The Adventures of Shō-chan, Fantasy Stories Volume 3 (1924)

(Osaka and Tokyo Asahi Shinbun serialized strip)

Kosei (story) & Tōfūjin (pictures)

NOTE: For more about Shō-chan see Key Works entry pages 187-188 in Manga, a critical guide, and refer to “Adventures of Shō-chan, The” in the index to locate additional information. The material here is from the collection of Ronald Stewart.

Story 1 title page (p3)

Mt. Hōrai

NOTE: Mt. Hōrai (sometimes called Hōrai Island) is a mythical land of magic and wonder that is free of suffering, illness and death. Based on a Chinese myth (Mt. Penglai or “Peng-lai-shan”) it took root in Japan in medieval times. The story is the first of four in this volume. The black and white story title pages have been hand-colored by a previous owner.

Story panels 1~4 (p4)

PANEL 1:

Caption: When they awoke, they both said they saw a dream in which they visited Mt. Hōrai.

Risu: Felicitations Shō-chan. I had a dream about Mt. Hōrai!

Shō-chan: Goodness Risu, you saw it too?

PANEL 2:

Caption: Then they both said they wanted to visit that beautiful world.

Risu: It’s really a great place, isn’t it?

Shō-chan: Okay, let’s go together and see the real thing.

PANEL 3:

Caption: They quietly pulled out the Asahi Shinbun newspaper company airplane.

Shō-chan: We going to take this out without telling anyone?

Risu: Well, it’s because if we say anything they will stop us.

PANEL 4:

Caption: They daringly took off in the direction of the Eastern sky which they had seen in their dreams.

Shō-chan: Alright!

Risu: This New Year feels good.

Story panels 5~8 (p5)

PANEL 5:

Caption: The plane flew like an arrow and now the Earth appeared tiny.

Risu: The Earth is a small thing, isn’t it?

Shō-chan: It’s totally ludicrous that on such a place people fight and stuff.

PANEL 6:

Caption: Is this possibly the Milky Way? The stars fly like about like fireflies.

Risu: Please don’t run into any!

Shō-chan: Hey, relax!

PANEL 7:

Caption: At that moment, a voice suddenly called out from above. And then, . . .

Voice: Shō-chan

Shō-chan: Huh!

Risu: Who is it?

PANEL 8:

Caption: They glanced and there was a smiling red star there.

Risu: Hey, it’s a star!

Red Star: Where are you going?

Shō-chan: To Mt. Hōrai.

Story panels 9~12 (p6)

PANEL 9:

Caption: The star said they should return home as from this point on there are evil spirits.

Red Star: Mt. Hōrai is not in the sky!

Shō-chan: But we both saw it in our dreams

PANEL 10:

Caption: The two didn’t listen to the star’s warnings and flew on through the sky.

Risu: Even if there are evil spirits, I’m not worried.

Shō-chan: Yeah. Let’s just fly as far as we can.

PANEL 11:

Caption: Suddenly they were surrounded by a yellow mist which smelled of gas.

Shō-chan: That’s strange. What is it?

Risu: It smells like ether, doesn’t it?

PANEL 12:

Caption: From the mist, claws like eagle’s talons appeared along with a voice, “Hey wait!”

Eagle (claws): Hey!

Risu: Ah, there is something there.

Shō-chan: Who is it? Who?

Story panels 13~16 (p7)

PANEL 13:

Caption: Before long, lots of jellyfish-like demons appeared.

Risu: There are strange looking things.

Shō-chan: Woah, there are, there are.

PANEL 14:

Caption: While flying around the plane, with light trailing them, they began to close in.

Risu: They are noisy, aren’t they?

Shō-chan: Do something to stop them.

PANEL 15:

Caption: Risu shot at the with the pistol he kept on his hip, but it was usless.

Risu: Even when I hit them with a bullet they don’t die.

Shō-chan: We can’t allow them to capture the plane.

PANEL 16:

Caption: Shō-chan also became frustrated, and turning the plane towards the demons, collided with them.

Shō-chan: Right! We’ll fly into them and throw them and cause some turmoil with the propeller.

Risu: Charge!

Story panels 17~20 (p8)

PANEL 17:

Caption: Shō-chan pursued the fleeing demons, but . . .

Shō-chan: Oh boy, look at the way they skedaddle.

Risu: They’re weak, aren’t they?

PANEL 18:

Caption: A foe hidden by clouds had turned up, as a fireball was thrown at them.

Shō-chan: Ah, our foe’s crafty trap.

Risu: You won’t get away with being hidden like that!

PANEL 19:

Caption: In no time, the fire spread to the plane’s wing

Shō-chan: We’re finished!

Risu: This is terrible.

PANEL 20:

Caption: They leave snickering voices behind them as they fall from the sky.

Voices in the clouds: “Ee, He, he, he.” “Chortle, chortle.” “Wa ha ha haaa.”

Story panels 21~24 (p9)

PANEL 21:

Caption: At that moment, suddenly a shooting star caught them in its arms.

Red Star: I came to help you!

Shō-chan: Are you the star we met earlier?

PANEL 22:

Caption: Just like that the place hurtled back towards on Earth at full speed was Japan

Red Star: I will take you back.

Shō-chan: We ended up in this predicament because we didn’t listen to you.

PANEL 23:

Caption: They opened their eyes startled and found a letter. When they read it . . .

Risa: Oh, there is something here with writing on it.

Shō-chan: Ah ha, so there is, isn’t there?

Risu:

PANEL 24:

Caption: The letter said that Mt. Hōrai is a land found within people’s hearts.

Risu: Really, a place in the heart?

Shō-chan: So, we didn’t need to go far.

Rear cover

Example of newspaper serialized episode.

This is episode 5 from the Mt. Hōrai story as originally serialized in black and white in the Asahi Shinbun (Jan 15, 1924). This was redrawn and colorized for the book version above (equating to panels 17 to 20). The “Memo” section below each newspaper installment carried reader letters and news of the two characters.