Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is currently visiting Japan, met with Coremix director and manga artist Tetsuo Hara in Tokyo on January 16th.
It all started when Meloni became a fan of Hara. Hara has enjoyed immense popularity in Italy since the publication of "Fist of the North Star" in the 1980s. As a result, Hara was invited as the main guest at Lucca Comics & Games, one of the world's largest pop culture festivals, held last fall in the medieval city of Lucca in the Tuscany region of Italy. Hara's invitation also served as an opportunity to become the first Japanese manga artist to be commissioned by the Uffizi Gallery in Florence to have a self-portrait painted, which was then honored by being added to the museum's collection.
"Your art is amazing," said Mr. Meloni. Hara responded, "Prime Minister Meloni is picturesque." As it was Mr. Meloni's birthday, the two presented him with a giclee print with a message and shook hands.
