Mangajin

Mangajin was a monthly English-language magazine for students of Japanese language and culture by Mangajin, Inc. It was distinct from many other magazines of its type in that it unabashedly embraced Japanese popular culture, as a learning tool and a route towards rapid acclimation into Japanese society. Each issue featured selections from various popular manga translated into English with detailed cultural and linguistic commentary.

It was a unique language learning tool in that the manga that it excerpted showed the use of the language in various types of informal conversations. It would feature a few pages of manga with explanations of the grammar used and when that grammar/vocabulary combination might be appropriate. By contrast, most Japanese language textbooks for early students focus on formal versions of the language appropriate for business discussions.

The magazine ceased publication in December 1997 (issue 70) due to financial hardship. The name is a combination of the Japanese words for and .

History Mangajin began shaping in 1988, when businessman and translator Vaughan P. Simmons began making prototypes of a magazine that could combine Japanese popular culture, entertainment, and language learning into one. Simmons worked with clients from American and European companies and saw how successful they could be with the Japanese and learned the culture, which boosted up the motivation for Mangajin. When developing the concept, manga became an ideal solution with the medium being so large and attracting some of the best artists and writers. Manga also gives a big perspective on real Japanese society and how the language is spoken. Simmons started creating a "four-line-format" which shows the actual text as found in a Japanese manga, a romanization for pronunciation, a literal translation showing the structure of the expression, and an idiomatic English equivalent.

Beginning with issue #49, the magazines include companion audio tapes for the corresponding issues until the end of the print edition at issue #70. Each tape contains audio reenactments of all of the Japanese manga material in that issue. Side A contains the stories acted by native Japanese-speaking voice actors. Side B contains stories read without pause, first in Japanese, then in English. For some of the longer/wordier issues, part of the line-by-line recording from Side A runs over onto Side B.Tape Description

North American versions were distributed by Weatherhill, Inc. Following the end of print magazine publication, Wasabi Brothers Trading Company and Rolomail Trading became publishers for Mangajin materials. Following the purchases of Weatherhill, Inc. by Shambhala Publications,About Shambhala Mangajin materials were published by Shambhala Publications.

Japanese versions were distributed by Sekai Shuppan, inc.

