Japanese Schools

[KakashiTheSharingan]

Are there any Japanese Schools that teach...Manga art...or Illustration?

[Ceta]

Yes, there are. However, if you don't live in Japan, your chances of getting in are next to zero. I have heard of a college in the US doing a student exchange program with a school that teaches manga, but I don't remember where it was. However, if you're not fluent in Japanese it wouldn't matter if I did; most schools only teach in Japanese. (The schools that teach using other languages than or in addition to Japanese are for students studying foreign languages.)

Trust me, you're better off just studying at a standard art school in your country. In addition to the classes being in your own language, it'll be cheaper. Attempting to studying in a foreign country may not work to well since there are many things that work against you: Language barrier being the most obvious, but other things like homesickness can make it very hard for you to get through the classes.

[Rio]

The schools that I know of are:

Keio Academy of New York (NY, USA)
Kyoto Seika University (Japan, manga)
Nihon Kogakuin College (Japan, anime, manga, video games, etc)
Yoyogi Animation Institute (Japan, anime)

Nihon Kogakuin actually has short 2 year programs but they have even shorter programs for English speakers. Just last year, they did an intensive 20 day anime training, iirc. They seem to do those every year so check them out. As always, do your research including cost, language barrier, and as Ceta says - you will become home sick after awhile so take that into consideration as well.

[KakashiTheSharingan]

Are there any colleges in the US that teaches manga or comics? Illustration?

[Hayashida]

I'm sure there's some that teach you how to draw western style comics. I think there's ads in comic books for drawing schools sometimes. I don't think you're going to find anything on how to draw eastern style comics, besides what Rio posted above.

[Rio]

Are there any colleges in the US that teaches manga or comics? Illustration?

There are none that teaches manga style specifically but there are those who delve into comics whether it's just a class or an entire program (i.e. you graduate with a degree in that field). Regarding art style, art schools tend to teach realistic art. You basically have to learn on your own if you want something more of a stylistic art style like manga.

Illustration is a give-in, btw. All art schools - or those worth their salt - all offer Illustration courses.

[nisaren]

I think I've heard that official name for the "comic degree" is a "Degree in Sequential Art." Maybe searching with that term will yield you more options.

[Rio]

Yes, that's the nice way of putting it but there are schools out there like the School of Visual Arts that just call it Cartooning. Btw, I don't know if you're in American style comics but there's a school in NJ called Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. Teachers are folks who have or are working in the industry and it's a 3-year intensive course so if you're serious about getting into the comic industry, then you may want to consider this.

[ClockHand]

I don't get why peopel who live in USA to want to go to japan to learn to mangas. If you live in USA you are in a much better place to learn and work.

Now unless you live in a place where ilustration is not a real job (like me), you better should think in going to other country to learn.

Also comic and mangas are the same, both use the same concepts, secuences, etc. Is not like learning one is going to make you impossible to do the other.

[Celestial-Fox]

I agree entirely with Clock, here. You can learn everything you need to know in a comicking course, but just utilizing a manga style of art instead.