Kyoto International Manga Museum

Not really a Manga fan, but this place impressed me a lot. It's an old primarily school building and has some pretty interesting exposition on the history of the place itself. It greatly adds to the experience when you let it sink in and imagine the kids running in these halls not so long ago. There is also a quite interesting English exposition on the history of manga and the process of making it. Most of the library (nearly all but the entrance room) is in japanese, but it still fun to wander through the shelves, look at the pictures, compare the styles and how they evolved over time.

The Kyoto International Manga Museum is a cozy, unique stop for manga lovers. They have a huge collection, including manga in many languages (English, Korean, Polish, Italian, Russian, etc.). I especially enjoyed reading Yotsuba&! in English—it made me laugh out loud after a long time. When I visited, there were exhibitions on WWII/Okinawan comics and a cheerful, retro art showcase by Tamura Setsuko. The exhibitions included English explanations, though the museum could use clearer maps and signs to help visitors find things (especially the foreign language manga). The atmosphere is quiet and relaxing—great for a rainy day. You can watch manga artists drawing live, try sketching yourself, or just pick a book and read. There was also a performer showing comic panels to the crowd, which was fun and interactive. Overall, it’s not a huge museum, but it’s a special experience for anyone who loves manga.

I am not an expert of manga but I was curious if this museum. It was a great experience. It contains mangas from early 1900s mostly from Japan (but also a small international collection). People can consult all books (the museum is well equipped with chairs and spot where to sit). There are also entertainments for kids 3 times a day. About 6 euros/dollars per person. The price is worth the visit. Plan easily 2-3 hours even if you are not an expert, more if you are!

3/5 They have limited international language mangas on the first floor near the entry way. Not a big selection. Would be a 5/5 if you know kanji. They also have a self portrait station near that area aswell for 3,000 yen (might be wrong) price can vary depending on how many people are depicted. Near the entry way they have a shop that sells manga artist equipment and manga stuff. YOU DONT NEED A TICKET TO ENTER TO SHOP. They also have a show room for children based on old manga tradition (be sure to arrive early as showings are near morning and early afternoon). All in all, I would say about 1 hour to 2 hours experience. If you sit down to read something maybe longer. Great place to maybe end your shopping spree (take a break) near the Pokemon Center and Kawaramachi area.

A pop culture icon set at the heart of historical Kyoto, Japan. This will for sure bring back the memories of one’s introverted teenage years, as it did for me. There is nothing wrong with that, if your nose had then been directed at the drawn universe of the Japanese psyche. A set of manga was for me the best medication to alleviate the boredom of a high school day, the food fighting in the cafeteria and the mandatory brawls in the schoolyard. Some days, having been lucky enough to come out of the traditional schoolyard fight baring only a single black-eye and a couple of ickies (right, you should have seen the other guys… Hum!), my remaining unbruised eye I was able to salvage helped me, once back home, to immerse into a soothing universe of unparalleled characters, stories and mind-twisting anecdotes. As a FYI, if ever you pick-up a Manga for the first time and you can’t figure out the story, it’s only because the story reads from the bottom of the book to the top (Haaa-Ha!!) If differentiating the bottom from the top becomes a challenge, the staff at the museum will politely help you with an example from their own massive collection. Usually in museums, it is forbidden to touch the artwork, but the Manga Museum rather gives access to a display of memorabilia and thousands of books that you can pick for your own guilty pleasure and bring at the numerous reading stations available, no fuss. Hell, even a full-grown man can dress-up into a pink Hello Kitty attire, sit down with a pile of adult-themed collections and jug down espressos without being bothered by anyone. Now to end with, since there are already so many pictures of the museum out there, I instead decided to leave a couple of shots from a Cosplay contest that I snapped when I was there. Hope you enjoy ! Masu-Maasssssuuuu !