Research Reference Room - 京都国際マンガミュージアム

The Kyoto International Manga Museum was opened in November of 2006 as the first comprehensive cultural center for manga culture in Japan. It holds manga/comic related materials consisting of approximately 300,000 items, such as well-known after-war Japanese manga books, caricature woodblock prints, satire manga magazines published between the latter half of the 18th century and the early 19th century. There are also comics from around the world, as well as research journals for manga/comics.
Within the collection, 250,000 materials are kept in the archives for conservation. Of these materials, those that have been sorted and cataloged may be accessed on request for research purposes in the Research Reference Room upon registration.

Materials available for access

Manga magazines and books, which are searchable in the "Manga Database Search"

Location

3rd floor, Research Reference Room.

Days and hours of operation

Friday, Sunday 10:00～16:30

Intended users

Persons with a research purpose who are 18 years old or above and those who wish to read closed material.
*Pre-registration is required

(You can download the registration application form here. )

Fee

Free (However, the general entrance fee to the museum still applies)

Seat

Access information

You must make a reservation by contacting us to use the room at least a week in advance.Please apply by these ways below.

1.phone＜+81-75-254-7414＞
2.Online form
3.Visit the room

We also would like to ask you to contact us about the materials that you are willing to browse at least a week in advance.
You can check the status of the materials on the "Manga Database Search" page.

Materials could be out of order due to exhibition etc.
※Materials cannot be copied. Additionally, photography is also prohibited.

Registration

・Registration hours are limited to the times that the Research Reference Room is open (applications close at 16:00).
・Registrants must be 18 years old or above and have a research or survey purpose.
・Registrants must provide proof of name, address, birth date etc. by supplying one of the following:

・You will be photographed in order to make your Research Reference Room ID card.
・Please inform The Museum if you have a change of address or contact details.

Use of the Research Reference Room

・Please refrain from eating, drinking, conversation and the use of mobile phones so as not to disturb other users.

・Photography is prohibited inside the room.
・You may requests up to 5 documents at a time.
・Materials that are currently being used for internal research or exhibition by The Museum, or which are on loan to external organizations cannot be accessed.
・Please understand that some items may not be available for use due to the condition of the materials.
・Please take all due care not to damage the materials. If by chance damage occurs, you may be asked to provide compensation depending on the circumstances
・Currently there is no document copy service provided.
・We would appreciate your cooperation in filling out the Research Reference Room survey.
・Please abide by all instructions given to you by the staff or you will be asked to leave the room.

Search the database

Approximately 300,000 items in the Manga Museum can be searched here.

The highlight of the museum!

The “Wall of Manga” filled with 50,000 books!!

The main focus of the Manga Museum's collection is a body of approximately 50,000 publications from the 1970s which are arranged in an open access library system that spans 200 meters throughout the building called the "Wall of Manga". The books on the Wall of Manga have been divided into shonen (boys) manga on the 1st floor, shojo (girls) manga on the 2nd and seinen (young adults) manga on the 3rd floor. All manga are shelved by author's name in the order of the Japanese syllabary.
Anyone can take a book from the shelves to read so please start thinking about what you will read first!

Click here for details

Gathering, sorting, and using Manga culture

Collection

The Kyoto International Manga Museum stores and manages a collection of valuable manga materials held by the Kyoto Seika University International Manga Research Center, including Edo giga caricatures, manga magazines, and original replicas known as Genga’(Dash).
In the next site , we introduce a range of Edo giga, Meiji-period magazines, and Genga’(Dash).

Click here for details