{"product_id":"showa-1953-1989-a-history-of-japan","title":"Showa 1953-1989: A History of Japan","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe final volume in the Eisner-nominated history of Japan; one of NPR's Best Books of 2014!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShowa 1953-1989: A History of Japan\u003c\/i\u003e 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 defeat in World War II, as a country reduced to rubble struggles to rise again. The Korean War brings new opportunities to a nation searching for an identity. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA former enemy becomes their greatest ally as the United States 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 friendlier Japan to the world, but this period of peace and plenty conceals a populace still struggling to come to terms with the devastation of World War II. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDuring this period of recovery and reconciliation, Mizuki's struggles mirror those of the nation. He fights his way back from poverty, becoming a 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 sacrifices made during the war. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe original Japanese edition of the \u003ci\u003eShowa: A History of Japan\u003c\/i\u003e series won Mizuki the prestigious Kodansha Manga Award; the English translation was nominated for an Eisner Award.","brand":"Zack Davisson, Shigeru Mizuki","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":47281867456748,"sku":"9781770466289","price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0684\/1791\/3068\/files\/9781770466289.jpg?v=1770312617","url":"https:\/\/intl.allstora.com\/products\/showa-1953-1989-a-history-of-japan","provider":"Allstora","version":"1.0","type":"link"}