I actually enjoy riding the MTR in Hong Kong. It’s not only shockingly easy and efficient–I don’t think I’ve ever waited more than three minutes for a train–but also an opportunity to people watch and catch a glimpse of everyday life in the exciting, diverse city. On my last trip, for instance, I noticed one particular MTR trend: people of all ages and backgrounds, everyone from traders to young children, reading comics on their Samsung Galaxy phones. When I was able to get a close look, I could see that the comics had Japanese-style artwork–though I wasn’t able to get a clear idea of the plots since the stories were written in Chinese or Japanese characters.

After reading about Japanese manga this week for my Washington Times column, I realize that the comics on the subway were likely manga or manga-influenced works. The Japanese word for “comics” or “cartooning,” “manga” now refers to the black-and-white comics published in Japan, or now, frequently, comics in the same style of manga that are published all over the world in a variety of languages. These comics have their roots in ehon, woodblock-printed picture books used to disseminate news and stories in Japan as early as 1618. Today, there is not one manga genre; in fact, manga includes superhero stories and science fiction, as well as romance, horror, suspense, even non-fiction. Since manga is now a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide, it’s no wonder I saw it everywhere on the subway in Asia.

Japanese manga newspaper, via Wired

If comics, or perhaps global communication methods more generally, strike your fancy, the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery just opened a new exhibit on ehon and manga, which I featured in this week’s column. In case you didn’t pick up a print copy, I’ve pasted the column below.

The Washington Times

GET OUT: The Week’s Pocket Picks by Samantha Sault

April 5, 2013

Pick of the Pack: Filmfest DC

Washington, D.C., has often been called “Hollywood for Ugly People”—but increasingly, with the constant stream of celebrities in town to cavort with the first family or promote their causes on Capitol Hill, it’s just “Hollywood.” This week, Washington will again roll out the red carpet for film industry insiders—though this time the industry is here for serious film lovers and critics, not a photo op at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The 27th Filmfest DC will showcase over 80 feature films, documentaries, and shorts from around the world, along with discussions with the films’ directors, producers, and actors. The festival opens Thursday at the Regal Cinemas Gallery Place with the American premiere of “Underground,” an Australian thriller about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s teenage years, followed by a party at Bar Louie. The festival has something for everyone, from a number of international comedies, to screenings of Web series produced in the Washington area, to three films from Washington’s sister cities Beijing, Paris, and Seoul. Through April 21 citywide. 202/234-FILM. Web: filmfestdc.org.

Dance: DC Tango Festival

For 16 seasons now, “Dancing with the Stars,” the dance competition show featuring professional dancers paired with celebrities, has inspired would-be dancers of all ages. If you fancy yourself the next Cheryl Burke or Derek Hough, practice your moves during Washington’s seventh-annual tango festival, the largest such festival in the nation. Hosted by the Pan-American Symphony Orchestra (PASO), an organization devoted to promoting Latin American music and culture, the festival provides an opportunity to explore the art of one of the most romantic dance forms in the world. Throughout the festival, the Embassy of Argentina will host free weekly tango dance lessons with local instructors Arnaud Lucas and Corinne Merzeraud, as well as two dance parties to show off your skills. Other events throughout the month include dance and music performances, film screenings, and an art exhibit featuring works by Argentine ex-pats, which opens at the Embassy on Wednesday with a reception. Through May 4 at the Embassy of Argentina, 1600 New Hampshire Ave. NW. 202/884-9008. Web: panamsymphony.org.

Exhibit: Hand-Held: Gerhard Pulverer’s Japanese Illustrated Books

Watch out, Superman—the latest craze in comics is manga, the black-and-white Japanese comic books covering all genres and comprising a multi-billion dollar industry around the world. In Japan, and elsewhere in Asia, people of all ages read manga or manga-influenced comics on their smart phones on the subway—and the genre is growing in popularity in the United States, too. The modern-day comic books were inspired by ehon, the woodblock-printed picture books used to disseminate news and stories in Japan from 1615-1868. On Saturday, the Smithsonian’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery will debut an exhibit exploring the ancient black-and-white paperbacks and the roots of modern manga. Whether or not you enjoy comics, the exhibit is sure to provide insight on how information is distributed in various cultures and time periods. The exhibit opens just in time for the tail end of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which is devoted to exploring Japanese culture and the special relationship between the United States and Japan. Through Aug. 11 at the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. 202/633-1000. Web: asia.si.edu.

 Culture: Festival des Artistes

With over 180 embassies and diplomatic missions in Washington, D.C., our city is home to a lot of diplomats. Even busy diplomats need some hobbies outside of schmoozing the city’s power players, however, and in fact many of them are talented artists who contribute to the capital’s exciting cultural melting pot. This weekend, THIS for Diplomats (formerly the Hospitality and Information Service), an organization devoted to helping new diplomat families get settled in their new home, will host a cultural festival to promote diplomacy and greater understanding through the arts. The fifth Festival des Artistes will feature art, music, and food from diverse diplomatic missions to Washington, including Australia, Brazil, China, France, the Gambia, Haiti, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mongolia, Peru, Spain, and Switzerland, among others. The festival opens Friday evening with a reception, and will remain open through the weekend, with an opportunity to participate in diplomacy first-hand and meet the artists on Saturday afternoon. Saturday & Sunday at the Duke Ellington School for the Arts, 3500 R Street NW. 202/232-3002. Web: thisfordiplomats.org.

Theater: Monty Python’s Spamalot

With the ever-more depressing budget debates, Washington could use a little comedy. And even if Broadway show tunes aren’t necessarily your thing, you’ll find it difficult not to laugh during “Monty Python’s Spamalot.” The winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2005, the show is based on the 1975 film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” and uses the British sketch-comedy group’s surreal brand of humor to parody the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. If you plan on attending, you’ll want to unbutton your button-down and be prepared for dancing knights, killer rabbits, and bawdy jokes—the usual absurd humor found in a Monty Python-style performance. After three runs to sold-out crowds in Washington, the show returns to the National Theatre on Wednesday for a final, one-week run. Through April 14 at the National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202/628-6161. Web: nationaltheatre.org. 

© Copyright 2013 The Washington Times, LLC and Samantha Sault