Nito monogatari (Two Paths)

This story depicts the daily culture of the Edo Era through the viewpoints of a samurai painter named SHIRAKAWA Katsunoshin and a town-girl, Mari. In the Edo Era, the literacy rate was 100% and book rentals with pictures and private publications (self-published comics) and costume plays were in fashion. Very much akin to contemporary Japan, there was already a deeply rooted creative culture for manga. It depicts the creative class living in the city and their fans’ fervor.