Preserving! Utilizing!! Manga, Anime, Games

Limitied Exhibition Upcoming

Promotion of Media Arts by the Agency for Cultural Affairs: 'Project to Improve Networking and Archival Infrastructure of Media Arts'

2024 Nov, 23 (Sat) – 2025 Mar, 31 (Mon)

The Agency for Cultural Affairs considers manga, anime and games to be forms of ‘media arts’ and has been archiving related materials in their various forms for over 10 years.
In recent years, the archival (collection, preservation and utilization) of these materials has been gaining attention along with the great social interest in manga, anime and games.
However, little is known about how these projects are put into practice, or how they support the culture of manga, anime and games.
This exhibition therefore embodies the results of the ‘Project to Improve Networking and Archival Infrastructure of Media Arts’, a promotion of Media Arts by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, to convey the current situation regarding what items have been archived, and in what form, within manga, anime, and games archives. Simultaneously, together with visitors, we will consider what and how items will be collected in the future, in other words, what will be ‘preserved’, how they will be ‘utilized’ in the future, and what the status and significance of this means.

Venue

Kyoto International Manga Museum, 2F Galleries 1, 2, 3.

Admission

Free
* However, a General Admission ticket to the Museum is required
*On Nov 25 (Mon), admission to the museum is free because it is "Kansai Culture Day".

Ticket for individuals

Ticket for group

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)

Closed

Every Wednesday; Dec 26 (Thu) to Jan 5 (Sun), and Feb 17 (Mon) to Feb 21 (Fri).

Exhibition structure/Exhibits

Exhibition panels and other materials that introduce the efforts being undertaken to archive manga, anime and games as part of the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ project.

The exhibition will introduce the processes involved in creating manga, anime and games, from planning, to production and manufacturing, until each work reaches the consumer, along with actual artifacts of production, such as intermediary products that are born out of this process, and the supports and art supplies which are used to make them. This will enable visitors to visualize and experience the vastness of what is included when it comes to ‘archiving popular culture’.

We will introduce the initiatives of various groups involved in ‘preservation’ and ‘utilization’, including companies, universities and the artists themselves, in consideration of how to preserve and utilize these archives, and think together with visitors about the future of archival.

Examples of exhibits

The field of manga

Various artifacts produced in the process of creating manga and delivering it into the hands of readers.
1. Original manga artwork (manuscripts), as well as art materials, drawing tools, storyboards, and rough sketches.
2. A ‘manga book’ created by readers by having cut out their favorite manga from magazines and bound them into a volume.
And more.
Initiatives aiming to ‘preserve’ and ‘utilize’ original manga artwork.
1. The Genga’(Dash) project, which creates highly detailed reproductions of original artwork, led by artist Takemiya Keiko, the Kyoto Seika University International Research Center, and the Kyoto International Manga Museum.
2. The ‘reproduction art’ project by manga artist Hagiiwa Mutsumi, in which she recreates her past works using more durable art materials.
3. Original manga artwork by Tanaka Akio, a manga artist who was affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
And more.

The field of anime

Opportunities for watching anime and the scope of this exhibition.
1. Exhibits showing a closer look at the appeal of original materials, using examples from the anime ‘Wasurenagumo’ (Production I.G).
Anime planning, from broadcasting to viewing (planning–broadcasting; screening–sales).
Anime production process
1. Detailed explanation of how anime is created (production process).
Exhibits of example intermediary materials produced as part of the anime production process.
1. Exhibit items include storyboards, original artwork, video materials, animation cels, and tracing machinery.

And more.

The field of games

The extent of games featured in this exhibition.
1. The need for games ‘preservation’
2. Characteristics unique to the gaming sector
Considerations of challenges to dynamically preserving games, and the scope of game preservation.
1. The process of games preservation and repair at the Japan Game Museum
2. Display showing the difference between a CRT TV and an LCD monitor, showing the demo screen from ‘Pengo’ (Sega).
Recreation of a scene from ‘Game Center Arashi’
1. Space Invaders’ (Taito) on display in playable condition.

