Chinese artist wins Japan's 1st 'Nobel Prize' for overseas manga artists

TOKYO (AP) - A Hong Kong Chinese artist has won Japan's first "Nobel Prize of Manga" for artists working in the comic book genre abroad. "Sun Zi's Tactics" by Lee Chi Ching, 43, beat out 145 other entries from 26 countries and regions around the world, Japan's Foreign Ministry said Friday in a statement.

Lee's historically themed adventure series ran from 1995-2006 in Chinese, and has been translated into numerous other languages, it said.

Lee, along with three runners-up, have been invited to Japan for a 10-day visit. They will receive their trophies at a ceremony in Tokyo next Monday.

The International Manga Award - which manga enthusiast Foreign Minister Taro Aso likened to a "Nobel Prize" when he first proposed it last year - was launched earlier this year as another step in Japan's efforts to harness the power of pop culture diplomacy.

The award is to be given to an artist working abroad whose work best contributes to the spread of the manga form worldwide.

Manga, a name used for Japanese-syle comic books, often combine complex stories with drawing styles that differ from their western superhero counterparts, particularly in their frequent emphasis on cuteness.

Aso has argued that warm feelings for Japanese comics and animation can translate into warm feelings for Japanese foreign policy.

He has proposed sending animation or cartoon artists overseas as cultural ambassadors, and the government has named a panel of executives to advise ways to market Japanese animation and culture to foreign audiences.

© The Canadian Press, 2007