is a Japanese manga series written series written by and illustrated by , based on the multi-volume history Shōwashi by . It has been serialized in Shogakukan's manga magazine Big Comic Original since April 2017.
Plot The series explores the life and reign of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) across twentieth-century Japan. Apart from a prologue set at Douglas MacArthur's postwar occupation in 1945, it proceeds chronologically from 1904, dramatizing in detail: The young Hirohito's childhood, upbringing, and education at the Gakushūin His ascension to Crown Prince, and subsequent tour of Europe The chaotic aftermath of the 1923 earthquake, intertwined with massacres and assassination attempts His marriage to Princess Nagako, and ascension as Emperor Shōwa Japan's rapidly-militarizing government, leading to its eventual invasion of Manchuria and coup attempt The full outbreak of World War II, bringing unprecedented violence from—and to—the Japanese Empire
Production Editor-in-chief of Big Comic Original Nakaguma Ichirō first thought of the idea of a manga about the Imperial Family after watching the 2006 film The Queen. He noted that manga artists have not worked on this theme before, as in Japan it is generally considered taboo to speak about the imperial family in such a familiar fashion. As Japan suffered greatly during World War II, he wanted to depict the Emperor's feelings and personal situation at the time, and also felt that Japanese readers would also like to know about him.
Publication Written by and illustrated by , based on the novel Shōwashi by , Shōwa Tennō Monogatari started in Shogakukan's manga magazine Big Comic Original on April 20, 2017. Shogakukan has collected its chapters into individual volumes. The first volume was released on October 30, 2017. As of August 28, 2026, 19 volumes have been released.
Volumes
Reception By 2019, the series has sold over 140,000 copies. Shōwa Tennō Monogatari ranked sixth on Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2019 ranking of Top 20 manga for male readers. The series was nominated for the 43rd Kodansha Manga Award for the Best General Manga category in 2019. The series was nominated for the 68th Shogakukan Manga Award in the general category in 2022.
See also Takemitsuzamurai, another manga series written by Issei Eifuku
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External links