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 utter defeat in World War Two, as a country reduced to rubble struggles to rise again. The Korean War brings new opportunities to the nation searching for an identity. A former enemy becomes their greatest ally as the USA 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 new, friendly Japan to the world, but this period of peace and plenty conceals a populace still struggling to come to terms with the devastation of WWII. During this period of recovery and reconciliation, Shigeru Mizuki's struggles mirror those of the nation. He fights his way back from extreme poverty, becoming a national 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 sacrifice of millions during the War. The original Japanese edition of the series Showa: A History of Japan won Mizuki the prestigious Kodansha Manga Award; the English translation has been nominated for an Eisner Award.
Reihe
Sprache
Verlagsort
Illustrationen
Black-and-White Illustrations Throughout
Maße
Höhe: 226 mm
Breite: 162 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-77046-201-4 (9781770462014)
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Schweitzer Klassifikation
Shigeru Mizuki (1922 2015) was one of Japan s most respected artists. A creative prodigy, he lost an arm in World War II. After the war, Mizuki became one of the founders of Japan s latest craze manga. He invented the yokai genre with GeGeGe no Kitaro, his most famous character, who has been adapted for the screen several times, as anime, live action, and video games. In fact, a new anime series has been made every decade since 1968, capturing the imaginations of generations of Japanese children. A researcher of yokai and a real-life ghost hunter, Mizuki traveled to over sixty countries to engage in fieldwork based on spirit folklore. In his hometown of Sakaiminato, one can find Shigeru Mizuki Road, a street decorated with bronze statues of his Kitaro characters.
