See 600 Of Junji Ito's Original Horror Drawings!
Black ink, impossibly fine lines, faces stretched just past human proportion—Junji Ito's original drawings look different up close than they do printed in manga volumes. At Telepia Hall through December 25, you can see exactly how different.
I'm not going to pretend I'm some manga scholar, but I know careful work when I see it. This exhibition has over 600 original pieces—the largest collection of Ito's work ever shown—and Nagoya is the final stop on the nationwide tour. After December 25, it's done.
If you know Ito's work, you know what you're getting: spirals, elongated bodies, everyday situations that slide into psychological horror. If you don't, this is why he has a massive international following. Tomie, Uzumaki, Souichi, Hanging Balloons—all here in ink on paper, plus new pieces created specifically for this exhibition.
What gets you when you're standing in front of the originals is the scale of detail. These are pen-and-ink drawings meant to be reduced for print, so at full size you catch textures and line weights that don't translate to the page. The hair especially—he draws it in this way that makes it feel like it's moving, and up close you see exactly how he builds that effect.
The technical precision is beautiful. What those techniques are depicting is another matter entirely.
This isn't a quick walk-through—600 pieces means you're here for at least an hour, probably two if you're actually looking. It works for longtime fans and people who are just curious about horror manga or why Ito's influence shows up everywhere from films to contemporary art.
Three weeks left. Tickets are ¥1,800 at the door, ¥1,600 advance. If you've been meaning to go or just heard about it now, this is when you'd make plans.
The Details
Junji Ito Exhibition: Enchantment
Venue: Telepia Hall
Dates: Until Dec. 25, 2025
Times:
10:00–17:00
(last entry 16:30)
Tickets:
¥1,800 (door) / ¥1,600 (advance)
¥1,200/¥1,000 (middle/high school)
¥1,000/¥800 (elementary)
Free (under elementary age)
Address:
Telepia Hall, 3F
1-14-25 Higashi-sakura
Higashi-ku, Nagoya
Website
MAP
Access
By Subway / Train:
Higashiyama Line, Sakae Station (栄駅), Exit 3 — 5-minute walk
Nagoya Subway Map
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