This is the spot to know about manga culture!
You can thoroughly enjoy manga in the former capital of Kyoto with its 1,000 years of history?! This atypical spot is right by Nijo Castle and the Kyoto Imperial Palace. The Kyoto International Manga Museum is Japan’s first museum dedicated to manga. Starting from valuable material such as Meiji Era magazines and postwar rental books, popular contemporary works and famous works from all over the world numbering about 300,000 are stored here.
The incredible Wall of Manga with 50,000 manga!
The biggest highlight is the Wall of Manga which spreads a total length of 200 meters along wall of the museum. It is here that approximately 50,000 manga issued from the 1970s to 2005 are arranged to be freely read. The 1st floor is for boys, the 2nd floor is for girls and the 3rd floor is for youth. At the Main Gallery, popular manga of the times are introduced by year. The true pleasure comes from taking your favorite manga and reading it at a favorite location. You can even read it while lying on the grass. You are free to come in and out after paying the one-time admission, so the charm is being able to enjoy yourself for the entire day. Eating and drinking are prohibited within the museum, but you can bring a lunch to eat on the grass or the deck. Also, at the back of the 1st floor entrance, you have to visit the Manga Expo. More than 5,000 manga translated into English and other languages and overseas manga are available for reading there.
From a closed elementary school to a museum
The building for the Kyoto International Manga Museum itself is also a wonderful structure. Using the building for the original Tatsuike Primary School which was constructed in 1929, its original appearance still lives on today. On the 1st floor of the main building, the principal’s room is as it was. The old furnishings and the large clock still tick-tocking away even now bring back a nostalgic atmosphere.