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From: Steve Pearl <[e-mail]>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.manga,rec.arts.anime.info,news.answers,rec.answers
Subject: rec.arts.manga: Manga Resources
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Date: 15 Jan 1998 10:01:49 -0500
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Archive-name: manga/resources

This FAQ, as well as the other anime/manga newsgroup FAQs and info
articles written by Steve Pearl, are available from the Official
Anime/Manga FAQ page at
 http://www.cybercomm.net/~starbuck/FAQ.html
The FAQs on that page are always the most recent version (The monthly
posts are posted directly from that directory!)


                       Usenet Manga Resources FAQ
                  (regularly posted to rec.arts.manga)

   version 1.0 (Sep 94) compiled by Steve Pearl ([e-mail])
   version 2.0 (Apr 95) updated by Iain Sinclair ([e-mail])
   version 2.6 (Jan 98) updated by Steve Pearl ([e-mail])


This document lists manga-related addresses, books, references, and other
resources which are of use to readers of rec.arts.manga.  While it is
difficult to make an exhaustive list of resources, the selection of
information in this FAQ aims to be helpful, accurate and timely.
Updates and corrections are most welcome, and should be emailed to the
current maintainer.  Please read this FAQ before posting to rec.arts.manga.

This article can be freely distributed for non-commercial use, as
long as all credits and notices remain intact. If this is used in any
publication, including APAs & CD-Rom Collections, a copy must be sent to:

Steve Pearl
PO Box 11044
New Brunswick, NJ 08906

Please send all additions/corrections/comments to:

Steve Pearl
PO Box 11044
New Brunswick, NJ 08906
Internet: [e-mail]

Changes from last version:

-
Coming Soon:


Contents
--------
Manga on the Net:
- Usenet
- IRC
- FTP sites
- WWW sites

Email addresses:
- Publishers of English-translated manga
- Manga by mail-order
- Anime/manga shopping guide maintainers
- Miscellaneous
- Mailing lists (MLs)

Books:
- Books about manga
- Books about drawing manga
- Books and Magazines on Learning Japanese
- Japanese Dictionaries

Where to buy manga:
- Japan (major Tokyo stores)
- USA
- Europe
- Australia

Contributors

                                   -===-

Manga on the Net
----------------
- Usenet

On Usenet (not to be confused with the Internet), manga discussion
centres on rec.arts.manga (English).  Japanese-language manga discussion
takes place on fj.rec.comics.  Other related newsgroups are listed
below.  Please do not crosspost between rec.arts.manga and any other
newsgroup without setting the "Followup-To:" line appropriately.
(NB: the term "signal:noise ratio" is a rough description of a newsgroup's
entropy, or quality of information.)

  alt.asian-movies - mainly discusses Hong Kong movies, which are
    occasionally based on manga.  Fairly low signal:noise ratio.

  fj.rec.comics - the Japan-based manga newsgroup, in Japanese only.
    You may be able to get a feed of this if your system administrator
    is willing.  High signal:noise ratio.

  rec.arts.anime.creative - Japanese animation fan fiction. (Moderated)
  rec.arts.anime.fandom - For Japanese Animation Fandom discussions
  rec.arts.anime.music - For the discussion of Japanese Animation music
  rec.arts.anime.models - For the discussion of models based on anime/manga
  rec.arts.anime.games - For the discussion of games based on anime/manga
  rec.arts.anime.marketplace - for buying/selling Japanese animation & manga goods.
  rec.arts.anime.misc - for everything else related to Japanese animation.
    Don't crosspost between any rec.arts.anime group and rec.arts.manga
    under any circumstances, since followups usually clutter up
    rec.arts.manga with junk.  Pretty low signal:noise ratio.

  rec.arts.anime.info - moderated; intended for useful anime/manga related
    posts.  High signal:noise ratio.

  rec.arts.comics.misc - talk about obtaining Western comics, and
    the Western comics scene, should be posted rec.arts.comics.misc.
    These topics are NOT part of rec.arts.manga's charter.
    Low signal:noise ratio.

  rec.games.video.misc
  rec.games.video.nintendo
  rec.games.video.arcade  - video games and manga are increasingly
    related, with many mangas being based on video games, and many
    video games taking their ideas from manga.  Variable (mostly low)
    signal:noise ratio.

  soc.culture.japan - Japanese culture, news, and politics.
    Medium-low signal:noise ratio, dropping to extremely low in
    major flamewars.

  sci.lang.japan - for Japanese linguists.  There is some discussion of
    contemporary Japanese and Japanese-language software.  Medium
    signal:noise ratio.

  alt.manga - is defunct, and should not be posted to for any reason.
    Ask your system administrator to remove it at your site.


