Taniguchi Jiro | Haruka na Machi e

Japanese: 遥かな町へ
English: A Distant Neighborhood
Synonyms: Harukana Machi-E
Type: Manga
Volumes: 2
Chapters: 16
Status: Completed
Published: Apr 10, 1998 to Nov 25, 1998
Genres: Drama, Slice of Life, Seinen
Mangaka: Taniguchi Jiro (Story & Art)
Serialization: Big Comic

Synopsis: On his way back from a business trip, the protagonist decides on a whim to take a train back to his old hometown. The moment he pays respects to his mother's grave in the transformed town, he is transported back to a summer when he was still in junior high school, only with all his middle-age consciousness, knowledge and abilities intact.

On this journey across time, he understands for the first time the burdens born by his father, and his mother's tears. This is the kind of fantasy manga were made for, executed by an artist of great talent. This is a serious, delicate, and ultimately moving time travel variation.

Groups Scanlating

Manga-Sketchbook

Source: MAL Manga info, Baka updates

Side notes: This manga is well appreciated by the readers and it's no wonder. The story just captures one from the beginning and the art is on the good level with the great attention to the details. There is also few time skips in the text too... while saying it was 20 years since her mother passed away he ends up to thinking after few pages that it's already 25th anniversary of her death coming up this year. But that's minor thing after whole story is nice one to read although it's only two volumes long.

Main character

As teenager

Hiroshi Nakahara, as adult
48 years, married, 2 daughters

Hiroshi Nakahara

An ordinary middle schooler who later becomes busy salaryman. His mother passes away at the age of 48 years old 20 years prior the events that lead his time transfer. Her mother had a heart attack and Hiroshi didn't make it in time to meet her conscious while he had just been married and lived in another town. Has also a sister, Kyoko.

His father left he family and it's unknown if he is still alive or not.