Under the title “Jiro Taniguchi – The Dreaming Man” dedicated to the International Comic Salon Erlangen, which starts this Thursday, the very popular especially in the west manga author a major exhibition. The show largely taken over from France with many originals can be seen until Sunday at the Festival Centre in the Heinrich-Lades-Halle. On Saturday at 11:30 there is the festival center an illustrated panel discussion on Taniguchi with his agent Corinne Quentin and the journalist Christian Gasser and Lars von Törne (Tagesspiegel), both of which have taken in recent years to interviews Taniguchi. On the occasion we publish the interview again, which gave the Tagesspiegel editor in Tokyo Taniguchi end-2013.
Mr Taniguchi, many of your stories are based on the thoughts and everyday observations of strollers that by walk Tokyo – which is also your way to deal with your own town
Meanwhile, not so often?. I simply do not have time. I used to but very often walked through the city in order for my manga to discover material. Just for my story “The walking-border man”, which was published in Japan in 1990, I have collected so many ideas.
This book is indeed one of the first of them, which was published in German and She has made known to a wider audience – so it is based on your own experiences
Yes, at least the places I’ve drawn it, I have all so sought as of the main character book does. The story does not play even in the center of Tokyo, but on the western outskirts, in Kokubunji, where I live. However, I have some places changed and embellished somewhat, so it is not an exact reproduction of the cityscape. If you go there today, do not be surprised. These places have changed a lot over time, as much in Tokyo
In many of your books you connect fictional elements with autobiographical elements. How do you decide how strong a story each reflects your own life?
If I invent a story and realize in the course of this story, that my own experiences fit into the story, then I bring the because with a. And if I have experiences that still give any coherent story by itself, then I have the connecting gaps between invent itself.
For books like your story “A Zoo in Winter” on the experience a young manga illustrator one has the impression that are actually thinly veiled autobiographical works …
Yes, that’s right. However, I have not everything that happens in this book, really experienced. But many of my books reflect my experiences, as in this case, during the time as a sign assistant Kyota Ishikawa. The concrete episodes in which I deal with my experiences are, but invented.
In your books plays in addition to the figures in each of the location of the action a big role, because your characters often deal consciously with their urban environment. How do you choose the respective place for your stories as you investigate then the details?
I pick especially places that I know well and where happened important events of my life have , Therefore dive especially my destination and place where I grew up, very often in my books on. So in the books “The view of things” and “Familiar Strangers”, even if the character in the books is not the same with me. At the beginning of a story are thorough search. Seeking the places to which I have chosen, and make a lot of photos. Unless the story is set in ancient times. If the place has changed since then, archival research happen. I prefer older records, books, historical photos and the like added.
In her book “The Cartographer” You have taken a trip to the Edo period, so that period to mid-19th century as Tokyo still called Edo. How did it happen?
I got from a publishing contract for a new book. In conversation, we then developed the idea that there is a similar book as “The walking man border” could be, except that it takes place this time in a different time. So I designed and proposed to change the walk in the Edo period a draft.
What excites you as a storyteller at the epoch?
was quite a challenge. I could not simply walk in today’s Tokyo yes. Here there are very few remnants from that era. So I used various older documents. For example, old photographs from the Meiji period, so that era of the mid-19th to early 20th century. And then I have used many woodblock prints showing the old cityscapes and people of that time. Moreover, an old map from that period. Based I’ve just presented a stroll in Edo. I’ve already taken in other narratives exploring the Meiji period, but which are not yet published in German.
Tokyo makes even the most recent stories with you a central role as a backdrop. They even come from a region further south in Japan and are only moved here as an adult. How important is the city for you as a source of inspiration?
I grew up in a provincial town. Since I have always longed for a big city. Tokyo was a city of which I always felt attracted in my youth. And after moving here I got many new ideas and incentives for my work. The city stimulates me in many ways. However, it has changed over time as influenced me this city.
How?
With age my other suggestions are important. In the beginning I just sucked everything came up to me. Tokyo had something that could not give me my hometown in the countryside, all this different life experiences. From which I have used in many books and sometimes one, sometimes the other made into manga stories. Strongly influenced me as the district Shinjuku, where there is plenty of high-rise buildings and a huge entertainment district. The did for some of my stories the setting playing in downtown Tokyo.
Tokyo seems to me as a visitor as a city of extreme contrasts – and can also be found in various forms in your books. On one hand, the loud, frantic, worrying, gigantic metropolis full of neon signs, in which people lose and the evil happens, as in your book “The city and the Maiden”. On the other hand, the city in which it is very idyllic, quiet place of contemplation and quiet interpersonal moments are, despite their enormous size, as in your Flaneur-tales …
When I was young, I I went drinking in town district Shinjuku and enjoyed myself there. Since I have not had the feeling that the city is dangerous. At my age, I no longer go as often to the city center and visit these venues – also because there are certain places that you better not enter. Earlier there were such places do not, or I did not know them at least. So places the red light district, appeal and lure in places with doormen, the passers-by. For young people such places are still stimulating and they feel not unlike me uncomfortable. But these dangerous side of urban I treat so in my books rather rare, most are my scenes rather the quieter places on the outskirts of the city.
your books live on it, they tell of those very realistic, appear very lively – even by the often unspectacular, quiet action sequences that have something very authentic. How are your characters?
