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.

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, Mangajin materials were published by Shambhala Publications.

Japanese versions were distributed by Sekai Shuppan, inc.

Features

Manga series (bilingual English-Japanese)

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="background: #FFF;"

|-

! Title

! Author

! Issues

|-

|Assari-kun

|Sou Nishimura

|1

|-

|Hotel

|Shōtarō Ishinomori

|1, 2, 30, 31

|-

|Don't cry, Tanaka-kun! ()

|Hiroshi Tanaka

|1, 2, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 34, 42, 46, 51

|-

|Theater Appare

|Yoshiie Goda

|1, 3

|-

|What's Michael?

|Makoto Kobayashi

|1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 17, 20, 24, 33, 40, 45, 57, 68

|-

|Jimi-Hen

|Nakazaki Tatsuya

|2, 3

|-

|Dai-Tōkyō Binbō Seikatsu Manual ()

|Tsukasa Maekawa

|3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 22, 26, 27, 34, 35, 42, 44, 51, 65

|-

|Pocket Story

|Masayuki Mori

|3, 4, 6, 10, 12, 15, 42, 58

|-

|OL Shinkaron

|Akizuki Risu

|4, 5, 10, 11, 15, 23, 26, 27, 29, 31, 33, 34, 36, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 47, 54, 56

|-

|Obatarian

|Hotta Katsuhiko

|4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 23, 25, 26, 27, 30, 35, 38, 39, 40, 50, 51, 54, 59

|-

|Toppu wa Ore da!!

|Torii Kazuyoshi

|4

|-

|Gokigen Ne, Dadi

|Aoki Kimuko

|5

|-

|Haguregumo

|George Akiyama

|5

|-

|Galaxy Express 999

|Matsumoto Reiji

|6, 7, 8, 9, 10

|-

|Urusei Yatsura

|Takahashi Rumiko

|7, 8, 9

|-

|San-pun-kan no Dekigoto

|Tanioka Yasuji

|9

|-

|O-jama Shimasu ()

|Imazeki Shin

|10, 11, 13, 16, 18, 19, 21, 34, 37

|-

|Sarari-kun ()

|Nishimura So

|10, 11, 20, 21, 22, 24, 30

|-

|Ningen Kosaten ()

|Yajima Massao, Hirokane Kenshi

|11, 12, 20, 21, 47, 48, 49

|-

|

|Kawaguchi Kaiji

|13

|-

|Chijou Saikyou no Jinrui

|Tanioka Yasuji

|13

|-

|Konnichi-wa Kuriko-san ()

|Terashima Reiko

|13, 15, 17, 21, 25, 31, 50

|-

|Korobokkuru-kun

|Kazuichi Hanawa

|13

|-

|Beranmei Tochan ()

|Tachibanaya Kikutaro

|14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 26, 28, 37, 39, 43

|-

|Sarariman Senka ()

|Sadao Shoji

|14, 16, 18, 46, 58, 65

|-

|Tsurumoku Bachelors' Dormitory

|Kubonouchi Eisaku

|14, 15

|-

|Bonobono

|Igarashi Mikio

|16

|-

|Oishinbo

|Kariya Tetsu, Hanasaki Akira

|16, 17, 18

|-

|Phoenix

|Tezuka Osamu

|17, 18, 19

|-

|Eigyo Tenteko Nisshi ()

|Gyu & Kondo

|18, 19

|-

|Yuyake no Uta ()

|Saigan Ryohei

|21, 38, 39, 66, 67

|-

|After Zero ()

|Okazaki Jiro

|22, 30, 31, 32, 41, 42, 43, 61, 62, 63

|-

|Furiten-kun

|Gyu & Kondo

|22, 24, 26, 28, 35, 36, 37, 38, 40, 52, 64

|-

|Tsuri-Baka Nisshi ()

|Yamasaki & Kitami

|22, 23

|-

|Crayon Shin-chan

|Yoshito Usui

|23, 24, 36, 41, 43, 45, 52, 58, 68

|-

|Sanshiro no Koi ()

|Maekawa Tsukasa

|23, 29

|-

|Midori-san ()

|Akizuki Risu

|24, 31

|-

|O-Daiji ni ()

|Kourita Christophe

|24

|-

|Bar Lemon Hart ()

|Furuya Mitsutoshi

|25

|-

|Manga Business Manners ()

|Degushi & Minagawa

|26, 27

|-

|Yawara!

