Why is manga so successful? Perhaps part of the success lies in its Japanese specificity, in its ability to combine, without losing identity, something genuinely Japanese with an increasingly stateless feeling. Manga is a medium that not only looks inward –deep into the historical and cultural tradition of Japan– but also outward. At the artistic level, Japan has always been recognised for its traditional Ukiyo-e paintings and woodblock prints, haiku poetry, martial arts, ceramics or Zen philosophy. In the last 50 years, the banner of Japanese artistic manifestations has fallen on the shoulders of its architecture, a reflection of the symbiosis that exists between the old and new, in design, fashion or gardens, often seen in national art publications. Literature and films have also, perhaps to a lesser extent, been recognised inside and outside Japan since both expression media are quite popular. However, during these very same decades, manga, which is undoubtedly its number one manifestation, and perhaps nowadays considered as "the Japanese medium par excellence", has always been ignored in this unique cultural ranking.