Zipang

is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kaiji Kawaguchi. It was serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Morning from 2000 to 2009, with its chapters collected in forty-three tankōbon volumes. It tells the story of the members of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force who are transported back in time more than 60 years to 1942. A twenty-six episode anime television series by Studio Deen and directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi was broadcast on TBS from 2004 to 2006. It was licensed for English release in North America by Geneon Entertainment. In 2002, Zipang won the 26th Kodansha Manga Award for the general category. Plot The newest, most advanced destroyer in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, the , sets sail from Japan on a training exercise with the United States Navy. En route, they encounter a strange meteorological anomaly, causing the Mirai to lose contact with her sister ships. After a short time, the crew detects a fleet approaching, but can barely believe their eyes as a massive battleship passes by them. The crew soon identify it as the , a ship which was sunk in 1945. As the crew scans with their radar, numerous other ships, including a , are sighted. Two destroyers from the unknown fleet attempt to intercept the Mirai, but she manages to escape.