Where did manga come from?
What exactly is manga?
And where is it going?
Manga is pure possibility.
Maybe it’s even a world in itself.
The Hobonichi MANGA-BU is born.
We’re not building it from detailed plans or projections of
success.
We’re building it from people — from a team.
We start by gathering members. By gathering humans.
Whoever joins us — maybe that’s you — what you want to do,
what you’re good at, will shape what MANGA-BU becomes.
It will keep changing, moving like a living creature.
MANGA-BU exists to make the world more interesting.
It’s a place where joy is created. A place where work itself
is born. In other words, it’s a division that creates new
kinds of jobs.
Let’s set out happily on a journey of joyful trial and
error, feeling our way through the dark.
The Hobonichi spirit — gentle, strong, and fun — is about to
become even more fun from here.
It felt just like this when we started Hobonichi back in
1998.
I’m excited about MANGA-BU. It feels like hope.
We’re waiting for everyone — young or old, any gender — who feels that same hope and wants to join us.
Shigesato Itoi Founder of Hobonichi and Director of MANGA-BU
2026/02/07
When you hear "Manga Division," you might imagine a team that draws or edits manga as reading content. However, at "Hobonichi MANGA-BU," we want to look beyond that image and carry out businesses and activities that leverage the potential and reach of Manga.
To explain what we are thinking and what kind of people we want to welcome, our Division Head, Shigesato Itoi, and founding members Minakawa and Sano held a talk session. Please read the transcript of this discussion along with the recruitment details. (Note: The linked articles are in Japanese only.)
The activities of the "Hobonichi MANGA-BU" are not limited to creating manga as reading material. We want to explore and create everything that leverages the power of "Manga" in a broad sense, including picture books, illustrations, animation, and merchandise.
For this purpose, we are recruiting for the following two roles:
Job Roles
① Drawing and Creating Manga
This role involves the hands-on creation of Manga for various media. In addition, it includes using Manga as a means of expression to deliver messages clearly and enjoyably in other content, such as press releases or internal company materials.
Examples of Relevant Backgrounds:
Manga Artists, Story Writers, Editors, Illustrators, Animators, Character Designers, Graphic Designers, etc.
② Creating Markets by Leveraging the Potential of Manga
This role focuses on opening up new markets by tapping into the vast possibilities of Manga. You will be responsible for producing merchandise and content that grow out of Manga, and finding innovative ways to connect the power of Manga to various fields of business and daily life to create new joy and delight.
Examples of Relevant Backgrounds:
Editors, Planners, Product Developers, Creative Directors, Art Directors, Business Producers, Content Producers, Brand Producers, Project Managers, etc.
We also welcome those with unique skills and the ambition to combine their specific expertise with the power of Manga to create something entirely new.
Membership Types (Employment / Contract Forms)
For this recruitment, we have prepared two main entry points for applications.
【1】 Core Member: Lead the MANGA-BU's activities (Full-time Employee or Contractor)
For those who want to be at the heart of the MANGA-BU's operations and team efforts.
If you wish to apply for this role, please review the details in the "Job Requirements" section below before submitting your application.
Application Deadline: March 10 (Tue), 11:00 AM JST.
【２】 Partner: Participate when needed (Project-based Contractor, Side Job, or Corporate Collaboration)
We also warmly welcome those who would like to lend their strengths to specific projects or provide support whenever the need arises.
This is open to individual creators — such as those who wish to contribute as a "side project" or independent artists interested in one-off assignments — as well as companies and teams looking to collaborate by leveraging their unique organizational strengths.
There is no fixed deadline for this category; we want to make it possible for you to apply at any time, depending on your schedule and situation. If you feel inspired to do something together with the "Hobonichi MANGA-BU," please let us know whenever you like via this entry form.
To share the vision of the "Hobonichi MANGA-BU" directly with those considering joining us, we have decided to hold a special information event: "The Great MANGA-BU Briefing."
The venue is the Heiseikan Auditorium at the Tokyo National Museum (Ueno, Tokyo). It is a location that holds deep significance for us. Not only is the museum home to masterpieces like Ukiyo-e, which are the roots of Manga, but it also houses the "Kanzan Jittoku" series donated by Tadanori Yokoo, the renowned artist who illustrated the launch poster for the "Hobonichi MANGA-BU." We feel a wonderful sense of fate in gathering at such a prestigious and inspiring place.
