TOKYO >> Japanese lawmakers are expected to submit a bill to the Diet promoting the establishment of a facility to preserve internationally renowned Japanese manga and anime materials, and develop human resources working in these industries, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

Led by Keiji Furuya, chairman of the Election Strategy Committee of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the nonpartisan Diet group concerned with manga, animation and games plans to submit a bill to establish a Manga National Center by around 2020 — in time for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. It could be submitted to the Diet as early as this fall.

The center would be positioned as a branch of the National Diet Library and work to collect manga and anime, and their original drawings, through donations and a legal deposit system in which publishers would provide copies of new publications to the library.

The center would also work to nurture human resources in cooperation with educational institutions. Part of its construction and operational costs would come from private funds.

Japanese manga, anime and games are popular as part of the government’s “Cool Japan” strategy. However, the government has been concerned that these industries will wane due to an outflow of related technology and human resources to other countries.