Kamakura Monogatari
I’ve been enjoying reading Saigan Ryohei(西岸良平)’s “Kamakura Monogatari(Kamakura Story; 鎌倉ものがたり)” every day lately. “Kamakura Monogatari” is a manga depicting the everyday events of a couple living in Kamakura city, a town near Tokyo. Kamakura (鎌倉) is a city that prospered as the center of politics during the Kamakura period, which began in the late 12th century. It was a time of many battles between samurai, and many legends have been handed down since ancient times.
The series follows the main character, an unsuccessful novelist, and his wife as they solve events and mysteries in this city, primarily one-shot episodes. There are mysteries, horrors, and human stories, and every episode is elaborate and never boring. The series began serialization in 1984 and continues to this day. In addition to the main couple and the people who live in Kamakura, creatures such as animals like raccoon dogs, and supernatural monsters in Japanese folklore often appear, and they also often cause the events, making it impossible to predict the development of the story.
Author, Ryohei Saigan
Saigan’s representative work is undoubtedly “Sunset on Third Street (San-chome no Yuhi; 三丁目の夕日).” My family had bought this series, so I had been reading it since elementary school and liked it. This series has many human stories and is easy to read and understand for children. By the time I became an adult, I felt a little unsatisfied, but as time passed, I discovered that there was a taste that only older people could understand, and it is still a series that I love. “Sunset on Third Street” is older than “Kamakura Monogatari”, and has been serialized since 1972 to this day. “Kamakura Monogatari” has stronger mystery and puzzle-solving elements compared to “Sunset on Therd Street”.
The reason I am attracted to this manga is also that I like mysteries in general. Also, since I enjoyed watching a historical drama “The 13 Loads of the Shogun (Kamakura-dono no Juusan-nin; 鎌倉殿の十三人)” broadcast on NHK last year, I’m enjoying reading this manga while thinking about the place name and history of Kamakura that were mentioned in “The 13 Loads of the Shogun”.
Description of the Story
When reading old manga, the concern is that gender and harassment are not considered due to the historical background. However, in “Kamakura Monogatari” and “Sunset on Third Street”, the characters generally act considerately towards each other. Discrimination and harassment are described as things that should be condemned, so you can read them with peace of mind.
