Although rice is the traditional food staple of Japan, this story focuses on the main character’s quest for bread. His name is Kazuma Azuma. This master baker possesses magical hands so remarkably warm; they are regarded as “Hands of the Sun”. While his hands are no help in making Japanese rice, the warmth they radiate are the perfect temperature for coaxing finicky yeast to rise to new heights. He seeks to fulfill an insatiable desire to create bread that will become a representation of his beloved country, Japan with his gifted hands. It must be so wonderful & unique that it will rival signature breads of other countries, including French and Italian gourmet delights.

The name of this concoction will be “Ja-Pan”; a clever play on words utilizing “pan”, the Japanese word for bread. It is also the title of this quaint but exciting story where traditional ways receive a new twist, along with excitement & adventure. Japan originally appeared as a comic strip in the weekly Japanese Magazine “Shonen Sunday” by Shogakukan. Its popularity caused it to “rise” to the top of the comics list for the magazine. The animated series continues to build momentum and is now on air.