(C) 2019 KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL All rights reserved. Art by Rella (C) Crypton Future Media, INC. www.piapro.net

The fourth annual Kyoto Nippon Festival is running until Dec. 8 at Kitano Tenmangu shrine in the ancient capital, featuring artworks from and inspired by anime.

The show is known for its adventurous mix of traditional Japanese culture and subculture.

This year, the festival is being held under the theme of “Animating National Treasures.”

One of the highlights is a modern version of the Illustrated Scroll of the Origin of Kitano Tenjin, which is a government-designated national treasure housed at the Shinto shrine. Six leading illustrators reinterpreted the illustrations from the original scroll for the modern edition.

Award-winning illustrations from the Hatsune Miku x Kyoto 36 Gasen Illustration Contest are also on display.

Other events at the festival include a collaboration project featuring “Sword Art Online” and a special exhibition of ikebana flower arrangements done by artists from the Ikenobo school.

Festival organizers chose an illustration of virtual idol Hatsune Miku standing in front of Kitano Tenmangu as the main image to promote the festival.

For more information, visit the festival's official website at (https://kyotonippon.com/en/).

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To learn more about the latest developments in Japanese anime, visit the official site of Anime Anime (http://animeanime.jp/).