|Urasawa Naoki

|26, 27

|-

|Katsushika Q ()

|Tomisawa Chinatsu

|28, 31, 50

|-

|Kachō Kōsaku Shima

|Hirokane Kenshi

|28, 29

|-

|Garcia-kun ()

|Takeuchi Akira

|29, 30, 40, 44, 53, 60

|-

|Selected Works of Ishii Hisaichi ()

|Ishii Hisaichi

|30, 31, 33, 38, 39, 44, 58, 59, 63, 64

|-

|' ()

|Deluxe Company

|32, 33, 34, 36, 41, 42, 51, 57, 58

|-

|Dr. Slump

|Toriyama Akira

|32, 33

|-

|Take'emon-ke no Hitobito ()

|Sato Take'emon

|33, 36, 40, 51, 58

|-

|

|Fujiko Fujio A

|33, 34, 36, 37

|-

|Naniwa Kin'yūdō

|Aoki Yuji

|34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40

|-

|Arerugen

|Nakasa Yoshiro

|35

|-

|Ol Reiko-san ()

|Yamada Sanpei

|36, 37, 46

|-

|Maboroshi no Futsu Shojo

|Uchida Shungiku

|38

|-

|Okusama wa Interior Designer

|Akizuki Risu

|38, 65

|-

|Shoot!

|Oshima Tsukasa

|39

|-

|Hyaku Monogotari

|Sugiura Hinako

|40

|-

|Fancy Dance

|Okano Reiko

|41

|-

|Kachō-san Shigoto Desu Yo

|Matsuura Seiji

|42, 44

|-

|Imadoki no Kodomo ()

|Kubō Kiriko

|42, 64, 70

|-

|Torishimariyaku Hira Namijirō

|Nitta Tatsuo

|43, 44, 45, 46

|-

|Cooking Papa

|Ueyama Tochi

|44

|-

|Nippon Cha-Cha-Cha

|Yamazaki Kosuke

|45, 54, 56

|-

|Living Game

|Hoshisato Mochiru

|46, 48

|-

|Kono Hito ni Kakero

|Shu Ryoka, Yumeno Kazuko

|47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55

|-

|Run! Run! Alcindo!

