Comic books (2004-06-17)
Comic books (Manga) in Japan usually come in two sizes; small and about half an inch thick or big and thick. They are not just for children only, in fact most people who buy them are adults. The majority of people who read comic books on trains are young males, most of them salarymen. I find it a little strange to see fully suited grown-up men, briefcases in their lap and completely enthralled in comics.
Comic books must be a huge industry in the publishing market.
They are on sale just about everywhere from convenience stores to tiny
corner shops. In large book stores, an entire floor alone can be
dedicated to the selling of comic books. It is not hard to find
peddlers selling second-hand comic books on the streets of Shinjuku (
) and
Shibuya (
) whose supply comes from discarded comic books scrounged from
recycle and garbage bins in train stations.
There are comic books coffee shops which provide patrons free comic
books to read while they sip on their favorite
drinks. This concept is not new in western countries such as USA
and Australia although their coffee shops' supply of reading material
will be more like Vogue or Times Magazine instead of comic books
and comic books alone.
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