Niigata Manga Animation Museum

Above, the JR Niigata Station.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It appears that I visited Niigata two and a half years too early.  There's a new anime museum that has opened up near JR Niigata Station that fans of anime and manga may want to check out.

It is the Niigata Manga Animation Museum.

According to The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun):

NIIGATA--In the fast-expanding field of manga and anime museums, an institution that opened last month in Niigata is aiming to take its exhibitions to a whole new level through a bonus element: interactivity. 

The city has produced many renowned manga and anime creators, and the museum hopes to make that a more visible part of the city’s identity, say those behind the founding of the new Niigata Manga Animation Museum. 

Among the big names that have hailed from Niigata are Shinji Mizushima, Rumiko Takahashi and Mineo Maya. Fujio Akatsuka also lived in the city during his teens.

Presently, there's a special exhibit based on Space Battleship Yamato 2199. It runs until July 31.

For details, go here.