|Ohira Kazuo

|48

|-

|Reggie

|Guy Jeans, Minoru Hiramatsu

|49, 50, 51, 52

|-

|Ai ga Hoshii

|Nonaka Nobara

|49, 57

|-

|Selections by Deluxe Company

|Deluxe Company

|50

|-

|Otoko wa Tsurai Yo

|Yamada Yoji

|52, 53, 54

|-

|

|Nitta Tomoko

|52

|-

|Sore demo Megezu

|Kawabata Issei

|53

|-

|Kasai no Hito

|Mohri Jinpachi, Uoto Osamu

|53, 54, 55

|-

|Akogare Depa-Gyaru

|Onuma Kaoru

|54

|-

|Sekkachi-kun

|Tanaka Sho

|55

|-

|Kochikame

|Osamu Akimoto

|55, 56

|-

|Ponpoko Kachō

|Hashimoto Iwao

|55, 63

|-

|Boku-chin Yutosei

|Kitami Jiro

|55

|-

|Aji Ichi Monme

|Abe Zenta, Kurata Yoshimi

|56, 57

|-

|Ajimantei

|Ono Shinjiro

|56

|-

|Hyaku-nen Senryu

|Goda Yoshiie

|57, 60, 63, 67

|-

|Kekkon Shiyō Yo

|Hoshisato Michiru

|58, 59

|-

|Gal Gag World

|Sato Ryosaku

|58

|-

|Kaji Ryusuke no Gi

|Hirokane Kenshi

|59, 60, 51

|-

|Hana no Kararicho

|Sonoyama Shunji

|60

|-

|Kariage-kun

|Ueda Masashi

|60

|-

|Sawayaka Sanda

|Tanba Tesshin

|61

|-

|Sekai 4-Koma-ka Keikaku

|Hatakeyama Konzern

|61

|-

|Yunbo-kun

|Saibara Rieko

|61

|-

|Mammoth-like Ojosama

|Okada Garu

|61, 64

|-

|Kachō Baka Ichidai

|Nonaka Eiji

|62, 64, 69

|-

|Our Tono-sama

|Meguro Yasushi

|62

|-

|App-Install

|Jonburi

|62

|-

|Minori Densetsu

|Oze Akira

|62, 63, 64

|-

|Yarikuri Company

|Hashimoto Iwao

|62, 63

|-

|Happy Day

|Matsuura Seiji

|63

|-

|Honto ka na

|George Gladir, Oyama Tetsuya

|64, 66

|-

|Fuji Santaro

|Sanpei Satō

|65, 66

|-

|Bow

|Terry Yamamoto

|65

|-

|Non-Career Woman

|Ishii Hisaichi

|66, 70

|-

|Ninja Bugei-cho

|Ishii Hisaichi

|67

|-

|Ai no Wakakusayama Monogatari

|Terashima Reiko

|67

|-

|Kaiketsu!! Todo Kachō

|Kadohashi Yasuto

|67, 68, 69

|-

|C-Class Salaryman Course

|Yamashina Keisuke

|68

|-

|Honebuto-san

|Fujisubo Miki

|68, 70

|-

|Mix Connection ()

|Yoshito Usui

|69

|-

|Kochira Shakai-bu

|Otani Akihiro, Oshima Yasuichi

|69, 70

|-

|Seishun Nigiri Punch

|Hanakuma Yusaku

|70

|}

American comics (bilingual English-Japanese)

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="background: #FFF;"

|-

! Title

! Author

! Issues

|-

|The Far Side

|Gary Larson

|12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42

|-

|Calvin and Hobbes

|Bill Watterson

|17, 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, 59

|-

|Shoe

|Jeff MacNelly

|43, 44, 45, 46

|-

|Garfield

|Jim Davis

|47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 59, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70

|-

|Dilbert

|Scott Adams

|60, 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: /

  • Mangajin's Basic Japanese Through Comics (Part 2): Same as the previous release, but different lessons from issues 25-48 of Mangajin.

:*Weatherhill version: /

  • 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. Tony Gonzalez was the author of the CD-ROM.
  • Mangajin's Japanese Grammar Through Comics

:*Weatherhill version: /

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 specialists

:*Weatherhill version:

  • The Essence of Modern Haiku: 300 haiku poems by Seishi Yamaguchi: An English translation of Seishi Yamaguchi's haiku collection.

:*Weatherhill version: / (paperback), / (hardcover)

  • 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.
  • 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: /

Rolomail Trading Company Products

  • Joyo Kanji Wall Chart Set: Contains 3 wall charts with the entire 1,945 General Use Chinese Characters.
  • The Kanji Way to Japanese Language Power

:*2nd edition: /

  • A Guide to Remembering Japanese Characters: Includes etymology of 1,945 General Use Chinese Characters.

:*2nd edition: /

  • Salaryman Kintaro: The Complete Series: Contains all 10 Volumes of the 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.

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: /

See also

  • List of manga magazines published outside of Japan

Notes

References

  • (Wasabi Brothers Trading Company) (archived)
  • (Wasabi Brothers Trading Company, e-zine continuation) (archived)
  • Weatherhill, Inc. page: Mangajin (archived)
  • Sekai Shuppan, inc. page: 漫画人 Mangajin
  • Archive of all 70 issues: Mangajin