The first phase of the National Taiwan Museum of Comics in Taichung opened Saturday with events and exhibitions featuring comic books and artworks by different artists from Taiwan and Japan.
The exhibitions, held at the eastern section of the museum complex, feature eight different themes, among which include a display of popular Taiwanese comics from the 1950s to the 2010s.
Models of cartoon characters created by award-winning Taiwanese animator and artist Wang Teng-yu (王登鈺) are also being showcased.
Among the exhibits also include works by Japanese artist Kaoru Fukaya, author of the manga series "Yomawari Neko," which tells the story of a cat that reaches out to people who are crying in an attempt to comfort or encourage them. Meanwhile, the events on Saturday also included forums, performances and meetings with artists.
The museum complex in Taichung covers a total area of 2.75 hectares and contains 19 historical buildings. Constructed in 1937, the site was used by prison and police officers in Taiwan's Japanese colonial era to practice judo and kendo.
In 1945, when the then-Kuomintang government took over the facility from the Japanese Colonial Government, it was transformed into Taichung Prison, which subsequently became the Natural Way Six Arts Cultural Center. The plan to establish the museum was first unveiled by then-Taichung Mayor Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) in 2017.
The exhibitions are being held across 15 historic buildings located in the eastern section of the complex.
The site's proposed main building (northern section), which is still under planning, is set to open in 2029.
During a ceremony held Friday to welcome officials at the museum, Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) described comics as memories shared across borders that not only bear witness to history and the present but also facilitate exchanges.
According to Cheng, the museum will serve as a venue for comic creation, markets, research, archives and exhibitions.
Culture Minister Shih Che (史哲), meanwhile, expressed hope that the site in Taichung can become a home for Taiwanese comic book artists in the future.
A prerecorded video was also played during the event showing Japanese manga artist Tetsuya Chiba congratulating Taiwan on the museum.
The 84-year-old artist is famous for his sports stories. His notable works include "Tomorrow's Joe" and "Notari Matsutarō," both of which are well-known by Taiwanese readers.
In his message, Chiba said he was delighted to learn that a former prison could be restored to become a historical monument, which is then turned into a museum of comics.
The artist said he was envious of Taiwan for having such an environment, expressing hope that more people could visit it.
