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Manga Creator Jiro Taniguchi to Be Knighted in France
posted on by Egan Loo
France announced that it will confer the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) decoration on manga creator Jiro Taniguchi. The order honors individuals who have contributed in art, literature, and other areas. Other Japanese citizens who have received the honor include filmmaker and actor Takeshi Kitano ("Beat Takeshi") and videogame designer Shigeru Miyamoto.
Fanfare / Ponent Mon has published such Taniguchi works as The Walking Man, The Ice Wanderer, and A Distant Neighborhood in English, and these three particular titles have been nominated for America's Eisner Awards. Viz also published his Benkei in New York manga.
A live-action film adaptation of A Distant Neighborhood (Harukana Machi e/Quartier Lointain) was produced in Belgium, Luxembourg, France, and Germany last year.
While Taniguchi has received manga and comic awards in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and other countries, this new decoration is his first national order of honor. France has not yet announced when the ceremony for the decoration will take place.
Source: Comic Natalie
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