Iyashikei is a genre of manga that heals souls through simple joys

The Japanese genre of yyashikei, as researcher Paul Rocket explains, tells stories designed to comfort and heal tired readers by creating an atmosphere of tranquillity. These stories tend to be devoid of conflict and suspenseful plots, which is contrary to Western traditions where conflict is considered the driving force behind the story.

Iyashikei is derived from the word "iyashi," which can be translated as "healing" or "consolation," and "kei," meaning "type" or "genre." The emergence of iyashikei is linked to the economic downturn in Japan in the 1990s, when the culture was looking for ways to cope with stress through media including manga, anime, literature, and film.

Examples of yiyashikei manga

In the world of manga, yiashikei has taken a special place. Popular works such as Yuru Camp, A Man and His Cat, Flying Witch, Girls' Last Tour, and How to Keep a Mummy offer readers a sense of warmth and comfort.

For example, A Man and His Cat tells the simple story of a lonely elderly man who takes in an ugly and unwanted cat. Instead of conflict, the manga shows how an attachment develops between the two and how they overcome their feelings of loneliness together. Author Umi Sakurai notes that it is "a picture of the little happy moments found in everyday life."

Early popularity of yiashikei in the West

One of the first successes of yiashikai in the Western market was Natsuki Takaya's Fruits Basket manga, which began in 1998 and sold over 30 million copies worldwide. The story follows orphaned girl Toru Honda and her relationship with the Soma family, touching on themes of intergenerational trauma and isolation.

Rhetoric teacher Erica Arivett notes that "the characters, like the readers, go through struggles, grief, and healing from the traumas they have experienced." Manga has become close to many who have faced loneliness, loss, or depression.

Many researchers attribute the popularisation of the iyashikei genre to the cultural context of Japan, which is undergoing various crises and stress due to social and technological modernisation. In times of great cultural tension, there is a need for healing through the consumption of appropriate media.

Underlying the concept of iyashikei are fundamental questions about the ability of culture and storytelling to provide healing. These questions intersect with the fields of graphic medicine and narrative medicine, which recognise that stories have a powerful impact on patient care and practitioner satisfaction.

Given the popularity of yyashikei stories and the growing interest in the connection between narrative and healing, it seems that many are beginning to consider that there is already enough conflict in our world. Thanks to the yyashikei genre, readers seeking peace of mind rather than adventure are provided with a rich array of experiences.