The Agency for Cultural Affairs will consider ways to preserve the manga original drawings, which have valuable cultural value, in order to prevent them from being scattered overseas.
In order to accumulate expertise in preservation techniques, the agency has enlisted the help of Tetsuya Chiba (85), known for the boxing manga “Ashita no Joe.”
Officials from the agency announced on January 18 that the project would be entrusted to a private company that was recruited through an open call.
The government-affiliated National Museum of Art, which operates the National Art Center, Tokyo, and the National Museum of Western Art will also cooperate.
The project will catalog approximately 48,000 temporary manga-related materials such as original drawings and storyboards in Chiba’s possession, and determine the appropriate state of preservation.
They also plan to study digitization technology for dozens of manga works and check the rights status in preparation for future use.
Japanese anime and manga are very popular overseas, and enthusiasts are also showing great interest in intermediate works such as anime cels.
Original drawings by famous manga artists such as Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989) are being sold at high prices at auctions overseas.
Some critics feel that such cultural resources are being drained from Japan.
Additionally, memorabilia of deceased cartoonists is often kept in poor preservation conditions.
There are increasing calls for government involvement in the systematic management and digital archiving of cultural and artistic works.
Approximately 34 million yen ($230,000) was allocated for this training program in the fiscal year 2023 budget. The authorities plan to publish the research results by the end of 2024.
An additional 190 million yen has been allocated in the 2024 budget proposal for projects to preserve and utilize anime and manga materials.
Agency officials say they also plan to investigate materials from manga artists outside of Chiba.