In celebration of Philippines-Japan Friendship Month, the Japan Foundation and the Metropolitan Museum of Manila have organized an exhibit, Japan: Kingdom of Characters, in collaboration with Toshiba Philippines Incorporated. A traveling exhibition that examines characters as a radical aspect of the subculture of Japanese anime and manga, Japan: Kingdom of Characters, takes the viewer on a 50-year journey through Japanese characters and how they reflect and influence Japanese and international society. The exhibit introduces the intimate relationship between characters and the Japanese people, hopefully affording the viewer a better understanding of the cultural and historical background behind the Japanese love of characters as well as the future of characters in contemporary Japan.
I work in Greenhills and am surrounded by Japanese characters! As I type this, there is a Doraemon staring back at me, ensconced comfortably between a yellow Angry Bird coin bank and a stuffed Gary the Snail plushie from Nickelodeon’s Spongebob Squarepants. Characters certainly have become a part of my life, and my kids and I are sure to enjoy Japan: Kingdom of Characters at the Met.
Japan: Kingdom of Characters opens to the public beginning July 8 and runs until August 20 at the Tall Galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, located at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex, Roxas Blvd., Manila. Museum hours are from Monday to Saturday, 9am – 6pm; the facility is closed on Sundays, holidays and every first Monday of the month. For inquiries, call 523-0613 or email info@metmuseum.ph.
