Japan Foreign Minister creating "Nobel Prize" of manga

Now, this is some very good news for the manga community in general. And not just the fans ... I mean creators, too. In a report from Mainichi, it has been revealed that Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Aso is helping establish a "Foreign Manga Award", which he hopes will be the Nobel Prize of manga. Here's a part of the translation of the the report by the Anime News Network.

In a press conference following a meeting of Prime Minister Shinzō Abe's cabinet on Tuesday morning, Japanese Foreign Minister Tarō Asō announced the creation of an "International Manga Award" for manga artists and creators from outside Japan. "We want to make this award the 'Nobel Prize' of Manga," said Asō, who also mentioned that one purpose of the award is to "increase the popularity of Japanese Pop Culture and subcultures."

Tarō Asō, who is known for being an outspoken fan of manga himself, will lead a group charged with the task of establishing the award. Funding for the award will come from the Japan Foundation, Japan's endowment to support international relations.

Nominees for the award will be decided by both the public and Japanese as well as foreign manga publishing companies. The award will be handed over on June 22nd by a group of former chief-editors, including Michiko Satonaka, Takashi Yanase and Tetsuya Chiba.

Excellent news, in my opinion. It's very satisfying to see American and Japanese publishers working together to set up a system where mangaka finally receive their due recognition. Even as the comic industry continues to plummet slowly, manga sales are on the rise nearly everywhere. Just goes to show that manga is, indeed, a superior medium of story-telling.