Leiji Matsumoto's First Large-scale Exhibition 'Leiji Matsumoto Exhibition: The Journey of Creation' Announced: Over 300 Original Illustrations from 'Galaxy Express 999' to be Displayed

A large-scale exhibition, "Galaxy Express 999 50th Anniversary Project: Leiji Matsumoto Exhibition: The Journey of Creation," will be held at Tokyo City View (52nd Floor of the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower) from June 20, 2025, to September 7, 2025.

Leiji Matsumoto's representative works, "Space Pirate Captain Harlock" and "Galaxy Express 999," will celebrate their 50th anniversaries from the start of their manga serialization in 1977 to 2027. To commemorate this, several projects are underway, and this exhibition is the first installment of the 50th-anniversary project.

Born in 1938 in Fukuoka Prefecture, Leiji Matsumoto, who loved gazing at the night sky since his boyhood during wartime, infused his space operas with a blend of future technology and grand fantasy, expressing wishes for peace and hope for the future. The story features Tetsuro, who embarks on a journey to obtain a mechanical body that grants eternal life, and Maetel, a mysterious woman with an impressive black dress and long blonde hair who travels with him on the Galaxy Express 999. Many captivating characters created by Leiji Matsumoto traverse the endless "circle of time" in the great universe, always portraying the preciousness of life and the importance of existence.

The exhibition aims to unravel the artist Leiji Matsumoto's skill and power, who uniquely expressed his worldview through manga and anime, through more than 300 original drawings, including early works, as well as newly revealed materials and precious mementos. It also seeks to decipher the messages he entrusted to the future through over 70 years of creative activity.

After the Tokyo venue, the exhibition is scheduled to tour the Kitakyushu Manga Museum from September 27, 2025 (Sat) to January 12, 2026 (Mon, holiday).