Explore Manga Culture! Japanese Anime and Pop Culture Seminar

2019/10/22
On October 9, 2019 the “Explore Manga Culture!” Japanese anime and pop culture seminar was held at the Embassy of Japan. The event was an accompanying event for the “Manga Hokusai Manga” exhibition which will be held at the Embassy of Japan between October 25 and November 3.

Having encouraged the participants to come to the event with cosplay costume, Minister Akira Imamura, wearing a popular anime cosplay, delivered remarks in which he commented on the popularity of Japanese manga and anime in Canada and the importance of manga and anime in introducing people around the world to Japanese culture.

The seminar was presented by Ms. Azusa Matsumoto, a manga artist and CEO of the Montreal Japanese Manga School. The seminar focused on Japanese anime, manga, pop culture and language, as well as woodblock print artist Katsushika Hokusai’s influence on Japanese manga. The seminar was followed by a manga drawing demonstration, presented by Ms. Xin Yue Zhang, a lecturer at the Manga School, which explained the shoujo and shonen manga styles and how to draw male and female characters.

Following the seminar, the film “Kurara: The Dazzling Life of Hokusai's Daughter” was shown. The drama film follows the life of O-Ei, the daughter of Katsushika Hokusai.

The following day, Ms. Matsumoto and Zhang presented their seminar at Carleton University.
 
Min. Imamura delivering his remarks
 
The audience during Min. Imamura’s remarks
 
Ms. Matsumoto and Ms. Zhang beginning the seminar
 
The audience participating in the seminar
 
Seminar
 
Manga drawing demonstration
 
Film screening “Kurara: The Dazzling Life of Hokusai's Daughter” Seminar at Carleton University (Oct. 10)