New Togashi Illustrations at the Shinjo Mogami Manga Museum

The Shinjo Mogami Manga Museum presents….

This past weekend, a pop-up exhibit of the Shinjo Mogami Manga Museum displayed new illustrations of Hunter x Hunter and Yu Yu Hakusho by famed mangaka Yoshihiro Togashi.

冨樫先生仕事してた！
物産展に行ったら新庄・最上漫画ミュージアムの出張展示がされてて、新しいハンタ（ゴン）と幽白の色紙もあった！
幽白の新庄祭りの絵、細かく描かれててカッコイイ!! pic.twitter.com/6Y9g5r8218

— 琴音 藍 (@cotone_ai) 2017年5月28日

Hunter x Hunter‘s Gon and special edition festival themed Yu Yu Hakusho drawings appeared in the exhibition as part of a fair displaying Mogami District’s “produce.” The Mogami District, an area in the city of Shinjō, Yamagata, has become the representation of Togashi’s hometown in recent years.

本日も大沼デパート前にて出張漫画ミュージアムを行っております！ 最上地域物産フェアも開催していますので、買い物ついでにぜひご覧下さい！ 売り物と間違われる方が多いですが、展示のみとなっています。 #新庄最上漫画ミュージアム #smmm #manga #山形 #新庄 #漫画 #アニメ #マンガ #イラスト #漫画ミュージアム #最上地域物産フェア #ハンターハンター #名探偵コナン #幽☆遊☆白書

新庄・最上漫画ミュージアムさん(@smmm.jp)がシェアした投稿 – 2017 5月 26 6:22午後 PDT

While most regions in Japan boast about particular foods and goods produced, the Mogami District claims manga artists are its”produce.” Though a rural area, the Mogami District has embarked on a campaign to portray the region of Yamagata as a “holy land” for manga artists. The Shinjo Mogami Manga Museum opened in December 2016. Currently, the museum displays over 100 reproductions of original manga manuscripts and has a collection of around 200 volumes of manga. The museum additionally features Kamuten, Shinjō City’s official character designed by Togashi, and the Kamuten Shrine, a shrine covered with several manga artists’ art and signature. Still a relatively new tourist attraction to the Yamagata area, the Shinjo Mogami Manga Museum appears to an effort to increase tourism and industry in rural parts of Japan through popular culture.

Other mangaka associated with The Shinjo Mogami Manga Museum include Chica Umino (Honey and Clover, March Comes in Like a Lion), Yutaka Abe ( Detective Conan: Crossroad in the Ancient Capital, Dragon Quest Seirei Rubisu Densetsu), Marie Abiko (Made in Yamagata), Richi Okada (Honke no Yome) and Masami Kaiwa (Momo ♥ Ichimoji).

Hunter x Hunter Returns

Beyond the Shinjo Mogami Manga Museum, Togashi resurfaced in the news this week as well.  On May 31, Shueisha’s Shonen Jump Plus announced Hunter x Hunter manga would resume serialization on June 26. Viz Media will simultaneously publish an English digital edition of Hunter x Hunter. Shueisha will also publish the 34 volume of Hunter x Hunter on the same day.