Takarazuka City - Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum
By Tran Ngoc Dong Quan, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, Winter 2008 update

It took about 40 minutes to get to Takarazuka from Sannomiya. It was a great day, the weather was perfect and the scenery was fantastic. Takarazuka City is located in the south-eastern part of Hyogo. Takarazuka, known as the "City of Music," is most well known for the Takarazuka Revue, a stage show in which women play all of the parts. There are also many hot springs and tourist spots found in and around the city.

We stopped by the Takarazuka Opera for a few minutes so I could take some pictures, then we headed to the Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum, which is only 10 minutes away from Takarazuka station. Osamu Tezuka is one of the most famous Manga (comic) artists in Japan. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion. It's probably true that many people first became interested in Japan because of manga comics.

In 1994 the city of Takarazuka, where Tezuka grew up, opened a museum in his memory. The museum is great and has many interesting things including some amazing comics that Osamu Tezuka drew when he was in high school. There were also some books there that he had written in English. The museum also has a small cinema which shows all of his animated works. Upstairs is the manga library with all his famous work such as Adolf, Astro Boy, Black Jack, Princess Knight, Phoenix and Kimba the White Lion.

What I liked best about the museum was the animation studio on the bottom floor. This room is full of computer desks where kids can come to learn about animation, and then make some animation themselves.

[The Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum]

Admmision:	Adult ¥500, Jr. & Sr. High School Student ¥300, Elementary School Student ¥100
Access:	10 minute walk from Takarazuka Sta.
Address:	7-65 Mikogawa-cho, Takarazuka
Tel:	0797-81-2970
URL:	http://manganavi.jp/featured/travels/20070310/