For me it usually starts with the story. The figures then develop out of the story. Mostly I design several alternatives, like the main character should look like. I discussed then with my editors and based on I develop then to the story best matching characters. In most other manga authors this is so that they only invent the figures and which develop a story – for me that is inversely generally. “The Cartographer” is in this respect, however, an exception. Since my character from the surveyor and cartographer Tadataka Ino is inspired, who created the first complete map of Japan. This is a historical and well-known in Japan personality that I have used as a model. But that was only a skeleton: how he behaves in my book, which I have largely invented
You have so many books not only drawn, but the stories written himself.. And then there are always collaborations with other authors, in which you only act as signatories, in “The sky is blue, the ground is white”, a manga that is based on a novel of the writer Hiromi Kawakami. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the two different methods of work?
When I write the text itself, it often happens that I later building the story regret and wish I could have the history written differently. When I write my own stories, I’m trapped in my own world. But if I’m working with another author as scriptwriters, there is no such danger. That’s why I see in cooperation with other authors actually only advantages. Then the story is clear and I need to worry about me. I just need to stage and need the images to draw that is much easier for me. I find that fun. And I discover that even a new world. It happen unforeseen things. By working with other writers we become as a draftsman forced sometimes to something that you would not have done alone. So a scenario or a specific development of the story that I alone would not have so thought up. And by working it I discover new aspects then with me. I find that very rewarding. For example, in the manga “The Gourmet”, which is based on a book by Masayuki Kusumi. Like the manga “Botchan no Jidai” a text by Natsuo Sekikawa -. Which were very positive experiences working with these authors
To what extent do with such collaborations are the authors then concrete specifications for your drawings?
I get a scenario, nothing more. The authors write me at nothing when it comes to visual implementation and the design of the individual scenes. I usually meet the authors do not even personally. In “The Gourmet” was different. This is about how a man goes through the city and tried different restaurants. For that I have streets and places very exactly reconstructed, as described by Masayuki Kusumi in his book. He gave me this many photos of restaurants and places that seeks his character. But he then left me to substance. This book is in Japan incidentally particularly popular because it was very successful filmed -. Which has the sale just this book very promote
in Europe, especially in France and increasingly in Germany, are your works very popular with comic readers interested in literary, thoughtful Manga. They are with us as a pioneer an extremely quiet, philosophical brand of Japanese comics. To what extent are there in your country other authors who maintain a similar style?
I do not think that there are younger manga authors, emulate me. It is difficult for me to describe my own role in the Japanese manga industry. But my mangas are not very easy to digest when compared to many other current series for general manga reader. Younger writers are primarily sought to draw mainstream manga that sell well. You want to be so well known, provide best sellers and can make a good living. I observe, however, to my delight, that even the manga of the younger writers are becoming more diverse. The images are increasingly different from the technique of drawing forth, as well as the topics. Since there are more and more innovative Mangas. But the signatories then not based on me, but want to create something very unique.
In recent years, manga authors have repeatedly addressed social or political problems of Japan’s Yoshihiro Tatsumi with his socially critical Description of outsider-existences to Keji Nakazawa “Barefoot by Hirohsima”. How important are these days, current topics, for example to treat in your country as the devastating effects of the earthquake and the nuclear disaster in 2011 manga authors?
There are some manga dealing with such issues. For example, for Minamata scandal – there toxic waste were discharged into the water by a chemical company in the 1950s, many people died from the contamination. Usually, however, the state and government are denounced Mangas little. Also, since such Mangas not sell very well. There are not many magazines that publish such stories. So if you picks to serious or critical issues, you have commercial problems. I even reach critical issues although now and then on, but let them only in passing in my stories incorporated. But I would have wished that more authors treat critical issues because Mangas are particularly clear and straightforward steps and could address current problems with a great effect.
Your images are characterized by particularly delicate strokes and very concise gray areas which give them a depth and complexity. There are also exceptionally detailed and very realistic scenes drawn. Can you describe your technical work process?
In the beginning, I draw the panels and put pencil sketches the plot firmly. Then I draw with ink the figures. Then I will hand over to my assistant, together with the documents on the background, ie photos and the like. The then draws my drawings with ink to end. Then there are the gray grid generated with Screen-tone films which are cut with a sharp knife, scraped off and applied by hand to the side. That makes my assistant.
And everything by hand? In Germany increasingly using Illustrator for such tasks the computer.
No, we is all handmade! This is quicker – otherwise I would have me and my assistant first so elaborately incorporated into the handling of computers and software. And constantly see new programs … I also think that you can see the difference.
your Mange “familiar strangers” was indeed filmed by director Sam Gabarski few years ago and made you as the author of an additional audience in Europe known. In the film, one can even see as an extra short in a scene. How much are you involved in the adaptation?
As good as not. The director wanted me to see in the film, a bit like Hitchcock in his movies. Otherwise, I have not taken part in the implementation of my story.
As it was recorded in Japan that a Belgian director misplaced your story to Europe?
the response to the film was very low with us. He was not even to see in the cinema, it is available only on DVD here. There was simply no theatrical for it.
sounds a bit like the saying with the prophet …
… the dud in their own country? Yes, this saying we have something like that in Japan. There is some truth. This also applies to some of my books, which are very well known abroad and in Japan, unfortunately, not so much.
In Japan Manga to be seem consumed mainly in the form of continued series appearing in magazines and are then often issued in book form later. How far also use this distribution channel?
In comparison with other authors rarely. Many of my stories appear immediately as a book, which also has to do with the fact that there is a strong demand for my books abroad.
Note : This interview was first published on Tagesspiegel.de early 2014 and now at the Taniguchi Exhibition at the International Comic Salon Erlangen slightly redrafted.
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