Japan will hand out its first “Nobel Prize of Manga (国际漫画奖)” for artists in the comic book field abroad. This i
s another step in Japan’s efforts to show the power of pop culture diplomacy.
The International Manga Award, which was compared by manga lover Foreign Minister Taro Aso to a “Nobel Prize” when he first proposed it, will be given to an artist working abroad whose work best contributes to the spread of the manga form worldwide.
Manga, a name used for Japanese style comic books, often combines stories with drawing styles that differ from the overseas superhero comics and cartoon, particularly in their frequent emphasis on cuteness.
The winner will receive a certificate and a cup at an award ceremony, and will spend 10 days in Japan meeting with local comic book artists and publishers.
“Manga has been spreading overseas and are selling quite well,” Aso said when announcing the award to the public. “I want to further improve the communicative power of these so-called ‘pieces of pop culture’.”
Aso has argued that warm feelings for Japanese comics and cartoon can translate into warm feelings for Japanese foreign policy.
He has proposed sending cartoon artists overseas as cultural ambassadors and the government has named some officials to advise ways to promote Japanese cartoon and culture to foreign audiences.
The award committee, consisting of manga artists and publishers, is expected to make its selections quite soon.
According to a ministry official Nobuyuki Watanabe, the prize carries no money reward. The cup’s design has yet to be finished, but it will be something “appropriate”.
小题1: The International Manga Award will be presented to ____________.
A．a Japanese who has achieved a lot in creating new methods of drawing
B．an artist who makes contributions to introducing manga to the other foreign countries
C．the person who is expert at comics and cartoon
D．a foreign artist who has contributed to the development of manga小题2: Which statement is NOT true about manga?
A．Manga is different from the overseas comic books.
B．Manga is popular not only in Japan but also overseas.
C．Manga refers to international comics and cartoon.
D．There are stories and pictures in manga.小题3:What has the Japanese government done to show its support?
A．To propose “Nobel Prize of Manga”.
B．To name officials to advise ways of spreading manga overseas.
C．To hand out its first “Nobel Prize of Manga”.
D．To send cartoon artists overseas as cultural ambassadors.小题4:The passage is mainly about ____________.
A．Nobel Prize of Mang
a
B．the characteristics of manga
C．a brief introduction of manga
D．the development of manga
