Riyoko Ikeda works from “The Rose of Versailles, Part 2” collection: from application to delivery

BLEACH / The Millennium—The Production of Mino Gami Paper

For this manga to be passed down in a thousand years’ time, we decided to return to the roots of the artform. Manga are usually illustrated on B4 (257 × 364 mm) and scaled down to B5 (182 × 257 mm) for publication in magazines. While the A size is an international standard, the B size is actually the Japanese domestic standard. Its origins are said to lie in minoban, a size of mino washi paper dating to the Edo period. For this reason, manga original drawings and ukiyo-e are almost identical in size. Going further back in history, Japan's oldest piece of paper, which is kept at Shôsô-in Repository in Nara, was also made in Mino. The document is a family registry form dated 702 AD. The paper was made more than 1,300 years ago, and yet, it retains its original form today. We wanted to know whether we could create manga on Mino washi paper, which has a 1,300-year history, and was the origin of the manga paper format. We consulted Marujyu Paper Company, based in Mino, Gifu Prefecture, to request handmade washi paper. They were able to produce for us Mino washi paper using traditional methods. The result is an original type of paper created especially for Shueisha Manga-Art Heritage.

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