Japanese illustrator Naoki Urasawa to be guest of honor at Barcelona Manga Fair

Naoki Urasawa, the popular Japanese illustrator of manga such as "Monster", "20th Century Boys" and "Pluto", will be the guest of honor at the Barcelona Manga Fair. Urasawa will also illustrate the poster for the 30th anniversary of the event.  

The fair, which will be held at Barcelona's Fira Gran Via from December 5 to 8, will feature a wide range of guests as part of the new Manga Festival, developed in collaboration with the Japanese foreign ministry.   

Among them are Kamome Shirahama (‘Atelier of Witch Hat’), Yuka Fujikawa (‘Mushoku Tensei’), Aka Akasaka (‘Oshi no Ko’), Mengo Yokoyari (‘Oshi no Ko’), Shinichi Ishizuka (‘Blue Giant’), Juan Albarrán (‘Matagi Gunner’), and Agasawa Kocha (‘You and I Are Polar Opposites’). 

There will also be an exhibition of 'shikishi', the sheets used in Japan to sign autographs.   

On the main stage of the event, a selection of musicians will perform famous anime songs, with artists such as Burnout Syndromes ("Haikyuu!!"), Maki Otsuki ("One Piece"), and CODA ("JoJo's Bizarre Adventure").  

The organizers also unveiled the new mascot, which will make its debut for the 30th anniversary of the festival.  

Created by Catalan writer Carles Dalmau, the mascot, Onachan, is inspired by Japanese mascots.   

"Onachan was born in the sea of Barcelona, from which it takes its name. The sea is something that Barcelona and the Japanese archipelago have in common, and it is one of the main things that connects us to Japanese culture," says Dalmau.   

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the fair, Manga Barcelona will host an exhibition on the evolution of the event over the years.