Showa: A History of Japan

Comic Showa History (コミック昭和史, Komikku Shōwa-shi) is a series of graphic novels by Shigeru Mizuki. It ran for eight volumes and was released from November 1988 to December 1989.
From November 12, 2013 to September 19, 2015, Drawn & Quarterly released a four volume English-language version of the series under the title Showa: A History of Japan.
==About==
==Timeline by each book==
===Volume 1: Great Kanto Earthquake~Manchurian Incident===
Year 	Major Events 	Mizuki's Life
1922 (Taishō 11) 	 	Born March 8th
1923 (Taishō 12) 	Great Kanto Earthquake 	Early childhood & school daysLearns about yōkai from NonNonBa
1926 (Showa Year 1)	Death of Emperor Yoshihito. Showa era begins. 	Early childhood & school daysLearns about yōkai from NonNonBa
1927 (Showa 2) 	Showa Financial Crisis 	Early childhood & school daysLearns about yōkai from NonNonBa
1928 (Showa 3) 	Universal Suffrage is implemented.March 15th Incident	Early childhood & school daysLearns about yōkai from NonNonBa
1929 (Showa 4) 	Great Depression 	Early childhood & school daysLearns about yōkai from NonNonBa
1930 (Showa 5) 	Showa Depression.London Naval Treaty 	Early childhood & school daysLearns about yōkai from NonNonBa
1931 (Showa 6) 	Manchurian Incident 	Early childhood & school daysLearns about yōkai from NonNonBa
===Volume 2: Manchurian Incident~Sino-Japanese War===
Year 	Major Events 	Mizuki's Life
1931 (Showa 6) 	Liutiaogou Incident 	Elementary School~Advanced Elementary High School
1932 (Showa 7) 	January 28th IncidentManchukuo foundedMay 15th Incident 	Elementary School~Advanced Elementary High School
1933 (Showa 8) 	Japan withdraws from the League of Nations.Takigawa Incident	Elementary School~Advanced Elementary High School
1935 (Showa 10)	Emperor Organ Theory Rejection Incident 	Elementary School~Advanced Elementary High School
1936 (Showa 11)	February 26th Incident 	Elementary School~Advanced Elementary High School
1937 (Showa 12)	Marco Polo Bridge Incident 	Graduates advanced elementary high school, fired from first two jobs.Enters and drops out of art school,fails entrance exam for horticulture school.
1939 (Showa 14)	Nomonhan IncidentGermany & Soviet Union invade Poland 	Graduates advanced elementary high school, fired from first two jobs.Enters and drops out of art school,fails entrance exam for horticulture school.
===Volume 3: Sino-Japanese War~Start of World War II===
Year 	Major Events 	Mizuki's Life
1939 (Showa 14)	World War II begins. 	Delivers newspapers while attending Industrial School.
1940 (Showa 15)	Tripartite Pact 	Delivers newspapers while attending Industrial School.
1941 (Showa 16)	Soviet-Japanese Neutrality PactHull Note presentedAttack on Pearl HarborPacific War begins.	Enrolls in Night School.
1942 (Showa 17)	Occupation of Rabaul, New Britain.Battle of the Coral Sea 	Receives his physical.
1943 (Showa 18)	 	Receives draft papers.Enlists in Tottori Regiment, sent to Bugle Corps.Ordered to report to South Asia.
===Volume 4: World War II, Part I===
Year 	Major Events 	Mizuki's Life
1942 (Showa 17)	Battle of MidwayBattle of the SolomonsBattle of Tassafaronga 	
1943 (Showa 18)	Isoroku Yamamoto is KIA over Bougainville.Militarization of schools and students.US Army lands on New Britain	Shipped to New Britain.
1944 (Showa 19)	 	Sent to front lines, platoon annihilated.Mizuki is one of the survivors.
===Volume 5: World War II, Part II===
Year 	Major Events 	Mizuki's Life
1944 (Showa 19)	Battle of ImphalJapanese defeat in Battle of Saipan.Battle of the Philippine SeaBattle of Leyte Gulf	Survives and catches malaria.Mizuki's troop is given Honorable Death order but fights guerrilla instead.Loses left arm from enemy plane bombing while on bed-rest for malaria.