Related events

Symposium: How to preserve and utilize manga, anime and Games!!?

Part 1

Members of the Agency for Cultural Affairs Japan Media Arts Archive Project who participate in the fields of manga, anime, and games and who were in charge of the exhibits in each related section of the exhibition will discuss the current and future state of media arts, focusing on the project.

Part 2

Invited guest Sugaya Mitsuru, creator of ‘Game Center Arashi’, a manga series that has also been adapted into an anime, will discuss the opportunities that arise from the intersections of these three fields.

Date and time

2025, Jan 18 (Sat), 12:00-16:00

Venue

Kyoto International Manga Museum, 1F, Multipurpose Hall.

Fee

Free
* However, a General Admission ticket to the Museum is required

Speakers

Mitsuru Sugaya (Manga artist)
Shiina Yukari (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Arts and Culture Investigator - Media Arts Division), Ito Yu (Specially Appointed Associate Professor at the Kyoto Seika University International Manga Research Center, and manga section representative for this exhibition), Otsubo Hideyuki (Secretary General of the Japan Animation Creators Association and anime section representative of this exhibition), Obana Takashi (Visiting Researcher at the Ritsumeikan University Game Research Center, and game section representative of this exhibition)

Capacity

200 people (advanced registration required, first come first served)

Participation method

Please fill in the required information and apply below.

*Applications will be accepted until noon on the day of the event.
*It will only be in Japanese
*The application form is in Japanese.

Event day access information

Doors will open from 11:30am. Entry will be admitted in order of the number on your e-ticket.
Please present your e-ticket at the entrance to the venue (1F multipurpose hall). Venue seating is unreserved.

How to access electronic tickets

You can access your ticket by clicking the link “▼ Open ticket” in the ticket reservation receipt email.
If you have a TIGET account, you can also view it from your My Page.
Either way, there is no need to install the smartphone app.

* Registration with the electronic ticket sales service TIGET is optional when purchasing tickets.

Organizers: Agency for Cultural Affairs, Kyoto Seika University International Research Center, Kyoto International Manga Museum, Ritsumeikan University Game Research Center.
Co-organizers: Japan Animation Creators Association (JaniCA), Japan Game Exhibition Association.

Sugaya Mitsuru

Born in Shizuoka Prefecture in 1950. After graduating high school, Sugaya moved to Tokyo and worked in roles such as manga editing production before joining Ishinomori Productions. In 1971, he debuted as a manga artist with ‘Kamen Rider’ in TV Magazine (Kodansha). After that, he worked on the manga versions of ‘Kamen Rider V3’ and ‘Kamen Rider X’. He has many notable works, including ‘Game Center Arashi’ and ‘Konnichiwa maikon’, which won the 28th Sogakukan Manga Award in 1983. He has often tackled new themes that are ahead of their time including computers and computer communications. He completed his master’s degree at Waseda University in 2011 and later worked as a professor in the Manga Department of Kyoto Seika University. He has also authored many works aside from his own manga, and his recent publications include ‘Showa CoroCoro manga bakus? densetsu’ (Bijinesusha) and ‘Manga-ka to manabu chosakken jitsumu nyūmon’ (Jusonbo, edited by Masashi Sawada)

Organizers: Agency for Cultural Affairs, Kyoto International Manga Museum, Kyoto Seika University International Manga Research Center, Ritsumeikan University Game Research Center.
Co-organizers: Japan Animation Creators Association (JAniCA), Japan Game Exhibition Association.
Cooperation: Japan Game Museum (Komaki Highway Planning), Osaka Shoin Women's University Beauty Science Center, Sugaya Mitsuru, Shogakukan Shueisha Productions, Taito, Sega, Production I.G., SHIN-EI ANIMATION Co., Ltd., LOPPO, LLC., Anime Tokusatsu Archive Centre

* Please note that the schedule and contents are subject to change.