Scenes from Awajima

Scenes from Awajima (淡島百景, Awajima Hyakkei) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takako Shimura and published by Ohta Publishing Company. The work is an omnibus-style narrative set at the fictional Awajima Opera School, where girls from across the country gather to pursue their dreams of performing on stage. The story shifts between the perspectives of different characters — new students, dormitory leaders, star pupils, and their families — weaving their intertwined lives into a vivid coming-of-age portrait. The series has been recognized with an Excellence Award at the Japan Media Arts Festival. The manga is serialized and released in collected volumes in B6 format, with digital editions also available. The first volume was published on April 15, 2015, and the series continued through multiple volumes, with the fifth and final volume released on May 13, 2024. A special complete-set edition limited to 100 sets was offered through the QJ Store, including postcards and a character relationship chart. The series is distributed through bookstores and online retailers across Japan, and the official special website hosted by Ohta Publishing provides information on volumes, characters, and purchasing options. As a commercial publishing property, Scenes from Awajima represents a notable title in Ohta Publishing's comics catalog. The brand encompasses the manga volumes, digital editions, and related promotional merchandise. Its target audience includes readers of literary and character-driven manga, particularly those interested in stories about youth, ambition, and the performing arts.

Scenes from Awajima is a manga series created by Takako Shimura, a manga artist known for works exploring complex human relationships and youth. The series is published by Ohta Publishing Company, an independent Japanese publisher founded on November 25, 1985, headquartered in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Ohta Publishing is known for its subculture, literary, nonfiction, and comics imprints, including the magazine Quick Japan. The first collected volume of Scenes from Awajima was released on April 15, 2015, in B6 format with a digital edition. The series continued with volume 2 on July 25, 2017, volume 3 on March 14, 2019, and volume 4 on August 24, 2022. The fifth and final volume was published on May 13, 2024, concluding the series. A special complete-set edition limited to 100 sets was offered through the QJ Store, including five postcards (one signed by Takako Shimura) and a character relationship chart, priced at 4,200 yen including tax. The set sold out. The series has been recognized with an Excellence Award at the Japan Media Arts Festival, as noted on its official special website. The website also provides character introductions and purchase links for each volume through Amazon.co.jp and the QJ Store. The manga is distributed through bookstores and online retailers nationwide in Japan.

• 2024

  Volume 5 (final) released on May 13; limited complete-set edition offered.

• 2022

  Volume 4 released on August 24.

• 2019

  Volume 3 released on March 14.

• 2017

  Volume 2 released on July 25.

• 2015

  Volume 1 released on April 15.

Character-driven literary manga about youth and performing arts, published by an independent Japanese publisher.

• Scenes from Awajima Volume 1

• Scenes from Awajima Volume 2

• Scenes from Awajima Volume 3

• Scenes from Awajima Volume 4

• Scenes from Awajima Volume 5

• Scenes from Awajima Complete Set (limited to 100 sets)

1. 1志村貴子『淡島百景』特設サイト - 太田出版ohtabooks.com
2. 2会社概要 - 太田出版ohtabooks.com