Manga International Library - Coming 2015

[Neversoft]

A Tokyo university is planning to open a library to promote serious study of Japanese manga comics. The proposed Tokyo International Manga Library will house two million comic books, animation drawings, video games and other cartoon industry artefacts. It is hoped the new library will open by early 2015 at Meiji University.

"Manga has been taken lightly in the past and there has been no solid archive for serious study," the university's Susumi Shibao told AFP.

"We want to help academic studies on manga as part of Japanese culture," she added.

It is anticipated that the library will be made available to researchers and fans from Japan and abroad.

Source - BBC News (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/8322279.stm)


Below is a video of what the Manga Library will look like. Pretty mind-blowing if you ask me. Now if only I could understand Japanese...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR2_5G4ZkzA

More information in the spoiler.


Here are a few close up screenshots from the video so we can see in a little more detail what is going to be on The Manga International Library.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_MrzV7VTwfzM/S9hSdlFplpI/AAAAAAAAAkI/lEpuMLyI3JQ/ThisAnimeis.Me00027.png?imgmax=576 (http://picasaweb.google.com/thisanimeisme/JapaneseOddStuff#5465208815939589778)

Layout for The Tokyo Manga International Library

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_MrzV7VTwfzM/S9hSd7vtOEI/AAAAAAAAAkM/TcGKfuLkw_E/ThisAnimeis.Me00028.png?imgmax=576 (http://picasaweb.google.com/thisanimeisme/JapaneseOddStuff#5465208822021568578)

Here we can see how the entrance would look like, pretty much like any formal library.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_MrzV7VTwfzM/S9hSeaPlfUI/AAAAAAAAAkU/bhLRV9tsIgY/ThisAnimeis.Me00030.png?imgmax=576 (http://picasaweb.google.com/thisanimeisme/JapaneseOddStuff#5465208830208343362)

Here we can see how big in scale it is. On the model we can see at least 4-6 floors.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_MrzV7VTwfzM/S9hSejpcmRI/AAAAAAAAAkY/cTSfHh8umQk/ThisAnimeis.Me00031.png?imgmax=576 (http://picasaweb.google.com/thisanimeisme/JapaneseOddStuff#5465208832732731666)

The sitting area to read Manga is going to huge, rows and rows of chairs and tables.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_MrzV7VTwfzM/S9hS5gHJXTI/AAAAAAAAAkg/H8wy9SJjZno/ThisAnimeis.Me00033.png?imgmax=576 (http://picasaweb.google.com/thisanimeisme/JapaneseOddStuff#5465209295640026418)
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_MrzV7VTwfzM/S9hS6OzH2DI/AAAAAAAAAkk/Pg6u8bN4HQ4/ThisAnimeis.Me00034.png?imgmax=576 (http://picasaweb.google.com/thisanimeisme/JapaneseOddStuff#5465209308172507186)

Here we can see the indoor Cinema. Probably to show Anime and for special Manga events.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_MrzV7VTwfzM/S9hS6OzaGzI/AAAAAAAAAko/kyFTfq-9eC4/ThisAnimeis.Me00038.png?imgmax=576 (http://picasaweb.google.com/thisanimeisme/JapaneseOddStuff#5465209308173703986)
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_MrzV7VTwfzM/S9hS6XeflxI/AAAAAAAAAks/pLw5GKNZqcg/ThisAnimeis.Me00050.png?imgmax=576 (http://picasaweb.google.com/thisanimeisme/JapaneseOddStuff#5465209310501902098)

This looks like it is going to be the archive room.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_MrzV7VTwfzM/S9hTXNUWhNI/AAAAAAAAAlE/rE_i3k4oiso/ThisAnimeis.Me00062.png?imgmax=576 (http://picasaweb.google.com/thisanimeisme/JapaneseOddStuff#5465209805991216338)
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_MrzV7VTwfzM/S9hTXJ31KGI/AAAAAAAAAlI/3S_eYvwo20M/ThisAnimeis.Me00063.png?imgmax=576 (http://picasaweb.google.com/thisanimeisme/JapaneseOddStuff#5465209805066283106)
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_MrzV7VTwfzM/S9hTXNNGJfI/AAAAAAAAAlA/Vfqwe-0jNIM/ThisAnimeis.Me00061.png?imgmax=576 (http://picasaweb.google.com/thisanimeisme/JapaneseOddStuff#5465209805960783346)

The outdoor Cinema, probably for summer showings or just for special events.


More info
http://www.meiji.ac.jp/manga/movie/
http://thisanimeis.me/2010/04/manga-international-library-at-meiji-university/

[Nemo]

:o fink of all dem mangas

[PaulMacC]

I want to go there one day.

[Southe,]

"promote serious study of Japanese manga comics."

How do you study them tho.

[Neversoft]

"promote serious study of Japanese manga comics."

How do you study them tho.

A lot of mangas have great artistic value and in some cases can be fantastic works of literature; Eden especially is unbelievably well written. Plus there is a lot to learn from manga in terms of morals and what the author is trying to convey. Also, don't forget that a very popular job in Japan is a mangaka. This manga library will no doubt inspire many authors and will provide others with the knowledge necessary to get started.

[Southe,]

faire enough