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National Geographic – Manga Culture in Japan

108 images Created 5 Jun 2007

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  • At an exhibition of manga art at a local art gallery.
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  • Commuters and the obiquitous manga character advertisements in Tokyo.
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  • Inside a maid cafe.  Such cafes are popular hangouts for Japanese men though many also cater to families.  The fast growing popularity of such establishments has also lead to many spin offs.  There are now maid massage parlours, hair salons opening in cities like Tokyo.
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  • Cosplay participants in the early hours before the start of a Cosplay event in Tokyo.  Such events can attract hundreds of participants who arrive with their elaborate makeup and costumes in roll on bags and spend the entire day in character for their friends, peers, amatuer and professional photographers from agencies and magazines.
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  • Tourists at the Hello Kitty theme park
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  • Yokais, Mizuki characters, decorate the streets of the town of Sakaiminato.  A young girl waits for friends outside a grocery story.
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  • Mizuki characters decorate the front window of a Sakaiminator barbar shop
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  • Takehiko Inoue, creator of the popular Slam Dunk manga series, in his studio in Tokyo.
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  • Takehiko Inoue, creator of the popular Slam Dunk manga series, in his studio in Tokyo.
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  • Manga comic book fans complete a manga publisher's survey outside Animate, one of the largest manga comic book stores in Japan.
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  • Participants and security guard at a cosplay event in Tokyo.  Cosplay attendees can spend hours preparing and dressing and then posing for professional and amateur photographers who come in droves to such events.
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  • Cosplay participants in full comic character.
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  • Scene at a cosplay event in Tokyo
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  • Attendees at a manga costume flea market take a cigarette break.
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  • A cosplay attendee at an even in Tokyo Japan.  Cosplay attendees can spend hours preparing and dressing and then posing for professional and amateur photographers who come in droves to such events.
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  • Outdoor scene at a cosplay event as attendees and spectators take a break at a local cafe.
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  • Scene from a cosplay event in Tokyo - an usher, dressed as a manga characters, keeps an eye on an elaborate manga character costume being prepared for a performance.
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  • Inside a maid cafe.  Such cafes are popular hangouts for Japanese men though many also cater to families.  The fast growing popularity of such establishments has also lead to many spin offs.  There are now maid massage parlours, hair salons opening in cities like Tokyo.
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  • Young boys hang out near Comic Toranoana, one of the largest chains of manga comic bookstores in Japan and a multi-story video game complex.  Akihabara is considered a mecca for manga fans and otakus, and hundreds spend their days there at the many video game parlours,  comic books stores, and maid cafes.
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  • Street scene outside Comic Toranoana, one of the largest chains of manga comic bookstores in Japan.
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  • Yokais, Mizuki characters, decorate the streets of the town of Sakaiminato.  A popular tourist draw, Sakaiminato was once an important fishing town.  Now tourism based on the characters created by Mizurik Shigeru represents the largest portion of the regions revenues (check with SB)
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  • Images of Mizuki's popular Kitaro characters decorate a local commuter train.  The train is just one of many forms of homage to the town's local son and world famous manga artist Mizuki Shigeru.
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  • The lone figure of a main costume clad manga cafe sales girl on the streets of Akihabara.  Maid cafes use the girls to distribute advertisements for the cafe and to solicit customers.
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  • Thousands of manga fans line up hours before the start of a weekend manga comic market.  Such events bring together readers, independent and commercial manga artists, merchandisers, critics, publishers, and recruiters.  However, their principal audience tends to be those interested in the works of amatuer and independent manga artists producing non-mainstream works.
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  • At a cosplay event in Tokyo, a manga fan poses for photographers.  Hundreds attend such events that are held regularly across the major cities in the country.  They are an important means of marketing for manga publishers and merchandisers.
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  • Manga fans pour over manga comics borrowed from the Manga museum collection.  Based in an old high school building, the manga museum is part of Japan's attempt to make manga's a central part of its cultural heritage.
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  • Main concourse at the Manga museum in Kyoto. ased in an old high school building, the manga museum is part of Japan's attempt to make manga's a central part of its cultural heritage.
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  • Naoki Urasawa in his studio in Tokyo.
