Otaku USA Magazine
Google opens “Virtual” Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum

If you want to know your manga history, you’ve got to start with Osamu Tezuka.

The “god of manga,” Tezuka created not only Astro Boy, Blackjack and a host of other iconic characters, he also pioneered the very system by which manga and anime are created and promoted to this very day.

There are multiple Tezuka books, websites and other resources available, but a true study of the man probably isn’t complete without a visit to the Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum. There’s one small problem, though – it’s located in Takarazuka, Japan, making accessibility a major issue for the world’s non-western-Japan-living Tezuka fans.

Until now! On Monday, April 7th, the Tezuka museum teamed up with Google (specifically, the Google Cultural Institute) to create a virtual version of the museum. It’s available online for free, allowing everyone with an internet connection to get a look at “170 items… including Tezuka’s printed materials, original manuscripts, and photographs from his work and life” as well as a panoramic view of the museum.

It’s a pretty slick page, so get over there and learn yourself about the god of manga.

Source: NHK via Roland Kelts
Photo: Comics212

Matt Schley

Matt Schley (rhymes with "guy") lives in Tokyo, and has been OUSA's "man in Japan" since 2012. He's also written about anime and Japanese film for the Japan Times, Screen Daily and more.

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