The U.S. Navy held a special event in Yokosuka yesterday, handing out free manga about the USS George Washington to Japanese residents:

The first hour was manga madness for “CVN 73,” the Navy’s 200-page comic starring the USS George Washington. The aircraft carrier is scheduled to arrive in Yokosuka this August and will be the first nuclear-propelled ship forward-deployed to Japan.

Sailors handed out about 800 copies of “CVN 73″ in three hours in the manga’s first day of distribution. More will be handed out at upcoming open base events, said Waterman, a spokesman for Commander U.S. Naval Forces Japan.

“The response has been phenomenal,” Waterman said. “People told me that if we passed out a brochure or a tri-fold, they wouldn’t read it. But with a manga, we’re speaking their language.”

“CVN 73″ puts a positive spin on ship life, safety and U.S. Japanese relations through the eyes and experience of fictitious Japanese-American sailor Jack Ohara. About 30,000 copies have been printed, the vast majority in Japanese. The title comes from the ship’s hull number.

The format appears to be perfect for tackling “points of contention,” Waterman said, as the ship’s nuclear plant is the flashpoint for local citizens groups worried about ship safety and environmental impact. Thousands of signatures have been collected calling for a public vote on the issue, but Yokosuka city government defeated the measure twice in two years.

A pdf of the manga can be downloaded here (direct link to PDF file).