SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, welcomed more than 176,000 visitors—including travelers from 37 US states and from Europe and Asia—to Art of Manga at the de Young museum, making it one of the Fine Arts Museums’ most popular exhibitions since the COVID-19 pandemic. New audiences were reached with Art of Manga, with 22 percent of visitors being youth under 18. Visitors became fluent in manga after viewing the exhibition, attending public programs with manga artists and editors, participating in on-site activations (including the Fine Arts Museums’ first-ever cosplay days), and sharing their enthusiasm far and wide.
"San Francisco has long been a gateway for Japanese cultural exchange in the United States, and Art of Manga honored that legacy by showcasing the artistry and power of contemporary Japanese narrative art,” said Thomas P. Campbell, Director and CEO of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. “I am deeply grateful to our visitors and staff whose enthusiasm and dedication made this extraordinary exhibition possible. With Art of Manga, we achieved something remarkable by presenting an exhibition that was at once innovative, ambitious in scope, and joy-inducing for our audiences."
Artist-focused public programs organized at the de Young were deeply appreciated by fans. A buzzing and memorable Late Night Editions celebrating Art of Manga welcomed more than 1,700 revelers. Shaped by the intention to welcome manga and anime fans into the museum, the Fine Arts Museums also offered its first-ever series of cosplay days, which more than 1,200 animated visitors enjoyed in the galleries. More than 3,000 students took it in via 134 school group visits, and more than 45,000 museum members took the opportunity to see the exhibition.
San Francisco, with its inspiring cultural ties to Japan, and the Fine Arts Museums, with its extensive holdings of historical Japanese prints, proved the de Young to be the ideal venue to premiere Art of Manga. The exhibition benefited immensely from the early guidance and support of the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, who were invaluable partners in bringing the special installation ONE PIECE ONLY: How Manga Is Made to the de Young.
Statement from the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco: "This exhibition highlights how cultural creativity can inspire dialogue, spark imagination, and build connections that transcend language and borders. The exhibition also underscores the global relevance of Japanese creative industries. Manga is one of Japan’s most influential cultural exports, shaping global pop culture while preserving its distinctive artistic identity.
"Its presentation at the prestigious de Young Museum carries particular significance. In 1951, the museum hosted the Art Treasure from Japan exhibition to commemorate the signing of the San Francisco Peace Treaty. Presenting a manga exhibition in the same museum nearly 75 years later highlights the profound continuity of cultural exchange between Japan and the United States.
"We were excited to witness the first large‑scale manga exhibition in the United States draw such a great number of visitors. We remain committed to supporting initiatives that bring Japanese art and storytelling to international audiences, fostering cross-cultural inspiration for the next generation as well."
The success of Art of Manga was also the result of thoughtful and creative collaborations with an unprecedented number of community partners. One such collaboration was through the Interpretation Partners program, an initiative of the Fine Arts Museums’ education department that aims to broaden de Young and Legion of Honor audiences through inclusive interpretation. For Art of Manga, the program engaged nine academics, critics, authors, artists, and publishers from outside the Fine Arts Museums. Moreover, with the support of a broad group of corporate and marketing partners local and in Japan, the Fine Arts Museums were able to share the rare original drawings on view in Art of Manga with manga enthusiasts and novices alike, with many opting to visit the exhibition multiple times.
Art of Manga featured more than 600 rarely presented original drawings (genga) by influential artists, enabling visitors to gain an understanding of manga’s creative and immersive power and its social impact in the world today. The first major exhibition on manga in North America, Art of Manga featured drawings by Araki Hirohiko, Oda Eiichiro, Tagame Gengoroh, Takahashi Rumiko, Taniguchi Jirō, Yamashita Kazumi, Yamazaki Mari, and Yoshinaga Fumi, with drawings by Akatsuka Fujio, Ito Junji, and Chiba Tetsuya also on view. The exhibition looked at these artist’s narrative worlds and creative processes.
Art of Manga was on view at the de Young from September 27, 2025, through February 1, 2026, after being extended due to popular demand. The Fine Arts Museums look forward to sharing the exhibition at future venues with manga fans and museum visitors in other parts of the country soon.
