By SHOMEI NAGATSUMA/ Staff Writer
October 13, 2021 at 08:00 JST
TAKAMORI, Kumamoto Prefecture--"Cat's Eye" creator Tsukasa Hojo and "Fist of the North Star" manga illustrator Tetsuo Hara will be on hand to teach students here in a plan to save the town's only senior high school by having it offer Japan's first department of manga.
The prefectural Takamori Senior High School, plagued by plummeting enrollment since 2010 that resulted in it having only 30 to 40 new students each year despite its capacity for 80, has announced it will set up a manga department to attract more applicants.
The school, which will have cartoonists from publisher Coamix Co. teach forms of manga expressions, will offer Japan's first department where high school students can learn about manga, prefectural officials said.
"Students can make plans to become manga artists, editors or various other professionals after graduation," principal Keisuke Yamanaka said. "It is no longer a dream to accept applicants from all over the country."
However, it remains unclear when the department will be established and what lectures and courses it will offer, according to the school and Coamix.
In addition to Hojo and Hara, other popular artists will teach drawing techniques and expressions unique to manga to nurture professional talent among students.
The school is also considering having students participate in after-school club activities at a Coamix facility in the prefecture.
The Takamori town office has signed a partnership deal with Coamix to jointly implement projects to support community development and create new business opportunities in conjunction with the entertainment industry.
The town office, Coamix, the prefectural education board and the school have been exploring concrete measures to keep the only senior high school in town going.
Town officials also plan to build a dormitory to accommodate students from outside Takamori.
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