Do you know Akatsuka Fujio?

The "Akatsuka Fujio Manga University Exhibition" is a project that aims to rediscover this genius manga artist, who was at the forefront of not just the manga industry, but the post-war period itself.

While exhibiting many of his very diverse works and valuable artifacts, we are also showing the world he lived in, the world he helped create in the "Research Part", and new works created by contemporaly artists who followed in his footsteps in the "Art Part"! Akatsuka Fujio's appeal is that he did not just revolutionize the world of manga, he also greatly influence artists in many genres.

We will also, in cooperation with the World Heritage Nijo Castle, hold a "neo kyogen (traditional comic theatre)" event which a collaboration of the kyogen performed and Akatuska manga, and art exhibiton. We will also hold talk shows featuring people with a connection to Akatsuka. Let's analyze Akatsuka Fujio from various angles.

RESEARCH PART
"The 26th National Cultural Festival - Kyoto 2011 Manga Art Festival" Project
At Kyoto International Manga Museum (Galleries 1, 2, and 3)
While presenting works and valuable artifacts by Akatsuka Fujio, we try to discover his influence not just on the world of manga, but on society as a whole. We also show just how important Akatsuka Fujio's influence was, especially on gag manga, by following the history of this genre.

1. Akatsuka Fujio's life and works
Here we follow the period in which he lived, introducing his manga works through means of valuable artifacts.
2. The history of gag manga
We introduce the history of comical manga, and the genre Akatsuka created, the gag manga.
3. Tribute works
We exhibit tribute works by artists who were connected with Akatsuka Fujio in one way or another.

At Nijo Castle
Ogasawara Tadashi, a kyogen performer who, while preserving tradition, has always strived to reinvent the genre, will perform a "Neo kyogen", in which he will perform in a masque, based on Akatsuka's world combined with kyogen, and the Italian form "comedia del arte".
New works of art based on Akatsuka's works will also be exhibited.

1. "Neo kyogen X magan X comedia del arte : Akatsuka Fujio's world"
Performers: The Ogasawara Tadasi (Noh comic actor) Group
Choreography: Ogasawara Tadashi
Date and Time: November 3, 5, and 6, 2011
                   1st performance: 1pm- 2nd performance: 3pm- (About 45 minutes each)
2. Exhibition of new works of art based on Akatsuka's work, by contemporary artists Akatuska Rieko and Yokoyama Yuichi (between 11/1 - 6)

ART PART
"Kyoto CMEX 2011" Project
At the Kyoto Manga Museum (Gallery 4 and others)
Akatsuka Fujio did not just influence manga artists of the same generation, but continues to influence vorious artists to this day. The works of four contemporary artists, all influenced by Akatsuka, are exhibited in various areas of the museum.

１． Exhibition of contemporary art
Exhibiting artists: Akatsuka Rieko, Kaneuji Teppei, Paramodel, Yokoyama Yuichi.
2. Exhibition of earlier tribute to Akatsuka works
Exhibiting artists:
Asakura Sekai-ichi (manga artist), a remake of the manga "Tensai bakabon" (original art), Kyogoku Natsuhiko (novelist), meta novels that feature characters by Akatsuka, Gokita Tomoo (illustrator), illustrations featuring characters by Akatsuka, the "Oh! Heaven The Gokita Tomoo respects Akatsuka Fujio" series (silk screen).

◆Akatsuka Fujio
Born in 1935 ( - 2008) in Manchuria.
He was influenced by Tezuka Osamu's Lost World and decided to become a manga artist. He debuted in 1956 with "Arashi o koete", and moved to the legendary apartment Tokiwa so, where after the war leading figures in the manga world, like Ishinomori Shotaro, Fujiko F. Fujio, Fujiko Fujio Ⓐ and others, lived. Together they barely made a living. In 1962 his stories "Osomatsu kun" and "Himitsu no Akko chan" were serialized, and he became a star. In 1967 he started the series "Tensai bakabon", which established the gag manga genre as we know it today.
He started producing very early, and among the artists he represented were heavy weights like Nagatani Kunio ("Akatsuka Fujio Tensai nyarome den"), Kitami Kenichi ("Tsuri baka nisshi"), Furuya Mitsutoshi ("Dame oyaji"), Takai Kenichiro ("Somubu somuka Yamaguchi Roppeita"), and Tsuchida Yoshiko ("Tsuruhime ja!").
He didn't just do manga, his way of always searching for new ways of comic art inspired others, in may different fields, like Tamori (TV host), Shinoyama Kishin (photographer), Yamashita Yosuke (jazz pianist), and Tsutsui Yasutaka (author).

* The text provided by Kyoto International Manga Museum

At the Kyoto International Manga Museum
Period: 　October 29 - December 25, 2011
Open: 　10am - 6pm (Admission to the museum until 5:30pm)
Closed every Wednesdays and November 24.
Venue: 　Kyoto International Manga Museum 2nd Floor, Gallery 1, 2, 3, 4, and in other spaces inside the museum.
At Nijo Castle
Period: 　November 1 - 6, 2011
Open: 　9am - 4:45pm
(8:45am - 5pm *Admission to Nijo Castle until 4pm)
Venue: 　Motorikyu Nijo Castle Ninomaru goden daidokoro　http://www.city.kyoto.jp/bunshi/nijojo/