Travelling exhibition from the Ryukyu Shimpo Gallery (Okinawa) to the Kyoto International Manga Museum (Kyoto)
MANGA AND WAR 2
2025, July 12 (Sat) – Nov 25 (Tue)
Japanese story manga, which flourished greatly as a postwar culture, has been influenced in various ways by experiences and memories related to the war. Conversely, by interpreting the countless war manga created in the postwar era, we can discover many hints for reflecting on how we have faced the succession of wartime experiences and memories—and how we ought to face them in the future.
This exhibition is a “sequel” to the ‘MANGA AND WAR’ exhibition that was curated and held at the Kyoto International Manga Museum in 2015, on the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, and is the “latest edition”, planned to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the war. Over the past 10 years, the exhibition has toured six venues not only in Japan but also in the United States, where it has garnered considerable attention.
Meanwhile, ten years have passed since that first Kyoto exhibition, and global affairs have grown increasingly complex. Even within Japan, “war” and “peace” are no longer viewed as distant, abstract concepts, but as urgent themes we must consider as our own personal issues.
One notable feature of recent popular entertainment works that depict war, not just manga, is that they are not only set during wartime itself, but they are also frequently set in the immediate postwar years that overlap with the occupation period. These works pose a question from the perspective that ‘the “postwar” period has yet to arrive.’ This is why the ‘Manga and War 2’ exhibition delves into the Battle of Okinawa in particular, and why we have taken pains to hold the exhibition in both Okinawa and Kyoto.
And so, what do experiences and memories of 80 years after the war mean, and to whom?
We invite you to explore this together with us, while experiencing the diversity and contemporary relevance of war manga.
Venue
Kyoto International Manga Museum, 2F, Galleries 1, 2, 3
Admission
Free
* However, a General Admission ticket to the Museum is required.
* Free admission on Nov 25th (Tue) for Kansai Culture Day.
*Tickets for same-day admission can be purchased at the ticket vending machine at the entrance.
*Admission tickets can be purchased at the ticket vending machine on the day of your visit or can be pre-purchased online.
Opening hours
10am-5pm (last entry at 4:30pm)
*On the 9/20 and 21, 10:00 - 19:00 (admission until 18:30) as part of the Kyoto International Manga Anime Fair 2025.
Closed
Closed every Wednesday (except from Jul 24 (Thu) to Aug 26 (Tue) open every day), and also closed in October on the 12th (Sun), 13th (Mon), 29th (Wed) and 30th (Thu).
Supervision
Kure Tomofusa
Yoshimura Kazuma
Exhibition items
Ⅰ．Introduction of war manga in thematic quadrants
We will present themes related to the war such as ‘Okinawa’, in quadrants on an X and Y axis. Four manga titles showcased in each quadrant. This will illustrate how even within the same theme, there are a variety of ‘war manga’ that take different directions.
Ⅱ．Original artwork from must-see/ you should read now
（Ⅱ－Ⅰ）Works by Shinzato Kenshin
Since debuting in 1973 with his work Battle of Okinawa, Shinzato Kenshin has spent half a century creating works focused on the Battle of Okinawa, working from within Okinawa itself. This section introduces more than 60 original manuscripts from his latest trilogy, which the artist himself has said "reading these three works will give you an overview of the Battle of Okinawa." The exhibited works are:
- Sugar Loaf no Tatakai: Nichibei shōnen heitachi no senjo [Fight for Sugar Loaf Hill: A battleground of Japanese and American boy soldiers]
- Shitō Iejima-sen [Deadly battle on Iejima]
- Yanbaru no tatakai: Kunigami shi tai tenmatsu-ki [The battle of Yambaru: The Story of the Kunigami Unit]
Shinzato Kenshin 'Fight for Sugar Loaf Hill: A battleground of Japanese and American boy soldiers'
©Shinzato Kenshin / Ryukyu Shimpo
（Ⅱ－Ⅱ）Works by Oshiro Kogani
Oshiro Kogani, a rising young manga artist, earned the top spot in the women’s edition of This Manga is Amazing! 2024 with Umibe no Stove: Oshiro Kogani Short Stories. Originally from Okinawa, Oshiro has publicly stated the desire to create a work based on the Battle of Okinawa someday. The exhibition features an original illustration drawn specifically for this event, and more than 10 original art from the war-themed picture book Taro and TARO. The exhibited works are:
- Zutto iru noni zutto inai [Ever-present absence] (original illustration)
- Taro and TARO
Oshiro Kogani 'Taro and TARO'
©Oshiro Kogani / Tochi web
Ⅲ．War manga reading corner
Related events
Talk Event “Do you know Manga Artist Shinzato Kenshin?”
