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Tezuka Manga Tiles to Line Sidewalks of His Hometown

Takarazuka, a small Japanese city between Kobe and Osaka, may be best known as the site of the legendary Takarazuka Revue, but it is also the hometown of Osamu Tezuka, the so-called "God of Manga" largely responsible for the growth of that medium as well as anime. The city has already honored its son with The Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum, which has educated the curious on Tezuka's life and works since 1994, and now it is going the extra mile to showcase his work — well, more like the extra third of a mile.

Takarazuka's "Flower Road," which links the train station with the theater, as well as the bridge leading to the Tezuka museum, will be inlaid with special tiles depicting five famous Tezuka works. The tiles are 45 centimeters (18 inches) squared and are ostensibly to prevent skidding. Each tile will feature the Tezuka museum's logo and the same gold frame seen on the covers of Tezuka's manga in Japan. The works depicted are Astro Boy, Phoenix, Jungle Taitei, Princess Knight, and Black Jack.

The tiles will be laid into 400 meters (or 1,312 feet) of Flower Road and 150 meters (492 feet) of the bridge. Each segment will have five tiles. The roadwork will take place in mid- to late March and will open to the public by April, when the museum celebrates its 20th anniversary. The total cost is about 6 million yen (or $58,600).

Tezuka spent the first two decades of his life in Takarazuka, and the city is said to have greatly influenced him via its theatrical revue and the surrounding scenery. Takarazuka's mayor, Tomoko Nakagawa, said, "We'd like to welcome many people to our museum and theater. We want them to feel Osamu Tezuka's world by touching his work."

[Via MSN Sankei News West]