Koshi Manga Museum Cube ZoneOriginal Source: 合志マンガミュージアム
Though manga takes place on the page or the screen, Japan is also full of museums that bring manga to life with exhibitions, libraries, and other immersive experiences. Scroll on to discover five marvelous museums of manga...
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1. Yokote Masuda Manga Museum, Yokote, Japan
Set against a backdrop of the Ōu Mountains in the Akita Prefecture, the city of Yokote is also home to the Masuda Manga Museum.
Permanent Exhibition Room Beech TreeOriginal Source: 横手市増田まんが美術館
Inside is a wealth of over 400,000 genga prints and manga memorabilia, as well as this impressive 'beech tree' installation.
Manga Culture Exhibition RoomOriginal Source: 横手市増田まんが美術館
Libraries and archives of your favorite manga series abound. The museum says it specializes in manga and genga that can "encourage you, give you dreams, make you laugh, teach you, and move your heart".
Toshima City Tokiwa-So Manga Museum AppearanceOriginal Source: 豊島区立トキワ荘マンガミュージアム
2. Toshima City Tokiwaso Manga Museum, Japan
Tokiwaso, that was once located at Shiinamachi (current Minami-Nagasaki) in Toshima City, is a legendary apartment building where great modern manga artists including Tezuka Osamu lived together and spent their youth.
The original building was demolished in 1982, but it has since been rebuilt as a manga museum.
Toshima City Tokiwa-So Manga Museum Second Floor Shared KitchenOriginal Source: 豊島区立トキワ荘マンガミュージアム
Inside is a reconstruction of the house as it once existed. You can imagine Osamu Tezuka and Fujiko F Fujio sharing food and discussing their latest creations...
Osamu Tezuka "The Tale of Tokiwa-So", pp3, 1970 ©Tezuka ProductionsOriginal Source: ©Tezuka Productions
Tezuka even immortalized the building in his 1970 manga, "Tale of Tokiwa-So". Click here for a full virtual tour of the reconstructed house.
Manga CornerOriginal Source: 川崎市 藤子・F・不二雄ミュージアム
3. Fujiko F. Fujio Museum, Kawasaki, Japan
Everybody loves Doraemon! Fujiko F Fujio's most famous creation has been a favourite of children and adults alike since he first appeared in 1969. The Kawasaki museum dedicated to Fujio's works celebrates Doraemon and more.
Rooftop Harappa (field)Original Source: 川崎市 藤子・F・不二雄ミュージアム
Visitors are taken on a magical journey through indoor and outdoor exhibits bringing Fujio's whimsical and wonderful world to life.
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Click and drag to look around for yourself, or take the full tour here!
Kitakyushu Manga Museum Permanent Display Photo SpotOriginal Source: 北九州市漫画ミュージアム
4. Kitakyushu Manga Museum, Fukuoka, Japan
Founded in 2012, the massive, multi-storey Kitakyushu Manga Museum houses a vast collection of manga, comics, games, figurines, and exhibits.
Kitakyushu Manga Museum InsideOriginal Source: 北九州市漫画ミュージアム
There's so much to see that visitors would be forgiven for getting lost over its 7 floors!
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Click and drag to explore the corridors for yourself.
Mr. Hiroshi Hashimoto, director of Koshi Manga MuseumOriginal Source: 合志マンガミュージアム
5. Koshi Manga Museum, Koshi City, Japan
Boasting a library of over 15,000 manga, the Koshi Museum is a great place to come and chill out with your favorite stories and characters. Here's the museum's directo, Mr. Hiroshi Hashimoto, doing just that!
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The museum features these unique glass 'reading cubes', where you can take your next issue of Astro Boy or One Note and read for as long as you like!
