[DeepL Translation - needs review] Introduction to Volume 1: The most important thing in the entrance examinations of the University of Tokyo and in recent history education is to "grasp the big flow of history". This is the most powerful study manga ever created, which makes it possible to understand the flow of history in an interesting way! Volume 1 is "Paleolithic - Jomon, Yayoi, and Kofun Periods. The first volume is "Paleolithic - Jomon, Yayoi, and Kofun Periods," and the special elect...
A very fun way to learn Japanese history in Japanese!!
Story: This volume covers the 原始 (Prehistoric/Ancient Japan) and beginning of the 古墳 Kofun periods. Specifically it's divided into 旧石器時代 (Paleolithic Era), 縄文時代 (Jōmon Era), 弥生時代 (Yayoi Era), and 古墳時代 (Kofun Era) periods. Each era has a unique story with new and distinct characters. It tells the story of Japan's progression from the very first inhabitants; to developing stone, clay, metal tools; becoming more sedentary; creation/developing of Shinto practices; introducing rice cultivation, producing glass and silk, forming kingdoms with new architectural achievements, and finally consolidating into a larger empire, with the establishment of the Imperial Family. As the story and civilization progresses, you get diagrams and explanations of newly acquired/developed technology, rituals, construction patterns, etc.
Utility: It's obviously not a history textbook, so there's plenty it can't cover in detail, but it does a great job of giving you the general picture and story. It might be best to read this alongside something like the History of Japan (EN) Wikipedia page, to help solidify the names and connections. But even without doing that, there's still much to be gained.
Language: Everything has furigana, and most of the vocabulary can be inferred from context. The font is pretty large, and always very clear. Occasionally it was a bit hard to figure out some of the kana-only words, but even those were usually clear after a while (and aren't integral information). The series is aimed at learners, and I found it a lot clearer/easier to read than most manga I've read, despite all the historical vocab. I definitely can't recommend it as a beginner read, but if you've already got a few manga under your belt, I'd recommend giving it a try. Nice bonus: the first 25 pgs. of each volume are full color!
I'm a bit into the second volume (which starts with the 飛鳥時代 Asuka era, and the introduction of Buddhism, the Seventeen-Article constitution, and the Cap and Rank system), and really looking forward to making my way through the rest of the series!!