A two-hour private lesson in the heart of Nakano, Tokyo's anime and manga heartland, taught by an expert Japanese manga instructor. All materials are provided. The flow below is a typical session, adapted by the teacher to your group's interests and skill level.

❖ Welcome at the Nakano workshop

Your scheduled start time

Meet your manga instructor at the workshop in Arai, Nakano-ku, a short walk from Nakano Station and the famous Nakano Broadway arcade. The teacher welcomes your group privately and walks you through the materials laid out at your workspace, from manga paper in A4 and B4 to the array of pens, nibs, and inks you will be using.

❖ The art of manga pen techniques

45 min

Begin with a hands-on introduction to the authentic tools of the manga trade. Your instructor demonstrates how to use the G-pen nib for dynamic, varying line weights, the Maru-pen nib for delicate detail, and the brush pen for fluid expressive strokes. Practice key techniques, from clean linework and screentone application to character expressions, on professional-grade paper used by published Japanese manga artists. If you prefer, you can also try watercolour manga painting as an alternative medium.

❖ Create your own manga under master instruction

1:15 h

With the fundamentals in hand, move on to creating your own original manga illustration. The class is yours alone (or just your group), so the master can tailor the lesson to your interests, whether you want to focus on character design, panel composition, expressive faces, or refining a piece you have brought along. The teacher shares specialist techniques passed down through Japanese manga tradition, from how to build a sense of motion in a frame to the subtle conventions of mood and atmosphere. Take your finished work home as a one-of-a-kind souvenir from Nakano.

❖ End of the lesson

Two hours after start

The session wraps up with your completed artwork to take with you. The instructor can answer questions about manga as a craft and recommend nearby spots in Nakano if you wish to continue exploring the anime and manga shops of Nakano Broadway right after the class.

❖ Tools provided free of charge

All materials needed for the class are included. The workshop provides:

• Manga paper A4 and B4

• Mechanical pencil and plastic eraser

• G-pen nib, Maru-pen nib, and pen-holder

• Manga black ink

• Line art pens (0.3 and 0.8)

• Brush pen

• Rulers, box-cutter knife, and cutting mat

• Rub-tone and screen tones

• Light box

• Watercolours and watercolour paper

❖ Souvenir tools and materials available for purchase

If you would like to continue practicing at home, the workshop also offers professional manga tools you can buy at the end of the lesson:

• Manga-pen set (penholder, G-pen nib, Maru-pen nib, and Saji-pen nib)

• Screen tone (250 yen per sheet)

• Manga ink

• Misnon white correction fluid

• Brush pen and brush pen cartridges

• G-pen nib box (10 nibs)

• Maru-pen nib box (10 nibs)