Japan unveils new prize to honour manga artists abroad

The Japanese government has announced a new award some consider the "Nobel Prize" of manga.

The International Manga Award is the brainchild of Japan's Foreign Minister Tara Aso, who is an avid fan of manga, the term used to describe Japanese comics and print cartoons.

"Manga and anime [Japanese animated films and TV series] have been spreading overseas and are selling quite well," Aso said.

"I want to further boost the communicative power of these so-called pieces of pop culture."

Presented to an artist working abroad, the new award will honour the winner's contribution to the spread of manga around the world, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

While the award will carry no cash prize, organizers are in the process of creating a trophy and will host the winner and three runners-up at an awards ceremony in Japan.

Both the winner and the three other finalists will also be invited to spend 10 days in Japan meeting with local comic book artists and publishers.

The inaugural winner will be announced July 2.

Aso began proposing the establishment of a manga award last year, calling for the honour to be the equivalent of the prestigious Nobel Prize.

He has often promoted manga which encompasses topics from cute stories for children to science fiction and fantasy to complex, realistic tales with adult themes and artwork as a valuable Japanese cultural export.