Japanese to build £80m 'shrine' to manga cartoons

The world of Japanese cartoons is to be immortalised in a £80 million (11.7 billion yen) national “anime shrine” to be built in Tokyo.

• Soaring international popularity for contemporary Japaneses sub cultures such as anime cartoons, manga comics and video games has prompted the government to unveil plans to set up a national centre in the capital.
• Masterminded by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, it will become the first government-built national centre dedicated to uniting modern Japanese media arts, according to the Asahi Shimbun.
• Cutting-edge animation is one of Japan’s most famous exports, with its credentials boosted further by a Japanese creation scooping an Oscar this year for Best Animated Short Film.
• While Japan is currently home to an annul ten-day Japan Media Arts Festival, there is currently no national space where a permanent collection has been collated.
• From video games to pop art, the government reportedly plans to establish a major collection of modern Japanese media arts to showcase and promote internationally at the new centre.
• The government plans to collaborate with regional museums, galleries and institutions such as the Kyoto International Manga Museum and the NTT InterCommunication Centre in Tokyo in the establishment of the new centre.
• While the exact Tokyo location and timescale of its creation have not been confirmed, details of the new centre were included the government’s most recent economic package.