While manga are often referred to as "Japanese comics," there is much more to the story. As a cultural phenomenon, manga are without parallel in the West. About one-quarter of everything published in Japan is in manga format, and the medium attracts some of the most talented writers and graphic artists in the country. Because they are so widely read, manga are as powerful as TV in shaping popular culture; they play an integral role in forming attitudes, starting fads, and shaping the language.

Bringing Home the Sushi contains selections from nine of Japan's most popular business manga, translated into English. This book allows Americans to enjoy some of the same stories that their Japanese counterparts are reading. It illuminates the human side of Japanese business revealing the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of Japan's salarymen (and women).

In Bringing Home the Sushi we meet characters who deal with the challenges of corporate life in Japan in a variety of ways. For example, Kosaku Shima, finally gains the acceptance of the women in his office through a chance encounter on the streets of Kyoto in "Kacho Shima Kosaku." We also see Section Chief Rieko Asada, a woman who is undaunted by the chauvinistic world in which she operates, giving her male subordinate a lesson in the subtle art of persuasion in Japan. In another selection, Yosuke Minamida, a new recruit at a Japanese appliance manufacturer, gets a rude welcome to the rough-and-tumble world of Japanese sales. And then there is Tanaka-kun, Japan's bungling salarymang anti-hero, hilariously demonstrating that not all Japanese are hardworking -- or even competent in "Don't Cry Tanaka-kun."

Preceding the manga selections are introductory essays written by leading experts on Japanese business. Essayists include Glen Fukushima, former US trade negotiator, now Director of AT&T Japan; T.R. Reid, journalist, author, and former Washington Post bureau chief in Tokyo; and other top specialists who write from their direct professional and personal experiences.

Bringing Home the Sushi is also distributed in Japan, and the original Japanese is shown at the bottom of each page. This is a convenience for Japanese readers as well as American readers who wish to use the book as a language learning tool.

Here's What the Experts Say.

"Americans who read these nine selections will experience a true revelation. This book goes far beyond the stereotyped image of the Japanese businessman to present the multi-faceted human reality in bold relief."
Taichi Sakaiya, Economic Commentator and Author

"Mangajin's publications in general, and Bringing Home the Sushi in particular, provide a wonderfully entertaining and accessible introduction to Japanese culture. I recommend the book and Mangajin's other publications wholeheartedly"
Prof. Leonard Lynn, Former President, Association of Japanese Business Studies