- IRC

Manga is sometimes discussed on Internet Relay Chat (or IRC).
The channel #anime!, which was started by Hiroshi Haga in 1991 or
so, has seen occasionally seen some furious manga discussion (mostly
in English).  The channel #manga, which is ostensibly dedicated to
manga, comes and goes.  There are also dozens of Japanese users
of IRC; usually, a Japanese-language patch to IRC is required to
join their discussions.


- FTP sites

There are few major ftp sites for manga images and translations.
While there are also some minor sites which come and go all the time,
they rarely have anything not at the more major sites.  DO NOT post to
rec.arts.manga asking about ftp sites or WWW sites.
The main manga ftp sites are:


- WWW sites:

In addition, there are very few Web sites specifically devoted to
manga.  Most are devoted to anime, rather than the manga from which
they were derived.  However, there are many "further reading" links
in the Usenet manga glossary, the Usenet manga guide, and the
other Usenet manga FAQs.  Other links of interest include:

Shougakukan
<http://www.toppan.co.jp/bookshop/>

Kodansha
<http://anchor-net.co.jp:80/rental/kodansha/kxshop.html>

Japanese-compatible WWW Browsers
<http://www.ntt.jp/japan/note-on-JP/browsers.html>

Ken Lunde's "Understanding Japanese Information Processing"
<http://nearnet.gnn.com/gnn/bus/ora/catalog/ujip.desc.html>

Adam Rice's Honyaku (Translation) Home Page
<http://www.realtime.net/~adamrice>

American Misconceptions about Japan FAQ
<http://bronze.ucs.indiana.edu:80/~tanaka/American_misconceptions_about_Japan_FAQ.txt>

Shodouka ("view Japanese with any browser")
<http://csclub.uwaterloo.ca/u/kryee/shodouka.html>

Email addresses
---------------
- Manga by mail-order:

    Nikaku animart ([e-mail]) - although their selection is
     mostly limited to anime-related goods, Nikaku is highly recommended
     for ordering manga via mail.  For their current catalog, send empty
     mail with 'catalog' in the Subject: line.
     Queries, comments, flames to Margaret Lum ([e-mail]).

    Books Nippan ([e-mail]) - apparently don't read their email
      very often.

    Sasuga ([e-mail]) - in Massachusetts.

- Anime/manga shopping guide maintainers
    Chicago, USA - Enrique Conty ([e-mail])
    London, UK - David Cotterill ([e-mail])
    Los Angeles, USA - Jim Lick ([e-mail])
    New York, USA - Steve Pearl ([e-mail])
    San Francisco, USA - Steve Mah ([e-mail])
    Sydney, Australia - Kelvin Kong ([e-mail])
    Tokyo, Japan - Jeff Okamoto ([e-mail])

- Publishers of English-translated manga
    Antarctic Press ([e-mail]) - have also written a FAQ
      about their products.  Email them and ask for a copy before posting
      on the net.
    Dark Horse Comics - Mike Martin ([e-mail])
    Mangajin, inc. ([e-mail])
    Viz Productions ([e-mail])

- Miscellaneous
    [e-mail] - Alternate email FTP access.  Send the message
        'help' and it will send back instructions.

- Mailing lists (MLs)
    Mailing lists cater to more specialised interests, and avoid the
  Usenet free-for-alls.  All known publically accessible, English-language
  manga MLs are listed below.  Note: you should always subscribe to a mailing
  list before posting to it.
    Before joining a ML or participating in one, it is highly recommended that
  you read theMailing List Etiquette FAQ written by Brian Edmonds. The latest
  edition of which can be found on the web at:
  http://www.cs.ubc.ca/spider/edmonds/usenet/ml-etiquette.html


  - CLAMP mailing list:  a mailing list for fans of CLAMP.
    To subscribe, send e-mail to [e-mail].
    The mail should have the following text in the first line: subscribe cml

  - Kimagure Orange Road mailing list: for discussion of the Kimagure
    Orange Road anime and manga, and the fan projects which have sprung
    up based on the series.  For subscription information, send email to
    [e-mail] (kor-digest-request for the
    digest version).  Send mail to [e-mail] to post to
    the list.  List information and archives are also on the web at
    http://www.cs.ubc.ca/spider/edmonds/anime/KOR/mailing-list.html

  - Koko wa Greenwood mailing list: for discussion of the Koko wa Greenwood
    anime and manga.  For subscription information, send email to
    [e-mail] (greewood-digest-request
    for the digest version).  Mail to [e-mail]
    to post to the list.  Information and archives also on the web at
    http://www.cs.ubc.ca/spider/edmonds/anime/Greenwood/mailing-list.html

  - Lupin III mailing list: an email-based discussion forum for fans of Lupin III.
    Here you can discuss the manga, the TV show, the movies and specials, cultural
    references, translations, Monkey Punch and Miyazaki, and anything else related to
    Lupin III. We have subscribers from around the world. If you like Lupin III, join
    today!    To subscribe, send email to [e-mail] with the
    following text in the body of the message:  subscribe lupin3

  - Maison Ikkokui: a mailing list for and about the Maison Ikkoku TV series
    and manga.  To subscribe, send email to [e-mail]. To post, send
    email to [e-mail].

