Danica Davidson
April 29, 2025 
Japan has its own distinct culture with rules and manners that might not always be familiar for traveling tourists. As a creative solution, right now the Shinkansen sections of Tokyo, Shinagawa, Kyoto, Nagoya, and Shin Osaka Stations are using “Manga Manners” to help people know what to do.
“Manga Manners” is a project that uses characters from Kodansha manga to give short guidance written in English. The titles used are Akira, Attack on Titan, Blue Lock, Cardcaptor Sakura, Cells at Work!, Chiikawa, Fairy Tail, Fire Force, Ghost in the Shell, Kaiji, Medalist, Parasyte, Sailor Moon, The Seven Deadly Sins, Shota no Sushi, Skip and Loafer, and Tokyo Revengers.
In each case, the display shows an image or two of the character, and then there’s one line in English explaining something. For instance, Usagi from Sailor Moon details the correct way to wear a kimono or yukata. Kaneda from Akira stresses that in Japan traffic drives on the left. Shinra from Fire Force assures people it’s polite in Japan to slurp noodles, so you don’t have to be quiet.
Other notes are more general reminders that could be true anywhere, like Captain Levi from Attack on Titan cautioning people to stay clear of the railings at the train station if they’re taking pictures. There’s a little bit of fun stuff, too, with Chiikawa telling you to say “Kanpai!” for a toast.
While these displays are all very helpful, they will only be around for a limited time. By the time July is here, the displays will be done.
People at the train stations do have the option of picking up the Manga Manners pamphlet. Fold out the pamphlet, and you’ll see small images of all the displays, so it’s like taking them with you. Only so many of these pamphlets are being made, so they in themselves are bound to be of interest to collectors.
Source: SoraNews24
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
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