All Junji Ito Books in Order (2025 English List)

Quick Answer — All Junji Ito Books in Order

Here’s every Junji Ito manga and related book currently available (or announced) in English, organized by release date. If you’re new and wondering where to start, Uzumaki (marked with ★) is the most widely recommended first read.

#	Title	Publisher	Format	Release Date
1	★ Uzumaki (3-in-1 Deluxe Edition)	VIZ Media	Hardcover	October 2013
2	Tomie: Complete Deluxe Edition	VIZ Media	Hardcover	December 2016
3	Gyo (2-in-1 Deluxe Edition)	VIZ Media	Hardcover	April 2015
4	Fragments of Horror	VIZ Media	Hardcover	June 2015
5	Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu	Kodansha USA	Paperback	October 2015
6	Dissolving Classroom	Kodansha USA	Paperback	January 2017
7	Shiver: Junji Ito Selected Stories	VIZ Media	Hardcover	December 2017
8	Frankenstein: Junji Ito Story Collection	VIZ Media	Hardcover	October 2018
9	Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection	VIZ Media	Hardcover	April 2019
10	No Longer Human	VIZ Media	Hardcover	December 2019
11	Venus in the Blind Spot	VIZ Media	Hardcover	August 2020
12	The Art of Junji Ito: Twisted Visions	VIZ Media	Hardcover (Art Book)	December 2020
13	Remina	VIZ Media	Hardcover	December 2020
14	Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collection	VIZ Media	Hardcover	January 2021
15	Deserter: Junji Ito Story Collection	VIZ Media	Hardcover	August 2021
16	Sensor	VIZ Media	Hardcover	November 2021
17	Black Paradox	VIZ Media	Hardcover	March 2022
18	The Liminal Zone	VIZ Media	Hardcover	November 2022
19	Statues: Junji Ito Story Collection	VIZ Media	Hardcover	2023
20	Soichi: Junji Ito Story Collection	VIZ Media	Hardcover	June 2024
21	Alley: Junji Ito Story Collection	VIZ Media	Hardcover	October 2024
22	Mimi’s Tales of Terror	VIZ Media	Hardcover	October 2024
23	Moan: Junji Ito Story Collection	VIZ Media	Hardcover	2024
24	Stitches: Junji Ito Story Collection	VIZ Media	Hardcover	2024
25	Maniac Road: Junji Ito Story Collection	VIZ Media	Hardcover	2025 (Upcoming)
26	Ice Cream Bus	VIZ Media	Hardcover	October 2025 (Upcoming)

That’s the full picture. If all you needed was the list, there it is. Keep reading for the context that makes choosing your next book much easier.

Why Order Barely Matters

This is the single most important thing to understand about Junji Ito’s catalog: there is no shared continuity between most of his works.

Uzumaki doesn’t connect to Gyo. Remina has nothing to do with Sensor. Smashed and Shiver share no overlapping stories. Each book is its own self-contained world of horror.

The only exceptions are Tomie and Soichi — two recurring characters who appear across multiple stories. But even those stories are self-contained, meaning each individual chapter works on its own without needing any previous chapter. You don’t need to read Tomie chapter 1 to understand chapter 15.

So when people search for all Junji Ito books in order, the honest answer is: publication order is useful for tracking what exists, but it’s not a reading order you have to follow. Pick whatever sounds interesting and go.

That said, if you’re brand new to Ito and want a guided path, the next section lays one out.

Recommended Reading Order for Beginners

This isn’t a strict sequence — it’s a suggested path that builds from Ito’s most accessible work to his deeper cuts. Think of it as a tour, not a rulebook.

Step 1: Start with Uzumaki

Uzumaki (3-in-1 Deluxe Edition) is widely considered Junji Ito’s finest work, and it’s the perfect introduction to everything that makes him special. A small coastal town becomes obsessed with spirals — and things escalate in ways you absolutely will not predict.

It’s self-contained (one beautiful hardcover volume that collects all three original volumes into one oversized book), it showcases his art at its peak, and it balances creeping dread with genuinely shocking imagery. If you only ever read one Junji Ito book, this is the one.

Step 2: Then Tomie

Tomie: Complete Deluxe Edition is Ito’s most iconic creation — a beautiful, supernaturally regenerating girl who drives everyone around her to obsession and violence. The stories are self-contained, so you can read them in short bursts. It’s a longer book, but the format keeps things moving.

Tomie shows a completely different side of Ito’s horror: psychological manipulation, obsessive love, and the disturbing transformation of human bodies — horror that comes from beauty rather than ugliness.

