Showa 1926-1939

A fascinating period in Japanese history recounted by manga¿s most distinguished author

Showa 1926¿1939: A History of Japan lays the groundwork for Eisner award-winning author Shigeru Mizuki¿s historical and autobiographical series about Japanese life in the twentieth century. Depicted against his trademark photorealistic backdrops, Mizuki effortlessly portrays a nation forced into a period of upheaval and brings history into the realm of the personal. Indeed, as a child coming of age in the Showa era, the author¿s earliest memories coincide with key events of the time.

It all begins with the Great Kanto Earthquake, a natural disaster that forces the country into a financial crisis. The period leading up to World War II is thus a time of economic hardship and record unemployment. Forthright descriptions of ensuing militarization reveal Mizuki¿s lifelong stance as a thoughtful pacifist, critical of domestically disputed events like the Nanjing Massacre cle