Famed mangaka Go Nagai issued a statement regarding the status of the Go Nagai Wonderland Museum, which was destroyed in a fire following the Noto Peninsula earthquake on January 1 of this year. The museum was opened in 2009 in Wajima – Nagai’s hometown, and was home to many of mangaka’s original drawings and sketches. The extent of the damage to the works is unknown.
“I am horrified and heartbroken by the gap between the images coming out of my hometown Wajima every day and the images that I remember in my head. After Wajima and Go Nagai Wonderland Museum were also affected by the recent earthquake I received many warm words from people who were worried about me. Please allow me to take this opportunity to express my gratitude: thank you very much.
As for the museum, I think many exhibition pieces were probably damaged, but I am an active manga artist so even if something was lost I can still draw and create as much as I want. That in itself is not a big deal.
Rather than that, I would like to do whatever I can to help those affected by the disaster in Wakajima and other [affected] areas so that they can get back to their normal lives as soon as possible. There are aftershocks and other unpredictable moments and we may not be able to think about the future just yet, but let’s do our best to get through it all.”
Nagai’s statement was posted by the Dynamic Production account. Dynamic Production (or Planning) is a licensing company founded by Nagaki and Ken Ishikawa in 1974. The company also included a message, stating that they were not sure about the extent of the damage to the works (including 3D statues) that they lent to the city of Wajima, which runs the museum. They once again highlighted that their priority was everyone’s safety and asked fans for patience.
Go Nagaki is a prolific mangaka, known for his contributions to the modern manga industry through titles such as Mazinger Z (sci-fi), Cutie Honey (magical girls), Devilman (dark fantasy, post-apocalyptic), Violence Jack (post-apocalyptic), and Harenchi Gakuen (ecchi). His titles were considered controversial at times, but are now seen as pioneers of their respective genres. He created the Getter Robo series with Ken Ishikawa, whom he mentored and considered as his greatest friend. Nagai was born on September 6, 1945, in Wajima, Ishikawa. He is the honorary president of the Go Nagai Wonderland Museum. One of his brothers, Yasutaka Nagai, is a novelist.
The fire in Wajima destroyed around 200 buildings, including the Wajima Morning Market. It started after a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture. Tsunami warnings were issued shortly after: in Suzu City and Noto City they caused damage and disrupted communication. Over 200 people have died, and 68 are still missing.
Source: Official Twitter/X
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