MINT: Promoting Diversity in Manga
From May 29 to June 2, a series of public events on Japanese manga will be held across New York City, organized by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan Arts Council, and the Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture (JPIC) as part of the MINT (Manga International Network Team) project.
NYC Manga Event Series
Friday, May 29 through Tuesday, June 2
Various Locations
Admission: Free
From May 29 to June 2, a series of public events on Japanese manga will be held across New York City, organized by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan Arts Council, and the Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture (JPIC) as part of the MINT (Manga International Network Team) project.
About MINT
Manga International Network Team (MINT) aims to support early career manga artists and their editors in Japan, who are working to achieve a global presence, and to increase the recognition and value of manga’s diversity overseas.
What makes this series distinctive is its focus on the breadth of manga beyond the mainstream, anime-linked shōnen titles that often dominate international visibility. The program highlights alternative manga, graphic medicine, and manga as a literary and artistic practice, offering points of engagement not only for established manga readers but also for those interested in graphic novels and visual storytelling more broadly. For more information, please visit MINT’s website.
Book Launch & Signing with Tokushige Kawakatsu
Friday, May 29 from 7:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Desert Island Comics – 490 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn
Desert Island welcomes Kawakatsu Tokushige for an author signing of his new book The Cursed Body from Glacier Bay Books. Meet this talented indie Japanese artist, selected by MINT manga to represent Japan’s modern manga culture.
Kawakatsu served as editor of the Kakù doujinshi alternative manga magazine and periodically self-releases the magazine Kagyu (The Snail), from which both stories in The Cursed Body are drawn. Both stories draw heavily on traditional Japanese ghost stories (kaiki) and historical rental manga (kashihon) to deliver deep, surreal, and spooky reads.
Illness in Illustration: Graphic Medicine in Japan and North America
Monday, June 1 from 6:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library – 455 5th Avenue (Rooftop)
With manga artist Moka Onmae, editor Tsubasa Kosaka, and comic artist Gianna Paniagua
Moderated by Kriota Willberg
Alternative Manga: Yesterday and Today
Tuesday, June 2 from 6:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.
School of Visual Arts – 133 W. 21st Street, Room 101C
With manga artists Tokushige Kawakatsu and Akino Kondoh and editor Emily Yoshimoto
Moderated by translator and manga historian Ryan Holmberg
A preview of the MINT catalog, featuring works by all participating artists in English translation, is available. Click here to download a free PDF.
After the events in New York, the manga artists and editors will travel to Toronto, Canada, to participate in TCAF (Toronto Comic Arts Festival). They will be joining other MINT participants—both manga artists and editors—for the event there. This year’s TCAF poster was created by Battan. Learn more at TCAF’s website.
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Rakugo at Japan Village
Rakugo, a traditional Japanese storytelling art, comes to Japan Village
Discover the Art of Rakugo!
Sunday, February 16 from 1:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m.
Japan Village – 934 3rd Avenue (2nd Floor), Brooklyn
Admission: Free
Japan Village and the English Rakugo Association present rakugo this Sunday in The Loft on the second floor.
What Is Rakugo?
Rakugo, a traditional art of Japanese storytelling with a 400-year-old history, features a lone rakugoka (storyteller) performing on a koza, a small, slightly elevated platform on a stage. Seated on a zabuton (cushion), the storyteller uses only a sensu (folding fan) and tenugui (hand towel) as props. This minimalist staging emphasizes the performer's storytelling skills.
Through quick voice changes, expressive facial expressions, and slight head turns, the rakugoka brings multiple characters to life—whether it's a hilarious comedy, a heartwarming tale, or a dramatic story. The punchline, or ochi, gives rakugo its name: “Rakugo” literally means “fallen words,” with the “fall” being the comedic twist at the end of the story that is characterized by clever wordplay.
Rakugo in English
In the 1980s, Katsura Shijaku wowed audiences in the U.S. and Canada by performing rakugo in English, gaining international recognition and helping to introduce this traditional Japanese art form to global audiences. At Japan Village, Kanariya Eisho will perform, showcasing how the English Rakugo Association uses the art form not only to share Japanese culture but also as an entertaining and creative way to help storytellers sharpen their English communication skills.
For more information about the English Rakugo Association, please visit their website.
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Chinatown Street to be named after Asian American Activist
Unveiling of Corky Lee Way
Sunday, October 22 at 4:00 p.m.
Corner of Mott and Mosco Streets, Chinatown
The Corky Lee Way Street Co-Naming Committee, Think!Chinatown, and 21 Pell will host a gathering on the corner of Mosco Street and Mott Street in the heart of New York City's Chinatown to unveil the street sign which co-names Mosco Street as Corky Lee Way in honor of the late Corky Lee. This beloved intersection is the site of Corky Lee’s last public photography exhibition hosted at the historic newsstand in October 2020 and continues his vision as a gathering place for community joy.
Photographer and activist Corky Lee with his iconic photographs
About Corky Lee
Corky Lee was an Asian American photographer, activist, and historian known for his passion for capturing the vibrant stories of the Asian American community through his lens. His dedication to celebrating the diversity and culture of our AANHPI communities made him a beloved and inspirational figure for current and future generations.
Join the committee and friends of Corky Lee to honor his enduring legacy and his commitment to amplifying the voices and stories of Asian Americans.
Event Details
Corky Lee Way Street Sign Unveiling
Remarks by community leaders and special guests
Special Performance of “It’s Tough Being Corky Lee” by Judo Club
To Be Followed By
Chinatown Block Party
Display of Corky’s Iconic Photographs
Corky Lee Film Screenings
An opportunity to get your own "Where's Corky?" sticker (courtesy of George Hirose) and a "Corky Lee Way" sticker (designed by Alice Hennessy)
An opportunity to add personal notes to the Corky Lee Memory Board
About Mosco Street and Frank Mosco
Frank Mosco (1920-1982) was a beloved community leader who grew up on the Lower East Side and knew Corky Lee through their civic involvement at the Two Bridges Neighborhood Council and other community work. Mosco was known for bringing the Chinese and Italian American communities together. Joining Corky Lee Way and Mosco Street not only honors two great men, but also the enduring bond of our two communities.