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  • Manga readers on an evening subway train in downtown Tokyo.  It is common to see commuters, both young and old, men and women, passing their commuting horus reading manga magazines and comics on the trains.
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  • M. Yasuno Yuushi, a Kamishibai performer, puts on a show for visitors at the Kyoto International Manga Museum.  Today there are only a handful of Kamishibai performaners left in Japan, but the craft is considered to have influenced the love of picture based story telling amongst Japanese children and the eventual popularity of manga comics in the post-WWII period.
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  • Taking a break from a comic book market event, attendees read manga comics inside a convention center
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  • Manga costumes on sale at a flea market event in Tokyo.
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  • At a flea market for cosplay fans
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  • Girls prepare for a cosplay event in Tokyo.  Attendees can spend couple of hours getting ready in make up and costume, and then the entire rest of the day at the events posing for professional photographers, friends and spectatoris.
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  • Girls prepare for a cosplay event in Tokyo.  Attendees can spend couple of hours getting ready in make up and costume, and then the entire rest of the day at the events posing for professional photographers, friends and spectatoris.
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  • A cosplay attendee poses for professional and amateur photographers who folk to cosplay events for the chance to capture the girls on film.
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  • Friends gather around during a break at a cosplay even in Tokyo.  Such events attract hundreds of manga fans and are an important element of the manga culture.
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  • Early morning, prior to the start of a cosplay event in Tokyo.  Such events attract hundreds of fans from across the city and are an important element of the manga culture.
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  • Friends dressed in their favorite manga character outfits at a cosplay event.
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  • Two friends pose for photos dressed in their favorite cosplay outfits at a local cosplay even in Tokyo.
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  • At the Hello Kitty theme park, customers walk past large displays of Hello Kitty products and foods.
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  • Families at the Hello Kitty theme park.  Though not strictly a manga character, Hello Kitty was one of the largest comic character marketing and distribution phenomenon in Japan.
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  • Inside a maid cafe.  Such cafes are popular hangouts for Japanese men though many also cater to families.  The fast growing popularity of such establishments has also lead to many spin offs.  There are now maid massage parlours, hair salons opening in cities like Tokyo.
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  • In the studio with manga artist Hirohiko Araki
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  • Manga readers on an evening subway train in downtown Tokyo.  It is common to see commuters, both young and old, men and women, passing their commuting horus reading manga magazines and comics on the trains.
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  • Young girls in manga inspired street fashions examine a merchandise display outside an Akihabara store.
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  • Street scene in Akihabara, outside a Pachinko parlour
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  • Street scene outside an electronic store selling manga and anime videos and games.
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  • A manga comic publisher's promotion team on the streets of Akihabara as a new edition of the Pico & Chico manga characters are released to the market.
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  • At an electronic games and toys parlour in Tokyo - a young girl's manga influenced outfit stands out on the streets of the city.
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  • Outside Comic Toranoana, one of the largest chains of manga comic bookstores in Japan.
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  • Street fashions in Shibuya
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  • Scene from a cosplay even in Tokyo
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  • Scene from a cosplay event in Tokyo - such events attract hundreds of participants, and are an important form of marketing for manga publishing groups.
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  • A girl at a cosplay event
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  • Spectators at a cosplay event in Tokyo - such events draw hundreds who come to see the costumes and meet the people in character.
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  • At a cosplay event in Tokyo, cosplay actors hangout and photograph each other's costumes.
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  • Friends at a cosplay event in Tokyo take a break from a performance.
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  • Young girls in maid costumes and working for a local maido cafe solicit customers on the streets of Akihabar.
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  • Scene from inside a multi-story manga toy, costume and bookstore in downtown Tokyo.
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  • Outside a Pachinko parlour - there is an increasingly collaboration between manga comic publishers and Pachinko gambling parlours to help bring in more customers.
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  • A young girl dressed as a manga character at a Cosplay event in Tokyo.
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  • Young girls dressed as their favorite manga characters on a Tokyo street.
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  • Friends gather at a Cosplay event in downtown Tokyo - such events bring together hundreds of manga fans who can spend 5-6 hours play acting and admiring each other's costumes.
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  • A Kitaro character entertains on the streets of Sakaiminato.
