This year marks the 40th debut anniversary of manga artist Momoko Sakura. To commemorate this milestone, the June issue of the girls' manga magazine "Ribon" (published by Shueisha on May 2nd) features a special double cover project with popular characters from Sakura's works on the back cover.

The cover includes charming illustrations of Maruko, whose round eyes are iconic, as well as Cojicoji, Jiro, and Yakankun, drawn by Maki, a creator currently popular in "Ribon" for the "Illustration series" titled "no words." This collaboration brought together Sakura, who has long led "Ribon" with her overwhelming creativity, and Maki, whose unique artistic talent has won widespread acclaim from readers. Additionally, this issue also features the manga "Chibi Maruko-chan," drawn by Sakura’s long-time assistant, Kogai Botan. It includes the story "Fuyuta's Love," spanning 31 pages (including color pages), based on scripts Sakura had written for the TV anime.

Furthermore, the "Momoko Sakura Exhibition," which started in autumn 2022 in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture, and is currently touring nationwide, will be held from June 22nd, 2024, at the Matsuzakaya Art Museum in Nagoya, and from October 5th at the Mori Arts Center Gallery in Tokyo.

The exhibition highlights Sakura’s versatility, featuring numerous representative works, rare handwritten manuscripts, and color illustrations. It fully conveys the charm of Sakura, who thoroughly enjoyed both drawing and writing amidst a busy life, and dearly loved the changing seasons and the nuances of everyday life.