When Ishinomori was still alive, he declared the so-called “Manga Declaration” to change the kanji, man, in manga from the kanji meaning aimless or random to the kanji meaning a large number to emphasize the infinite possibility of manga as a media.
Please read his declaration, below. Since the declaration, the kanji Ishinomori chose is used for his manga. Ishinomori’s manga are still going through editions and are loved by people of all generations.
Photographed:by Ryoichi Saito
In the old days, manga meant cartoons and humorous or comical pictures, etc. The meaning of manga has significantly changed in the last thirty years or so because it has become possible to express diverse themes through manga which are no longer restricted to humor. Manga changed to comic. There are Japanese names for each types of manga, but there is no generic name covering all types of manga in Japanese. This is why I declared the “Manga Declaration”.
- Manga covers diverse types of pictures expressing various phenomena.
- Manga is a medium enjoyed by diverse types of people (loved and familiar media).
- Manga is an expression using any number of frames from just one to an infinite number.
- Therefore, you may say that manga is a medium with an infinite possibility.
- Manga can be translated as million art. The word, million, has the meaning of a large number, as does the Japanese character man. The initial letters of million art are m and a, the same as the first two letters of manga.
For these reasons, for the time being, I will start to use this kanji for my manga, and if other manga artists and readers endorse this, I want the kanji to take hold. (If there is a better generic name for manga, I will endorse that.) I hope I can have your acceptance.
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