Japan.
漫画
Japan
1923
漫画
Japanese comics are called manga, a word Kitazawa Rakuten first used in its modern sense in 1900.
Histories of manga begin with picture scrolls of the 12th and 13th centuries and the Hokusai Manga sketchbooks, and from 1946 the modern canon took shape with Machiko Hasegawa, Osamu Tezuka, the gekiga artists and the Year 24 Group.
1,646
4,372
1923
2010s
Artists from Japan in the archive.
Comics from Japan in the archive.
Shō-chan no Bōken, the earliest comic from Japan in the archive.
The decade when the most new comics from Japan began.
漫画
Japan in 4 chapters
A short history you can leaf through. Click a page, use the arrow keys, or press Turn the page to read on.
Japan.
漫画
4 chapters
Chapter 1
1100
to 1899
Scrolls and sketchbooks
1100
to 1899
Chapter 01
Scrolls and sketchbooks
Histories of manga begin with the Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga picture scrolls of the 12th and 13th centuries. The Hokusai Manga sketchbooks were published from 1814 to 1834.
1900
to 1945
Chapter 02
The modern word
Kitazawa Rakuten was the first to use the word manga in its modern sense, in Jiji Manga in 1900.
1946
to 1968
Chapter 03
Postwar manga and gekiga
Machiko Hasegawa's Sazae-san began in April 1946 and Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy in April 1951. From the late 1950s Yoshihiro Tatsumi and others developed gekiga, a realistic manga for adult readers.
1969
to today
Chapter 04
The Year 24 Group and after
From 1969 the Year 24 Group, including Moto Hagio, Riyoko Ikeda and Yumiko Ōshima, emerged, and Ikeda's The Rose of Versailles ran from 1971 to 1973. Heritage institutions followed, from the Kyoto International Manga Museum (2006) to the formal release of the national Media Arts Database in January 2024.
The comics to know
- Chōjū-jinbutsu-gigaJPPicture scrolls of the 12th and 13th centuries.
- Hokusai MangaJP, 1814Sketchbooks published from 1814 to 1834.
- Jiji MangaJP, 1900Kitazawa Rakuten. First use of the word manga in its modern sense.
- Sazae-sanサザエさんMachiko HasegawaJapan, 1946 to 1974Machiko Hasegawa. Began in April 1946.
- Astro Boy鉄腕アトムOsamu TezukaJapan, 1952 to 1968Osamu Tezuka. Began in April 1951.
- The Rose of VersaillesベルサイユのばらRiyoko IkedaJapan, 1972 to 1973Riyoko Ikeda. Ran from 1971 to 1973.
The people to know
- Rakuten Kitazawa北澤楽天Mangaka, 1876 to 1955First to use the word manga in its modern sense, in Jiji Manga (1900).
- Machiko Hasegawa長谷川町子Mangaka, 1920 to 1992Created Sazae-san, from April 1946.
- Osamu Tezuka手塚 治虫Mangaka, 1928 to 1989Created Astro Boy, from April 1951.
- Yoshihiro Tatsumi辰巳ヨシヒロMangaka, 1935 to 2015Leading figure of gekiga, realistic manga for adults, from the late 1950s.
- Moto Hagio萩尾望都Mangaka, Born 1949Member of the Year 24 Group.
- Riyoko Ikeda池田理代子Mangaka, Born 1947Member of the Year 24 Group; created The Rose of Versailles.
- Yumiko Ōshima大島弓子Mangaka, Born 1947Member of the Year 24 Group.
More artists from Japan
All 1,646 artists- Akira Toriyama鳥山 明Mangaka, 1955 to 2024
- Rumiko Takahashi高橋留美子Mangaka, Born 1957
- Hayao Miyazaki宮崎駿Mangaka, Born 1941
- Gosho Aoyama青山剛昌Mangaka, Born 1963
- Junji Itō伊藤 潤二Mangaka, Born 1963
- Naoko Takeuchi武内 直子Mangaka, Born 1967
- Hirohiko Araki荒木飛呂彦Mangaka, Born 1960
- Leiji Matsumoto松本零士Mangaka, 1938 to 2023
- Naoki Urasawa浦沢直樹Mangaka, Born 1960
- Mitsuru Adachiあだち充Mangaka, Born 1951
- Shōtarō Ishinomori石ノ森章太郎Mangaka, 1938 to 1998
- Masamune Shirow士郎正宗Mangaka, Born 1961
More comics from Japan
All 4,372 comics- NarutoNARUTO -ナルト-Masashi KishimotoJapan, 1999 to 2014
- DoraemonドラえもんFujiko F. FujioJapan, 1969
- One PieceワンピースEiichiro OdaJapan, 1997
- Death NoteデスノートTsugumi OhbaJapan, 2003 to 2006
- Attack on Titan進撃の巨人Hajime IsayamaJapan, 2009 to 2021
- Sailor Moon美少女戦士セーラームーンNaoko TakeuchiJapan, 1991
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba鬼滅の刃Koyoharu GotōgeJapan, 2016 to 2020
- Inuyasha犬夜叉Rumiko TakahashiJapan, 1996 to 2008
- Fullmetal Alchemist鋼の錬金術師Hiromu ArakawaJapan, 2001 to 2010
- Case Closed名探偵コナンGosho AoyamaJapan, 1994
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventureジョジョの奇妙な冒険Hirohiko ArakiJapan, 1987
- Hunter × Hunterハンター×ハンターYoshihiro TogashiJapan, 1998
