This interactive seminar will introduce you to the world of Japanese anime and manga, two storytelling art forms that have seen an explosion in popularity among Western audiences. Develop your illustration and design skills as you learn from skilled instructors and guest artists steeped in Japanese animation techniques. Using Tokyo as your classroom, explore the “Anime Mecca” of Nakano, and shop at Nakano Broadway’s huge array of specialty shops and cafes. See works by Hiroshige and Hokusai at local museums and trace the evolution of Japan’s signature bright, flat coloring and stylization across three centuries. Visit the Suginami Animation Museum and study the ‘behind the scenes’ and rarities from early pioneering series like Sailor Moon, and Astro Boy. Explore real-life locations from today’s most popular works such as Demon Slayer, Your Name, Tokyo Revengers, Jujutsu Kaisen and more. Hone your own critical eye and artistic style with in-depth lessons from a professional artist. Discuss the evolution of manga—from its ancient aesthetic roots in illustrated scrolls to its contemporary incarnation that appeals to audiences of all ages—and investigate how these art forms both spread and challenge Japanese cultural norms. To cap the program, curate an artistic retrospective of a particular artist or studio, create your own storyboard, or explore the “outsider” influence on this distinctly homegrown art form.

There is a supplemental fee of $200 for this course.