We have planned a talk session between Shigesato Itoi and special guests, as well as an opportunity to ask questions directly to current MANGA-BU members. We hope this event helps you broaden your imagination regarding the two job roles we are recruiting for, as well as our future activities.
Whether you are already planning to apply or simply want to learn more about what the "Hobonichi MANGA-BU" is all about, we warmly invite you to join us!
Please Note: > * This event will be conducted in Japanese only.
For those unable to attend in person, a video recording of the event will be made available on our website at a later date.
For more details and to register, please visit the page below:
(Update: February 19, 2026)
*** Registration for the information session is now closed, as we have reached full capacity.**
*** Your attendance at this session does not affect the evaluation of your recruitment application.**
*** We are considering making a recording of the session
available online at a later date.
Further details will be announced on the information session
page.**
Role
①Drawing and Creating Manga
②Creating Markets by Leveraging the Potential of Manga.
Qualifications
Skills and experience necessary to perform the tasks described above.
Employment Type
A. Full-time Employee
B. Contractor (Business Commission)
Working Conditions & Benefits
A. Full-time Employee Details
- Number of Openings
- A few.
- Contract Term
- No fixed term.
- Probation Period
-
6 months.
-Terms and conditions during the probation period are the same as those for full-time employees. - Location
-
Hobonichi Headquarters Office
(Kanda-Nishikicho,Chiyoda-ku,Tokyo,Japan). - Work Hours
-
Flex-time system
-Standard Working Hours: 7 hours per day.
-Standard Working Schedule: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (including a 60-minute break).
-Core Time: None (Full flex-time with no mandatory core hours).
-For certain specialized roles, the "Specialized Professional Discretionary Work System" (Senmon-gyomu-gata Sairyo-rodo-sei) may apply.
- Holidays
-
Weekends, National holidays,
Year-end/New Year break. - Leave
- Summer leave, Annual paid leave, Health leave, Congratulatory/Condolence leave.
- Salary
-
Determined based on experience and previous salary according to company regulations. (Includes bonus and 45 hours of fixed overtime pay).
- Salary Increase
- Once a year (September).
- Bonus
- Once a year (December).
- Insurance
- Full social insurance (Employment, Workers' Comp, Welfare Pension, Health Insurance).
- Benefits
- Childcare/Nursing leave, Retirement plan, Employee stock ownership, Employee discount.
B. Contractor Details
Compensation and working hours will be determined after discussion based on the assigned tasks and your preference.
Note for International Applicants:
As our Full-time positions (A) generally require the ability to
work at our headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, we highly recommend that
those applying from overseas apply under the Contractor (B)
category. This allows for a more flexible working arrangement
tailored to your location and the specific nature of the project.
How to Apply
Please apply via the entry form below.
Deadline: March 10 (Tue), 11:00 AM JST.
Note: Our application forms are managed through "JobSuite," a recruitment management system operated by Stellas Co., Ltd. (https://stellas.co.jp/). Clicking the buttons above will redirect you to the dedicated "Hobonichi" entry form hosted on their platform.
Selection Schedule
Submission Deadline:March 10, 2026, 11:00 AM.
Document Screening:
Results will be sent after March 11.
Interviews: Planned for March – April.
Target Start Date: April 2026 or later (Negotiable).
- -Note on Joining Date: The start date is negotiable and can be adjusted based on your current situation.
- -Interviews: We typically plan for 2–3 rounds of interviews for Full-time positions, and 1–2 rounds for Contractor positions.
- -Assignments: Please note that you may be asked to complete a specific task or assignment as part of the selection process.
Applying as a "Partner"
(Project-based / Side Project Contractors, or Corporate / Team Collaborations)
If you are considering joining us as a project-based contractor (for specific tasks or assignments) or as a corporate partner/team, we would love to hear from you. Please use the form below to share what you would like to achieve with us, your areas of expertise, and your preferred way of working.
Name: Hobonichi Co., Ltd.
Corporate Site:
https://www.hobonichi.co.jp/
Please contact saiyo@1101.com via email for any questions regarding recruitment.
～Important: Please confirm before applying～
Handling of Application Information: You are responsible for the accuracy of your submission.
Management: Information will be used only for selection and hiring procedures. Submitted documents will not be returned and will be properly disposed of if not hired.
Intellectual Property Note: We are not responsible for any accidental similarities between your submitted ideas/portfolio and our future unannounced projects.
Thank you for your interest in working at Hobonichi. We offer "Career Registration" for those interested in roles other than the MANGA-BU.
▶For Career Registration(Japanese Only)
2026-02-13-FRI
