Anime/Manga

Stroke by stroke, blank pages come to lifein this small studio in Tokyo.Jiro Taniguchi is one of Japan's best known manga artists.And his fame extends far beyond home shores.[SPEAKING JAPANESE]I don't really know why.I've never consciously tried to imitatethe style of Western cartoonists.

For more than 30 years, his charactershave entertained readers in tales spanning the samuraiera to modern-day Japan.But in the misery following the March 11 earthquake and tsunamithat left more than 19,000 dead, he lost his passion to draw.[SPEAKING JAPANESE]There were far too many victims.

I wanted to make myself useful, but I didn't know how.[SPEAKING JAPANESE]I didn't think drawing manga cartoons was constructive.[SPEAKING JAPANESE]As the nation suffered, he could hardlybear to pick up his tools.But with deadlines to meet, he had no choice ...