Yakitate!! Japan, Volume 23

Are you ready for the Iron Chef of bread?! Manga shall not live by bread alone.

England. France. Germany. What common thread binds these three nations together? Answer: each is famous for producing unique, distinctive, delicious bread. But what about Japan, home to rice and delicacies of the sea? Is there not a doughy, gastronomic delight they can claim as their own? The answer is no...until now! Kazuma Azuma, a 16-year-old-boy blessed with otherworldly baking powers, has taken it upon himself to create Ja-pan, the national bread of the land of the rising sun!

Young Yamatoya, a spoiled brat with a thing for bread, is back--and this time he's trying to buy a job as a bread judge. But when master taster Kuro-san decides to teach him a lesson about hard work, Yamatoya realizes he may have bitten off more than he can chew. Later, Azuma's team Pantasia is in a bind when their next opponent in the "Yakitate!! Japan" baking competition turns out to be an old rival who's caught in the grip of a powerful mind-controlling substance: miso bread! Can goofy Kawachi resist the temptations of the mental miso and protect his friends? Probably not...which means it'll be up to Azuma's simple buns to bail the team out again!


About the Author
Takashi Hashiguchi was the recipient of Young Magazine Gekkan Shinjinsho (Newcomer's Award) in 1987 from Kodansha and received an honorable mention for the Tetsuya Chiba Award. He made his debut in 1988 with Combat Teacher. Hashiguchi says that for a time he tried his hand at being a comedian, but differences with his partner led him to return to manga. His major works include Street Fighter II Bakusho Yon-koma Gag Gaiden (Street Fighter II Hilarious 4-panel Gag Outside Story), Chosoku Spinner (High Speed Spinner), Windmill, Scissors, and Yakitate!! Japan. His most recent series, Saijo no Meii (The Ultimate Great Doctor) is currently serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday.