Synopses & Reviews
The final volume in the Eisner-nominated history of Japan
Showa 1953-1989: A History of Japan concludes Shigeru Mizukis dazzling autobiographical and historical account of Showa-period Japan, a portrait both intimate and ranging of a defining epoch. The final volume picks up in the wake of Japans utter defeat in World War II, as a country reduced to rubble struggles to rise again. The Korean War brings new opportunities to a nation searching for an identity.
A former enemy becomes their greatest ally as the United States funnels money, jobs, and opportunity into Japan, hoping to establish the country as a bulwark against Soviet Communist expansion. Japan reinvents itself, emerging as an economic powerhouse. Events like the Tokyo Olympiad and the Worlds Fair introduce a friendlier Japan to the world, but this period of peace and plenty conceals a populace still struggling to come to terms with the devastation of World War II.
During this period of recovery and reconciliation, Mizukis struggles mirror those of the nation. He fights his way back from poverty, becoming a celebrity who is beloved by millions of manga-reading children. However, prosperity cannot bring the happiness Mizuki craves, as he struggles to find meaning in the sacrifices made during the war.
The original Japanese edition of the Showa: A History of Japan series won Mizuki the prestigious Kodansha Manga Award; the English translation has been nominated for an Eisner Award.
Review
"
Showa 1926-1939 . . . is a beautifully rendered overview . . . of Japans strife-filled Showa period . . . through the goofy eyes of a growing boy with insatiable hungers." —
Los Angeles Review of Books"Legendary manga artist Mizuki draws an exaggerated, hyper-cartoony version of himself amid some of the grimmest realities of twentieth-century Japan." —NPR
Synopsis
The final volume in the Eisner-nominated history of Japan; one of NPR's Best Books of 2014
Showa 1953-1989: A History of Japan concludes Shigeru Mizuki's dazzling autobiographical and historical account of Showa-period Japan, a portrait both intimate and ranging of a defining epoch. The final volume picks up in the wake of Japan's defeat in World War II, as a country reduced to rubble struggles to rise again. The Korean War brings new opportunities to a nation searching for an identity.
A former enemy becomes their greatest ally as the United States funnels money, jobs, and opportunity into Japan, hoping to establish the country as a bulwark against Soviet Communist expansion. Japan reinvents itself, emerging as an economic powerhouse. Events like the Tokyo Olympiad and the World's Fair introduce a friendlier Japan to the world, but this period of peace and plenty conceals a populace still struggling to come to terms with the devastation of World War II.
During this period of recovery and reconciliation, Mizuki's struggles mirror those of the nation. He fights his way back from poverty, becoming a celebrity who is beloved by millions of manga-reading children. However, prosperity cannot bring the happiness Mizuki craves, as he struggles to find meaning in the sacrifices made during the war.
The original Japanese edition of the Showa: A History of Japan series won Mizuki the prestigious Kodansha Manga Award; the English translation was nominated for an Eisner Award.
About the Author
Shigeru Mizuki, born on March 8, 1922, in Sakaiminato, Tottori, is a specialist in stories of yōkai and is considered a master of the genre. In Japan, the life of Mizuki and his wife has been made into an extremely popular daily television drama. Mizuki is the recipient of many awards, including the Best Album Award for NonNonBā at the Angoulême International Comics Festival, the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Special Award, a Kyokujitsu Shō Decoration, a Minister of Education Award, a Shiju Hōshō Decoration, and the Kodansha Manga Award. His works have been published in Japan, South Korea, France, and Spain.