Course Description

Key Lesson Topics

• Vocabulary and features of Japanese Manga
• Overview of Manga Production: from planning to printing
• Length and styles of Japanese Manga
• Structure & flow of plot, and the key structure of stories
• The role and design of the main character
• Drawing for Manga: Perspective and Framing
• How to plan your storyboard
• Techniques for showcasing character, emotions, plot and mood through illustrations
• The Manga Industry in Japan
• The Role of the Manga Editor
• The Role of the Manga Assistant
• Popular and recommended Manga & Anime in Japan
• How to become a professional Manga Artist

Practical Training Areas

• Generating the key ideas of your story and character
• How to use Japanese Manga pens and standard equipment
• Techniques for drawing lines, tones, shading and texture
• How to build your repertoire of drawable items
• How to draw characters: proportions, perspectives, features, styles
• Drawing people and their features from multiple perspectives: body, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, eye brows, hair
• Developing your keen eye: common mistakes when drawing people and perspectives
• Polishing up and finishing your Manga
• Determining the quantity and size of your frames, necessary frame content, and layout of your pages.

Tokyo & The City Tour

Tokyo, formerly known as Edo, has been a major Japanese city since the Tokugawa Shogunate era. Key attractions include Asakusa, Ueno, Shinjuku, Odaiba, Ginza, and Shibuya. Prominent business districts like Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro are central hubs for fashion, entertainment, and recreation, featuring major department stores, shopping malls, restaurants, and entertainment centers. The tour will visit traditional Asakusa, iconic Shibuya Crossing, fashionable Harajuku, and the otaku hub Akihabara, with flexibility to customize based on group interests.

Shibuya and Harajuku are renowned for embodying young and modern Japanese culture. Shibuya features the famous Hachiko statue and Shibuya Crossing, along with numerous department stores and the Shibuya 109 fashion store. Nearby Harajuku is known for its vibrant street fashion, crepe stands, unique cafes, and trendy shops.

Asakusa offers a glimpse into old Tokyo, centered around the historic Sensoji Temple and the Nakamise shopping district. Highlights include Hanayashiki, Japan’s oldest amusement park, and Sumida Park, known for its views of Tokyo Skytree, firework displays, and cherry blossom events. The iconic Asakusa Kannon Temple, the oldest and most popular temple in Tokyo, is accessed through the Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate) and surrounded by traditional food and craft stalls. Asakusa has a festive atmosphere daily, with opportunities to enjoy traditional food, rickshaw rides, and dress in traditional attire for photoshoots.

Akihabara For any fan of anime, manga, cosplay, idol culture, gaming and electronics, Akihabara is the hub of them all, located in the northeast corner of Tokyo’s most densely populated core outlined roughly by the popular circuit route train line known as the JR Yamanote Line operated by Japan Rail. The district contains everything from small one-off shops to large and popular electronic and department stores such as Yodabashi Camera and Bic Camera, the Tokyo Animation Center as well as a radio hall with its 10 floors of toys, trading cards, and collectibles. The area is the living hub of Japanese subculture, powered every moment by the passion of the geeks within.

Enrolment Periods & Duration

PRIVATE PROGRAM Flexible

Approx. 28 days prior to start

• Classes are held either in the morning or in the afternoon at our newly-built Casa Tokiwa manga sharehouse in Nakano, Tokyo.
• All programs are available without accommodations. Please ask us for further details.
• Private programs can also be arranged for less or more than 2 weeks. Please ask us for further details and feel free to visit our Private Intensive Manga Program page here.

Sample Program Schedule

Course Features & Electives

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  STUDY IN JAPAN, FROM SUCCESSFUL MANGA ARTISTS

  Japan, the home of otaku culture and where nearly everyone reads manga regularly, is the best place to learn manga. As its birthplace, Japan has a vast manga industry with independent and professional manga artists, editors, story-writers, and fan artists. Feel inspired and immerse yourself in the world of manga!

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  BEGIN MAKING YOUR OWN MANGA

  This program trains you on the essentials of Manga from developing your main character, planning your story, and honing your practical skills of illustration so that you can begin creating your very own Manga within the span of just 2 weeks.

• 

  ON-GOING SUPPORT

  True learning happens by doing, and there is only so much you can do in 2 weeks. For this reason, our passionate manga artists offer you continued support & feedback on your work online after the program. Being able to get on-going feedback and helping you when you get stuck is a special support system we have for our students like nowhere else.

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  SEMI-PRIVATE

  Learn in a class of only 2-4 students. Our semi-private class size ensures that you are constantly engaged, actively supported, and effectively learning at all times.

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  MEET INDUSTRY IN JAPAN

  As part of this program, we set up a roundtable meeting with a professional Manga Editor who can give you insights into the Manga Industry in Japan, share the realities of what actually sells in the market, and provide feedback on any manga concepts or works that you can freely share.

• 

  FULL SUPPORT INCLUDING ACCOMMODATIONS

  As a global student agency based in Tokyo, we support you every step of the way in this program. We will help you to organize your stay in our accommodations, can organize airport pick-up, provide visa consultation, offer 24-hour emergency support, and share important information to ensure your safety and comfort during your stay in Japan.

Tuition Fees

Other Manga Programs

The above prices for Private Programs are based on 3 hours a day for 2 weeks. Note that the hours and content of Private Programs are customizable, so prices will vary.

For more information on our Private Programs, please visit our page here.

Program Tuition includes:

• Accommodations, which are provided from the Sunday before the program until the Saturday after the program. As part of the program, we will set you up in a private room in a shared house, Casa Tokiwa.
• Manga kit (manga pen, pen tips of varying sizes, black ink, white ink, paper, tones, etc.)
• Manga textbook and original template manga for practice
• Guided tours at 3 key destinations around the city
• Special Q&A Session with a Professional Japanese Manga Editor
• Online support from your Manga Instructor who can provide feedback and guidance as you continue to develop your original Manga after you return home.
• 24-hour DEOW Agency Support & Guidance

NOTE: Students will need to cover the costs of food, travel to and from Japan, daily commute and travel within Japan, and any other personal expenses. We will also ask that all students obtain Emergency Medical Insurance before or by the time they land in Japan. If you would like airport pickup, we can organize a private taxi from the airport to anywhere in Tokyo for ¥35,000 JPY.