ASHAI SHIMBON
By Louis Templado
JAPAN---Religion has been called the opiate of the people, but in Japan perhaps
manga should carry that title. With that in mind, the popular art form is being used to visualize aspects of Buddhism at Zojoji temple, located in Shiba-koen park in Tokyo’s Minato Ward. “Hotoke no sekai” (Exhibition of Buddha Illustration by Manga Artists), which runs until May 13, features works by nearly 50 manga
artists, past and present, including
Osamu Tezuka, Fujio Akatsuka and
Takao Saito. “Manga has become this country’s representative art form, so we asked artists from all over Japan to contribute to this exhibition,” says Keiichi Wada, an organizer of the exhibition. “We asked them to bring their own touch to depicting the Buddha. Many had never done the topic before, so it became an exploration.” [
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Visitors to Zojoji temple in Tokyo admire works by manga artists devoted to
the theme of Buddha in an exhibition that continues until May 13. (Louis Templado) |
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