A Meiji Era Western-style building in Tokyo once on the verge of being demolished will reopen in March as an attraction showcasing manga thanks to preservation efforts by manga artists.
The Former Residence of Theodora Ozaki, a wooden two-story building in the capital's Setagaya Ward, was slated to be torn down in 2020. But the building was saved with funding from a group of manga artists including Kazumi Yamashita and Rumiko Takahashi.
"We manga artists will pass on the history, and the building will be relaunched as a place loved by the local community," Yamashita said at an unveiling event held Thursday.
After renovations, the building will open as a facility with a gallery exhibiting original manga copies and illustrations, as well as a cafe and a shop.
The building was constructed in the middle of the Meiji Era (1868-1912) for Yei Theodora Ozaki, a translator and wife of Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki, by her Japanese father in Tokyo's Azabu district. The house was moved to its current location in 1933.
"This is a place to promote Japanese manga culture, and I fully support it," manga artist Tetsuya Chiba said at the Thursday event. "It's a very good first step."
