Tokiwaso Manga Museum Salon, A Gathering Space for Fans; Local Mayor Hopes Space will Become Center of Revitalization

The Yomiuri Shimbun

21:00 JST, December 11, 2023

TOKYO — A gathering space for fans of the leading manga artists of the Showa era (1926-1989) opened on Saturday in Toshima Ward, Tokyo. It is located near the Tokiwaso Manga Museum, a re-creation of the Tokiwaso apartment building where Tezuka Osamu and other well-known manga artists spent their younger years.

The Tokiwaso Manga Museum Salon is located on the second floor of a two-story building, where visitors can take a break using the chairs and desks provided for them and talk about the manga artists and their works.

Inside the gathering space, information about the municipalities and memorial museums connected to the manga artists who had lived in Tokiwaso, such as Takarazuka City in Hyogo Prefecture, where Osamu Tezuka had lived for about 20 years from his childhood, is provided through videos and posters. There is also a cafe on the first floor.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the opening of the gathering space, Toshima Ward Mayor Miyuki Takagiwa said, “We hope to make the Salon the center of revitalization of the local community.”

The Salon is closed on Mondays. If Monday is a national holiday, the space will be closed the following day. Admission is free.