Features Manga series (bilingual English-Japanese) Title Author IssuesAssari-kunSou Nishimura1HotelShōtarō Ishinomori1, 2, 30, 31 Don't cry, Tanaka-kun! ()Hiroshi Tanaka1, 2, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 34, 42, 46, 51Theater AppareYoshiie Goda1, 3What's Michael?Makoto Kobayashi1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 17, 20, 24, 33, 40, 45, 57, 68Jimi-HenNakazaki Tatsuya2, 3Dai-Tōkyō Binbō Seikatsu Manual ()Tsukasa Maekawa3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 22, 26, 27, 34, 35, 42, 44, 51, 65Pocket StoryMasayuki Mori3, 4, 6, 10, 12, 15, 42, 58OL ShinkaronAkizuki Risu4, 5, 10, 11, 15, 23, 26, 27, 29, 31, 33, 34, 36, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 47, 54, 56ObatarianHotta Katsuhiko4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 23, 25, 26, 27, 30, 35, 38, 39, 40, 50, 51, 54, 59Toppu wa Ore da!!Torii Kazuyoshi4Gokigen Ne, DadiAoki Kimuko5HaguregumoGeorge Akiyama5Galaxy Express 999Matsumoto Reiji6, 7, 8, 9, 10Urusei YatsuraTakahashi Rumiko7, 8, 9San-pun-kan no DekigotoTanioka Yasuji9O-jama Shimasu ()Imazeki Shin10, 11, 13, 16, 18, 19, 21, 34, 37Sarari-kun ()Nishimura So10, 11, 20, 21, 22, 24, 30Ningen Kosaten ()Yajima Massao, Hirokane Kenshi11, 12, 20, 21, 47, 48, 49Kawaguchi Kaiji13Chijou Saikyou no JinruiTanioka Yasuji13Konnichi-wa Kuriko-san ()Terashima Reiko13, 15, 17, 21, 25, 31, 50Korobokkuru-kunKazuichi Hanawa13Beranmei Tochan ()Tachibanaya Kikutaro14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 26, 28, 37, 39, 43Sarariman Senka ()Sadao Shoji14, 16, 18, 46, 58, 65Tsurumoku Bachelors' DormitoryKubonouchi Eisaku14, 15BonobonoIgarashi Mikio16OishinboKariya Tetsu, Hanasaki Akira16, 17, 18PhoenixTezuka Osamu17, 18, 19Eigyo Tenteko Nisshi ()Gyu & Kondo18, 19Yuyake no Uta ()Saigan Ryohei21, 38, 39, 66, 67After Zero ()Okazaki Jiro22, 30, 31, 32, 41, 42, 43, 61, 62, 63Furiten-kunGyu & Kondo22, 24, 26, 28, 35, 36, 37, 38, 40, 52, 64Tsuri-Baka Nisshi ()Yamasaki & Kitami22, 23Crayon Shin-chanYoshito Usui23, 24, 36, 41, 43, 45, 52, 58, 68Sanshiro no Koi ()Maekawa Tsukasa23, 29Midori-san ()Akizuki Risu24, 31O-Daiji ni ()Kourita Christophe24Bar Lemon Hart ()Furuya Mitsutoshi25Manga Business Manners ()Degushi & Minagawa26, 27Yawara!Urasawa Naoki26, 27Katsushika Q ()Tomisawa Chinatsu28, 31, 50Kachō Kōsaku ShimaHirokane Kenshi28, 29Garcia-kun ()Takeuchi Akira29, 30, 40, 44, 53, 60Selected Works of Ishii Hisaichi ()Ishii Hisaichi30, 31, 33, 38, 39, 44, 58, 59, 63, 64 ()Deluxe Company32, 33, 34, 36, 41, 42, 51, 57, 58Dr. SlumpToriyama Akira32, 33Take'emon-ke no Hitobito ()Sato Take'emon33, 36, 40, 51, 58Fujiko Fujio A33, 34, 36, 37Naniwa Kin'yūdōAoki Yuji34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40ArerugenNakasa Yoshiro35Ol Reiko-san ()Yamada Sanpei36, 37, 46Maboroshi no Futsu ShojoUchida Shungiku38Okusama wa Interior DesignerAkizuki Risu38, 65Shoot!Oshima Tsukasa39Hyaku MonogotariSugiura Hinako40Fancy DanceOkano Reiko41Kachō-san Shigoto Desu YoMatsuura Seiji42, 44Imadoki no Kodomo ()Kubō Kiriko42, 64, 70Torishimariyaku Hira NamijirōNitta Tatsuo43, 44, 45, 46Cooking PapaUeyama Tochi44Nippon Cha-Cha-ChaYamazaki Kosuke45, 54, 56Living GameHoshisato Mochiru46, 48Kono Hito ni KakeroShu Ryoka, Yumeno Kazuko47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55Run! Run! Alcindo!Ohira Kazuo48ReggieGuy Jeans, Minoru Hiramatsu49, 50, 51, 52Ai ga HoshiiNonaka Nobara49, 57Selections by Deluxe CompanyDeluxe Company50Otoko wa Tsurai YoYamada Yoji52, 53, 54Nitta Tomoko52Sore demo MegezuKawabata Issei53Kasai no HitoMohri Jinpachi, Uoto Osamu53, 54, 55Akogare Depa-GyaruOnuma Kaoru54Sekkachi-kunTanaka Sho55KochikameOsamu Akimoto55, 56Ponpoko KachōHashimoto Iwao55, 63Boku-chin YutoseiKitami Jiro55Aji Ichi MonmeAbe Zenta, Kurata Yoshimi56, 57AjimanteiOno Shinjiro56Hyaku-nen SenryuGoda Yoshiie57, 60, 63, 67Kekkon Shiyō YoHoshisato Michiru58, 59Gal Gag WorldSato Ryosaku58Kaji Ryusuke no GiHirokane Kenshi59, 60, 51Hana no KararichoSonoyama Shunji60Kariage-kunUeda Masashi60Sawayaka SandaTanba Tesshin61Sekai 4-Koma-ka KeikakuHatakeyama Konzern61Yunbo-kunSaibara Rieko61Mammoth-like OjosamaOkada Garu61, 64Kachō Baka IchidaiNonaka Eiji62, 64, 69Our Tono-samaMeguro Yasushi62App-InstallJonburi62Minori DensetsuOze Akira62, 63, 64Yarikuri CompanyHashimoto Iwao62, 63Happy DayMatsuura Seiji63Honto ka naGeorge Gladir, Oyama Tetsuya64, 66Fuji SantaroSanpei Satō65, 66BowTerry Yamamoto65Non-Career WomanIshii Hisaichi66, 70Ninja Bugei-choIshii Hisaichi67Ai no Wakakusayama MonogatariTerashima Reiko67Kaiketsu!! Todo KachōKadohashi Yasuto67, 68, 69C-Class Salaryman CourseYamashina Keisuke68Honebuto-sanFujisubo Miki68, 70Mix Connection ()Yoshito Usui69Kochira Shakai-buOtani Akihiro, Oshima Yasuichi69, 70Seishun Nigiri PunchHanakuma Yusaku70

