Manga as a Tool for Global Exchange: Teaching, Creating, and Bridging Cultures

Manga has played a key role in Japan’s global cultural influence, transcending borders, languages, and generations. Today, it is increasingly recognized for its artistic and educational values, featured in major museum exhibitions and even taught as a serious creative practice in universities around the world.

What can manga teach us when we treat it as more than entertainment—as a serious art form and a means of connecting across cultures? How can it open new pathways for learning, storytelling, and cultural exchange?

Asia Society Japan is proud to welcome artist and educator Kofi Bazzell-Smith, the first professor of manga practice in the United States, who will explore how manga can serve as a bridge between cultures, classrooms, and creative practices. Drawing on his unique personal and professional journey—as an artist, educator, and professional boxer—Bazzell-Smith shares how manga not only shaped his career but transformed his life, offering a personal reflection on manga’s power to change lives and transcend boundaries.

Join us for the latest edition of our Art for Breakfast series, as Bazzell-Smith shares how manga can be a tool for connection, learning, and global imagination.