Madeleine Rosca's International Manga Award Trip: Part Tres
So! On Thursday, which was day five, we got up nice and early to drag our bags down to the station and connect with the bullet train to Kyoto. Can't really say much about this bit...it's two hours on a train which goes a bit slowly when you have nothing to read (dammit). I tried to draw a few times, but Li (the grand prize winner) kept upstaging me with his uber kung-fu pen skillz and I decided it was best not to challenge.
Anyhow, we made it to Kyoto around lunchtime and dropped off our bags at the lovely hotel. Kyoto is one of the hottest, most humid cities in Japan, and I was beginning to feel worried, as the heatstroke which had affected me during my food poisoning on day two seemed to be lurking around my head a bit. After telling myself to keep it together and not repeat the Kodansha debacle, I set off with the others to catch some lunch.
Now, this is where things with my translator got a little sticky. The lovely people that we were traveling with were determined to treat us to a huge, steamy, amazingly oddball Japanese lunch, so that they could show off the cuisine of Kyoto. Me...I was melting in the heat, feeling dehydrated, and seriously just wanting a cold salad and some bottled water. This didn't fly with my hosts. They directed us into a large restaurant specializing in gourmet bento boxes. At any other time, I swear I would have been happy with this, but right now I was just not feeling up to it. After seeing the huge, hot, salty, steaming portions of...things that other folks at the restaurant were devouring, I asked my translator if she could pick out something cold for me, preferably consisting of mainly salad. The translator ruminated with the other Japan Foundation members and the waiter for a while, then she decided upon something and ordered it for me. When it came out, it was...huge, hot, salty, steaming, with no salad and nothing cold in it...!
There are some things I love about Japanese food, but there are some things I just don't get. Like having a block of clear gelatin floating in a drizzle of vinegared relish. Yecch.
After picking limply at some the bento box's contents but leaving most of it untouched, I left with the others (who seemed convinced that I was a supremely small eater - which I'm not, I just didn't want any of the food in front of me at that moment), feeling increasingly baaaad. Arrrgghhhh...
That afternoon, our only engagement was a visit to Kyoto Sekai University, to check out its course in Manga Studies and meet some of the lecturers. These included Keiko Takemiya, who was running a manga class at the University which we got to sit in on. The class was studying practical applications of manga in mediums such as advertising and instructional manuals, which is common in Japan.
Ms. Takemiya also gave us her impressions of our manga, which was great to hear, since she's a professional. She did describe my art as "still a bit crude," which ached a little (but it was, compared to the other three winners). She did say that I had a unique style, though (I choose to interpret this comment in a good way).
By the time I was back at the hotel, I was feeling thoroughly bento-ed out. Fortunately, the other winners decided they wanted a fairly simple dinner, so I was back to normal by the evening. The four of us took the opportunity to wander around Kyoto's backstreets and check out all the odd little shrines and stores that stay open well into the night. It was definitely more scenic than Roppongi!
The next day, day 6, started off much better...our first stop was the Kyoto International Manga Museum, and with the building itself being less than two blocks from the hotel, there was no train ride, just a leisurely stroll. The Museum itself is a large building with several stories of manga shelves inside, holding nearly every manga title that's ever been printed in tankoubon format. It acts as a library as well as a research tool for manga aficionados. There's also a room holding important comics from the west (they've got Little Nemo In Slumberland in there, woot!).
They even set up a little exhibit for the International Manga Award, with little pictures and descriptions of our manga books. It was set up in their 'how to' room, which includes an artist's desk where a manga artist gives demonstrations every day. We were all pretty flattered that our stuff was being featured as an exhibit!
At the top floor of the museum, we were invited in to see a collection of thousands of anime figurines that was the current feature. Unfortunately, we were banned from taking photos inside, but this place would have been a must-see for anyone who loves anime figurines - there were swarms of 'em! I particularly loved all the little Akira figurines, including Kaneda's bike. There were loads of others of course, including some definitely adults-only ones (yet there were kids walking around the exhibit, no problems...). The door to this exhibition was flanked by some near-life-sized statues, including these 2/3rds-scale casts of the three sisters from Ah! My Goddess...
At the end of our journey around this manga mecca, the museum curators asked each of us to draw something for the museum to show. The pressure was on - I hate drawing in front of an audience, and it didn't help that Superartist Li finished his masterpiece in about two minutes flat! They provided us with a selection of media to use, and since everyone else went with inks, I decided to be maverick and break out the colored pencils. From left to right - me, Ben, Kai, Li...
Here's a closer shot...You wouldn't believe how long this took me, only Ben was slower because he was adding insane levels of background detail to his. What can I say - I'm nervous when I'm being watched! (Lucy's sketchbook says - 'Arigato! Kyoto Manga Museum!')
In the afternoon, we hopped on a train (arrgh!!) and hightailed it to the Tezuka Museum to check out some Osamu Tezuka goodness. The Tezuka Museum is a monument to the man himself, the father of modern anime and manga. It's not a particularly big place, but it has a lovely interior decked out in an almost joyfully gaudy fashion with all things Tezuka. Check out the stained-glass ceiling!
The museum features a visual history of Osamu Tezuka's life; contained in giant glass pods are many of his sketchbooks, faded family photos, old animation reels, manga pages...
This building was actually quite small, however...and sadly, we had gotten there too late in the day to view the movie feature that was part of our price of admission. Curses! I just had time to descend into the basement and check out the 'boiler room' where Tezuka's character ideas are spelled out in bright designs on the wall in a steampunk-theme, before we had to leave...
Our visit was all-too-brief thanks to the museum's early closing time...at least I picked up a Kimba The White Lion badge. Afterwards, we took the train ride home, to plan the next day - our tour day in which we'd be checking out historical Kyoto in all its glory. Stay tuned!