The third year of Reiwa marks 50 years since world-renowned mangaka (manga artist), Jiro Taniguchi, made his debut and took his first steps into the public painting world.

To mark the occasion, a special art exhibition split across two venues in Taniguchi’s home prefecture of Tottori, will be held in admiration of his greatest achievements. The event will be showcasing some of Taniguchi’s most popular pieces as well as some that have been left unfinished and yet to be seen.

The event is unique in that it will be split across two separate venues in Tottori prefecture, with a different theme at both locations, before it continues on and makes its way around the rest of Japan.

A wide selection of Taniguchi’s original drawings, ranging from popular pieces to unfinished and never-seen before designs, will be exhibited at the Yonago City Museum of Art. At the far eastern end of the prefecture (about an hour and a half drive along Tottori Prefecture’s stretch of the Sea of Japan), the Bird Theatre (ギャラリー鳥たちのいえ) in Tottori City will be displaying original pieces by Taniguchi that are set in Tottori.

Both venues are not too far away from each other, and with a variety of sights to see and things to do along the coast of the Sea of Japan, a trip to both exhibition venues can be enjoyed across a day or two.

Jiro Taniguchi’s World of Drawing – Yonago Venue

The evolution of Taniguchi’s art style and themes can be seen across his work, since he made his debut in the manga industry in his early 20’s with Karata Heya. The popularity of his work can be reflected in the nearly 20 different language translations made of his books.
This exhibition in Yonago focuses on some of Taniguchi’s earliest projects from the 1970’s and also includes a number of unfinished pieces that never made it into the public eye. The event will display approximately 200 pieces of Taniguchi artwork.

Venue: Yonago City Museum of Art
Period: 23 January 2021 – 21 February 2021
Hours: 10am – 6pm
Admission Fee: Free
*closed on Wednesdays

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Jiro Taniguchi’s World of Drawing: Featuring Tottori – Tottori Venue

Though Taniguchi left Tottori after graduating from high school in 1966, it still played a large role in the settings of his artwork. Scenery depicted in his work often shows a nostalgic Tottori prefecture before it experienced a high level of economic growth and change.

Venue: Bird Theatre (ギャラリー鳥たちのいえ)
Period: 25 January 2021 – 21 February 2021
Hours: 10am – 6pm
Admission Fee: Free
*closed on Wednesdays