A History of Japan in Manga - by Kanaya Shunichiro (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The entire fascinating story of Japan told in one exciting manga-style volume!

A History of Japan in Manga tells the action-packed saga of Japan from its misty origins up to the present day. Epic battles, noble Samurai and duplicitous leaders are all portrayed in modern manga fashion! The lively stories in this book include:

• The Dawn of Japan: The Birth of Buddhism and the transition from hunters--gatherers to agricultural societies of ancient times
• The Genpei Wars: Davage battles between the Taira and Minamoto clans that led to the powerful warlord Minamoto no Yoritomo naming himself Japan's first Shogun
• The Onin Wars: A decade-long struggle for domination of Japan in which thousands of Samurai fought and tragically lost their lives
• The 47 Ronin: Loyal Samurai who vowed to avenge the death of their master, choosing honor over surrender and being forced to commit mass ritual suicide as a result
• The Satsuma Rebellion: A dramatic last stand by Samurai loyal to the Shogun who revolted against the new Meiji government and its plans to finally modernize Japan
• And many more!

Dozens of indelible portraits, manga stories, maps and info-sidebars bring the full sweep of Japanese history to life in one easy-to-read book!

Review Quotes

"Who knew that reading manga would make learning a whole lot easier? Not to mention that gorgeous art....Reading this book has enriched my experience of Japan...so I recommend this to all Japanese culture enthusiasts, or for those who plan to travel to Japan anytime soon!! --Dominique Jardiolin (@chroniqled), Bookstagram

Hear an interview with author and translator Zack Davisson, about his two new translation titles with Tuttle Publishing: Strange Japanese Yokai and A History of Japan in Manga

"I enjoyed this one that my son and I are reading together. We have a trip planned to Japan for an entire month and so happy to be learning so much from this book! The illustrations are incredible." --Michelle Jocson (@nurse_bookie), Bookstagram

"'Comics are a fantastic way to learn about history' promises the introduction to this hybrid comics/prose textbook, which packs a vast sweep of time into a single volume. [...] The workmanlike art features well-researched costumes and cultural details...It's a friendly introduction to the subject matter..." --Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Shunichiro Kanaya is a lecturer in the Department of Japanese History at Toshin High School in Musashino, Japan. He is the author of several books on Japanese history and has appeared as a history commentator on NTV, Fuji TV and TV Tokyo.

Zack Davisson is an award-winning translator, writer, and folklorist. He is the author of books like Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats of Japan, Yurei: The Japanese Ghost, and Yokai Stories, and the translator of books like Soseki Natsume's I Am a Cat and Shigeru Mizuki's multiple Eisner Award-winning Showa: a History of Japan. In addition, his comic work includes Demon Days: X-Men from Marvel, Wayward from Image, and The Art of Star Wars Visions from Dark Horse. He has lectured on manga, folklore, and translation at numerous colleges and contributed to exhibitions at numerous museums. He currently lives in Seattle, WA with his wife Miyuki, dog Mochi, cat Shere Khan, and several ghosts.