeru Mura (武良 茂, 1922-2015), was the author of
GeGeGe no Kitaro (ゲゲゲの鬼太郎). Its titular hero, Kitaro, is a young lad who helps out humans in their affairs with
yokai (妖怪), folklore monsters, both friend or foe. Even the walk up to the museum along the aptly-named Mizuki Road, with murals, statues, and other decorations of his yokai-inspired characters dotted liberally along the way, makes for part of the experience. All this is located in Mizuki's hometown of Sakaiminato, as little as 40 minutes away by bus from the castle city of Matsue.
5 Honmachi, Sakaiminato-shi, Tottori-ken 〒684-0025. Open from 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM. No closing days. Costs ¥300. More information:
(English) (Japanese)Elsewhere in Tottori Prefecture, I also recommend the Gosho Aoyama Manga
Factory, devoted to the series
Detective Conan (名探偵コナン,
Meitantei Konan), known in English as
Case Closed, and its author. Open from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM. No
closing days. Costs ¥700. More information:
(English) (Japanese)
10)
Kitakyushu Manga Museum, Kitakyushu
Just across the street from Kitakyushu's main train station, Kokura, stands the
AruAru City mall, a manga, anime, and pop-culture marketplace in the vein of
Tokyo's Akihabara district. On top of that, in more ways than one, is the
Kitakyushu Manga Museum, occupying the two upper-most floors of the
building. Among its regular exhibits, there is a special focus on local
manga artists, and in particular
Leiji Matsumoto
(松本 零士,
Matsumoto Reiji), born Akira Matsumoto (松本 晟,
Matsumoto Akira, b. 1938), one of the many artists to have originated
from this city. Matsumoto-san is best known for the space-opera series he
created in the 1970s:
Space Battleship Yamato,
Galaxy Express 999, and
Space Pirate Captain Harlock. As with the manga museums in Kyoto and Niigata, there is a wide
selection of manga books for visitors to read freely, although note that there
is limited English content throughout this museum.
Aruaru City 5F, 2-14-5 Asano, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka-ken
〒802-0001. Open from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM; closes at 8:00 PM during Summer
holidays. Closed on Tuesdays and New Year holidays. Costs
¥480. More information:
(English) (Japanese)
Wildcard) World Cosplay Summit
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A presentation for World Cosplay Summit 2014, held at Chubu Centrair
Airport.
M338 / CC BY-SA
|
For my wildcard slot, rather than another museum, I thought I'd pick out a
regular event related to anime and manga. There are lots to choose from,
from trade shows like AnimeJapan to fan-comic marketplaces like Comiket and the
aforementioned Gataket. But the one that has impressed me the most is the
World Cosplay Summit, held in late July/early August in Nagoya. Cosplay,
the art of making and wearing costumes of characters anime, video games, etc.,
is already a popular sight at related conventions, both in Japan and
abroad. The World Cosplay Summit takes this hobby to an all-new
level. The cosplayers, selected by preliminary contests held all over the
world, take part in a parade around the Osu Kannon temple and shopping district,
which is already a popular choice for anime-related shopping year-round.
Then comes the main event, the World Cosplay Championship, where teams from each
participating country perform skits as the characters they portray. The
costume details, the players' performance, and the special effects all make it
feel like your favourite characters have come to life!
More information:
(English) (Japanese)
