MANGA×NENGA, the New Year card exhibition (2025)

For the 2025 New Year, Gallery Zenon in Kichijoji held its first exhibition devoted to New Year cards, “MANGA×NENGA 〜クリエイターたちの年賀状展〜”, from 6 to 26 January, with free admission. More than forty manga artists and other artists exhibited and sold New Year-themed works there, among them Tetsuo Hara, Tsukasa Hojo, Mine Yoshizaki, Ryuji Tsugihara, Masato Deguchi, Hideki Tsuji and Akemi Takada. Decorated like a shrine, the gallery also offered goods, omikuji fortunes, a corner for writing New Year wishes to the artists and a special café menu.

Hara also drew the exhibition poster, credited “illustration by Tetsuo Hara”. Maeda Keiji, rendered in gold, draws his sword beneath a red torii, surrounded by clouds and a snake, the animal of the year 2025. On 8 January 2025, Hara’s official account announced a new postcard, on sale during the exhibition, showing the same Keiji in colour, a snake coiled around his arm and chest, against a blazing background.