A Look Inside Yonago Manga Museum

The number of books here is by far the largest in Japan, at around 200,000. Complete with everything from the masterpieces that supported the dawn of manga to the latest, much-discussed works, the museum’s interior displays a consideration and ingenuity that one would expect from a private company. Welcome to the Yonago Manga Museum, showcasing the allure of manga enjoyed by three generations of parents and children.

To Yonago, Which is Near Mt. Daisen

Mt. Daisen has the highest peak in the Chugoku region of Japan. It is known as Hokifuji (or the Mt. Fuji of Hoki) from its symmetrical and noble appearance and is adored by residents of Yonago city. Tottori Prefecture, where Yonago is located, has produced many famous manga artists, including Shigeru Mizuki (author of GeGeGe no Kitarō and Akuma-kun) and Gosho Aoyama (author of Case Closed). The prefecture has increasingly come to be known as “Manga Country Tottori” in recent years.

A Place to Encounter 200,000 Books

In Tottori Prefecture, the power of manga has come to be deeply connected with local governments, with Yonago Kitaro Airport in the west and Tottori Sand Dunes Conan Airport in the east being named after manga characters. A new center for manga culture has emerged in central Yonago! Opened in 2019 and unlike other similar places, the Yonago Manga Museum features an impressive line-up of about 200,000 books. The museum is too good to miss for those who love culture, and when inside, your eyes are drawn to manga no matter where you look.

Aiming for Communications Among Three Generations

The Yonago Manga Museum occupies two floors of GOOD BLESS GARDEN, a shopping complex featuring restaurants, a sauna, and even a hotel. This is where we met Mr. Honda (right) and Mr. Uchigawa (left) from Joy Urban Ltd., the operating company of this facility that has come to be a cultural center in Yonago. Mr. Honda smiles, saying that, “About 70% of my personality comes from manga. It’s amazing how manga can be enjoyed across generations.”

“It’s wonderful if, for example, grandparents and their grandchildren can introduce the manga they like to one another and can expand each other’s worlds. Even when talking about love, emotions, and other things that are embarrassing in normal conversations, it becomes natural when going through manga characters. We wanted to create a space for communication that goes beyond being somewhere just to read manga.”

Allure #1 - A Rich Lifestyle Offered by Manga

Ample ingenuity and charm, unique to the private sector, fill the spacious interior of the Yonago Manga Museum. In addition to the lighting that makes the manga themselves beautiful, the shelves are black and uniform in color to bring out the colors of the manga and to bring home the idea of “manga first”. Mr. Honda oversaw the establishment of the facility, and one of the features that he was particular about was the colorful interior design.

“I want visitors to sit in the comfortable chairs and relax as if they were in their own homes as they enjoy manga. There are many places around Japan where you can just read manga. But at the Yonago Manga Museum, we hope to offer a rich lifestyle filled with manga.”
Among regular patrons, there are many who even have their own favorite spots.

Allure #2 - Book Covers that Give a Sense of Love Towards the Books

The stars of this manga museum are, of course, the manga. But with a great number of visitors handling them, deterioration of the books is unavoidable. That’s why clear covers for the covers and books themselves are used to reduce damage to the books, even if only by a little. It is a considerable amount of work to attach covers to the entire collection of 200,000 manga that can be read, but it seems that visitors are also careful with these greatly prized books.

Allure #3 - Manga-loving Staff

The museum hopes that visitors can encounter as many manga as possible and of a variety of genres, and they spent nearly 2 years gathering books. This desire is conveyed from the Referral Corner created by the staff who themselves also love manga. Here they display different themes each season, such as the Summer Horror Collection and the Complete Manga Collection, as well as handmade advertising materials.

Allure #4 - Honoring the Legends

Osamu Tezuka, Fujiko Fujio, Takao Saito, and Shigeru Mizuki. These legends established the foundations of manga culture in the turbulent post-war period, creating works that will continue to be read well into the future. The Legends Corner covering these men is another highlight of the museum. Mr. Honda is all the more particular about this area as it is his favorite spot.

Mr. Honda tells us that he wants to actively collect manga originals and other items related to manga. “We gave the space a certain character with the high-quality leather chairs, red carpeting, and mood lighting, projecting a sense of dignity befitting these legends. Giving each space variety, we are careful not to make the museum into a monotonous space.”

Allure #5 - Support for Future Creators

The Yonago Manga Museum wants to support not only readers but also manga creators. The Creative Area is quite substantial, lined with how-to manuals for manga and anime. Equipped with electrical outlets, it is also the perfect place to spend long hours on the computer. Now that many manga artists tell stories from rural areas, the day is not far off when a future masterpiece will be created at one of these desks.

Allure #6 - Working While Reading Manga is No Dream

Mr. Uchigawa’s favorite spot is the Table Section on the second floor of the museum (located on the fourth floor of the building). Laughing, he shows us this Table Section. “The first floor features what we might call male-oriented comics, while the second floor mainly features manga for young girls and ladies comics. You can even work on your computer in the space here in the middle. You might work more efficiently so you can read manga more quickly!”

Allure #7 - Safe for Families with the Kids Area

The popular rock climbing wall in the kids area stands ready for use adjacent to the entrance. You can visit the museum together with your energetic kids, worry-free. There are many adults who also slip into a trance with the many famous picture books located to the side of the area.

Allure #8 - Manga History That You Can Actually Touch

Mr. Honda and Mr. Uchigawa speak of the Gallery Space, saying, “We want to further enhance the museum by cooperating with other museums in the future.” Currently, they are displaying loaned books that were popular after the Second World War, valuable supplements to manga magazines, and more. The greatest feature of this Gallery Space is that you can actually hold and read the items on display if ask a staff member.

A space like this where you can peruse works with high historical value is incredible rare in Japan. Among the displayed works, they also freely display valuable books that were purchased at a high price. The prime example of this is an original edition of Kitarō of the Graveyard by Shigeru Mizuki, a manga artist who represents Tottori Prefecture. Given that this work was the basis for GeGeGe no Kitarō, his most important work that has been loved for generations, one hopes to enjoy the story’s original world view as you hold the original in hand.

Every day at Yonago Manga Museum, they go through the trial and error process, from researching the publishing status of manga to selecting music. When asked where the museum is currently when compared to the original idea, Mr. Honda immediately responded by saying, “We’re only 20% there. There are so many things we want to do, including exhibitions, events, and other connections with the community. We have only just begun. Manga has brought lots of encouragement to my life, and I hope we can convey the amazing culture of manga to the world from here in Yonago.”