One of Japan’s most popular manga and anime series, Lupin III gets the exhibition treatment at the Kawasaki City Museum this month.

“Lupin III — 40th Anniversary of the Anime” coincides with the 25th anniversary of the museum and, somewhat belatedly, the 40th anniversary of the original manga’s first anime version (which actually appeared 42 years ago, in 1971).

Like past popular exhibitions of the Gundam franchise and manga artist Takehiko Inoue’s works, the exhibition will feature a huge selection of drawings from the original manga — these by Monkey Punch, the artist who first created the character of the suave but comic master thief Lupin III in 1967.

Also on display at the show, which commences Sept. 7 and runs through Nov. 10, will be cells from not only the first anime series, which ran from 1971 through 1972, but subsequent series that have been produced intermittently ever since. A highlight will be cels by master animator Hayao Miyazaki, who directed many Lupin III television episodes in 1980.

Episodes of the television anime will also be shown at the museum on Sep. 7, 8, 14, 15 and 16.

“Lupin III — 40th Anniversary of the Anime” runs from Sept. 7 till Nov. 10 at Kawasaki City Museum. For details, visit www.kawasaki-museum.jp.