Shopping Guide
The mysterious Arsène Lupin III traveled the world stealing various treasures in the Lupin III manga and anime masterpieces. In 2011, “The World of Lupin III Exhibit” began in celebration of the TV anime’s 40th anniversary. Since then, the exhibit has been held throughout Japan. The first exhibit of 2013 was held from Feb. 2 - March 24 in Sakura, Chiba.
In addition to the work’s long history, the newest anime boasts great popularity, and the variety and amount of exhibits held are huge. As part of the exhibit, animation cels, setting photos, life-size cutouts, figures, original manga manuscripts, and more from the TV series, TV specials, and movies are displayed. India-ink paintings by Monkey Punch are also featured.
A CinemaScope and TV pilot film for the series is also popular. With the unique charm of all of the voice stars, it’s easy to understand why. Yasuo Yamada as the first Arsène Lupin III, as well as Nachi Nozawa from the Cinemascope pilot film and Taichiro Hirokawa from the TV pilot film gave memorable performances and all brought a different uniqueness to the role.
Furthermore, Monkey Punch currently lives in Sakura, so he has specially created calendars, informative posters, and more which are unique works displayed at the exhibit. Future exhibits this year will be held from April to May in Nagoya and from September to November in Kawasaki. If you happen to be visiting Japan and are close to an exhibit, certainly experience the world of Lupin III for yourself.
By the way, Sakura was the filming location for the special effects hero show Power Rangers Samurai, and in the neighboring castle town, there are old samurai residences, the National Museum of Japanese History, a Japanese sword gallery, and more. Even if you miss “The World of Lupin III Exhibit,” we recommend visiting Sakura to learn more about Japanese history.
Lupin III Official Site:
http://lupin-3rd.net/ (Japanese)
© Monkey Punch
© Monkey Punch / TMS Entertainment Ltd., Nippon Television Holdings Inc.
This is a TokyoOtakuMode original article.
