Popular manga artists have begun a project in central Japan to preserve their work in ink for generations to come, using durable gampi paper in Echizen, Fukui Prefecture, the birthplace of traditional washi handmade paper.
"We can enjoy manga because we have peace. We will preserve manga drawings as a symbol of everlasting peace," says Tamotsu Tanaka, who organized the initiative as the head of an association for the cultural preservation of washi and manga.
Famous manga artists such as Tetsuya Chiba, author of "Ashita no Joe," Mari Yamazaki, known for the series "Thermae Romae," Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, of "Yamato Takeru" and "Namuji" fame, and Motoka Murakami, illustrator of the "Jin" series, all participated in the first phase of the project.