immigrants Exploring Intercultural Love Through Manga: A Story about Vietnamese and Japanese Immigrants

Presented in both Vietnamese and Japanese, the launch of the manga is part of the 50th-anniversary celebration of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan.

Manga is a popular Japanese comic book that is popular among adults and children in Vietnam and Japan. The Anio Princess manga aims to help Vietnamese and Japanese people learn about the history, cultural similarities, and close connections between the two countries.

Adapted from an opera of the same name, the comic is based on historical facts and has been illustrated by manga artist Higashimura Akiko.

The story follows the 17th-century love affair between Araki Sotaro, a merchant from Nagasaki in Japan, and Princess Ngoc Hoa of the Nguyen Dynasty in Vietnam. Princess Ngoc Hoa was the daughter of Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen, who reigned from 1613 to 1635.

Araki goes to Hoi An in Vietnam to trade and meets the princess. They fall in love and get married.

In 1620, he takes her to Nagasaki, where locals liked her due to her beautiful appearance and gentle character.

Today, locals still stage a palanquin procession ceremony to welcome Princess Anio at Nagasaki Kunchi Festival in Nagasaki.

The second part of the manga Anio Princess will be released on July 7 on the website japanvietnam50.org, while the opera of the same name will be premiered in September at the Opera House in Hanoi. This will be followed by the Japanese premier in the beginning of November. 

The printed version of the manga will also be available. The Japanese-language version will be handled by a Japanese company, while the Vietnamese-language version will be distributed by Kim Dong Publishing House.

The manga books won’t be published for commercial purposes – they’ll be freely distributed to schools in Japan and Vietnam.

Manga artist Akiko was born in Miyazaki prefecture in Japan in 1975. She’s known for her debut in the comic Bouquet Deluxe in 1999. She won a prize in 2010 for her manga series Kuragehime (Princess Jellyfish).

In 2015, she was awarded the Manga Taisho prize for her Kakukaku Shikajika (Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey) – an autobiography detailing her life. The book has been listed in the Top 20 Manga for Female Readers four years in a row, from 2013 to 2016.

Some of her best-selling works such as Tokyo Tarareba Musume (Tokyo Tarareba Girls), Bishoku Tantei Akechi Gorou (Gourmet Detective), and Hyper Midi Nakajima Haruko (Nakajima Haruko – Classy Lady) have been adapted for TV and movies in Japan.

The post immigrants

Exploring Intercultural Love Through Manga: A Story about Vietnamese and Japanese Immigrants appeared first on Vietexplorer.com.

View more from VietExplorer:

Art clubs promote melodies of folklore Then singing
‘Ca Mau Sedge Mat’ outfit wins first prize in Miss Universe Vietnam 2022 costume show
International Day of Yoga to be held in southern Vietnam in June and July
Elderly perform pull-ups as impressively as young people in Hanoi
Horseback riding is one of Ho Chi Minh City’s newest weekend activities
Saigon River Development Plan: Developing riverside urban space
Vietnam receives ten nominations at World Travel Awards 2022
Hoi An launches summer event series to welcome tourists
Vietnamese painter launches first comic book in France
Da Nang hopes to attract airlines to launch new routes for tourism development
Russian classical music concert to be held in Ho Chi Minh City this weekend
British billionaire sails Aviva yacht to Vietnam again
Vietnam grandmaster loses top position at Prague Masters
Infantino says soccer to be top U.S. sport by 2026 World Cup
Vietnam chess ace extends unbeaten run at Prague Masters
Costa Rica book place at World Cup finals after playoff win
Australia edge Peru on penalties to claim World Cup spot
Norwegian climber sets her sights on 14 peaks record
Vietnam wave goodbye to U23 Asian Cup after quarterfinal loss to Saudi Arabia
Saudi-backed golf tournament pays $120,000 – to the loser