Manga artist Shinzato Kenshin, whose original artwork is also on display at the exhibition, will be invited to talk about his thoughts on his work.
Date and time
2025, Ocotber 18（Sat）14:00～16:00
Venue
Kyoto International Manga Museum, 1F, Multipurpose Hall
Speakers
Shinzato Kenshin (Manga artist)
Yoshimura Kazuma (Kyoto Seika University Faculty of Manga/ Moderator)
Capacity
200 people
Participation method
Publish information here as soon as it is finalized.
Other events will be posted here as soon as they are finalized.
Reference
Shinzato Kenshin (1946–)
Born and currently living in Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture. Shinzato made his debut with Okinawa kessen [Battle of Okinawa] (1973), which depicts the brutal Battle of Okinawa which he had heard about as a child from his parents. Since then, he has spent half a century creating works set in Okinawa, including Habutori [The habu hunter] (1982, winner of the Japan Cartoonists Association Award), Shuri-jo monogatari [The story of Shuri Castle] (1992), and Rekishi manga Ryukyu shobun [History Manga: The Ryukyu Disposition] (2008). In Shinzato’s latest and largest trilogy, he once again portrays his starting point, the Battle of Okinawa, with impartial passion based on meticulous literature research and interviews, covering everything from well-known war stories to minor episodes that happened in small villages.
Photo by Ishikawa Ryuich
Oshiro Kogani
Born in Okinawa Prefecture. Graduated from the Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences at the University of Tsukuba, majoring in art in 2019. Oshiro has participated in the manga doujinshi convention Comitia while in college, and published manga. Her first collected volume, Umibe no Stove: Oshiro Kogani Short Stories (2022, LEED Publishing), ranked number 1 in the 2024 women's edition of This Manga is Amazing! The manga Taro and TARO, based on Oshiro's graduate thesis project, is an allegorical picture book told entirely without words. It portrays two worlds (or nations) that grow to hate each other due to a tragic coincidence and descend into war. The story is presented in two books, each from a different perspective. Oshiro says that war is something she has “always thought about” since childhood, and has stated, “someday, I absolutely have to depict it” about the Battle of Okinawa.
【Information of Okinawa venue】
Period
2025, May 15 (Thu) - Jun 10 (Tue)
Opening hours
10am-6pm
Closed
Open every day during the exhibition period
Venue
Ryukyu Shimpo Gallery (2F, Ryukyu Shimpo Headquarters, 1-10-3 Izumizaki, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture)
Admission
Free
Organizers, etc
Organizers：Kyoto Seika University International Manga Research Center/Kyoto International Manga Museum
Co-organizer：Ryukyu Shimpo
Scenery of Okinawa Venue
Photo by Ishikawa Ryuich
About the ‘MANGA AND WAR exhibition: Six perspectives and three artists’
This special exhibition was held at the Kyoto International Manga Museum in 2015 to mark 70 years since the end of World War II. It showcased 24 works of manga selected from six different perspectives, along with original artwork from three artists exploring new expressions of ‘war manga.’ The exhibition then toured to six venues, not only domestically but also abroad in the United States of America.
About the ‘Kyoto International Manga and Anime Fair’
The largest scale manga and anime event in western Japan, this fair is held every year in September to promote the Kansai contents industry through
initiatives such as acting as a forum to generate business networking between companies in the Kansai region and Tokyo region; creating a market
that will foster exceptional young creators in Kansai; and attracting new groups of tourists, including local manga and anime fans, as well as
foreigners. This year is the 14th installment of the fair.
Please check the official website for details including events at the main venue and shared ticket information with the museum.
Organizers：Kyoto Seika University International Manga Research Center/Kyoto International Manga Museum
* Please note that the schedule and contents are subject to change.
