Kyoto International Manga Museum Releases First Official Guidebook

Mar 26, 2024 | News On Japan

KYOTO - The Kyoto International Manga Museum, celebrating its 17th year since opening, is set to release its first official guidebook titled "What is Manga? Understanding Manga through Manga" in mid-April, published by Seigensha.

The museum's permanent exhibition "What is Manga?"—often the subject of inquiries by foreign visitors—served as the foundation for this publication, which aims to answer common questions about manga. The book expands upon the exhibition's content to serve as a comprehensive guide to manga culture.

Within its pages, the guidebook presents a variety of topics surrounding manga, including "The History of Manga," "The Manga Industry in Numbers," and "The Expansion of Digital Publishing." It also functions as a visual book that showcases the museum's impressive collection of over 300,000 manga-related materials through extensive illustrations. Additionally, it serves as an educational manga featuring original characters like Neko Curator and Dr. Neko, making it an enjoyable read for both children and adults.

The appendix "True Stories! The Person Inside Neko Curator" reveals some of the lesser-known activities of the Kyoto International Manga Museum. From April 1, the museum's shop will offer an advance sale of the book, with plans for digital distribution on Kindle within April. To celebrate the publication, the museum is selling a limited-time online ticket package that includes admission and the guidebook at a discounted rate from the release date until June 25. The guidebook will be presented to visitors at the reception desk upon their visit. For more details, check the official website of the Kyoto International Manga Museum.

Comment by Hiroshi Aramata, Director of the Kyoto International Manga Museum: "Manga is an incredible invention that has silently connected the entire world and become 'the next language' after words. It's like a 'monitor that doesn't need electricity.' Once reflected on the manga screen, anything can be transformed into manga. Now, where will manga take us next?"

Source: Natalie

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