Japan’s Longest Day: A Graphic Novel about the End of WWII: Intrigue, Treason and Emperor Hirohito’s Fateful Decision to Surrender

The true story of Japan’s surrender in World War II and how it nearly didn’t happen!

In the final days of World War II, Japan lay in ruins and the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had been obliterated. A tense drama unfolds in Tokyo as Japan teeters on the edge of Armageddon. Japan’s Longest Day tells the true story of the day immediately before the surrender, as a group of fanatical army officers attempt to prevent the Emperor from surrendering--an act of high treason which will inevitably result in Japan’s total annihilation.

This dramatic story recounts events that most people outside Japan are unaware of:

• The fierce disagreement between the army and the Japanese government as Emperor Hirohito prepares to announce the nation’s unconditional surrender to the Allies
• Attempts by War Minister Korechika Anami to change the Emperor’s mind
• Treasonous actions by a fanatical group of officers who vow to fight on, even if it means the death of every single Japanese citizen
• The shocking plot to overthrow the government as Anami faces a fateful choice between loyalty to the cause and loyalty to the Emperor

Kazutoshi Hando was a well-known journalist and historian. He was the chief editor of several monthly and weekly magazines and wrote many popular books on World War II. He used his popularity as a newspaper columnist to create works that promoted peace in the decades following the war. Japan’s Longest Day was published in 1965 and adapted into a film in 1967.

Yukinobu Hoshino is an award-winning manga artist. He has been writing and illustrating manga for over 40 years and has published many bestsellers including the 2001 Nights series.