Nanbanjin: two creators reimagine first contact between Europe and Japan
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Cyril Pedrosa and Taiyô Matsumoto are collaborating on a graphic novel called Nanbanjin that tells the story of a Portuguese adventurer who lands in Japan in the 15th century.
Pedrosa first gained recognition in 2012 when he won the Fauve d'or award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival for his work Portugal, which explored his own dual cultural identity. Inspired by historical accounts of the first Europeans to arrive in Japan, Pedrosa envisioned a story told with a Japanese author.
He approached Matsumoto, a fellow comic artist he admired, at the Angoulême festival and Matsumoto quickly agreed to collaborate. The two artists developed the story together, exchanging ideas and building the world of Nanbanjin as a shared project. The graphic novel presents the story through the perspectives of both creators. Pedrosa focuses on the adventurer, Fernando, from his early life in Portugal, while Matsumoto depicts Fernando’s arrival in Japan and his relationship with a solitary fisherman.
The two artists portray the adventurer as an unusual figure, emphasizing his foreignness through Matsumoto’s distinct visual style. They aim to show how a shared history can be viewed and interpreted differently depending on cultural background.
