In April, the 1.34 sq km (0.5 square-mile) island of Takaikamishima opened a dedicated manga school in hopes of reviving its fortunes through one of Japan’s most iconic cultural exports.
Twenty-three elementary and junior high school students from elsewhere in the Kamijima municipality – which includes Takaikamishima – have already enrolled.
The initiative marks the culmination of an eight-year effort led by two elderly manga enthusiasts determined to give the depopulated island a second life.
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Gundam: Ace of Japanese anime, the story behind the popular Gunpla toy kits
Gundam: Ace of Japanese anime, the story behind the popular Gunpla toy kits
Sadamu Kimura, 74, one of the island’s few remaining residents, joined forces with Osamu Hasebe, a 76-year-old medical corporation executive from Yamanashi prefecture, to bring the project to life.
