The first new Hunter x Hunter volume in nearly two years is almost here: Volume 39 lands in Japan on 3 July 2026. But the bigger story is not the volume itself — it is how much further Yoshihiro Togashi has already pushed the story beyond it.
Volume 39: The Essentials
Shueisha has officially listed HUNTER×HUNTER Volume 39 for 3 July 2026, priced at ¥572 (approximately S$5.90 at current rates), with 208 pages. The volume collects chapters 401–410 — the stretch that briefly ran in Weekly Shonen Jump between October and December 2024, before Togashi once again stepped back from the weekly schedule due to his ongoing chronic back pain.
The previous volume, Volume 38, came out in Japan on 4 September 2024. That makes the gap between tankobon releases roughly 22 months — an uncomfortable but not unusual wait for one of manga’s most notoriously interrupted series. The English edition of Volume 38 (via Viz Media) landed in January 2026; Volume 39’s English date has not been announced.
Succession Contest Arc — Where We Left Off
Volume 39 continues the Succession Contest arc, the sweeping multi-faction storyline centred on the thirteen princes of the Kakin Empire vying for the throne while Gon and Killua remain apart and the cast expands at a pace only Togashi would attempt. Chapters 401–410 advance the Nen-beast plotlines and the political maneuvering that has been building since Volume 34. If you left off after Volume 38, this picks up exactly where you stopped.
The Bigger News: Togashi Has 20 Chapters Waiting
Here is what makes this moment feel different from previous hiatuses. According to Shonen Jump News, the verified English-language tracker for Weekly Shonen Jump, Togashi has been posting chapter-progress updates on his social media — and the numbers are encouraging.
- Chapters 411–420: Fully completed.
- Chapter 421: Manuscript confirmed finished as of late May 2026.
- Chapters 422–429: In the “latest stages of production” — effectively near-complete.
- Chapter 430: Inking confirmed completed as of April 2026.
That is roughly twenty chapters — a full two volumes’ worth of story — that are either done or essentially done, sitting in reserve. Shueisha has not confirmed when regular serialisation will resume, but a buffer that large signals real momentum. Previous hiatuses often began with Togashi having little or no runway. Right now, he appears to be ahead of the curve.
English Edition: A Long Wait, but Import Options Exist
Viz Media typically releases English volumes 12–16 months after the Japanese edition. If that pattern holds, Volume 39 in English is a 2027 arrival at best. Singapore readers who want it sooner can order from Amazon Japan or Rakuten — both ship internationally, with standard delivery to Singapore taking around one to two weeks. Kinokuniya’s branches at Ngee Ann City and Bugis+ also regularly stock Japanese-language Jump manga, so it is worth checking their shelves in early-to-mid July.
Last Words
For Singapore’s manga community, Volume 39 is proof that Hunter x Hunter is alive and, by the looks of Togashi’s chapter buffer, in better shape than at any point since the series resumed in 2022. The July 3 release date is a milestone — but the chapter-progress updates are the real signal to watch. Keep an eye on our manga and anime coverage for any English-edition date announcement from Viz Media, and for the inevitable buzz when Shueisha finally sets a return-to-serialisation date.