Showa 100-Year History Project Expands to Publish 47 Books, One for Each Prefecture
22nd Century Art has announced the expansion of its 'Showa 100-Year History' project to publish a total of 47 books, one for each of Japan's 47 prefectures. The project will record the voices of local people, and the completed books will be donated to libraries and schools nationwide.
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- 📰 Published: April 8, 2026 at 00:00
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22nd Century Art Co., Ltd. is launching the 'Showa 100-Year History' project to record and publish the voices of people who supported the era in each of Japan's 47 prefectures, marking the historic milestone of 2026—exactly 100 years since the first year of the Showa era (1926). The first volume will begin publication in August 2026, and the completed books will be sequentially donated to approximately 5,000 public libraries, school libraries, and educational facilities nationwide. The company has decided to expand the publication scale from the initially planned 8 national areas to 47 individual books for each prefecture.
### What is 'Showa 100-Year History'?
### A 'Reiwa-era Fudoki' to Preserve the Living Showa for the Future
This project is a publishing initiative timed with the 100-year milestone of the Showa era. Its goal is to preserve the history of each region through the words of the people who lived through it.
The foundation of Japanese society—post-war reconstruction, high economic growth, development of regional industries, changes in family structures, work styles, and lifestyles—was shaped not only by famous figures but also by the people who lived their daily lives in each region. 'Showa 100-Year History' aims to unearth the life stories of each of these individuals and preserve them in a form that future generations can learn from.
By preserving experiences that tend to be buried as personal memories in a single book for the region and making them shareable in libraries and schools, we will leave the voices of the local people as a record for society.
### Expansion to 47 Prefectural Editions
### To Preserve the Showa of Each Region as a Regional Book
This project was initially planned for publication in a format divided by national areas. However, as the project progressed, it became clearer that the memories of the Showa era differ greatly by region, and the significance of preserving them separately became more apparent.
Therefore, we are now expanding the publication format to one book for each of the 47 prefectures, for a total of 47 books.
By compiling on a prefectural basis, we can more directly record the voices of the people who were active in that region, and the completed books will be useful not only as reading material but also as regional resources.
Furthermore, the completed books are scheduled to be donated to approximately 5,000 libraries and school facilities nationwide. By leaving the words of the people who lived in the region, both in that region and throughout the country, we will connect the Showa era to the learning of the future.
### 'Recording the Trajectories of Diverse Professionals Who Supported the Region'—Interview Publishing
The 'Showa 100-Year History' is a publishing project that features business managers who led regional economies, artisans and specialists who protected unique technologies and cultures, and individuals who supported local communities in various fields such as education, medicine, administration, and industry.
### What is 'Showa 100-Year History'?
### A 'Reiwa-era Fudoki' to Preserve the Living Showa for the Future
This project is a publishing initiative timed with the 100-year milestone of the Showa era. Its goal is to preserve the history of each region through the words of the people who lived through it.
The foundation of Japanese society—post-war reconstruction, high economic growth, development of regional industries, changes in family structures, work styles, and lifestyles—was shaped not only by famous figures but also by the people who lived their daily lives in each region. 'Showa 100-Year History' aims to unearth the life stories of each of these individuals and preserve them in a form that future generations can learn from.
By preserving experiences that tend to be buried as personal memories in a single book for the region and making them shareable in libraries and schools, we will leave the voices of the local people as a record for society.
### Expansion to 47 Prefectural Editions
### To Preserve the Showa of Each Region as a Regional Book
This project was initially planned for publication in a format divided by national areas. However, as the project progressed, it became clearer that the memories of the Showa era differ greatly by region, and the significance of preserving them separately became more apparent.
Therefore, we are now expanding the publication format to one book for each of the 47 prefectures, for a total of 47 books.
By compiling on a prefectural basis, we can more directly record the voices of the people who were active in that region, and the completed books will be useful not only as reading material but also as regional resources.
Furthermore, the completed books are scheduled to be donated to approximately 5,000 libraries and school facilities nationwide. By leaving the words of the people who lived in the region, both in that region and throughout the country, we will connect the Showa era to the learning of the future.
### 'Recording the Trajectories of Diverse Professionals Who Supported the Region'—Interview Publishing
The 'Showa 100-Year History' is a publishing project that features business managers who led regional economies, artisans and specialists who protected unique technologies and cultures, and individuals who supported local communities in various fields such as education, medicine, administration, and industry.