Hello and welcome to the History of Japan podcast. Episode 26.

The History of Manga.

This week we'll be tackling our second listener-requested episode.

So, first, thank you to listener Sasha for suggesting this idea.

This isn't a topic with which I have a lot of familiarity,

but it's been a lot of fun to read up on, and I'm excited to share what I've learned with you.

So, let's talk about manga.

The word manga literally means something like whimsical image, and in usage it dates back to the 1700s, roughly the middle of the Tokugawa period.

Which brings us to our first and most disputed point.

What counts as manga?

Depending on how you define it, the first manga could in fact be said to date as far back as the twelve hundreds.

Specifically, a pair of scrolls, the Shiggy-Song-engi and the Cholju-Jinbutzigga,

both used fanciful images to tell a story.

In the case of Shiggyzong Eni, it's the story of a Buddhist monk named Mjoren, who lives on Mount Shigi

and can perform various miracles.

In the case of Chouju-Jim-Butsugiga, it's the wacky misadventures of a bunch of

cavorting anthropomorphic animals.

Among other things, one of its more famous scenes is a monkey thieving for a bunch of other animals and a bunch of frogs dressed like Buddhist priests.

Depending on who you ask, that's either a fun frivolity,

or a subtle date of Buddhist priests,

suggesting just what exactly is necessary to join a Buddhist

holy order, simply the ability to croak loudly. Of course, does Chōju Jimbuzgiya really count?

...