Events
Manga Nippon Mukashi Banashi: 50th-anniversary exhibition opens
The free exhibition in Tokyo features historical motifs, a six-language digital exhibition and, for the first time, a six-metre stage object.
For the 50th anniversary of Manga Nippon Mukashi Banashi, a dedicated exhibition opens on 18 September 2026 at Azabudai Hills in Tokyo. The show runs until 25 October, and admission is free. Alongside anniversary articles, the focus is mainly on motifs and installations from the series' long history in anime.
The TV series, launched in 1975, adapts Japanese folk tales and traditional stories into short animated stories. According to the official event page, it comprises 1,470 stories in total. The series aired until 1994; its narration by Etsuko Ichihara and Fujio Tokita was especially distinctive.
Exhibition combines retrospective and new presentation
As Anime!Anime! reports, a photo spot based on the well-known ending "Ningen tte Ii na" is being set up at the entrance. In addition, an object of roughly six metres featuring the motif "Ryu to Ko" will be shown; it was previously used for the stage production of Manga Nippon Mukashi Banashi and is now being exhibited in this setting for the first time.
Another part of the show is aimed at an international audience. Via digital touchscreens, selected content can be accessed in Japanese, English, French, Spanish, Chinese and Korean. The organisers describe it as the first presentation of this multilingual version within an exhibition.
The anniversary thus joins several current anime exhibitions in Japan. Recently, for example, a 20th-anniversary exhibition on Suzumiya Haruhi and a retrospective on Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino were announced.
The exhibition "Manga Nippon Mukashi Banashi-ten – Mukashi, mukashi, aru tokoro ni…" runs from 18 September to 25 October 2026 in the Azabudai Hills Gallery Space. It is open daily from 11 to 19. In parallel there is a themed café and what the organisers say is the largest merchandise area for the series to date.