
The spring holiday known as Golden Week is upon us in Japan, and if you would like to lay claim to the title of manga super fan, you may want to spend your days off reading these canonical series. Without further ado, here are the 20 most popular manga of all time, based on publication numbers!
20/19. Sangokushi (三国志), Rurouni Kenshin (るろうに剣心)
Mitsuteru Yokoyama’s retelling of Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Nobuhiro Watsuki’s tale of a reformed assassin tie for the last spot on the list with 70 million copies each.
18. BLEACH
The chronicles of Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki add up to 74.6 million copies.
17. Hajimi no Ippo (はじめの一歩)
George Morikawa’s story about a high school boxer rising to fame has been going strong since 1989, with 75,500,000 copies to date.
16. Captain Tsubasa (キャプテン翼)
Another sports-themed series, Captain Tsubasa follows the exploits of a youth soccer team. It’s one of Shonen Jump’s most popular series ever at 80 million copies.
15. Sazae-san (サザエさん)
Lovable housewife Sazae-san first debuted in 1946 and has been around long enough to have gone from a symbol of leftist feminism to a symbol of nostalgia for traditional society—and to rack up 86 million copies.
14. Kindaichi Case Files (金田一少年の事件簿)
One of the earliest works in the mystery manga genre, this series about a crime-solving high school kid has printed 90 million copies.
13/12/11/10. Fist of the North Star (北斗の拳), Touch (タッチ), Astro Boy (鉄腕アトム), Doraemon (ドラえもん)
A post-apocalyptic psychic warrior, baseball playing twins, a gifted robot boy, and a time-traveling robot cat share a slot at 100 million copies each.
9. Slam Dunk
Takehiko Inoue’s series about a highschool basketball team (Anyone sensing a pattern here?) is credited with the rising popularity of basketball in Japan. No wonder, with 119 million copies out there.
8. Oishinbo (美味しんぼ)
Who would have thought a comic about a guy that likes to eat would rack up 130 million copies?
7. Naruto
Everybody’s favorite fox-faced ninja has published 135 million copies!
6. Detective Conan/Case Closed (名探偵コナン)
Gosho Aoyama’s series about a detective undeterred by his transformation into a child has published an impressive 140 million copies.
5. Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo (こちら葛飾区亀有公園前派出所)
Despite its way longer than average name, this comedy cop series has garnered fans to the tune of 155.3 million copies published.
4. Dragon Ball (ドラゴンボール)
Even non-manga fans will know this one, unless they’ve been living under a rock for the last 30 years. Goku has 157 million printed copies.
3. Black Jack (ブラック・ジャック)
Another entry by the great Osamu Tezuka, this series follows the title character’s adventures righting medical wrongs and teaching jerks a lesson. A whopping 176 million copies have been printed.
2. Golgo 13 (ゴルゴ13)
This venerable manga series about a professional assassin has been in continuous publication since 1968, racking up 200 million copies.
And finally, blowing the competition out of the water at an astounding 300 million copies, the most popular manga of all time is…
1. One Piece
Source: CuRAZY
Images: Wikipedia, Manga Zenkan

















Top ten “Legendary deceased manga artists whose new work I wanted to read” 【Ranking】
“Malnourished” manga anthology issue shows just how good physical media fans have it in Japan
Top 100 manga of all time chosen by survey of 150,000 Japanese people
Otaku quiz: How many guest artists from Tokyo’s awesome Dragon Ball manga cover mural can you name?
Hatsune Miku collaborates with Hokusai’s art in new Vocaloid ukiyo-e illustration series [Pics]
Japan now has human refrigerators inspired by Japanese vending machines
Studio Ghibli releases anime T-shirts that pay homage to one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal films
Starbucks Japan releases new Discovery Series collection celebrating local regions and traditions
Teen girl in Japan refuses to be victim, personally escorts train pervert to police for arrest
Is Japan’s tourism boom slowing down? Foreign visitor numbers fall for first time in five years
Mass murder plot stopped by friend of Akihabara mass murderer
Evangelion beautifully reimagined as iconic classical Japanese folding screen art series [Photos]
Cup Noodle unveils first-ever cold-water instant ramen in Japan
Starbucks Japan adds new Frappuccino, Tea, and Chillax Soda to its limited-edition summer menu
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Family Mart opens new “Famima” flagship store in Tokyo that’s like a tourist attraction
Uniqlo looks back to the very start of Pokémon with new black-and-white pixel art T-shirts[Pics]
Japanese government ID card and app to be required for certain Pokémon card purchases next month
Japan reacts to Donald Trump’s “Islamic Republic of Japan” remark
Three new starter Pokémon Jets to fly in Japan, first begins carrying passengers this month
Solid gold Hedorah kaiju from the Godzilla series is now available to pre-order
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Japan triples departure tax, foreign tourists and locals now must pay more to leave country
Japan launches first overnight Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka this summer
Studio Ghibli store Donguri Republic announces opening of first-ever store in America
Japanese sweets shop sells an ohagi so exquisite it sells out by noon
Sanrio Character Poll announces winners, Hello Kitty absent from top 10 in many countries
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa