In the last fifteen years, Japanese anime and manga have grown massively in popularity outside of Japan. In Japan, it’s a staple of life, it seems. It’s such a part of Japanese culture that there are museums dedicated to both anime and manga. The most popular museum is the Ghibli Museum Mitaka, which is mostly devoted to the work from the studio’s that created such larger works as “Spirited Away.”
If you’re not one for large crowds inside museum or if you’ll betaking children with you to Tokyo, there are a number of smaller anime and manga museums and exhibits. There are also numerous manga and anime shops throughout Tokyo. Your first stop should be at the Tokyo Anime Center. There you can find information all of the shops, museums, and exhibits throughout the city. The center also showcases its own exhibits of the well-known artwork. A brief list of Tokyo shops and museums is below.
- The Suginami Animation Museum: This museum showcases much of the work by the anime houses in Suginami Ward. Admission is free and you have a wide variety of items to choose from, including a movie theatre and a workshop area.
- The Toei Animation Gallery: One of the largest and most popular film companies in Japan, the gallery has been producing animation since before the second World War. Inside, you can learn about the entire filmmaking process from the script writing to the finished product.
- The Akatsuka Kaikan: Showcasing the work of Fujio Akatsuka, this gallery displays some of the best-loved older, slap-stick-type anime work. Akatsuka was known for his comedic look at Japan’s Shows Era.
Many people, in the hustle and bustle of trying to see as much as possible, forget about these places that showcase such a large part of Japanese culture. Make some time and visit one or two.
Comments