[Reading Notes] "Kanda Gokura-cho Shokunin Banashi" (Torch Comics) by Akihito Sakaue

I happened to see it at a bookstore.

I flipped through the front and back covers, and it clicked, so I decided to buy it immediately.

It was a huge hit!

Oh, it's because of encounters like this that I love stopping by bookstores, even if only for a little while (^^)

While set in the Edo period, this book features no sword fights or murder mysteries, and neither lords nor magistrates appear.

It is a so-called 'workplace manga' that depicts the skills and pride of craftsmen who lived in the Edo period—such as bucket makers and swordsmiths—with breathtaking beauty and gem-like dramas.

It portrays the ordinary lives of common people who could be found anywhere.

This manga is apparently serialized on Torch Web.

Sample reading

Serialization: Torch Web

Set in Kanda, Edo, it depicts craftsmen who take pride in their traditional handiwork as follows:

■ Bucket Maker
Remember this. Wood is alive—a day in the life of a bucket maker who watches over wood and lives with it.

■ Swordsmith
A child was killed by a sword he forged. In the scorching forge—what is in the heart of the taciturn swordsmith...

■ Dyer
Amidst the great popularity of Yuzen dyeing, a craftsman struggles with his indigo dyeing designs. His heart sinks over the uncertain future of his work, but...

■ Tatami Maker
The Yoshiwara district, once vacated, becomes a workplace for men. Teasing from the courtesans is part of the job when replacing tatami mats at the end of the year...

■ Plasterer (1, 2, 3)
A strange man appears at a storehouse construction site. This man, who calls himself Jinzaburo, seems to have drifted in from the Kamigata region, but...

A bucket maker who watches over wood and lives with it.

A swordsmith wielding his skills in a scorching forge.

A dyer struggling with indigo designs amidst the great popularity of Yuzen dyeing.

Stories of the skills and pride of various craftsmen are woven together.

They are neither celebrities nor geniuses.

The way these Edo-style craftsmen are so particular about their craft is truly cool.

Furthermore, I was overwhelmed by the artistic skill that expresses such a quiet space that you can almost hear the breathing of the craftsmen as they work silently.

Items carefully made by hand each have their own unique story.

Behind an object lies a history of protecting and passing down skills, and the life of the craftsman who made it.

Through the hands of many people, skills take shape and exist here now.

You can't really treat things that are carefully made roughly, can you? (^^;

As you cherish and use them, the items gradually gain more character.

Yes, perhaps items that hold rich stories are passed from the maker to the user, and then go on to weave new stories.

It's thrilling that such an everyday drama can be depicted so interestingly without unnecessary embellishment, by maximizing the inherent qualities of the subject matter.

It is depicted so precisely and carefully that I think it is a wonderful manga that I can recommend for the art alone.

It may not be a work that appeals to everyone, though.

I think those who like it will definitely love it.

I would like to recommend this to people who are looking for a sophisticated manga aimed at connoisseurs, in a genre they don't usually read.

It was a lovely book with indescribably beautiful, detailed illustrations, so if you are interested, please read it (^^)

[Reference Book Review]

[Reference Book]
"Teni Shoku." (Chikuma Primer Shinsho) by Mayumi Mori

[Bonus]

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