In-Person Lecture Series

The Myriad Worlds of Manga
The Sources, Origin, and Industry of Modern Manga

7PM - 8:30PM, Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Murasaki Hall at The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles
(5700 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90036)

Admission FREE
Please register HERE

Japan has a long tradition of picto-textual storytelling. From eighth century emakimono handscrolls to ukiyoe woodblock prints, from akahon redbooks to KITAZAWA Rakuten’s Jiji Manga, Japanese people have been consuming literature with images alongside words for over a millennium. In this talk, Michael VanHartingsveldt discusses how modern manga is a confluence of Japanese and Western visual narrative traditions, then explores the manga publishing industry and the close relationship between manga creators and their audiences.

This is the first session of six monthly classroom-style lectures that trace the development of manga in Japan. These lively conversations explore the diverse approaches to storytelling in Japanese manga by presenting topics such as demographic, art style, and historical context. Participants will be assigned readings from select manga in advance of meetings for a deeper appreciation of the medium.

Michael VanHartingsveldt

A PhD candidate in Art History at the University of Kansas, Michael VanHartingsveldt is currently writing his dissertation about the Buddhist sculptor profession in medieval Japan. In addition to his work as an Arts and Culture Program Officer at The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles, he teaches the course Approaches to Manga at California State University, Long Beach, and Japanese Culture through Anime and Manga at Mt. San Antonio College.