Some 180 participants from three regions and six countries, including China and South Korea, are coming together in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, for the 13th International Comic Artist Conference.
At the conference, which kicked off Wednesday and runs through Sunday, manga artists will exchange ideas on such themes as "Food and the Sea."
"Let's unite the world through manga," said artist Tetsuya Chiba, head of the organizing committee, in greeting the guests.
Twenty-seven out of 46 Chinese artists who had earlier said they would attend dropped out, apparently due to the Senkaku row.