Manga (comics) , anime (animation), video games, and related Japanese pop-cultures, have until now rarely been collected and preserved in archival institutions to enable the general public to view works from the past. If this situation continues, despite the huge role they play in contemporary culture, it will become difficult for people of the future to view the overall picture of manga, anime, video games, and how they were received both in the past and the present times. Materials which are considered important or popular today may have a high chance of survival, but we discover so often that works which were discarded as being of no significance, to be the true origin of long-range cultural influence. Thus, unless works and items are diversely preserved, independently from present authoritarian selection, it will become difficult to accurately understand cultural history in the future. The Tokyo International Manga Library (tentative name) will serve a wide array of functions, but the preservation of these materials for future generations is one of the library’s most important missions.
Items to be archived:
- Manga, anime, and video games; related books, magazines, and dojinshi (self-published material)
- Manga and anime originals; drawings, production cels and films
- Arcade game cabinets and PCBs
- Home video game consoles and software
- Figurines and merchandize
- Other items
Collaborators and Supporters:
- The Contemporary Manga Library
- Comic Market Committe
- Arcade Game Museum Project
- Kaiyodo Co., Ltd
- COMIC 1 Committee
- COMITIA Co., Ltd.
- Japan Tourism Agency
- Japan Foundation
and others