Shuna no Tabi  

The Journey of Shuna, シュナの旅

Prince Shuna embarks on a journey beyond his small village in pursuit of golden seeds that could improve the lives of his people. Along the way, he encounters slavery and rescues two girls from it. Eventually, he arrives at the land of the gods and discovers a horrific secret about grain production and human trafficking.

Shuna no Tabi is a loose adaptation of the Tibetan folktale The Prince Who Turned into a Dog. Using watercolor spreads instead of small panels, the manga is closer to the format of a Japanese illustrated story called emonogatari. Hayao Miyazaki originally intended to create an animated film adaptation, but he felt the manga's themes would not be popular in Japan. Encouraged by the publisher Tokuma Shoten, however, Miyazaki resolved to shape this story into a different kind of visual product.A radio drama adaptation of Shuna no Tabi broadcasted on NHK FM Japan on May 2, 1987. The manga was published in English as Shuna's Journey by First Second Books on November 1, 2022. The English publication was nominated for the 2023 Eisner Awards in the Best US Edition of International Material—Asia category.