Weekly Manga Magazine

Weekly Manga Magazine Day 漫画週刊誌の日 marks the 1959 debut of Japan’s first weekly manga magazines for young readers: Weekly Shōnen Magazine from Kodansha and Weekly Shōnen Sunday from Shogakukan. Their simultaneous launch on March 17th reshaped the landscape of children’s publishing, introducing a fast-paced weekly cycle that built anticipation and loyalty among readers. 

Shōnen Magazine began with the hopeful slogan “Dreams and Hopes for Boys,” though its early years were modest. Its turning point came in the mid‑1960s with works like Tetsuya Chiba’s Harris no Kaze, followed by the explosive popularity of Star of the Giants and Ashita no Joe, which secured its status as a cultural force. Shōnen Sunday leaned into a “Sunday‑like feeling” of fun and relaxation, offering rich reading material and memorable early lineups including Tezuka Osamu’s Dr. Thrill. 

The two magazines quickly became rivals, competing in sales, page counts, and even poaching artists! "Weekly Manga Magazine Day" celebrates not only their historic launch but also the birth of a publishing tradition that shaped generations of manga readers and creators.