Author & Artist: Akihito Sakaue
Publisher: Yen Press (Print & Digital)
Translation: KO Ransom
Lettering: Abigail Blackman
Publication date: July 22, 2025
Rating: Teen
Genre: Manga (JPN), Life, Drama, Historical Novels
Neighborhood Artisan: The story of Kanda’s Gokurachou, Akihito Sakaue’s debut work from Yen Press, is set in a fictional, historically accurate area (-chou) of Kanda, named Gokura-Chou. In this first volume, each chapter focuses on different craftsmen with a focus on Cooper, Sword Smith, Indigo Dier, Tartammy and finally on plasterers. All artisans are part of the same community, despite their stories being read as independent stories.
©Yen Press, 2025
For Akihito Sakaue, the plot is less of a concern than a visual narrative. In the first chapter, “Cooper,” the artisan first chooses a wooden plank, then corrects the buckets brought by the customer, and finishes the day with a glass of sake. In Chapter 4, “The Tatami Weaver,” a group of artisans visit one of Yoshiwara’s delight lodgings, visit the Red Light district, and repair Tamoto while the prostitutes watch them function. There is no plot beat that continues in the traditional sense, except for the plasterer, the longest story. What happens in these chapters with events and plot progress is insignificant.
It’s the artisans who really stand under the spotlight. They stare at the work they do, the materials they use, their bodies tense with the effort, the lace, the contemplative but not contemplative, and the product of their labour. In the neighborhood artisan, there are pages on the needle page that pierced the needle through a layer of straw, finding the fabric that has been melted, softened, and soaked in a barrel of counterfeit dye, and results that the community has used or evaluated.
And most importantly, find the hand you create. The hands that shape, bend, break, measure and cut, mix and knead, convey years of knowledge, experience, trial and error to young craftsmen who continue their tradition while softening their vision.
©Yen Press, 2025©Yen Press, 2025©Yen Press, 2025
This first volume of the ongoing series was a truly great joy to read, especially as someone who sees manga as a visual medium above all else. The quiet labor and contemplation page can be easily filled with idol chatter and expositions. The panels focused on a larger area that included both artisans and commoners, and may have included the physical spaces in which they live. Of course, this is the moment when the artisan and the work are positioned in relation to others, and the outside world exists. But the truly shining pages were quiet, sometimes rushed, and sometimes slow at other times, but always focused on instances of the body that focused on my craft.
The fact that these quiet pages can convey so many emotions is all possible with Sakaue’s pure white art style and attention to detail. It is easy to read the worries, determination, wonders, or joys of these workers’ pensive faces. The unwavering hands of skilled craftsmen awakened a sense of adoration as if we were watching our hands actually move. The sheds, workshops, workwear and tools are all very detailed and beautiful. On every page, every panel is worth exploring slowly.
Furthermore, Sakaue cannot overlook the emphasis on the collective aspects of craftsmanship. Many people will demand the work itself, depending on the nature of the ship, such as filling and dyeing. When it is a lonely job, there are masters and apprentices, craftsmen discussing the quality of material with each other, or with traders. The customer or contractor is secondary to the story if they are mentioned at all.
©Yen Press, 2025
Men are not the only men who are coaches and seniors. Women who have a high level position among apprentice craftsmen studying under the same teacher are not visually distinctive in both workwear and physical appearance. However, depending on the physical demands of the craft, gender quietly penetrates the conversation, and contaminates other craftsmen by seeing and treating them. These themes don’t center or cover up craftsmanship, but they’re there just as subtle.
I argue that unlike art, craft is “more” than it looks. The general image of art in the minds of non-practitioners is the realization of inspiration that exists with almost God through the creation of the artist. It’s not a coincidence creator, but often improves their work as babies. “Work” really doubles in their case, both as work and conception.
However, creation does not exist, does not exist, does not exist, does not exist in the vacuum. Art is “not sacred” than it is made. From the scientists and workers who develop/produce art, to the tools and technologies used to make art, to the socioeconomic, political and cultural context in which the artist exists, ultimately, anyone, both artwork and artist exist at a particular time, place, and context. It is not an existence born out of the void, but a form of conversation.
Similarly, craftsmanship is “more” than it looks, despite it being usually boiled down to physical labor simply because functionality is an important part of crafting. Compared to art, crafts are more closely related to our daily lives. But that doesn’t mean there is no philosophy or artistic sensibility behind craftsmanship. The flow of style, the pursuit of beauty beyond simple functions, dedication to mastery, and it is a lifelong journey.
©Yen Press, 2025
There’s been a lot to say about the slow and lasting process, and finally (or hopefully) crafting to make it better, allowing you to build fabrics for clothing that lasts for lifetimes, buildings, everyday items, tableware, accessories and fabrics, and retain the meaning of the owner of a fast-paced consumer life. We are surrounded by easily exchangeable, mass-produced items, and “cannot be handed over to a social media vibe check.”
But what I’m more interested in is the result of this constant state of consumption, the never-ending cycle of buying, discarding and buying the next popular/fashionable thing. With how much effort, mostly the hard work of others, to the serious alienation that goes from our presence to maintaining the consumer cycle, we provide a “daily correction” of entertainment. A very recent example that readers of this review know well is that some cartoon readers are very blinded to the amount of labor and time that they enter a single amount of cartoon before they reach the shelf.
©Yen Press, 2025
From this angle, the neighbourhood artisans are more devoted and romantic letters with love for craft than they appear to be critical of their existence within the sociological and economic landscapes of the Edo period. In Chapter 2, “The Swordsmith,” there is a gesture to the outcome of such a craft, but the entire story is less interested in the broader questions, at least for now. Who can afford such high quality artistry? What about the relationship between the rulers and the artisans at the time? If so, how will your loyal users form an artistic sensibility? This lack of perspective is not considered a loss, but it complements the obvious affection the creator has in traditional crafts.
That said, manga as a medium is known for its strength to captivate readers, whether it focuses on niche topics such as winemaking, action cameras, rakugo (oral storytelling), cosplay, or hobby/art/craft that you can think of. There’s definitely a comic about that. And the neighbourhood artisans have the power to drive you out into a world of dedicated artisans, especially if you are looking for something grounded. I am not in a position to comment on how true these traditional craft portrayals are, but I read it as if a lot of research and love took this volume.
The physical release of Yen Press honors this gorgeous cartoon with a lovely navy hardcover with a paper dust jacket, and even steals the hearts of anti-hardcover manga people like me. I find them difficult to hold and hard to read. However, the nearby artisans are very soft, easy to open, and are pretty light on the hand as they are just over 200 pages. This series benefits from its large trim size, as you can comfortably stare at beautiful panels with intricate details on the content of your mind. I’m curious whether the series will continue the nature of that episode or take a different route. I sincerely recommend you check it out!
©Yen Press, 2025
Neighborhood Artisan: Kanda’s Gokura-Chou Volume 1 Akihito Sakaue story is printed digitally on the Yen Press website and other retailers.
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