Kyoto’s international manga museum provokes a deeper appreciation for Japanese comics and animation through its insightful artifacts.
Learn about the history of manga and anime
One of the coolest things about Kyoto’s manga museum is the insightful posters you’ll find throughout the facility. You can usually find these information posts nearby a manga exhibition or artwork on display.
Fortunately, these info boards have English translations for non-Japanese speakers. Whether it’s information about the origins of manga or insightful trivia about a specific manga series, you’ll learn a lot from these infographics.
View the top-selling manga by rank
Keeping up to date with the best-selling manga by checking out the museum’s leaderboard. Not only can you see which series are selling the most copies, but also the specific volume issue that is most popular.
During my visit to the museum in 2014, One Piece and Naruto had taken the top spots on the manga ranking ladder. Nearly a decade later, it’s safe to say these manga series have stood the test of time as global favorites.
Check out the global influence of Japanese manga
From Asia to Europe and right across the USA, manga has made a huge impact on the world. At the Kyoto manga museum, you can see some original magazine covers featuring all-time classics like Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon.
Many people are familiar with anime, but not many understand that manga or “Japanese comics” are the true source material. It’s incredible to see how countries all over the world distribute these manga collections with translated versions catering to their native languages.
Read manga!
Kyoto’s international manga museum is just a library as it is a museum. With endless bookshelves of every manga series imaginable, you can re-read old favorites or pick up something new!
In addition to a plethora of manga volumes found throughout the complex, there are also comfortable seating areas to kick back and enjoy. Take the opportunity to brush up on your Japanese reading ability as you’ll be lucky to find a manga volume with English translations here.
Chill out at the manga museum cafe
Top off the day with a relaxing time at the Kyoto manga museum cafe! There, you can enjoy a cup of coffee or some food and snacks at low prices.
On the menu, you can choose from pizza slices, fried chicken, waffles, cake, ice cream, and more! The best part is each item is under 1000 yen and there are plenty of kid’s meal options too!
To learn more about life in Japan, check out my book: The Japanese Pursuit of Perfection. This book features my most profound observations of Japanese culture and society as a foreign resident. Available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover. Grab your copy today!