MORIOKA, Japan – Demand for exhibition catalogs produced by the Tono Municipal Museum in Iwate Prefecture has surged following the immense popularity of the manga series Jujutsu Kaisen, prompting multiple reprints and a significant increase in museum visitors, officials said.
The two catalogs, “Tono Monogatari to Jujutsu” and “Tono Monogatari to Ikai,” draw connections between the dark fantasy world of the manga – which features sorcerers battling cursed spirits – and the folklore documented in Kunio Yanagita’s classic book, “Tono Monogatari.” The museum, dedicated to preserving and showcasing Yanagita’s perform, has seen a demographic shift in its visitors, with a growing number of women in their 20s and 30s now frequenting the exhibitions, a change from the museum’s traditional audience of visitors in their 50s and 60s.
Curator Satomi Asanuma, 46, explained that the museum typically prints around 1,000 copies of an exhibition catalog, selling them gradually over time. However, the Jujutsu Kaisen-inspired exhibition, first held in 2021 and restaged in 2023, defied this pattern. The initial print run of 1,000 copies for the second exhibition sold out almost immediately, leading to five reprints and a total of 5,800 copies sold by May 2025.
The “Jujutsu” catalog features photographs illustrating incantations found within “Tono Monogatari,” alongside depictions of local customs used to ward off evil and dolls believed to house protective deities. The “Ikai” catalog, meanwhile, presents contemporary photographs of locations associated with local folklore, including a bridge said to be frequented by a zashiki warashi spirit and objects attributed to the legendary creature tengu.
The museum’s official X account also experienced substantial growth, increasing from 23,000 followers in April 2023 to approximately 40,000 by September 2023, coinciding with promotional posts for the Jujutsu exhibition. The “Ikai” catalog, released with an exhibition in 2024, also required a third reprinting in 2025, with many visitors purchasing both catalogs as a set.
Museum director Hiroshi Hasegawa, 53, expressed hope that the exhibitions and catalogs will encourage a renewed appreciation for “Tono Monogatari” and the rich folklore it contains. The third staging of the Jujutsu exhibition ran through January 2026, continuing to drive catalog sales.