1945 (Showa 20)	Battle of Iwo JimaBombing of TokyoBattle of OkinawaGermany surrenders. 	
===Volume 6: End of WWII~Korean War===
Year 	Major Events 	Mizuki's Life
1945 (Showa 20)	Bombing of HiroshimaBombing of NagasakiJewel Voice Broadcast announces Japan's surrender.GHQ begins welfare program.	Transferred to a field hospital.Relationship with local Tolai people begins.Wishes for local discharge, but is talked into returning home first.
1946 (Showa 21)	Tokyo TrialsConstitution of Japan announced. 	Sent home. Recieves operation on arm at Sagamihara Hospital.Lives at hospital while awaiting discharge,takes a disastrous trip to Tohoku to buy rice.Enrolls in Musashino Art School.Finds work at a fish market and as a pedicab driver.
1947 (Showa 22)	Constitution of Japan goes into effect. 	Sent home. Recieves operation on arm at Sagamihara Hospital.Lives at hospital while awaiting discharge,takes a disastrous trip to Tohoku to buy rice.Enrolls in Musashino Art School.Finds work at a fish market and as a pedicab driver.
1949 (Showa 24)	Shimoyama Incident, Mitaka Incident and Matsukawa Derailment all occur. 	Sent home. Recieves operation on arm at Sagamihara Hospital.Lives at hospital while awaiting discharge,takes a disastrous trip to Tohoku to buy rice.Enrolls in Musashino Art School.Finds work at a fish market and as a pedicab driver.
1950 (Showa 25)	Korean War starts. 	Begins managing "Mizuki Road" apartment in Kobe.One of his tenants introduces him to the Kamishibai industry.
1951 (Showa 26)	 	Begins managing "Mizuki Road" apartment in Kobe.One of his tenants introduces him to the Kamishibai industry.
1957 (Showa 32)	 	Popularity of kamishibai declines.Moves to Tokyo to find work.
===Volume 7: Making Peace~Reconstruction===
Year 	Major Events 	Mizuki's Life
1951 (Showa 26)	Treaty of San Francisco signed.Japan/United States Security Treaty signed. 	
1955 (Showa 30)	Reunification of Japanese Socialist Party.Conservative Merger creates Liberal Democratic Party. 	
1957 (Showa 32)	 	Draws Rocketman, rental manga debut.Moves to Chofu.
1959 (Showa 34)	Iwato Economic Boom lasts 3 years.Prince Akihito marries Michiko Shoda.Campaign against Japan/US Treaty.	Draws Rocketman, rental manga debut.Moves to Chofu.
1961 (Showa 36)	 	Marriage. While struggling financially, birth of first daughter.
1964 (Showa 39)	USA enters Vietnam War.Tokyo Olympics commences. 	Debut at Garo.
1965 (Showa 40)	Izanagi Economic Boom begins. 	TV-kun wins the Kodansha Children's Manga Award.GeGeGe no Kitarō debuts, work output increases.
1967 (Showa 42)	While Japan prospers, pollution becomes a problem,Anti-Pollution Act is introduced. 	TV-kun wins the Kodansha Children's Manga Award.GeGeGe no Kitarō debuts, work output increases.
1968 (Showa 43)	¥300,000,000 Robbery 	TV-kun wins the Kodansha Children's Manga Award.GeGeGe no Kitarō debuts, work output increases.
1969 (Showa 44)	University of Tokyo protests 	TV-kun wins the Kodansha Children's Manga Award.GeGeGe no Kitarō debuts, work output increases.
1970 (Showa 45)	 	Visits his old South Asian stations with former superiors.Goes to Rabaul, reunites with locals.
===Volume 8: Economic Growth and Beyond===
Year 	Major Events 	Mizuki's Life
1970 (Showa 45) 	Expo '70 is held.Hijacking of Flight 351.Mishima Incident	Workload increases.Starts letting assistants write stories he outlines.
1971 (Showa 46) 	Yen grows in worth in floating exchange rate system. 	Workload increases.Starts letting assistants write stories he outlines.
1972 (Showa 47) 	Asamo-Sanso IncidentOkinawa Reversion Agreement 	Workload increases.Starts letting assistants write stories he outlines.
