Niigata City: When Anime Meets Education

Niigata City is the most populous city of the prefecture of Niigata itself.  Bordering the ocean, Niigata is famous for producing some of Japan’s most delicious rice known as koshihakari rice, a result of the prefecture’s rich soil and snowmelt water from the Shinano River, the longest river in Japan. Niigata is also known as a prefecture that produces many popular manga authors and anime creators, as well as hometown to various pop culture-related activities. Let us explore what Niigata City has to offer for the otaku traveler!

1. Exploring The Legacy of Manga: The Mizushima Shinji Manga Street

Niigata Prefecture is home to many prolific legendary manga authors, and Mr. Shinji Mizushima is one such creator who has entertained fans of anime and manga for generations. Well known for his hit manga series like Dokaben and Song of Baseball Enthusiasts (Yakyu-kyo no Uta), Mr. Mizushima is an acclaimed creator who has received two accolades from the Shogakukan Manga Award. To commemorate his legacy, Niigata City created the Mizushima Shinji Manga Street, a lengthy arcade that features characters from his hit baseball manga.

The statues are accurate recreations of the characters from various series written by Mr. Mizushima, each accompanied by a placard explaining their origins. One of the reasons Mr. Mizushima’s manga have been so genre-defining in the sports world is that they feature the first female baseball player in Japanese professional baseball, an aspect that was groundbreaking for the time and paved the way for many more inspirations to come.

Even for those that do not know the manga series, they are extremely well built and communicate exactly what position each character has in addition to their personalities, attesting to their detailed craftsmanship.

At the end of the Mizushima Shinji Manga Street you will find the Japan Animation & Manga College, a premier educational institute for future aspiring artists. You have to admit, placing this school in the midst of a legendary manga author’s legacy is the best inspiration one could wish for!

In the front of the school you will find a life-sized cutout of Mahmut, the protagonist of manga author Ms. Kotono Kato’s acclaimed series “Altair: A Record of Battles”, a fantastical adventure series that takes place in the Ottoman Empire. Just like Mr. Mizushima hails from Niigata, so does Ms. Kotono call this city her hometown- and what better inspiration could one ask for in this college than legendary manga authors?

Access Information The Mizushima Shinji Manga Street Address: Furimachidori Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8063 Niigata Prefecture

2. Learning About Animation at the Niigata Manga Animation Museum

Ever wondered how your favorite manga and anime are brought to life? Wanted to take part in creating your own, down to the voice acting? The Niigata Manga Animation Museum is the place to go! The museum offers an array of hands-on opportunities to create animation in a fun, interactive manner. Combining education and entertainment, the museum located in the Bandai City BILLBOARD PLACE building also includes a special rotating gallery. When I went to visit, there was a gallery for the popular manga series Wind Breaker.

In addition to firsthand experience, you can also find statues of popular anime series “Space Battleship Yamato” and Rumiko Takahashi’s beloved “Urusei Yatsura” manga.

The process of creating an anime is an extremely intricate one that involves a multitude of talents working together to bring the work to life.

The museum is designed in a way to walk you through this process step-by-step, starting from the manga and ending with the finished anime product. On display, you will find actual materials that have been used for popular anime series, including original character “settei”, or design sheets, background artworks, and storyboards. The museum also offers detailed explanations of each process and has interactive displays that guide you through, really showcasing how much work and passion is put into the animation process.

You will also find special interviews with famous directors and artists behind critically acclaimed works such as GAINAX’s “FLCL”.

Perhaps the part that most visitors will enjoy is the voice acting section, which allows you to try voice acting scenes from an anime. This can be enjoyed alone or with a friend, making for a fun dynamic memory. The scene that plays out involves different character archetypes and provides instructions as to how to voice them, serving as a fun educational experience for visitors of all ages!

Access Information Niigata Manga Animation Museum Address: Bandai City BP2, 1/F, 2-5-7, Yachiyo, Chuo-ku, Niigata Opening Hours: 11AM–7PM, 10AM-7PM (Saturday and Sunday) Link: https://museum.nmam.jp/

3. Catching up to the latest trends in the Niigata City Manga House

After learning more about the process of creating anime, I wanted to take a dive into the worlds of the comic books that inspired them- and what better way to do that than to visit Niigata City’s Manga House.

The Niigata City Manga House is an abode for manga lovers, featuring shelves upon shelves of different manga series you can sit and enjoy. There are life-sized statues of different characters, such as Mr. Fujio Akatsuka’s Osomatsu-kun. These make for perfect photo-spots for memories. In recent years, the Osomatsu-kun franchise has gained a newfound following amongst the newer generation with the anime-original Osomatsu-san series that aired in 2015 to critical acclaim, and stepping into this manga museum gives you an insight into the history of this long-running series.

There is also a wall full of signatures from famous manga authors!

The second floor of the manga house is where you can try your hand in drawing manga characters and improving your skill. The staff offer different classes and drawing sessions to aid you in your artistic journey, making for an interactive educational experience.

My favorite part of this floor are the recommended manga section, where locals from Niigata City show love to their favorite series through personal drawings. On the shelves you will find the manga Altair: A Record of Battles recommended- and its author Ms. Kotono Kato is actually from Niigata City!

Access Information The Niigata City Manga House Address: 6 Bancho-971-7 Furumachidori, Chuo Ward, Niigata, 951-8063, Japan Opening Hours: 11AM–7PM, Closed on Wednesdays Link: https://house.nmam.jp/

4. Staying in a beautiful Vintage Hotel

For the night I headed over to Bandai Silver Hotel in the heart of Niigata, making it the perfect strategic place to enjoy what the city has to offer. The hotel is a short 3-minute walk from the station and is the perfect place to enjoy the city.

Bandai Silver Hotel opened its doors in 1975 and has a rustic vintage aesthetic to it, a perfect place for those seeking a Japanese-inspired Western retro vibe. The rooms are extremely spacious, especially compared to most hotels you would find in Tokyo.

Breakfast is served in a buffet style and offers a combination of western-style food in addition to traditional Japanese cuisine. The vibe of sitting in this rustic retro restaurant while eating freshly served fresh french toast is unrivaled- and highly recommended!

Access Information Bandai Silver Hotel Address: 1 Chome-3-30 Bandai, Chuo Ward, Niigata, 950-0088, Japan Link: https://www.silverhotel.co.jp/

Closing Thoughts

Niigata City could be called the educational city of manga and anime, and I would support such a title! If you find yourself in the northern part of Japan, do check out this wonderful city to learn more about the creation of anime!