Interest
Manga Artists Turn Tokyo Neighborhoods Into Characters
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
The official website for the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition center has posted pictures of seven Tokyo neighborhoods anthropomorphized as manga characters. The following creators drew the characters:
- Shiro Asakusa: You Higuri (Cantarella)
- Ruri Akihabara: Shunsaku Tomose
- Reia Ginza: Akira Hiyoshimaru (Bungaku Shōjo manga)
- Kyosuke Shinjuku: Katsuki Kuzuya
- Azusa Daiba: Toko Hinamatsuri
- Mio Shibuya: Reine Hibiki (Maria-sama ga Miteru novel illustrations)
- Souta Ikebukuro: Kanan Asuka
Seraphim Call artist Aoi Nanase (pictured far left) and Izumi Bell (pictured left) also drew two versions of "Tokyo Big Sight-chan" — girls inspired by the event center that hosts Comic Market and other big otaku-related events. Finally, LiSA Miyasu (below right) and You Nagisawa (below far right) also drew illustrations to promote tourism.
Life-size versions of these characters will be on display at Japan Expo in Paris from June 30 to July 3. Attendees can have their pictures taken with the characters and write messages of support on the photos for the victims of the March 11 Great Eastern Japan Earthquake (Higashi Nihon Daishinsai) disaster.
Japan Expo's three-dimensional guests include Nobuteru Yuki, Akira Yamaoka, Yumiko Igarashi, h.Naoto, X Japan, Yasuhiro Nightow, Toko Kawai, May'n, Hinako Takanaga, Shanti, and Yoshiki Tonogai.
[Via Tadashi Sudo]
Images © You Higuri/Tokyo Big Sight 2011
© Shunsaku Tomose/Tokyo Big Sight 2011
© Akira Hiyoshimaru/Tokyo Big Sight 2011
© Katsuki Kuzuya/Tokyo Big Sight 2011
© Toko Hinamatsuri/Tokyo Big Sight 2011
© Reine Hibiki/Tokyo Big Sight 2011
© Kanan Asuka/Tokyo Big Sight 2011
© Aoi Nansae/Tokyo Big Sight 2011
© Izumi Bell/Tokyo Big Sight 2011