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  • Yokais, Mizuki characters, decorate the streets of the town of Sakaiminato.  Young friends grab an icre cream and cold drinks at a local store in Sakaiminato.
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  • At a cosplay event in Tokyo - participants take a break at a local cafe.
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  • Two girls dressed as their favorite manga characters enjoy a ride at a Tokyo amusement park.
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  • Two girls dressed as their favorite manga characters enjoy a ride at a Tokyo amusement park.
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  • Girls dressed as their favorite manga characters enjoy a ride on a Tokyo amusement park carousel.
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  • Two girls dressed as their favorite manga characters enjoy a ride at a Tokyo amusement park.
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  • Street scene in the Akihabara neighborhood of Tokyo with advertising hoardings annoucning the newest manga comics and manga character-based video games to be released soon.  Akihabara, once the center of Tokyo technology industry, is fast being taken over my the manga comics and paraphernalia markets.
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  • Young men, possibly otakus, take a break from spending a few hours at a video game parlour.
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  • Scene from inside the offices of the popular manga magazine Shonen Jump.
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  • A young girl in manga inspired fashions in the neighborhood of Harajuku waits on a pavement for friends.
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  • Young girls in manga inspired outfits hang out in the Harajuku neighborhood.
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  • Manga and fashion fans gather at a corner in Harajuku - Harajuku is considered the center of youth culture and fashion in Tokyo and is a frequent gathering place for lovers of manga and anime fans.
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  • Street scene from Harajuku, with two young girls in manga inspired dress.  Harajuku is a popular hangout for the young looking to find creative fashion and manga fashions.
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  • Young girls in manga costumes hang out in the Harajuku neighborhood.  Harajuku is a popular gathering spot for manga fans and fashionistas.
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  • Street scene from Harajuku, with two young girls in manga inspired dress.  Harajuku is a popular hangout for the young looking to find creative fashion and manga fashions.
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  • A commuter pores over a manga comic on the Tokyo metro.
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  • A young couple on the streets of Harajuku show off their latest styles - manga comics have had a strong influence on the fashions of the younger generation of Japanese.
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  • Manga fans at a corner in Harajuku - Harajuku is a popular gathering spot for manga fans and fashionistas.
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  • A young couple on the streets of Harajuku show off their latest styles - manga comics have had a strong influence on the fashions of the younger generation of Japanese.
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  • Keiji Nakazawa, considered an important part of Hiroshima's cultural heritage, and a local tour guide viewing photographs of the aftermath of the atomic bombs.  Nakazawa lived through the attacks as a small child and the memories continue to affect his work and outlook on life.
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  • Young men outside a video game and electronic entertainment center.  The use of manga characters for advertising and promotions is very common as these appeal to the large number of manga fans that congregate in areas like Akihabara.
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  • A young girl on the streets of Akihabar shows off her manga inspired fashions.
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  • Boys hang out near a popular manga comic bookstore in the district of Akihabara.  Manga bookstores also act as social gathering spaces for young manga fans, with some stores boasting cafes and regularly scheduled events for the fans.
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  • Takuma Horibe and avid manga comic fan pours over his collection in his room.
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  • A manga fan examines reservation cards outside a popular game parlour.  Manga character based video games and DVDs are extremely popular.  At parlours such as the one shown, fans can reserve a seat at specific hours and for specific durations to play games and/or view videos.
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  • Manga characters decorate the side of a local game parlour.  The use of manga characters and/or manga-like graphics for advertising and promotions is very popular.  Such wall advertisements are a common sight all across cities like Tokyo.
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  • Manga characters decorate the side of a local game parlour.  The use of manga characters and/or manga-like graphics for advertising and promotions is very popular.  Such wall advertisements are a common sight all across cities like Tokyo.
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  • Street scene in the Akihabara district, the center of Tokyo's technology and manga comics lifestyle and culture.
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  • Street scene in the Akihabara district, the center of Tokyo's technology and manga comics lifestyle and culture.  An electronic store featuring manga and anime products uses sales people dressed as comic characters to push its merchandise to passer bys.
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  • Street scene in the Akihabara district, the center of Tokyo's technology and manga comics lifestyle and culture.
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