Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) returns in June 2025! This year, The Japan Foundation, Toronto (JFT) is excited to participate in a variety of ways – including a panel discussion, a special guest lecture, and an exhibitor booth. We are also hosting many related programming – library tours, film screenings, and book club. Let’s celebrate your love of manga with us!
The Japan Foundation, Toronto @ TCAF 2025!
TCAF Libraries & Education Day (LED) 2025
Friday, June 6, 8:30-5:00 ET
In-person @ Toronto Metropolitan University Special Collections & Archives | Admission Free | Registration Required
TCAF LED is a FREE to attend, all day slate of programming open to library workers, students, educators, comic scholars, creators and anyone who wants to talk and learn more about comics, graphic novels, and education.
A mainstay of TCAF for many years, Libraries & Education Day 2025 will bring together broad public and academic audiences – creating a K-16 meets GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) comics conference. A key focus of LED this year will be graphic medicine, and comics as cultural heritage alongside panels focusing on graphic novel collection development, curation, readers advisory, and advocacy. Comics are such an interdisciplinary format that we are excited for the potential conversations across disciplines and professional circles uniting higher ed, K-12, public libraries, and GLAM communities.
Registration DEADLINE: Friday May 23rd at 11:59pm ET
The Japan Foundation, Toronto @ TCAF Exhibitor Booth!
Saturday, June 7 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM & Sunday, June 8 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
In-person @ Toronto Metropolitan University Mattamy Athletic Centre | Admission Free | No Registration Required
The Japan Foundation, Toronto will set up a exhibitor booth at TCAF! Stop by our booth, learn about our centre and programs for those who are interested in Japan and Japanese culture, and say hello to our staff!
*Booth number TBD – we will keep you posted on this webpage!
So, What is Manga and Why Does It Matter? A Walkthrough with School Librarian Jillian Rudes
Saturday, June 7, 10:00-11:30 AM
In-person @ The Japan Foundation, Toronto Event Hall | Admission Free | Registration Required
Join us for a lecture with Jillian Rudes, author of Manga in Libraries and a New York-based school librarian, as we explore what manga is, why it matters, and how to integrate it into library collections and educational settings. In her first talk in Canada, she will cover the fundamentals of reading manga, its genres, publishers, and age ratings, as well as its impact on literacy and social-emotional development. She will also discuss collection development, including essential resources, recommended titles, shelving strategies, reader’s advisory, and digital content. Finally, she will introduce an IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services)-funded research grant on BIPOC teens’ reading habits and their engagement with manga, sharing preliminary findings. Whether you’re a library worker, educator, parent, or manga enthusiast, this session offers valuable insights into manga’s growing role in education and libraries.
The lecture will be followed by the exclusive tour of the Japan Foundation, Toronto Library by our library staff. With Jillian’s insights from the lecture in mind, explore the world of 20,000+ Japan-related books and audiovisuals, including approx. 3,000 manga books in collection!
Co-presented by:
Related programming:
The Japan Foundation, Toronto Library Tour
Saturday, June 7 3:00 – 3:30 PM & Sunday, June 8 3:00 – 3:30 PM
In-person @ The Japan Foundation, Toronto Library | Admission Free | Registration Required
Did you know the Japan Foundation, Toronto Library has over 3,000 printed manga books available in both English and Japanese? We also house a wide selection of books about manga and Blu-rays/DVDs of animated films, as well as access to our Digital Library, where you can browse approximately 1,000 manga eBooks.
To celebrate the TCAF weekend, our librarian will lead a guided tour showcasing the resources and services we provide for readers of all ages who are interested in Japan and Japanese culture!
Please note: If you are attending TCAF, transportation will not be provided between the Mattamy Athletic Centre and the Japan Foundation, Toronto Library. Please kindly visit us directly (how to find us).
*Library is open to the public at 11:30 AM – 4:30 PM on Saturday, June 7.
JFT Book Club (Hybrid) – Manga: Look Back by FUJIMOTO Tatsuki
Tuesday, June 10, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM (ET)
Online & In-Person at JFT Library | Admission Free | Registration Required
Following the Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) weekend, we invite you to delve into the beauty and pain of manga making through manga (Japanese comic)! Join us in person or virtually to discuss FUJIMOTO Tatsuki’s manga: Look Back (the original Japanese version: 藤本タツキ作『ルックバック』, translated into English by Amanda Haley), a poignant story of two young manga artists. Whether you are intrigued by the medium of manga, the creative journey of artists, and/or a masterful coming-of-age story, we welcome you to be part of this inclusive and reflective conversation. Connect with fellow manga lovers to gain deeper insights into the story that you might not discover on your own!
