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Tokiwa-so Manga Museum Celebrates 5th Anniversary with Tanabata Wishes

The Tokiwa-so Manga Museum is set to celebrate its 5th anniversary with an exciting event featuring Tanabata decorations, showcasing around 4,000 colorful 'nurie-tanzaku' (coloring wish strips) created by local children. The exhibition will take place from July 4th to July 7th at the museum and Minaminagasaki Hanazaki Park, where the decorations will be displayed.

This event celebrates the opening of the museum, which has become a key cultural site for manga enthusiasts. It is designed to engage local schoolchildren and preschoolers, providing them with the chance to express their hopes and dreams through art. Notably, children from the town of Minowa in Nagano Prefecture, a sister city, are also participating in this creative project.

The special 'nurie-tanzaku' created for this occasion features characters from Japanese manga classics, such as 'Pinoko' from Osamu Tezuka's 'Black Jack', and 'A Tarou' from Fujio Akatsuka's 'Moretsu A Tarou'. In total, 11 characters from the works of 11 different manga artists will be represented, allowing children to connect with beloved characters while writing down their wishes.

By the end of the exhibition, over 4,000 creative and heartfelt wishes will have been collected, with messages expressing desires such as 'May everyone have healthy and happy days!' and 'I want to become better at drawing!'. The installation of the Tanabata decorations took place yesterday, with local residents and government officials working together to adorn the area with 40 real bamboo branches, bringing the magic of Tanabata to life.

A representative from the local district commented, “The neighborhood where Tokiwa-so was located is a place where many aspiring manga artists realized their dreams. This year, there has been an especially high amount of wishes collected. We hope that the dreams of many, especially the children, come true.”

The details of the 5th anniversary Tanabata exhibition are as follows:

• - Dates: July 4th (Friday) to July 7th (Monday). Note that the museum will be closed on July 7th, with only the bamboo decoration remaining on display.
• - Location: Tokiwa-so Manga Museum and Minaminagasaki Hanazaki Park (commonly known as Tokiwa-so Park), located at 3-9-22 Minaminagasaki.
• - Nurie-tanzaku: Featuring 11 characters from 11 different manga works, including characters from:

- Osamu Tezuka’s 'Black Jack'
- Hiroo Terada’s 'Number 0'
- Fujiko Fujio's 'Ninja Hattori-kun'
- Fujiko F. Fujio's 'Doraemon'
- Shinichi Suzuki's 'Ramen Shop Monument'
- Naoya Moriyasu's 'Ineko Warakko'
- Shotaro Ishinomori's 'Cyborg 009'
- Fujio Akatsuka's 'Moretsu A Tarou'
- Eiko Mizuno's 'Tokiwa Cat'
- Tokuo Yokota's 'Margaret-chan'
- George Yamauchi's 'Play with Letters'

Join us in celebrating the artistry, dreams, and community spirit as we honor the legacy of Tokiwa-so and its influence on the world of manga.