Image Credit: Bethesda
Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.

Japanese University Plans Massive Manga Library

This article is over 14 years old and may contain outdated information
image

Meiji University in Tokyo, Japan, has announced plans to open an academic library featuring more than two million manga comic books and other pieces of animation history, dating back to before World War II.

The library – tentatively named the Tokyo International Manga Library – is scheduled to open in early 2015, and will feature a collection of two million manga “comic books, animation drawings, video games and other cartoon industry artifacts” in an attempt to promote serious academic study of the industry and its history, reports the AFP.

Manga has been taken lightly in the past and there has been no solid archive for serious study,” said Susumi Shibao, a Meiji University library official. “We want to help academic studies on manga as part of Japanese culture.”

Recently, Tokyo has been encouraging efforts to promote Japanese culture beyond the technology (and bizarre tastes) that the country is traditionally known for. Plans to build a Ā„11.7bn ($128m) museum for Japanese cartoon art and pop culture were axed after the former government was ousted from power in August elections, with the new officials deriding the idea as a “state-run manga cafe” that would do nothing to benefit the country’s economy.

The library in question will reportedly hold everything from Astro Boy and Doraemon to more modern series – I hear they have five shelves reserved for Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece alone. If you can name a noteworthy title, it’ll probably be in there. Two million is a pretty big number, don’t you think?

Recommended Videos

The Escapist is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission.Ā Learn more about our Affiliate Policy