2026 Special Exhibition: Shigeru Mizuki, Soul of Manga

Why You Should Visit

A large-scale retrospective on Shigeru Mizuki, the manga artist behind 'GeGeGe no Kitaro', comes to the Kobe Fashion Museum on Rokko Island. Eight sections follow his career from childhood drawings through 'Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths', drawn from his own wartime experience, to the yokai paintings he is famous for. Original manuscripts and artwork show how he built a drawing style of his own after losing an arm. Gallery talks and a commemorative lecture are held during the run, and admission is free for high school students and younger.

Essentials

location

Kobe Fashion Museum

period

September 12, 2026 (Sat) - November 29, 2026 (Sun)

Time

10:00–18:00 (last admission 17:30). Open until 19:30 on Fridays and Saturdays and on Sep 20–22, Oct 11 and Nov 22 (last admission 19:00)

cost

General 1,400 yen / University students and visitors aged 65+ living outside Kobe 700 yen / High school students and younger, residents of Kobe aged 65+, and holders of a disability certificate free

Links

Official Website

Kobe · Gluten-free

Basque cheesecakeBaked with rice flour, no wheat. Whole 12cm, serves 2-3¥4,700 incl. shipping (Japan only)

access

Right southeast of Island Center Station on the Rokko Liner. By car, about 2 minutes from the Rokko Island Kita ramp of the Hanshin Expressway; there is no museum parking, so use nearby paid lots

There are 3 public restrooms within a 8-minute walk of Kobe Fashion Museum. The map shows each with its walking time.

Facility data comes from OpenStreetMap. It does not include opening hours, fees or availability.

REGISTRATION

No reservation is needed to see the exhibition. Only the commemorative lecture requires an advance application by lottery (80 seats, applications open on the official site from 10:00 on August 18). Gallery talks need no sign-up

NOTE

Sections

Prologue: The Shigeru Mizuki Theatre, a paper-play of a turbulent life
1: Shigeru Mura art gallery, the boy prodigy appears
2: Studying Mizuki's manga, the drawing style he built with one arm
3: His three best-known manga: Kitaro, Akuma-kun and Kappa no Sanpei
4: Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths, a record of his wartime experience
5: Boundless curiosity: the biographies
6: Short stories and their view of the times
7: Welcome to the world of yokai
8: Shigeru Mizuki, master of living

Related events

Sep 19 (Sat) 14:00-15:30 Commemorative lecture 'How to enjoy Mizuki's manga' by Yo Kusakabe, doctor and novelist. 4F Seminar Room 1, 80 seats, free with a same-day exhibition ticket
Sep 30, Oct 15 and Nov 6, 14:00 each: gallery talks

Closed

Mondays (open on Sep 21, Oct 12 and Nov 23)
Sep 24 (Thu), Oct 13 (Tue), Nov 24 (Tue)

* Programme and dates are subject to change

FAQ

Do I need a reservation?

No reservation is required to see the exhibition. Only the commemorative lecture needs an advance application, with 80 seats allocated by lottery. The official site has not announced whether advance tickets are sold.

When is the museum closed?

The museum is closed on Mondays, though it opens on September 21, October 12 and November 23. It also closes on September 24, October 13 and November 24.

Are there evenings when it stays open late?

It stays open until 19:30 on Fridays and Saturdays and on September 20–22, October 11 and November 22, with last admission at 19:00. Those are the days to use if you are stopping by after work.

Can I visit with children?

Admission is free for high school students and younger. The museum sits inside a shopping complex on Rokko Island, and floors are connected by elevator. Contact the museum about services such as stroller rental.

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