Step 3: Try a Short-Story Collection

Shiver: Junji Ito Selected Stories is the best entry point among the collections because Ito himself hand-picked the stories. It’s a curated greatest-hits that gives you a taste of his full range — haunted houses, grotesque physical transformations, vast unknowable forces, and quiet dread.

If Shiver hooks you, Smashed and Venus in the Blind Spot are great follow-ups.

Step 4: Read Gyo

Gyo (2-in-1 Deluxe Edition) is more divisive than Uzumaki, but it’s an essential part of the Ito experience. The premise — fish on mechanical legs invading land — sounds ridiculous, and Ito leans into that absurdity hard. It’s faster-paced and more action-oriented than his other series.

Bonus: the Gyo deluxe edition includes The Enigma of Amigara Fault as a short bonus story. It’s completely unrelated to Gyo’s plot — it’s about a mountainside that reveals human-shaped holes after an earthquake, and people feel compelled to enter the hole that matches their silhouette. It’s one of the most famous horror manga stories ever created, and many readers consider it worth the price of admission on its own.

Step 5: Go Anywhere

At this point, you know what Ito does and whether you love it. Branch out to whatever catches your eye:

• Remina or Sensor for cosmic horror — stories about vast, indifferent forces beyond human understanding
• No Longer Human or Frankenstein for literary adaptations with Ito’s visual spin
• Lovesickness or Deserter for deep-cut short story collections
• Soichi for a more playful, mischievous tone (still creepy, just different)
• Mimi’s Tales of Terror for school-set horror stories
• Alley or Moan for even more short stories


Moan: Junji Ito Story Collection

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Alley: Junji Ito Story Collection

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There’s no wrong move from here.

Complete Chronological List by English Release Date

Now that you have a reading path, let’s break down every release with more detail so you can decide which titles interest you most. This section covers all Junji Ito books in order of their English publication.

VIZ Media Hardcovers

VIZ Media publishes the vast majority of Junji Ito’s English-language manga. These are premium hardcover editions — oversized books with thick, high-quality paper. The larger format does justice to Ito’s incredibly detailed artwork, and they look fantastic on a shelf.

Uzumaki (3-in-1 Deluxe Edition) — A town consumed by spirals. Ito’s masterpiece, collected in a single oversized volume. This is the one people recommend first for a reason: it’s a complete, self-contained story that shows every dimension of his talent.

Tomie: Complete Deluxe Edition — Every Tomie story in one book. An immortal, regenerating girl who inspires murderous obsession in everyone she meets. Each story is self-contained, so you can dip in and out.

Gyo (2-in-1 Deluxe Edition) — Fish with legs invade Japan. Sounds absurd, reads as genuinely disturbing. Includes The Enigma of Amigara Fault — a story about mysterious human-shaped holes in a mountainside — as a bonus.

Fragments of Horror — A short-story collection with a more experimental, literary feel. Sometimes recommended as a starting point because it’s short, but it’s less representative of peak Ito than Uzumaki or Shiver.

Shiver: Junji Ito Selected Stories — Hand-picked by Ito himself. The best sampler of his range. Includes some of his most celebrated standalone stories.

Frankenstein: Junji Ito Story Collection — Ito’s adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel, plus bonus short stories. A fascinating collision between literary horror and Ito’s visual imagination.

Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection — Another strong short-story collection. Leans into grotesque physical transformations and paranoia. Great for readers who loved Shiver and want more.

No Longer Human — Ito’s adaptation of Osamu Dazai’s famous Japanese novel about alienation and self-destruction. Dazai is one of Japan’s most celebrated authors, and this is considered one of the greatest Japanese novels of the 20th century. Ito’s version is darker and more psychologically grounded than his typical work. Completely standalone.

Venus in the Blind Spot — Short-story collection featuring tales about beauty, obsession, and things that shouldn’t exist. Solid variety.

Remina — A wandering planet named after a girl approaches Earth. Full-length cosmic horror — meaning the terror comes from forces so vast and indifferent that humanity is insignificant. Escalates to absurd, terrifying extremes. Standalone.

Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collection — Short stories centered around an intersection in a foggy town and a beautiful boy who tells fortunes. Some of Ito’s eeriest atmospheric work.

Deserter: Junji Ito Story Collection — More short stories, including wartime horror and supernatural tales. Represents Ito’s earlier work.

Sensor — A woman encounters a strange volcanic village and discovers a cosmic mystery that unravels her reality. Part psychological thriller, part horror about forces far beyond human comprehension. Standalone.

Black Paradox — Four strangers form a suicide pact and discover something bizarre about the boundary between life and death. Standalone series.