  - Maison Ikkoku Translation list: a mailing list for and about the Net
    Maison Ikkoku translation project. To subscribe, send email to:
    [e-mail] to post a message to the mailing
    list, use: [e-mail]
    You don't need to be an active translator to be on this list - voyeurism
    is encouraged (although we prefer to call it "peeping" ^_^).

  - Manga Addicts ML: for discussion of Japanese manga, manga artists
    and the Japanese manga industry.  Those interested in joining
    should have been reading original Japanese-language manga for
    at least three years.
    To subscribe, email a list of your favourite manga-kas to
    [e-mail]. (Subscription is not automatic.)

  - Marmalade Boy Translation list: a mailing list for and about the Net
    Marmalade Boy translation project. To subscribe, send email to: "Marmalade
    Boy" To join, send email to: <NEED ADDRESS>

  - Miyazaki Hayao ML: for fans of the works of Miyazaki Hayao, the
    animator and manga artist.  Discussion of alternative/progressive
    manga and anime is also welcome.
    To subscribe, send mail to [e-mail].  The mail
    should have the following text in the first line:
           subscribe nausicaa yourlogin@youraddress Firstname Lastname

  - Nakayoshi:A mailing list devoted to the Nakayoshi manga. Discussion of
    Nakayoshi, the serials which are featured and the writers and
    illustrators of those serials are all welcome. To subscribe, send an
    email message containing the word SUBSCRIBE to [e-mail]
    You will be sent a welcome message with an overview of the list as well
    as some hints for using the Majordomo software.

  - Rec.arts.manga mailing list:  a mailing list for manga fans (basically a
    mailing list echo of the alt.manga newsgroup).  To subscribe,
    send e-mail to [e-mail].  The mail should
    have the following text in the first line:
        subscribe rec-arts-manga yourlogin@youraddress Firstname Lastname

  - Ranma 1/2 mailing list: a mailing list for and about the Ranma 1/2 TV
    series and manga.  To subscribe, send email to [e-mail].
    To post, send email to [e-mail].

  - Sailor Moon mailing list: This list is for discussion of the Sailor Moon anime
    and manga (which originated in Japan) and related topics, such as versions
    dubbed in other languages (English, French, Italian, German, Cantonese, etc),
    Sailor Moon merchandise, Japanese cultural references, Japanese language
    translations, etc. To subscribe, send e-mail to [e-mail] with the
    body of the message being "subscribe sailor-moon" without the quotes.

  - Sazan Eyes mailing list: a mailing list for discussions about the anime & manga.
    To subscribe, send e-mail to <>. To post, send e-mail to <>.

  - Shampoo mailing list: a mailing list for fans of the animated
    character Shampoo from the Ranma 1/2 manga & TV series.  To subscribe,
    send e-mail to [e-mail].  To post,
    send e-mail to [e-mail].

  - Shoujo mailing list: a mailing list dedicated to the discussion of shoujo
    manga and anime. To subscribe, send e-mail to [e-mail].
    To post, send e-mail to [e-mail].

  - Skuld mailing list: a mailing list dedicated to the character Skuld from
    Aa Megamisama! manga and anime series. To subscribe, send e-mail to:
    [e-mail]
    To post, send e-mail to [e-mail]

  - Touch/Adachi Mitsuru mailing list: a mailing list for and about Touch,
    and other manga/anime created by Adachi Mitsuru.  To subscribe, send
    e-mail to [e-mail].  To post, send e-mail to
    [e-mail].

  - Urusei Yatsura mailing list:  a mailing list for fans of Urusei Yatsura
    and Maison Ikkoku and of the works of Rumiko Takahashi in general.
    To subscribe, send e-mail to [e-mail].
    The mail should have the following text in the first line:
        subscribe urusei-yatsura yourlogin@youraddress Firstname Lastname

  - Video Girl Ai mailing list: for discussion of the Video Girl Ai anime
    and manga (Len too).  For subscription information, send email to
    [e-mail] (vgai-digest-request for the digest
    version).  Send mail to [e-mail] to post to the list.
    List information and archives are also on the web at
    http://www.cs.ubc.ca/spider/edmonds/anime/VGAi/mailing-list.html


Books
-----
- Books about manga

There exist hundreds of Japanese books about manga artists, the manga
industry, manga titles, and manga genres.  The following list is a very
small subset of what is available.

