Time Travel with Manga – 100 Masterpieces from the Tokiwaso Era
Time Travel with Manga
Tokiwaso Era 100 MANGA
Message from SATONAKA Machiko
Japan Cultural Expo 2.0
Japan Cultural Expo 2.0 website
TOKYO, JAPAN, September 25, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Connecting the “Tokiwaso Era” and the present through manga, sharing Japan’s manga culture with the world
Exhibition Announcement
Time Travel with Manga – 100 Masterpieces from the Tokiwaso Era
Connecting the “Tokiwaso Era” and the present through manga, sharing Japan’s manga culture with the world
Starting Thursday, October 30, 2025, the exhibition “Time Travel with Manga – 100 Masterpieces from the Tokiwaso Era” will be held, organized by Rainbowbird LLC, Japan Arts Council, Agency for Cultural Affairs, and co-hosted by Toshima City.
This exhibition showcases selected works from the project “100 Selected Manga from the Era of Tokiwa-so”, which highlights 100 manga titles published between 1952 and 1982—the years when the legendary “Tokiwaso” apartment existed. These titles were chosen by a selection committee as works that deserve to be read for generations to come.
Visitors will be able to view replica original drawings of selected titles, accompanied by commentary from guest curators SATONAKA Machiko (Chair of the Japan Cartoonists Association) and SUGAYA Mitsuru (President of the Japan Society for Studies in Cartoons and Comics). The exhibition explores the social context in which these works were created and their relationship to manga culture.
Additional sections include:
- Works by the nine manga artists who served on the selection committee
- Commentary from domestic and international reviewers on the selected titles
All exhibition texts will be available in both Japanese and English, making it accessible and enjoyable for international visitors.
Through this exhibition, we aim to convey the foundations of Japanese manga culture that originated in the Tokiwaso era and have since spread across the globe.
Satellite exhibitions will also be held at the Tokiwaso Manga Museum Salon and various locations in Ikebukuro during the exhibition period. Talk events featuring selection committee members are also planned.
Message from SATONAKA Machiko, Chairperson of the Selection Committee
The sacred site of Japanese manga, Tokiwa-so, once existed in this world, nurturing a diverse array of creative expressions and sowing the seeds for the flourishing manga culture that continues to this day.
The countless works that can be called the “history of manga” are something I sincerely hope will be read and cherished forever. With that wish in mind, I began the process of selecting the best… However, choosing 100 works from the vast sea of masterpieces was an incredibly difficult task.
Out of respect for their roles, the works of the selection committee members were excluded. Yet, Akimoto’s ‘KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops’, Shoji’s ‘Dear Student!’, Miura’s ‘The ♡ PUMPKIN WINE’ , Sugaya’s ‘The Game-center Arashi’, and Shiga’s ‘Smash!’ are undeniably works that defined their era.
I extend my heartfelt gratitude for their contributions to the manga world and their cooperation in this endeavor!
Insights from other experts
On the occasion of opening the exhibition, OGINO Kenichi, a media producer and professor in the Department of Character Design at Kyoto University of the Arts, praised TEZUKA Osamu’s Princess Knight, stating:
“Tezuka, having watched Disney works since before the war, was the first to realize a romantic fantasy world that fused Takarazuka and Disney within a girls’ magazines.” (Summary; full text available on the website)
Additionally, MUKAIYAMA Kazushi, a professor at Ritsumeikan University and creator of manga-related AI, commented on Golgo 13, saying:
“What I personally love most is the scene where Golgo receives a request. …Even though it’s just a contract negotiation, an overwhelming tension fills the air, and with just a word or two from Golgo, the entire atmosphere shifts dramatically.”
Exhibition Details
Title: Exhibition: Time Travel with Manga – 100 Masterpieces from the Tokiwaso Era
Dates: October 30, 2025 (Thu) – January 25, 2026 (Sun)
Closed Days： Mondays (or the following weekday if Monday is a national holiday), December 29 (Monday) to January 3 (Saturday)
Hours: Weekdays: 13:00–18:00 (last admission 17:30)
Weekends and holidays: 10:00–18:00 (last admission 17:30)
Venue: Tokiwaso Street Showa Retro Museum 1F Multipurpose Room 1 ,
3-4-10 Minaminagasaki, Toshima-ku, Tokyo
Access: - 13-minute walk from Seibu Ikebukuro Line: Shiinamachi Station or Higashi-Nagasaki Station
- 8-minute walk from Toei Oedo Line: Ochiai-Minaminagasaki Station
- 3-minute walk from Toei Bus: Minaminagasaki 2-chome stop
Admission: Free
Guest Curators: - SATONAKA Machico (Manga Artist, Chairman of the Board, Japan Cartoonists Association (Public Interest Incorporated Foundation), Representative Director, Manga Japan General Incorporated Association)
- SUGAYA Mitsuru (Manga Artist, President of the Japan Society for Studies in Cartoons and Comics)
General Director: YAMAUCHI Yasuhiro
Art Direction: PAPER PARADE
Organizers: Rainbowbird LLC, Japan Arts Council and Agency for Cultural Affairs,Government
Co- organiser: Toshima City
Get your tickets here (Peatix): https://tokiwaso100.peatix.com
About “100 Selected Manga from the Era of Tokiwa-so”
This project selects and presents 100 manga titles published between 1952 and 1982—the years when “Tokiwaso” existed—as works that should be read across generations. It aims to share these masterpieces with readers both in Japan and abroad.
With the concept of “Directly connecting the Tokiwaso Era and the Reiwa Era through manga,” the project leverages manga’s unique ability to preserve the atmosphere and culture of its time without interpretation or nostalgia. It introduces the foundational period of postwar story manga to a wide audience, including younger generations and international fans.
The selection includes not only widely acclaimed works but also lesser-known titles that reflect the changing times and have been overlooked in recent years.
Selection Committee Members (titles omitted):
SATONAKA Machiko (Chair), AKIMOTO Osamu, IWAMI Seiji, KIMURA Naomi, KURATA Yoshimi, SHIGA Kimie, SHOJI Yoko, SUGAYA Mitsuru, MIURA Mitsuru.
Website:
https://tokiwaso-era-manga100.rainbowbird.jp/?lang=en
About the Japan Cultural Expo 2.0 Project
This exhibition is part of the FY2025 Japan Cultural Expo 2.0 (Commissioned Project), under the initiative “Inbound Revitalization of Tokiwaso Street – The Sacred Land of Manga in Toshima.”
The project promotes visits from international manga fans and tourists to the Tokiwaso area in Toshima City, aiming to spread Japanese manga culture worldwide. It is a collaborative effort between public and private sectors, centered around the Tokiwaso Manga Museum.
Japan Cultural Expo 2.0 is a national project leading up to the 2025 World Expo, showcasing the beauty and spirit of Japanese culture and arts to the world.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tokiwaso100/
Get your tickets here (Peatix): https://tokiwaso100.peatix.com
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