The Liminal Zone — Short stories about in-between spaces — thresholds, waiting rooms, borders between states of being.

Statues: Junji Ito Story Collection — Another collection of standalone short horror stories.

Soichi: Junji Ito Story Collection (June 2024) — All the stories featuring Soichi Tsujii, the mischievous cursed boy who hammers nails between his teeth and attempts various supernatural schemes. Previously scattered across various Japanese volumes, now finally collected in one English-language edition. Soichi is more darkly comedic than terrifying — he’s a brat with supernatural powers, and the fun comes from watching his schemes backfire.

Alley: Junji Ito Story Collection (October 2024) — A short-story collection released alongside Mimi’s Tales of Terror. More standalone horror tales.

Mimi’s Tales of Terror (October 2024) — School-horror stories originally told from the perspective of a girl named Mimi. Aimed at a slightly younger audience in Japan, but still effectively creepy.

Moan: Junji Ito Story Collection (2024) — Another short-story collection adding to the growing library of Ito’s translated work.

Stitches: Junji Ito Story Collection (2024) — Yet another collection, showcasing stories previously unavailable in English.

Maniac Road: Junji Ito Story Collection (2025, Upcoming) — Announced for release in 2025. Details limited, but expect another batch of short horror stories.

Ice Cream Bus (October 2025, Upcoming) — Announced for October 2025. One of the most anticipated upcoming Ito releases.

Kodansha USA / Vertical Comics Editions

Two Junji Ito titles were published by Kodansha USA rather than VIZ Media. These are standard-sized paperback editions, smaller and lighter than the VIZ hardcovers.

Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu (October 2015) — This one is important to flag: it is NOT horror. Cat Diary is a comedy manga about Ito and his fiancée adopting two cats. Ito draws himself in his signature horror style while dealing with completely mundane cat behavior, and the contrast is hilarious. It’s a wonderful break between horror volumes, but don’t go in expecting scares.

Dissolving Classroom (January 2017) — A short horror manga about a boy who compulsively apologizes and his unsettling little sister. Dark, weird, and disturbing. Shorter than most VIZ hardcovers but packs a punch.

Art Book

The Art of Junji Ito: Twisted Visions (December 2020) — A full-color art book showcasing Ito’s illustrations, including work outside his manga. This is not a manga — there are no stories here. It’s a visual celebration of his art. Ideal as a gift for existing fans or for anyone interested in his illustration process and technique.

Series and Recurring Characters — What Connects to What

One of the most common sources of confusion: which books are connected? Here’s the definitive breakdown.

Books With Recurring Characters

Tomie — Tomie Kawakami appears across many stories, all collected in Tomie: Complete Deluxe Edition. Each story is essentially standalone — different characters encounter Tomie in different settings. You don’t need to read them in sequence, though reading the first few establishes the pattern that later stories subvert.

Soichi — Soichi Tsujii, a cursed boy who hammers nails between his teeth and attempts various supernatural schemes, appeared scattered across multiple Japanese collections. The Soichi: Junji Ito Story Collection (2024) finally gathers all his stories in one English volume. Like Tomie, each story works independently.

Self-Contained Series (Multi-Chapter, Single Narrative)

• Uzumaki — One complete story in one deluxe volume. No spin-offs, no prequels, no connections to anything else.
• Gyo — One complete story in one deluxe volume. The bonus story (The Enigma of Amigara Fault) is unrelated to Gyo’s plot.
• Remina — One complete standalone story.
• Sensor — One complete standalone story.
• Black Paradox — One complete standalone story.
• No Longer Human — Literary adaptation of Osamu Dazai’s novel. Standalone.
• Frankenstein — Literary adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel, plus bonus short stories. Standalone.

Everything Else

Every other book in the catalog is a short-story collection — a book containing multiple independent, unrelated tales. Stories do not carry over between collections. A story in Shiver has no connection to a story in Smashed or Venus in the Blind Spot.

Note: Cat Diary: Yon & Mu is a comedy (not horror), and The Art of Junji Ito: Twisted Visions is an art book (not a manga). Neither fits into the horror categories above.

The bottom line: you never need to worry about reading order for continuity reasons. The only question is where you want to start.

