A master artist and pupil pivotal to the Kansai pre-war &post-war manga scene
Kotera Kyuho and Sakai Shichima :
From 'Osaka Puck' to 'New Treasure Island'
The Kyoto International Manga Museum is honored to present the "Kotera Kyuho and Sakai Shichima : From 'Osaka Puck' to 'New Treasure Island'" introducing the works of manga artist Kotera Kyuho (1889-1962), and his pupil Sakai Shichima (1905-1969), who were preeminent figures in the pre-war and post-war manga scene.
This exhibition will showcase their works while exploring the enormous role they played in the manga history of the Osaka and greater Kansai area.
| Period | September 8 - November |
| Venue | Kyoto International Manga Museum, 2F, Gallery 4 |
| Fee | Free |
Organization: Kyoto International Manga Museum,
Kyoto Seika University International Manga Research Center
Support: Osaka Prefectural Central Library,
Center for International Children's Literature
Cooperation: Nakano Haruyuki / Watanabe Yasushi / Itami City Museum of Art
Content
This exhibition adds recently discovered materials by Kyuho to build upon the exhibition "Legends of the Kansai Manga Scene: Sakai Shichima and his era", held last year at the Osaka Prefectural Central Library, Center for International Children's Literature collaborating with the International Manga Research Center, and Kyoto International Manga Museum.
小寺鳩甫・主筆『大阪パック』
第24年第18号、1929年
酒井七馬「魔人境」『漫画空想天国』
三島書房、1949年
Kyuho lived in Itami City in Hyogo Prefecture, and was editor-in-chief of the manga periodical 'Osaka Puck' which occupied an important place in manga history from the Taisho era. His pupil Shichima, who studied manga under him, was a prolific artist of various media including children's manga and kamishibai (picture story shows), etc. In the post-war period he was known for being the writer who worked with Osamu Tezuka on 'New Treasure Island' (Shin takarajima), which had a huge impact on story manga.
In this exhibition we will explain Kyuho and Shichima's legacy, while exhibiting precious materials from their time.
Exhibits (in part)
- Kotera Kyuho (editor-in-chief) 'Osaka Puck' (Taisho and early Showa eras）
- Democracy enlightenment posters by Kotera Kyuho and Sakai Shichima (1940s)
- The manga anthology book 'Manga Kuusou Tengoku' (Manga fantasy heaven) by Sakai Shichima, Tezuka Osamu and others. (1949)
- Kamishibai picture story show artwork (originals) by Kotera Kyuho (Atta Tosa) and Sakai Shichima (1950s)
- Picture postcards (originals) sent from Shichima to Kyuho.
- Manga books etc, by Ono Kiyoshi, Nishida Seiji and other artists working in Kansai at the same time as Shichima.
Related Events
Talk Show
There was a manga artist in Osaka called Sakai Shichima
To commemorate this exhibition, manga artist Yanagi Takao, who was Shichima's "last pupil", and manga researcher Nakano Haruyuki, the author of 'The Legend of the Enigmatic Manga Artist Sakai Shichima' (Nazo no manga-ka Sakai Shichima den) which formed the basis of this exhibition, have been invited to hone in on the real-life image of Shichima.
| Date | October 23, 2016 2pm - 4pm |
| Venue | Kyoto International Manga Museum 3F, Research room 1 |
| Fee | Free |
| Speaker | Yanagi Takao (Manga artist) Nakano Haruyuki (Manga researcher) |
| Capacity | 50 seats (on a first come basis) |
| Participation | Pre-registration is not required. |
Kamishibai Performance
This exhibition will also showcase kamishibai (picture story show) artwork created in the postwar period by Kyuho (under the name Atta Tosa) and Shichima (under the name Sakura Goro). In celebration of this, the museum will hold a kamishibai performance incorporating their works. During their time, both artists produced kamishibai for the troupe San'yukai, and it is the modern day successors of this name who will perform the stories, a group of kamishibai artisans who are committed to the inheritance of kamishibai culture.
| Dates and times | ① September 10, 2016: 1pm, 3pm ② September 25, 2016: 1pm, 3pm ③ October 2, 2016: 1pm, 3pm ④ October 23, 2016: 1pm, 3pm Note: Each performance lasts approximately 40 minutes. |
| Venue | Kyoto International Manga Museum 2F, Kamishibai room (Gallery 5) |
| Performers | Kamishibai performers Otsuka Tamayo, Furuyama Chikako and Furuhashi Rie. |
| Fee | Free |
| Capacity | 50 seats (on a first come basis) |
| Participation | Pre-registration is not required. |
Kotera Kyuho
Born in Osaka city, Kotera Kyuho lived from 1889 (Meiji 22) to 1962 (Showa 37). From the age of 16 he studied under Tsujimura Shuuhou of the southern school of Chinese painting, but subsequently entered the world of manga. He published lifestyle manga in the weekly magazine Shukan Asahi and the children's newspaper Kodomo Asahi, thanks to Shuuhou's position as head of the Arts and Science section of the Osaka branch of The Asahi Shimbun Company. Kyuho later took charge of drawing 'comical poems with manga' that commented on current affairs and social customs for the long-running manga periodical 'Osaka Puck' which was published from 1906 until 1950. From 1925 to 1938 he acted as editor-in-chief for 'Osaka Puck' and drew all of its illustrations himself. He also produced children's manga and kamishibai under the name Atta Tosa. He settled in Itami City in Hyogo prefecture and lived there for the remainder of his life.
Sakai Shichima
Born in Osaka city, Sakai Shichima lived from 1905 (Meiji 38) to 1969 (Showa 44). In the latter half of the Taisho period he studied under Kyuho, who had become editor of 'Osaka Puck' at the time, and subsequently Shichima became famous as a satirical manga artist. He was also involved in the animation industry during its infancy. In Osaka in 1947, he collaborated with a young Tezuka Osamu to publish 'New Treasure Island' (Shin takarajima). He had an enormous impact on artists who were later to become leaders of the manga scene, including Fujiko Fujio and Ishinomori Shotaro. Even after the center of the publishing industry moved to Tokyo, he remained in Osaka, continuing to play an active role in the sphere of manga and kamishibai, and enthusiastically staying involved by forming organizations for Osaka-based manga artists, and training the next generation of artists.
About 'There was a man called Kotera Kyuho'
The Itami City Museum of Art, which has been a cooperating partner for this exhibition, is holding a related exhibition centering on original artwork by Kotera Kyuho.
See here for details
| Venue | Itami City Museum of Art |
| Period | November 12 - December 12, 2016 10am- 6pm (Admission to the museum until 5:30pm) |
For the duration of this exhibition, patrons who present the stub from their Manga Museum admission ticket will receive discounted entry to the Itami City Museum of Art.
