Manga culture celebrated through iconic manga artist visits, cosplay meetups, exclusive artist-designed merchandise and more 

Accompanying display How Manga is Made: ONE PIECE ONLY will reveal the creative process behind manga

Beshi the frog will guide museum visitors as the official exhibition mascot

de Young museum / September 27, 2025 – January 25, 2026

Tickets go on sale July 2 

SAN FRANCISCO, June 17, 2025 – Japanese comics and graphic novels, known as manga, have become a beloved global phenomenon. Yet until now, there has not been a major exhibition on the art of manga in North America. Featuring rarely displayed genga (original drawings) by 10 major artists, Art of Manga – the first large-scale manga art exhibition in North America – presents manga from the 1970s to today. The artists explore themes across genres, from friendship to sexuality to the human condition. Looking closely at each artist’s narrative worlds and creative processes, the exhibition also spotlights manga’s cultural impact on the world today and possibilities for the future. Individual sections are dedicated to the work of artists Araki Hirohiko, Oda Eiichiro, Tagame Gengoroh, Takahashi Rumiko, Taniguchi Jirō, Yamashita Kazumi, Yamazaki Mari, and Yoshinaga Fumi, and the exhibition begins with works by Akatsuka Fujio and Chiba Tetsuya. Opening September 27, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (the “Fine Arts Museums”) invites visitors to fully immerse themselves in the world of manga through genga, exclusive programming with acclaimed manga artists and editors, and exciting on-site activations.

Manga Takes Over the Museum

The museum will come alive with the spirit of manga. Beshi, a slightly naughty but much-loved manga frog character created by Akatsuka Fujio, is known to many from the popular Catch BESHI!! Nintendo Switch game. Beshi will make the de Young museum its new home as it accompanies visitors through their Art of Manga exhibition experience. 

How Manga is Made: ONE PIECE ONLY, an accompanying display shown for the first time in the US, will give museum visitors a glimpse into the creative process behind the celebrated ONE PIECE manga series. The installation will follow the creative journey of the manga from the hand of Oda Eiichiro to the printing presses. A series of “treasure boxes” and films will reveal how a single sheet of paper is transformed into millions of printed volumes. Serialized in over 1,151 episodes and collected in 111 volumes (as of 17th of June 2025), ONE PIECE follows the thrilling adventures of protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, The Straw Hat Pirates.

On opening day (September 27), October 25, and December 6, visitors are invited to come to the museum dressed as their favorite characters and explore Art of Manga in costume, participate in themed activities, and enjoy photo ops. Exhibition visitors are welcome to come in cosplay for any exhibition visit and can then easily store their wings, swords, and other bulky props in the “Cos-closet”. 

2025 Manga Artist and Expert Programs

Throughout the run of the exhibition, the Fine Arts Museums is proud to host several programs with renowned manga artists and industry experts. 

Opening Day | September 27 | Yamazaki Mari

Our opening day conversation will feature a discussion between Yamazaki Mari (creator of Plinivs; Thermae Romae and THERMAE ROMAE redux) and exhibition curator Nicole Coolidge Rousmaniere about Art of Manga and Yamazaki’s longstanding artistic practice. 

October 25 | Tagame Gengoroh

In partnership with San Francisco’s California College of the Arts, Tagame Gengoroh (creator of My Brother’s Husband; Our Colors) will discuss his work as a gay erotic artist.

December 6 | Symposium

Immerse yourself in manga – a manga artist and editors will share first-hand insight into their practice, followed by museum curators and industry creatives discussing the future of manga and manga as art. Program details to be announced.

Exclusive Merchandise

The de Young Museum Store will offer an exclusive collection of merchandise featuring artwork by Akatsuka Fujio, Araki Hirohiko, Chiba Tetsuya, Oda Eiichiro, Tagame Gengoroh, Takahashi Rumiko, Tanaami Keiichi, Taniguchi Jirō, Yamashita Kazumi, Yamazaki Mari, and Yoshinaga Fumi. 

Tagame Gengoroh has created an original drawing in celebration of the exhibition and San Francisco Pride. The commissioned artwork, titled Tomorrow, features two men wearing and holding shirts with “Marriage Equality” and “PRIDE” messages, alongside the LGBTQ+ flag. The image will appear on a t-shirt, tote, mug, poster, and postcard.

The store will also carry more than sixty manga titles and volumes by the participating artists—including Japanese imports—along with the comprehensive exhibition catalogue published by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco in association with VIZ Media.

Art of Manga Catalogue

Art of Manga profiles eleven prominent manga artists through in-depth sections exploring their work, aesthetic themes, and creative processes. This vibrant volume also includes essays and interviews on manga’s history, creation, and cultural impact by artists, scholars, and industry professionals. Timelines trace manga’s roots in Japan and its connections to the United States. Featuring over 200 full-color illustrations, the catalogue, published by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco in association with VIZ Media, provides readers with a deeper understanding of manga’s development and enduring influence.

About Art of Manga

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 by Akatsuka Fujio and Chiba Tetsuya kick off the exhibition and individual sections are dedicated to the work of artists Araki Hirohiko, Oda Eiichiro, Tagame Gengoroh, Takahashi Rumiko, Taniguchi Jirō, Yamashita Kazumi, Yamazaki Mari, and Yoshinaga Fumi. Art of Manga concludes with a presentation of publishing company Shueisha’s innovative Shueisha Manga-Art Heritage (SMAH) initiative featuring work by artist Tanaami Keiichi. Blurring the boundaries between manga and fine art, SMAH examines new ways to enjoy and acquire manga art, such as limited-edition print runs created from genga that are linked to the blockchain. 

Ticketing Information

Tickets will go on sale on July 2. Cosplayers can use code DYCOSPLAY to receive a discount on Art of Manga tickets.

About Manga

A type of image-driven narrative storytelling in Japan, manga as a term first appeared in the later 18th century and literally translates as “pictures run riot.” Modern manga appears to have originated in two phases. The first phase was in the 1890s through 1920s, when Western printing methods, satire and cartooning were combined with traditional Japanese narrative formats such as kamishibai (street theater) and woodblock prints as well as printed illustrated novels. The second phase was in the immediate post–World War II era, when Japan was under US occupation, with the introduction of American culture, television, and films, particularly Disney. Sazae-san (Ms Sazae) by Hasegawa Machiko starting in 1946 and Tezuka Osamu’s Shin Takarajima (New Treasure Island) in 1947 ushered in the age of modern manga in Japan.

Manga is incredibly popular with people of all ages in Japan and all over the world. It features an array of subjects, from sports to another world (isekai) stories; there is literally a manga for everyone. Manga can be enjoyed in magazines, books and digitally – in almost any language.

Without the collective efforts of the following colleagues, this manga exhibition would not be possible: Chiba Tetsuya Production, Fujio Production, Furari Co., Futabasha, KADOKAWA, Kodansha, Hakusensha, Shogakukan, Shinchosha, Shueisha, and Smile Company.

Exhibition Organization & Support

Art of Manga is organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and curated by Nicole Coolidge Rousmaniere, Research Director of the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures, University of East Anglia. Opening September 27th, 2025 at the de Young museum, the exhibition will run through January 25, 2026.

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