2:00 - 4:30
Comic books hold a longstanding mainstay in American culture, and over the years, manga from Japan has permeated popular culture. Reimagined stories ranging from historical fiction and contemporary magical realism to fantasy and science fiction have earned a section in bookstores and libraries, enchanting readers from the young to the old. In conjunction with the "Art of Manga" exhibition at the de Young Museum, humanities professor Hanako Asakura, author and manga/anime expert Gilles Poitras, and exhibition curator Nicole Coolidge Rousmaniere, Research Director of the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures at the University of East Anglia, will discuss the allure of this vibrant and artistic storytelling medium, one that continues to fascinate new generations of readers.
Hanako Asakura grew up reading manga in LA, never imagining that she might one day teach it at universities. She works on modern Japanese art, literature, and visual culture, having gotten an MA from UC Berkeley in 2004. Since then, she has taught at UC Berkeley and San Francisco State University. She is particularly interested in manga history, transformations in manga over time, and the ways that manga represent, address, and impact their audiences.
Gilles Poitras is the author of The Anime Companion: What's Japanese in Japanese Animation? (1999), The Anime Companion 2: More-- What's Japanese in Japanese Animation? (2005) and Tokyo Stroll: A Guide to City Sidetracks and Easy Explorations (2022).
Nicole Coolidge Rousmaniere, Ph.D., is the founding Director and currently the Research Director of the Sainsbury Institute and Professor of Japanese Art and Culture at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. She was until recently the IFAC Handa Curator of Japanese Art at the Department of Asia, British Museum, and was the lead curator there for the Crafting Beauty in Modern Japan exhibition in 2007 and the Citi Exhibition Manga held in the Sainsbury Exhibition Galleries, British Museum in 2019. She is currently curating a large exhibition of manga drawings (genga) at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, running until January 25, 2026. She was made the Tottori Prefecture furusato ambassador in 2021.
About Art of Manga at the de Young Museum:
"Featuring rarely exhibited, original drawings by legendary artists, Art of Manga spotlights manga, a genre of innovative Japanese comics and graphic novels. Through more than 600 drawings Art of Manga will enable visitors to gain an understanding of the medium’s immersive power and the social impact of manga in the world today. Visitors will become fluent in reading manga after viewing the exhibition. Holding an extensive historical Japanese prints collection, the Fine Arts Museums is the first North American museum to have a large-scale exhibition presenting original drawings (genga) of manga, which traces its roots back to Japanese painting forms, 18th- and 19th-century woodblock prints, and Western comics and satire."
"Manga Is a Pop Culture Phenomenon. It’s Also a Singular Art Form.
A first-of-its-kind exhibition in San Francisco shows the artistry and history of the Japanese comics that have fueled hits across TV and film."
Maya Phillips, "Manga is a pop culture phenomenon. It's also a singular art form," The New York Times, October 11, 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/arts/manga-exhibition-de-young.html.
Todd Inoue, "Inside San Francisco’s first major manga exhibition at the de Young," The San Francisco Chronicle, September 28, 2025, https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/art-of-manga-de-young-sf-21065370.php.
Kate Bartlett, "Why Gen Z protesters worldwide are flying an anime pirate flag," NPR, October 5, 2025, https://www.npr.org/2025/10/05/nx-s1-5560980/gen-z-protesters-one-piece-pirate-flag.
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Update: Gilles Poitras will sign his book, Tokyo Stroll. His books are available to purchase in the Koret Lobby on the day of the program.
This program is co-sponsored by the de Young Museum, the Cartoon Art Museum, Viz Media, the Magazines and Newspapers Center and the International Center of the San Francisco Public Library.
Connect:
The de Young Museum Art of Manga Exhibition - Website | Cartoon Art Museum - Website | Viz Media - Website | Gilles Poitras - Website
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