We live in interesting times. Because of the Internet, old familiar media formats are breaking down or going through changes. More and more printed word publications are going out of business or finding new life online. The old LP/album format is essentially an anachronism in an iPod-centered universe.
But the truth is change has always been with us, as I realized in a most unlikely place, the exhibition dedicated to the famous manga artist Shigeru Mizuki at Hachioji's rather small Yume Art Museum.
I say "unlikely" because, in contrast to most manga, which reflect the fast-changing modern world, Mizuki's famous comic series, "Gegege no Kitaro," conjures up the unchanging, timeless realm of Japan's yokai, a world of ghosts, ghouls, goblins and other supernatural beings. But despite this retro charm — refracted through dozens of digital prints of Mizuki's cleanly drawn illustrations, as well as masks and models of the characters that will delight the kids — "The World of Mizuki Shigeru" also allows us to take a close look at how methods of delivering culture have changed over the years.