Short-Story Collections vs. Full Series — Which to Pick

This is probably the most practical decision you’ll make when building your Ito reading list. Here’s a clear comparison:

Short-Story Collections	Full Series
Format	8-15 standalone stories per book	Single continuous narrative
Reading time	Each story: 10-30 minutes	Full book: 2-4 hours
Commitment	Low — stop anytime	Medium — story builds over chapters
Best for	Sampling Ito’s range; reading in short bursts	Deep immersion in one concept
Titles	Shiver, Smashed, Venus in the Blind Spot, Fragments of Horror, Deserter, Lovesickness, Alley, Mimi’s Tales of Terror, The Liminal Zone, Statues, Moan, Stitches, Soichi	Uzumaki, Tomie, Gyo, Remina, Sensor, Black Paradox, No Longer Human

If you’re unsure what you like, start with a collection. Shiver is the safest bet — hand-picked by Ito, diverse in tone, and consistently strong. If a particular type of horror grabs you, you can chase that thread into the series that match.

If you already know you love horror manga and want Ito’s most sustained, powerful work, go straight to Uzumaki . It’s his greatest achievement for a reason.

If you want variety above all else, the collections are where you’ll find the most surprises. Each one contains stories you’d never predict, and the sheer range of ideas — from haunted towns to cursed hair to balloons that defy physics — is staggering.

Where to Buy Junji Ito Manga in English

Once you’ve settled on your reading order, here’s where to find the books.

Physical Editions

VIZ Media hardcovers are the primary format for most Ito titles. These are oversized, well-bound editions with high paper quality. The larger format is worth it — Ito’s art rewards big pages where you can see every hand-drawn line of detail.

Kodansha USA paperbacks cover Cat Diary: Yon & Mu and Dissolving Classroom. These are standard manga-sized paperbacks.

You can find both at:

• Amazon — Largest selection, frequent discounts on individual volumes
• Barnes & Noble — Good in-store availability, especially for popular titles like Uzumaki
• Local comic shops — Worth checking; many stock VIZ hardcovers

Digital Editions

Most VIZ Media titles are available digitally through VIZ.com and Kindle. Digital editions are typically cheaper, but you lose the oversized hardcover format that really showcases Ito’s artwork. For an artist as detail-oriented as Ito, physical editions are worth considering if your budget allows.

Where to Start Buying

If you’re picking up your first Junji Ito book, Uzumaki (3-in-1 Deluxe Edition) is the single best purchase you can make. One book, one complete story, peak Ito.

For a broader sampler, the 3-book set containing Lovesickness, Deserter, and Fragments of Horror covers a wide range of his short-story work at a better per-book price. It’s a great way to explore his collections without committing to each one individually.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Junji Ito published in English?

As of 2025, there are approximately 20+ manga volumes and 1 art book available in English from VIZ Media, plus 2 titles from Kodansha USA (Cat Diary: Yon & Mu and Dissolving Classroom). More releases are announced regularly — Maniac Road and Ice Cream Bus are both confirmed for 2025.

Do I need to read all Junji Ito books in order?

No. The vast majority of his books are completely standalone. Only Tomie and Soichi feature recurring characters, and even those are self-contained — each story works on its own without needing context from earlier chapters. You can start with any book that interests you.

What is Junji Ito’s scariest book?

If you want sustained, escalating dread that gets under your skin and stays there, Uzumaki is the strongest choice. It builds an inescapable atmosphere over its full length in a way no other Ito book matches.

Tomie is a close second, though its horror is more psychological — obsession, jealousy, and identity.

For horror centered on vast, unknowable forces that make humanity feel insignificant, Remina is the pick.

For pure shock value in short-story form, Smashed and Shiver both contain stories that will stick with you long after you close the book.

Is Junji Ito still making manga?

Yes — Ito is active as of 2025. English-language releases continue at a steady pace, with Maniac Road and Ice Cream Bus both announced as upcoming releases. VIZ Media has been consistently translating and publishing his work, including stories that were previously unavailable in English.

Are the hardcovers worth the price?

Honestly? Yes. Ito’s art is intricate — every panel (individual frame on the page) is packed with fine, detailed line work that benefits enormously from the larger hardcover format. The print quality on VIZ’s editions is excellent. If you’re choosing between digital and physical for Ito specifically, physical makes a real difference.

What about the anime adaptations?

There have been several anime (Japanese animated TV) adaptations of Ito’s work, including Junji Ito Collection and Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre on Netflix. The general fan consensus is that the manga is significantly better — Ito’s horror relies heavily on static images and the shock of turning a page to reveal something you weren’t prepared for. That technique doesn’t translate well to animation, where images are constantly moving. The manga is the definitive way to experience his work.

Is Cat Diary: Yon & Mu worth reading?

If you’re an Ito fan, absolutely. It’s genuinely funny — the contrast between his horror art style and mundane cat ownership is delightful. Just know going in that it’s a comedy, not horror. It’s a great change of pace between heavier volumes.