Photo/Illutration Buronson announces plans to construct a building for his manga school in Saku, Nagano Prefecture, on Nov. 13. (Takashi Takizawa)

SAKU, Nagano Prefecture--Manga writer Buronson will invest 300 million yen ($2.2 million) to open in his hometown a permanent base for his school for training young comic artists.

Buronson, 75, best known for his post-apocalyptic martial arts series “Fist of the North Star,” started the tuition-free school here in 2018 with the Saku municipal government.

About 80 people, ranging in age from their teens to their 40s, have graduated from the school. Seventeen turned professional, and some have serialized their manga in magazines.

“I have had a good response after running the school for five years,” Buronson, whose real name is Yoshiyuki Okamura, told a news conference on Nov. 13. “We need our own building to maintain the school over a long term.”

The school building is expected to open near JR Sakudaira Station in spring 2024, The three-storied steel frame structure will have a total floor space of 620 square meters.

An admission-free exhibition room will be set up on the first floor to display the writer’s works. Special exhibitions will be organized by other manga creators and comic magazine editors.

Students at Buronson’s 100-hour manga academy attend lectures from professional writers, artists and editors over the course of 100 hours to learn how to develop characters and storylines.

In its fifth year, 15 people are currently enrolled.

“The permanent base will allow us to provide a more flexible curriculum, such as offering an intensive course during the summer break,” Buronson said. “I also want graduates to develop their manga talents at the new school building.”

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