In an effort to preserve the diverse subculture of anime, manga, and video games, the Meiji University of Tokyo announced during the recently concluded August Comiket that they have plans of erecting an entire complex dedicated to this eccentric hobby. Planned for completion by FY 2014, the so-called Tokyo International Manga Library boasts reading rooms, a dedicated theater/viewing room, a large archive of up to 200,000 different serialized titles and (get this) 2,000,000 doujins from previous Comiket conventions, an interactive acrade-game center for past and future arcade games with 800 titles already up on the roster, a museum which showcases different exhibits ranging from artworks to figurines, and a large event hall for future events... possibly even mini comikets!
More reason to visit the mecca of anime? You bet.
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FUCKIN' A.
ReplyDeleteOne more place I have to go before I die.
@Bob
ReplyDeleteIndeed, it is. :D
Is that really a "library"? Seems more like a business/entertainment business venture than a true library. Are all "libraries" in Japan free and open to the public (like in the USA), or are there usage fees or restrictions to visitors?
ReplyDelete@Naeko
ReplyDeleteIt "is" a library, in the sense that it houses books that you can read (although I don't know if they can be borrowed) - but I guess it's better to think of it as a complex. It IS a University library, and from what I know, these are open to the public, but visitors might have certain restrictions or may require fees, etc. You know the drill.
As for libraries in Japan, in general, some public libraries are free of charge, but require registration if in case you want to borrow a book. It's pretty much like how any library works, I guess.