Anime Adventures in Tokyo

Week 2 in Tokyo has arrived as quickly as a maglev train! Following a relaxing excursion to Yamanashi, Navigators were excited to get back to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. After arriving back at the hostel on Sunday afternoon and settling in, students were ready for their next week of adventures!

Monday morning started off with the students’ first Anime & Manga class with instructor Patrick W. Galbraith. Students learned about Tezuku Osamu, “The God of Manga” and about how he laid the foundation of modern manga. His influence extends from shonen manga for young boys to shojo manga for girls. The students learned about how his work revolutionized manga in three ways; format, content, and censorship. They learned about his influence on anime and how his hard work was both a gift and a curse to the industry. They also learned about the history of post-war comics/how they emerged, the content of story manga, and television. 

The afternoon brought on even more otaku-related activities. Students got to try their hand at drawing their own characters at Anime Artist Academy. After drawing a character, the instructor Mr. Kurita (a debuted manga artist) critiqued the student's work and told them how to improve their skills. Students got to show off their amazing art abilities and ask questions about the animation industry in Japan.

After Anime Academy, students got to explore a manga museum at Meiji University, the Yoshihiro Yonezawa Memorial Library of Manga and Subcultures (明治大学 米沢嘉博記念図書館). There, they saw original drawings by published mangaka and got to flip through the library's extensive collection of manga.

Following the museum, students explored the surrounding neighborhood of Ochanomizu (御茶ノ水). There, they searched for manholes with the anime character Astro Boy on top. Astro Boy is the creation of Tezuku Osamu, who they had just learned about that morning! They also got to visit Kanda Myōjin, which is a 1,270-year-old Shinto shrine.

The next morning, students had another session of their Anime & Manga class and they learned about gender and bias in manga. They were shown examples of manga, and they learned to distinguish between shonen and shojo manga as well as the history of how both genres evolved. Shonen manga became more action-heavy and mainstream, and have a more detailed background. Shojo manga was more dramatic and plot-focused and characters have bigger eyes. Students also discussed how manga breaks with reality and acts as a form of escapism from the endless every day. Many anime/manga plots follow the "hero's journey", though there are variations in Japanese culture. As a homework assignment, every student is drawing their own panels of manga.

After class, the anime adventures continued as students made their way to Suginami Animation Museum. However, as Shawn Mendes might say, we first got a bit ‘Lost in Japan’. A few train and bus rides later, all the students safely made it to the museum. The exhibits detailed the evolution of the animation industry in Japan. Additionally, the museum is located in Suginami Ward, which is the location of an amazing 138 animation studios including Bones, MAPPA, A-1 Pictures, and more!

Students especially enjoyed an exhibit at the museum that let them try out some voiceover work. However, the debate on 'dub vs sub' anime is ongoing.

Once they finished up at the museum, students made their way to Nakano Broadway. Similar to Akihabara, this area is known for selling anime, manga, and pop culture goods. Students enjoyed shopping to their hearts' content and hitting up the arcades (photo credit to student Micah Beasley!)

It’s hard to believe that tomorrow will be the halfway point of the program. Students have had a blast exploring Tokyo and beyond, and there is only more excitement and fun to come!