Bringing 'Mujib' to Japan

The Japanese version of the graphic novel, Mujib, on the life of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was launched at the Bangladesh Embassy in Tokyo, Japan, last month. On this occasion, Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy, Associate Editor at Unmad and the cartoonist behind Mujib, and Shibu Kumer Shill, the editor of Mujib, went to Tokyo. “We could not think of a more iconic figure than the Father of the Nation when it came to telling the story of a Bangladeshi superhero,” says Tanmoy, upon asking how the project was conceived. “With Mujib, our objective is to educate young people about an integral part of Bangladesh's history through visual representation, in a way that they will enjoy. We have presented not just the political, but also the humane side of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.” Japanese is the first foreign language after English to which the graphic novel has been translated to. Mujib is the first ever graphic novel from Bangladesh to be translated to Japanese.

The translators of Mujib are Masaaki Ohashi and Imran Sharif. Sheikh Rehana's son, Radwan Mujib Siddiq, is the publisher of the novel. The Mujib series, which comprises of twelve issues in total, is set to be completed by next year.

In Japan, the team of Mujib held comic-book reading sessions at Hachioji Shiritsu Minamino Elementary School and Sacred Heart School. “It was a matter of great pride and honour for us to bring a graphic novel about Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to the people of Japan. It is a breakthrough for the whole community of visual storytellers and authors in Bangladesh,” says Shibu Kumer Shill.

The people at the schools were delighted to have the team of Mujib as guests of honour, so much so that some students wrote a message in Bangla on a poster to welcome them warmly. “Some kids even came up to me and said that now, if they make any Bangladeshi friends, they will be able to tell them that they know who Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is,” smiles Tanmoy. “They were fascinated by his story as they had never heard of him before.”As comics – or manga, as they refer to them in Japan – play a fundamental role in the nation's culture, Mujib is undoubtedly an effective way to reach out to the Japanese audience.

In Japan, visiting Akihabara, which is the mecca of anime  and manga, and manga cafes that boasts thousands of manga paperbacks and magazines and anime DVDs with free refills on beverages, was another highlight for Tanmoy. “This trip was a great cultural exchange for me,” he adds. “As we have educated the people of Japan about Bangladesh's history through Mujib, their love for comics has filled me with inspiration and hope for the community of cartoonists in Bangladesh.”