American comics (bilingual English-Japanese) Title Author IssuesThe Far SideGary Larson12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42Calvin and HobbesBill Watterson17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59ShoeJeff MacNelly43, 44, 45, 46GarfieldJim Davis47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 59, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70DilbertScott Adams60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70

Publications Mangajin magazines Mangajin's Basic Japanese Through Comics: A compilation the Basic Japanese section from issues 1-24 of Mangajin in lesson format. Each lesson spans 6 pages and features explanations and illustrations. Weatherhill version: /Basic Japanese Through Comics Part 1Basic Japanese Through Comics Vol. 1Basic Japanese through Comics Mangajin's Basic Japanese Through Comics (Part 2): Same as the previous release, but different lessons from issues 25-48 of Mangajin. Weatherhill version: /Basic Japanese Through Comics Vol. 2 Mangajin CD-ROM: Contains selected manga from the first 10 issues of Mangajin magazine, with trademark translations, language and cultural notes, and digitalized native Japanese voice recording.Mangajin CD-ROM Tony Gonzalez was the author of the CD-ROM.Tony Gonzalez Translation, Software Localization, and Technical Project Professional Mangajin's Japanese Grammar Through Comics Weatherhill version: /Mangajin's Japanese Grammar Through Comics

Other Mangajin, Inc. books Bringing Home the Sushi: An Inside Look at Japanese Business through Japanese Comics: A collection of business manga, in English, with introductory essays by Japan specialistsBringing Home the Sushi Nine examples of Japanese business comics, with introductory essays by Japan experts. Weatherhill version: Bringing Home the Sushi An Inside Look at Japanese Business Through Japanese Comics The Essence of Modern Haiku: 300 haiku poems by Seishi Yamaguchi: An English translation of Seishi Yamaguchi's haiku collection.The Essence of Modern HaikuThe Essence of Modern Haiku Weatherhill version: / (paperback), / (hardcover)The Essence of Modern Haiku 300 Poems by Seishi Yamaguchi Senryū: Haiku Reflections of the Times: A compilation of 100 senryu that have appeared over an eight year period in Japan's most popular newspaper, the Yomiuri.Senryu: Haiku Reflections of the Times Unlocking the Japanese Business Mind: An in-depth analysis of the complex cultural dynamics Japanese and Americans must confront when they come together to do business. DIANE Publishing Company version: / Weatherhill version: /Unlocking the Japanese Business Mind

Rolomail Trading Company Products Joyo Kanji Wall Chart Set: Contains 3 wall charts with the entire 1,945 General Use Chinese Characters.Japanese Kanji Wall Chart Set The Kanji Way to Japanese Language Power 2nd edition: /The Kanji Way to Japanese Language Power A Guide to Remembering Japanese Characters: Includes etymology of 1,945 General Use Chinese Characters. 2nd edition: /A Guide to Remembering Japanese Characters Salaryman Kintaro: The Complete Series: Contains all 10 Volumes of the series.Salaryman Kintaro: The Complete 10 Volume Series

Sekai Shuppan, inc. products Master English the Mangajin Way/ 漫画人英語上達革命マンガで英語をものにするトレーニング・ブック: Includes print and cassette tape editions.「漫画人」英語上達革命：マンガで英語をモノにするトレーニング・ブック

Stone Bridge Press products Japanese the Manga Way: An Illustrated Guide to Grammar and Structure: Includes translated comic book panels from the Mangajin magazines. Stone Bridge Press version: /Japanese the Manga Way: An Illustrated Guide to Grammar and Structure

Mangajin

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