Ishinomori Manga Museum

The Ishinomori Manga Museum (石ノ森萬画館) also known as the Ishinomaki Mangattan Museum (石巻マンガッタン博物館), is a museum in Ishinomaki, Miyagi, Japan. It opened in 2001 to commemorate the life and legacy of Ishinomaki's most famous resident, Shotaro Ishinomori, as Ishinomaki is his birthplace. It is a popular tourist destination especially for fans of Ishinomori's work, who visit the museum on special days such as Cyborg 009 Day (The anniversary date of the manga's first publishing in 1964).

2011 Tokuhou Disaster and reopening
After the March 2011 Tokuhou earthquake and tsunami, the museum was damaged with many of the displays wrecked from the tidal waves. However, the building itself was still structurally intact and some of the statues were still standing among the devastation. The most iconic image from the disaster being the Kamen Rider and Akarenger statues still standing intact after all the wreckage, inspiring hope to those who survived the ordeal.

Afterward the city of Ishinomaki, fans in Japan and around the world gave their moral support to repair it. The museum was fully repaired on November 17, 2012 with newly refurbished exhibits and displays and had a reopening event on March 23, 2013. The repairs cost ‎¥‎146,000,000 and was all donated by fans. The reopening was commemorated with a ceremony featuring Hiroshi Fujioka and performances by Ichiro Mizuki.

Gift Shop
Contains licensed Bandai toys and museum memorabilia such as postcards, coffee mugs, keychains and t-shirts that tourists can purchase and take home.

The Life of Shotaro Ishinomori
A detailed mural and exhibits detailing the life of the manga creator, from his childhood to his death in 1998.

2011 Tokuhou disaster restoration timeline
A timeline showcasing the Tokuhou disaster in Ishinomaki and the restoration of the city and the museum.

Kamen Rider Exhibit Room
The Kamen Rider Exhibit features detailed information on the popular television series and displays of the masks of each main Kamen Rider up to the current series. The displays also feature video clips of each series.

It also features exclusive interactive video games such as a racing game where players control Kamen Rider 1 on a Cyclone replica and chase down Spider Man to save Ruriko while trying to beat a certain time. Another game is controlled by motion capture where players can select their favorite Rider in a reflex rhythm game and Rider Punch and Kick targets to get a high score.

Cyborg 009 Exhibit Room
A wing dedicated to Ishinomori's most beloved manga work, Cyborg 009. The exhibit features figurines of the 9 cyborg heroes and characters from the manga with bio data, video footage from the three different TV anime adaptations and collections of manga and graphic novel art sketches from the various books including the American adaptation by Archaia. At one point in 2015, a special display was shown showcasing art of the Cyborg 009 vs. Devilman crossover OVA film.

Sea Jetter Kaito
Sea Jetter Kaito is the local hero of Ishinomaki, based on an unused Ishinomori concept drawing. The Museum has a display exhibit highlighting the character as well as an outside waterpark stage show during the summer months. In addition, there is a movie theater in the wing that features Sea Jetter Kaito: The Movie, a Museum-exclusive film created by Toei and directed and produced by some of the staff of Kamen Rider. Starring Seiji Takaiwa and Yuki Sato.

Ishinomori Manga Studio
This wing of the museum is full of drawings done by Shotaro Ishinomori as well as special interactive art studios that let people draw their own manga art by hand or digitally on a computer. It also has a library filled with 6,000 manga books for patrons to read and a digital archive of Ishinomori's works. There is also an art class workshop in the library during certain times of the day.

Cafe Blue Zone
A dining cafe where patrons can eat. The cafe serves Ishinnomori character themed dishes and beverages. (Ex. Kirenger Curry, Hakaider Soft Drink Floats, Kamen Rider Black Coffee)