// ECHOES OF EDO // | From Samurai to Salarymen: A Journey Through Japan’s History in Manga

Beyond the vibrant action sequences and fantastical worlds, manga serves as one of Japan’s most powerful and accessible cultural mirrors. It is a medium where the nation’s soul is laid bare, panel by panel. This is nowhere more evident than in its telling of history. From the rigid honor codes of feudal warlords to the relentless pressures of modern corporate life, manga offers a unique and deeply human lens through which to view Japan’s epic transformation. This journey through ink and paper is not just a retelling of facts and dates; it is an exploration of the shifting identity of a people, chronicling the dramatic evolution from the age of the samurai to the era of the salaryman.

The drawn blade: Romanticizing the samurai and the Edo period

The image of the stoic samurai, sword at the ready, is perhaps one of the most enduring symbols of old Japan. Manga artists have long been fascinated by the Edo period (1603-1868), a time of relative peace under the Tokugawa shogunate that paradoxically cemented the legend of the warrior class. Historical manga, or jidaigeki, often approaches this era with a compelling blend of historical detail and romantic idealism. It delves deep into the core tenets of bushido—the way of the warrior—exploring themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and personal honor in a world on the brink of change.

Masterpieces that bring this period to life include:

• Vagabond by Takehiko Inoue: A breathtakingly illustrated epic that follows the life of the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. It transcends simple sword fights, becoming a philosophical meditation on the nature of strength, purpose, and self-discovery.
• Blade of the Immortal by Hiroaki Samura: While incorporating supernatural elements, this manga presents a gritty and unflinching look at the brutal reality of a ronin’s life, capturing the dark underbelly of the samurai world.

These stories do more than just depict historical figures; they use the samurai as a vehicle to explore timeless questions of identity and mortality, setting the stage for the dramatic upheaval that would soon end their reign.

The Meiji restoration: A nation in revolution

The fall of the shogunate and the Meiji Restoration in 1868 marked one of the most turbulent and transformative periods in Japanese history. It was a time of violent collision between centuries of tradition and the sudden influx of Western technology and ideals. The samurai class was officially dissolved, and a new national identity had to be forged from the ashes of the old world. Manga captures this profound societal whiplash with incredible nuance. It portrays characters caught between two eras: former samurai struggling to find their place without a sword, and a new generation embracing change while grappling with the loss of cultural certainty.

Nobuhiro Watsuki’s Rurouni Kenshin stands as the definitive manga of this era. Its protagonist, a former assassin who has sworn off killing, perfectly embodies the nation’s collective struggle. He seeks atonement for his violent past while navigating a “new” Japan where swords are outlawed, and old enemies reappear with new ambitions. The series brilliantly explores the personal cost of national change, showing how the echoes of the Edo period continued to reverberate long after the last shogun fell.

Scars of the 20th century: War, defeat, and rebirth

As Japan hurtled into the 20th century, its story became one of imperial ambition, devastating war, and unprecedented trauma. The Showa period (1926-1989) saw the nation reach a militaristic peak, only to suffer catastrophic defeat in World War II. Manga does not shy away from this dark chapter. In fact, it has become a crucial medium for processing national grief and reflecting on the human cost of conflict. These are not glorious war stories; they are harrowing, deeply personal accounts of survival, loss, and the moral complexities of war.

The most powerful example is Keiji Nakazawa’s Barefoot Gen, an autobiographical story of a young boy who survives the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Its raw, unflinching depiction of the event and its aftermath serves as a powerful anti-war statement and a vital historical document. Likewise, works like Fumiyo Kouno’s In This Corner of the World offer a quieter but equally poignant perspective, focusing on the daily life and struggles of ordinary citizens in wartime Japan. These manga ensure that the scars of the past are not forgotten, transforming personal and collective trauma into a lesson for future generations.

The economic miracle and the age of the salaryman

From the rubble of war, Japan staged a remarkable recovery, rising to become a global economic powerhouse. This post-war “economic miracle” gave birth to a new kind of Japanese warrior: the salaryman. The katana was replaced by the briefcase, the feudal lord by the corporate president, and the code of bushido was sublimated into a modern ethos of unwavering company loyalty and relentless hard work. Manga adeptly chronicles this shift, examining the life of the modern Japanese employee with both satirical wit and poignant sympathy.

Series like Salaryman Kintaro present an idealized version of this figure—a tough, charismatic man who shakes up the rigid corporate world. However, many other slice-of-life and drama manga explore the darker side of this reality: the crushing pressure to conform, the sacrifice of personal life for the sake of the company, and the search for meaning in a sea of gray suits. This modern narrative brings the historical journey full circle. It shows how the ancient values of duty and collective responsibility, once the domain of the samurai, have been repurposed for the modern age, defining the triumphs and tribulations of contemporary Japan.

In conclusion, the pages of manga offer far more than simple entertainment. They are a living, breathing chronicle of a nation’s journey through time. We see Japan’s story unfold from the romanticized honor of the samurai in the Edo period, through the chaotic birth of a modern state during the Meiji Restoration, and into the profound trauma and resilient rebirth of the 20th century. Finally, we arrive in the present day, where the spirit of the ancient warrior finds a new, complex echo in the modern salaryman. To read these historical manga is to engage in a dialogue with Japan’s past and present, gaining a deeper understanding of the forces that have shaped its unique cultural identity. It is history not as a dry text, but as a vibrant, human story.

Image by: Pavel Danilyuk
https://www.pexels.com/@pavel-danilyuk