The 3rd Special Exhibition at the Amako Soubei Manga Gallery “Graceful, Elegant, and Functional Beauty — Rantaro and Friends in Costume: A Sense of History and Foreign Lands, Featuring Newly Drawn Original Works from the Amako Soubei Collection”

Amako Soubei has been a great admirer of Takezaki Suenaga, known for illustrating the Mongolian Shurai Ekotoba (Illustrated Account of the Mongol Invasions) during the Kamakura period, since her junior high school days. Even while working at a company, she studied history through a correspondence university program, and she is well known for her passion for both drawing and history. Her manga Rakudaininja Rantaro, serialized for 33 years from 1986 in the Asahi Elementary School Newspaper, is set in the late Muromachi period and is noted for its meticulous historical accuracy. Beyond that, she has also created works inspired by traditional customs and culture, such as illustrations for comics and cover art for her collections.

This exhibition features works such as Rantaro, Kirimaru, and Shinbee Enjoying Blossoms, Sixth Graders in Nanban Costumes, and Denko and Hansuke in Yūkaku Disguise, which were used for the cover illustrations of the Amako Soubei Art Collection (Genkosha, 2022). The exhibition also presents works inspired by folding screens and paintings from the late 16th to 17th centuries. These screens and illustrations are valuable historical materials that reflect the society and culture of the time, including “Nanban Screens” depicting encounters with foreign cultures, and scenes of entertainment such as cherry blossom viewing, festivals, and the pleasure quarters. They are notable for their depictions of beautiful costumes. In addition, the exhibition displays original drawings from the Ninjutsu Academy Uniform Catalog, familiar to fans of Rakudai Ninja Rantaro, which introduces the ninja outfits of each grade. Through the elegant, graceful, yet functional costumes worn by Rantaro and his friends, visitors can immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the era.

June 14, 2025 (Sat) – November 24, 2025 (Mon, Holiday)

Amako Soubei Manga Gallery (1st Floor, Amagasaki City Kaimei Government Building, 2-1-1 Kaimeicho, Amagasaki City, 660-0862)
・Opening Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (until 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays)
・Closed: Tuesdays (the following weekday if Tuesday is a holiday)
・Admission: 200 yen (high school students and older), free (junior high school students and younger)
Half price for persons with a disability certificate; one caregiver admitted free.

Return to Amagasaki City Top Page ＞＞