Museum visitors are greeted by a costumed yokai in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, on April 20.
2:26 PM JST, May 4, 2024
SAKAIMINATO, Tottori — A museum in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, showcasing the achievements of mangaka Shigeru Mizuki (1922-2015) has reopened after years of renovation.
Shigeru Mizuki was born in Sakaiminato and became famous for his manga “GeGeGe no Kitaro”, which featured many Japanese yokai monsters.
Due to the aging of the facility, the city government rebuilt the Mizuki Shigeru Museum, which opened in March 2003. The new facility is a two-story steel frame building. It has a floor area of approximately 1,700 square meters, approximately 1.5 times as much as the old building. A temperature-controlled room has been installed where Kitaro’s original artwork and other drawings can be displayed.
The permanent exhibition shows Mizuki’s life through his works, from his amateur days to his masterpiece war cartoon “Soin Gyokusai Seyo!” (Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths), a fictional account of his war experiences.
Numerous yokai figurines are also displayed in a dimly lit room that resembles a cave. When the museum opened on April 20, visitors were greeted by costumed yokai.
The museum is open all year round from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm. Admission is ¥1,000 for adults.
