Showa 1953-1989

November 15, 2015
In this, the final volume of master manga-maker Mizuki's history of Japan's Showa period, the author examines Japan in the modern era. The book begins as the Allied occupation of Japan ends and the country furiously starts to rebuild after the devastation left in the wake of WWII. Mizuki, too, is struggling to rebuild after the collapse of the Kamishibai trade. Following Japan's trajectory from war-torn ruin to economic powerhouse, Mizuki's luck turns when he is introduced to a manga publisher, and he slowly ascends from abject poverty to best-selling manga creator. There is more interweaving of Mizuki's life and ruminations in this volume than in the previous three, enriching a historic time line full of political scandals and pop-culture fads and emphasizing Mizuki's study of the yokai, or monsters. Closing out the series are glorious full-color illustrations reprinted from the original Japanese editions that both remind readers of important details from previous volumes and illustrate why Mizuki is recognized in Japan as a Person of Cultural Merit. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)