Japanese manga and animation (anime) have become firmly established as dynamic new forms of art and entertainment, and are now a focus of attention from all around the world. The Faculty of Manga, the first program of its kind in the country, was founded to provide opportunities for students to learn this art and entertainment genre in a fully comprehensive way. While we aim to train students to become artists in the fields of cartoon art, comic art, and animation, we also offer programs for those who want to pursue careers as manga editors and producers. Our instructors are leading manga artists, editors of major publishing firms, and experienced animation artists. Students here have a wide range of opportunities to work on professional projects, including making PR magazines for private companies and local government, working as assistants for manga artists, and exhibiting work at international exhibitions. The Faculty of Manga is the best possible environment for fostering young artists and producers capable of promoting the further development of the next generation of manga culture.
Departments and Courses in the Faculty of Manga
Three key features for becoming a manga or animation artist
Departments and Courses covering all aspects of manga
The Faculty of Manga offers systematic and comprehensive studies of this cultural field. The Cartoon Art Course helps students to acquire solid drawing skills, and to learn how to present social criticism, with a sense of humor, on paper. The Comic Art Course prepares students to be professional manga artists, while in the Animation Course, students fully explore the potential of animated images. The Manga Production Course expands the culture of manga through editing, scripts, and criticism. Our students transcend the boundaries of departments to engage in collaborative projects, such as making manga magazines. The Faculty offers hands-on lessons as only a pioneering institution in manga education can.
Internationally renowned manga and animation artists as instructors
Our faculty members are leading artists who are pioneers of each field, architects of the era: Japan-wide and internationally renowned cartoonists; comic artists exploring new creative expression; directors and creators, makers of the history of Japanese animation; former editors of popular comic magazines and experts in editing, scriptwriting, and criticism. Only at the Faculty of Manga do students have the special privilege of learning directly from these working professionals at the very top of their fields.
Disseminating Manga into the outside world at the request of business and regional government
As the Faculty of Manga has gained national recognition, expectations of the “SEIKA brand” have soared. Many proposals have been received, and the Faculty has been conducting numerous cooperative projects with industrial, academic and government sectors, using the Kyoto International Manga Museum, operated by SEIKA, as the base for these collaborations. For example, graduate and undergraduate students accumulate practical professional working experience by drawing comics for business and governmental PR magazines. The Faculty also receives a growing number of inquiries from international publishing houses looking for new talent and private enterprises developing new content businesses.
Traditional Crafts Internship
Kyoto Seika University offers outstanding opportunities for students to gain familiarity with living traditions through its special Internship Program at traditional craft workshops and industry. By working with master artisans, participating students’ own creativity is stimulated, and they experience the unique benefits of studying arts in Kyoto.
Faculty of Manga Elective & Special Course Faculty Members (in Japanese)
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