Review of the Citi exhibition Manga マンガ at the British Museum

by Sonali Dutta. 

Manga, Japanese comics and cartoons, is the artistic medium that is hugely popular both in Japan and abroad. The illustrated medium has greatly influenced video games and also anime (televised version of the comics) similarly well-loved across the globe. The literal meaning of “manga” in Japanese translates as “picture run riot” which perfectly sums up how big the artistic expression has become. Nearly all of us will have at least heard of a popular series such as Pokemon or the Studio Ghibli films if we haven’t seen them. The British Museum is hosting the Citi Exhibition Manga as part of UK/Japan Season of Culture 2019-2020, in what is the biggest exhibition outside of Japan. As a former teenage manga nerd who still enjoys a manga comic or five, I eagerly spent an afternoon exploring the history, technique and influences of this type of graphic art and how it’s evolved.

J.Fernandes.(c) The Trustees of the British Museum

Studio Ghibli Museum

by Sonali Dutta

Studio Ghibli films need almost no introduction and have a legion of international fans across all ages. The animation studio has created masterpieces including My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. Tickets for the Museum are sometimes difficult to get – you can’t turn up on the day but need to purchase in advance. If you can obtain tickets, I’d definitely recommend you go to this unique museum. The Museum is small and within one building, but has several floors, an outside area and a cafe and gift shop.

Giant Totoro near the museum entrance.

Top Ten Japanese Eats

by Sonali Dutta

There’s so much more to Japanese cuisine than sushi. Of course I did eat a lot of this during my trip but it was also interesting to sample local and seasonal foods. In the name of serious research (ahem), I took it on myself to try out a typical dish in each area of Japan I visited. I was in Japan during the Autumn, and due to allergies I am a soya-dodger (so no tofu or miso). Here is a list of the ten most delicious things I ate in no particular order, strictly for informational purposes. Chopsticks at the ready!

1. Sushi

I had to start with sushi. I am a huge fan and regularly enjoy eating nigri, maki and temaki in the UK. However, this pales in comparison to the superb and fresh sushi available in Japan. In Kyoto and Tokyo I went to a tradition kaitenzushi conveyor belt restaurant. These are cheap, quick and easy – just pick up the plates you like and pay at the end. I opted for fish dishes and some more unique offering included horse meat and fugu (which gave Homer Simpson so much trouble). I’ll always regret not getting up at 5.00am to visit the Tokyo fish market, but there’s a great excuse to go back!