From Hokusai to Studio Ghibli: Japan Pop at Palazzo della Penna in Perugia

Palazzo della Penna in Perugia hosts 'Japan Pop', a summer 2025 exhibition curated by Carlo and Roberto Terrosi, tracing Japanese figurative art from 19th-century Ukiyo-e to contemporary anime and Neo Pop. The show opens with Hokusai and Edo-period (1600-1868) woodblock prints depicting the 'floating world' of Yoshiwara, Mount Fuji, and waves. It then moves to Superflat artists like Takeru Amano, whose manga-style nudes reinterpret Renaissance Venuses. The kawaii section features Chinatsu Ban's rice-paper paintings and Takashi Murakami's iconic Mr. DOB merchandise, with Murakami dubbed the 'Japanese Andy Warhol'. The final section covers manga and animation, from Osamu Tezuka's 1963 'Astro Boy' (Tetsuwan Atomu) to Studio Ghibli, founded in 1985. Notably, 'Castle in the Sky' (Laputa) was inspired by Civita di Bagnoregio, an hour from Perugia. The exhibition also includes posters tracing anime evolution and ends with contemporary Japanese pop culture.