One Thousand Years of Manga

Manga has attained phenomenal worldwide success in recent years, and shows no signs of slowing down. As contemporary as this graphic artform may appear to readers outside of Japan, manga is the fruit of a long artistic tradition. Manga as we know it today is deeply rooted in ancient Japanese culture, and traces can be found in seventh-century temple paintings, folding screens decorated with comical characters, and painted scrolls. The more familiar manga comics of today, aimed at a broad audience of adults as well as children, echo similar themes and draw on narrative forms from throughout Japan’s rich history.