Special Exhibition
Exhibition of The World of Mari Yamazaki: Living in the Moment―Carpe Diem―
Saturday, October 3, 2026 to Sunday, February 7, 2027
Venue
2nd Floor Exhibition Room, Setagaya Literary Museum
Opening hours
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
*Exhibition admission and the museum shop are open until 5:30 p.m.
*However, on Friday, November 6 only, the museum will remain open until 8:00 p.m.
Closed
Mondays (Or the next non-holiday weekday if Monday is a holiday.)
Year-End and New Year holidays (December 28, 2026 to January 4, 2027)
Ticket Information
Same-day and online tickets are available.
|
Same-day and online tickets |
Group discount |
| Adults |
Same-day and online tickets¥1,500 |
Group discount¥1,200 |
| Ages 65 and over / University and high school students |
Same-day and online tickets¥900 |
Group discount¥720 |
| Junior high school students and younger |
Same-day and online ticketsFree |
Group discountFree |
| Disability certificate holders
(However, free for university students and younger) |
Same-day and online tickets¥750 |
Group discount¥600 |
* Payment at the reception desk is accepted in cash, credit card, and Setagaya Pay.
* Discounts are available for groups of 20 or more people, as well as for holders of the Setagaya Arts Card.
* Free admission for visitors aged 65 and over on Friday, October 9, 2026.
* Free admission on Saturday, November 28, and Sunday, November 29.
* For the special evening opening on Friday, November 6, admission after 5:30 p.m. is available with same-day tickets only (online tickets will not be available).
* We do not accept reservations by telephone.
Organizers
Setagaya Arts Foundation, Setagaya Literary Museum
Academic Cooperation
Tokyo Zokei University
Cooperation
Smile Company Ltd.
Planning Cooperation
Traffic Promotion Co., Ltd.
Sponsors
UTENA Co., Ltd. and Toho Holdings Co., Ltd.
Supporters
Embassy of Italy in Japan, Setagaya City, Setagaya City Board of Education
Concurrent Collection Exhibition
Setagaya Literary Museum Collection Exhibition – Part II
Uno Chiyo Exhibition: 30 Years After Her Passing
— Me and the Me That Will Go On Living —
Exhibition Overview
Mari Yamazaki (born in 1967). From her best-known manga works, including Thermae Romae and Olympia Kyklos, which have also been adapted for the screen, to autobiographical essays such as Kokkyo no Nai Ikikata (A Life Without Borders) and Tobira no Mukogawa (The Other Side of the Door), her wide-ranging creative activities embody the many encounters and rich experiences she had throughout her life.
At the age of 14, she traveled alone through Europe, and at 17, she moved to Italy where she spent around ten years and studied oil painting and art history. In 1995, she was recognized in the Kodansha Newcomer Manga Awards and returned to Japan. Later, following her marriage to an Italian scholar of comparative literature, she lived in Egypt, Syria, Portugal, and the United States. Yamazaki describes herself as a “die-hard nomadic type” and says that her map is “Earth-sized.” In her protagonists Lucius (Thermae Romae) and Demetrios (Olympia Kyklos), we can glimpse an image of the author herself, effortlessly passing from world to world, even through time and space.
The phrase “Carpe Diem,” which Yamazaki has also used as the title of one of her books, means “seize the day.” This Latin maxim urges us to enjoy each day to the fullest, perfectly reflecting Mari Yamazaki’s own approach to life.
This exhibition explores Mari Yamazaki’s “Earth-sized” worldview and outlook on life through her wide range of creative activities, including manga, illustrations, writing, and oil paintings.
Profile
Mari Yamazaki
Born in Tokyo in 1967. Manga artist, writer, and painter. Specially appointed professor in the Department of Transcultural Studies, Faculty of Transcultural Studies, Japan Women’s University. Visiting professor at Tokyo Zokei University. Author of numerous books, including Viola Kasan (Viola Mom) and Arukinagara Kangaeru (Thinking While Walking). She has also co-authored numerous books with experts in a variety of fields. In the persona of the VTuber Minerva Cacumen Montis from ancient Rome, she shares videos on YouTube covering aspects of ancient Rome and a wide range of other topics. She is currently serializing Thermae Romae Continued in Shonen Jump+ (Shueisha) and is based in both Italy and Japan.
2010: Thermae Romae won both the Manga Taisho 2010 and the Short Work Prize at the 14th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize
2015: Received the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Art Encouragement Prize
2017: Awarded the rank of Commander of the Order of the Star of Italy
2024: Plinivs (co-authored with Miki Tori) won the Manga Grand Prix at the 28th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize
Related Events
For event details and application information, please visit the
Events page on the Setagaya Literary Museum website.
