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The Noto Peninsula suffered extensive damage due to the magnitude 7 earthquake that occurred on January 1, 2024. In Go Nagai’s birthplace of Wajima City, a tsunami surged, houses collapsed, and fires raged. The municipal Go Nagai Wonderland Museum on Wajima Asaichi Street was one of the buildings that burned down. The original illustrations on display were also thought to have been destroyed by the fire. Go Nagai delivered the following message through his company’s social media accounts.
“I’m still an active manga artist, so even if the illustrations were lost, I can always draw and create new ones. That in itself is not a big deal. Instead, I would like to focus on helping the victims of the disaster in Wajima and in other regions get back on their feet as soon as possible.”
Indeed, the artist who produced legendary 1970s manga works like Mazinger Z, Devil Man, and Cutie Honey continues to create new art today. Knowing this and hearing his message served as a source of comfort for many. It was later discovered that the museum's fireproofing measures had successfully protected the original illustrations from being burned.
Before the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, Shueisha Manga-Art Heritage had enlisted Taya-Shikkiten, a lacquerware shop in Wajima, placing an order to produce a fully lacquered frame that would be perfectly suited to a monochrome letterpress print. We planned to announce the product in the fall of 2024 and sell it on a made-to-order basis. However, production was halted when the manufacturing plant was completely destroyed and burned down by the earthquake and fire. We asked ourselves whether we could use this beautiful frame to help Wajima in some way. We paid a visit to Go Nagai’s company Dynamic Production, and this exhibition was what came about as a result.
Blazing the trail for an entire genre of works featuring heroes fighting aboard giant robots, Mazinger Z began running in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1972. In those days, manga was produced by combining metal plates with movable type. We revived this method to create art prints, which will be on display in Wajima lacquer frames. Also on display will be Cheek Guard Cup: Ultimate Mechanical Demon Form, a ceramic piece made in collaboration with potter Takahiro Koga, first unveiled at SCOPE Miami Beach in December 2024.
We donated these works to Wajima City in February 2025. We will also donate a portion of Shueisha's sales from this exhibition to the city.
Azabudai Hills Garden Plaza A, B1 5-8-1, Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001, JAPAN
Access / About a 1-minute walk from Exit 5, Kamiyacho Station on the Hibiya Subway Line.
11:00 – 20:00
Closed on Mondays (except 5th May), 7th May
There are two spaces available for visitors: the gallery space (open to the public), and the lounge (reservation only). For visitors who would like to learn more about or purchase artworks, please make a reservation below. Dedicated staff will be available to assist you in the lounge.
Please make a reservation below.
