EX­hi­Bi­tion

SHOJO MANGA INFINITY: MOTO HAGIO, RYOKO YAMAGISHI, AND WAKI YAMATO

The National Art Center, Tokyo, is commemorating the 20th anniversary of its opening this year with an exhibition showcasing three giants of the shojo (girls) genre of manga comics: Moto Hagio, Ryoko Yamagishi, and Waki Yamato. Hagio, Yamagishi, and Yamato all debuted as manga artists in the late 1960s and went on to become central figures of the golden age of shojo manga in the 1970s. During this period they expanded the creative possibilities of manga to address themes including women’s empowerment, gender diversity, and sexuality. The three women are living witnesses to a historic era of artistic diversity and innovation and they continue to publish actively. The exhibition will retrace the artists’ creative development through the presentation of original drawings and archival materials while also touching on their career milestones and sources of inspiration.

NATIONAL ART CENTER, TOKYO

The National Art Center, Tokyo, was founded in 2007. Conceived of as an art center without a permanent collection, the NACT provides a place where the public can experience different forms of artistic expression, make new discoveries, and share diverse values. In addition to hosting a broad spectrum of art in one of Japan’s largest exhibition spaces, the NACT collects, provides, and makes publicly accessible art-related information and resources and also runs educational and public programs.

Architect Kisho Kurokawa envisioned the NACT as an art center surrounded by green spaces. His design for the building is notable for its beautiful facade: an undulating glass wall punctuated by a conical main entrance. Visitors can enjoy views of the changing seasons through the glass.

Dining options on-site.