The Italian Cultural Institute of Tokyo hosted a roundtable entitled “The Greek and Roman world in Japanese manga: representations of the classical world and impact in the age of globalisation”.
The event offered a reflection on the cultural dialogue between the West and Japan through the art of manga, which has enabled the rediscovery of themes and figures from classical Greek and Roman antiquity in an accessible and innovative form, capable of captivating new generations. The discussion focused on how Japanese authors reinterpret the classical heritage, contributing to a cultural exchange that enriches both the Japanese and Western imaginations.
Among the speakers were two mangaka, Yamazaki Mari (Thermae Romae, Plinius) and Satonaka Machiko (Myths of Ancient Greece, The Song of Olympia), along with two academics: Professor Nakamura Rui, an expert in Greek art history, and Professor Luciana Cardi, a specialist in comparative literature, who served as the moderator.
The roundtable was part of the international project “Receptions of Greek and Roman Antiquity in Japan“, carried out in collaboration with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and the International Research Group on the Reception of Greek and Roman Classics in Japan.