1973 (Showa 48) 	Oil Crisis sends prices up. 	Workload increases.Starts letting assistants write stories he outlines.
1976 (Showa 51) 	Lockheed Bribery Scandal 	Workload increases.Starts letting assistants write stories he outlines.
1979 (Showa 54) 	Second Oil Crisis 	Workload increases.Starts letting assistants write stories he outlines.
1980 (Showa 55) 	Metal Bat Murders 	Begins traveling the world.Begins writing more yōkai manga.Father dies.Second wave of Kitarō manga.
1984 (Showa 59) 	Glico/Morinaga Case continues for the next year. 	Begins traveling the world.Begins writing more yōkai manga.Father dies.Second wave of Kitarō manga.
1985 (Showa 60) 	Japanese Flight 123 Disaster 	Begins traveling the world.Begins writing more yōkai manga.Father dies.Second wave of Kitarō manga.
1986 (Showa 61) 	Chernobyl Disaster 	Begins traveling the world.Begins writing more yōkai manga.Father dies.Second wave of Kitarō manga.
1987 (Showa 62) 	Korean Flight 858 Bombing 	Begins traveling the world.Begins writing more yōkai manga.Father dies.Second wave of Kitarō manga.
1988 (Showa 63) 	Recruit Scandal 	Begins traveling the world.Begins writing more yōkai manga.Father dies.Second wave of Kitarō manga.
1989 (Heisei Year 1)	Death of Hirohito. Heisei era begins. 	Makes his own grave site for a local temple.Showa: A History of Japan wins Kodansha Manga Award
==Characters==
*Mizuki (Vol. 1~8)
*Nezumi-Otoko (Vol. 1~8) - as Narrator and Nekoyama
*NonNonBa (Vol. 1 & 2)
;Family
*Father - Ryōichi (1~8)
*Mother - Kotoe (1~8)
*Older brother - Sōhei (1~6, 8)
*Younger brother - Yukio (1~2, 6~8)
*Grandfather - Tatsuji (1~3)
*Cousin - Hikoichi (1~3)
*Wife - Nunoe (7~8)
*First daughter - Naoko (7~8)
*Second daughter - Etsuko (8)
;Military & South Asia
*Akasaki (4)
*Kobayashi (3~4)
*Sakaita (4)
*Major Naruse (4~5)
*Commander Kodama (4~5)
*Sargent Miya (5, 7~8)
*Topetoro (6~8)
*Epupe (6 & 8)
;Friends & co-workers
*Katsumaru Suzuki (6~7)
*Kōji Kata (6~7)
*Ikkaku Tanabe (7)
*Shōichi Sakurai (7)
*Katsuichi Nagai (6~7)
*Yoshiharu Tsuge (7)
*Ryōichi Ikegami (7)
*Sanpei Shirato (7)
*Toyokawa (7)
*Suzuki (8)
;Yōkai/Cameos
*Salaryman Yamada (1, 3~8) - Various
*Inari (1)
*Beto-Beto-san (1)
*Konaki-Jijii (1, 6~8) - Face in the crowd during Chimney Man speech, guest narration.
*Akuma-kun (1 & 7) - Classmate of Mizuki's, himself.
*Kappa (2)
*Hidarugami (2)
*Nurikabe (5)
*Kitarō (6~8)
*Sunakake-Babaa (6~8) - Guest narration.
*Kanadama (7)
*Medama-Oyaji (7)
*Kondō Isami (7)
*Kasa-Bake (7)
*Neko-Mata (8)
*Shina-Yasha (8)
*Oketsu (8)
*Dragon (8)
*Shinigami (8)
*Neko-Musume (8)
*Nurikabe (8)
*Nurarihyon (8)
*Yobuko (8)
*Abura-Sumashi (8)
*Jakotsu-Babaa (8)
*Maruge (8)
*Hitotsume-Kozō (8)
*Oshiroi-Babaa (8)
*Hyōsube (8)
*Kawauso (8)
==Related works==
*NonNonBa
*Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths
*GeGeGe no Nyōbō
Category:Drawn & Quarterly
Category:Graphic Novels
Category:Historical manga