"Comic Catalog 1995".  Fukuya, Y2800.
  Exhaustive catalog of all Japanese mangas in print, used as a reference
  by many bookstores.  The main index is by author, with a secondary
  index by title.  Each entry lists author, title, publisher, series name
  (ie. magazine of origin), number of volumes, price, and author (where
  applicable.  An excellent reference that anyone with a serious interest
  in manga should own.

Aihara, Kouji (art) and Takekuma, Kentarou (story).  "Sarudemo kakeru
manga kyoushitsu [Even monkeys can draw manga]" (aka "Saruman").
Shougakukan, 1988-93, 3 volumes @ Y1200.
  A wide-ranging story about about manga cliches and the modern manga
  industry, told in manga form.  Indispensable for diehard manga fans.
  "The story of Saruman is told through a pair of manga wanna-be's, one a
  rookie artist of marginal talent, and another a seasoned veteran who knows
  the industry tricks inside out.  The education began when the rookie tried to
  apply some common sense to solve manga problems, and the veteran refuting the
  common sense by providing examples that are totally counter-intuitive, yet
  strangly familiar in our manga reading experiences.  This is the genius of
  Saruman; it exposes the madness without losing the humor.  Aihara and
  Takekuma were able to bite the hand that feeds them, and then got permission
  to do more.  Saruman gets wilder and more hilarious as it progresses, and not
  since Be Free have I seen a manga with so much energy spilling from beginning
  to end.  Read it as a story, read it as a satire, or read it as a warning,
  Whatever a reader looks for, Saruman delivers.  Read it, and rec.arts.manga
  will never look the same to you again."  [DM]

Hara, Takao.  "Shigaisen". Tsukuru Shuppan, Y1200.  ISBN4-924718-08-4
  A rant about manga censorship by the chairman of Manga Japan, with
  a couple of pictures.

Hirata, Hirotsugu ed. "Bishoujo Manga Daihyakka [Many objects of
erotic manga study]".  Tatsumi Shuppan, 1991.
  A fairly informative catalog of the erotic manga scene, with many
  reviews of manga, anime, and H software, all lavishly illustrated.
  Some illuminating interviews and "how to draw" tips are included.

Ishiko, Jun. "Sengo manga shi noto". Tokyo, Kiinokuniya Shoten, 1980.
  A history of Japanese manga since World War II.

McCloud, Scott.  "Understanding Comics".
  A study of Western comics, in comic form, with a brief mention of manga.
  Mentioned here for completeness' sake - not recommended as a source of
  information about manga.

Muko, Morio, ed. "Nihon manga sho jiten, manga jimbutsu jiten".
Ruibesha, 1980.
  Dictionary of manga awards and biographical dictionary of Japanese
  manga artists.

Ono, Kosei.  "The Manga of Asian Countries".  [publisher?], 1993.
  Unseen, but apparently quite good.

Schodt, Frederik L.  "Manga! Manga! The world of Japanese Comics."
Kodansha, 1983.  ISBN 0-87011-752-1
  The seminal English-language reference on Japanese manga.  Schodt,
  who has also contributed entries on Japanese artists to just about
  every major English-language comics encyclopedia, writes with
  authority.  Although there has been a great deal of change in
  the manga industry since its first publication, it remains an
  authoritative and informative work.

Soeda, Yoshiya. "Manga bunka". [publisher?], 1983.
  A study of manga culture.

Yonezawa, Yoshihiro. "Sengo shojo manga shi".  Shimposha, 1980.
  History of shoujo-manga in Japan.  Yonezawa also wrote a companion volume
  on SF Manga.


- Books about drawing manga

The following books (again, a minimal list) deal with manga-specific
tools and techniques.  Also well worth a look is "Saruman" (details
in the "Books about Manga" section).  Those interested in the basic
principles of drawing should investigate the many good English-language
works on anatomy, drawing technique, caricature and contemporary
illustration - they are part of many Japanese manga artists' libraries.

Saitou, Chiho.  "Saitou Chiho no manga akademia [Saito Chiho's manga academy]".
Hakusensha, 1988.
  A typical series of learn-to-draw-manga lessons from a veteran
  manga-ka.  It covers the basics fairly well and is a good reference
  for beginners.

Terasawa, Buichi.  "[Making Manga on a Mac]".  Scholar, 1994.
  Describes how to use the Macintosh computer to create manga and
  CG effects.

Toriyama, Akira.  "[Toriyama Akira's Unskillful Manga Laboratory]".
Shuueisha.
  A how-to-draw manga book.  Will probably be of little use to those
  who don't want to emulate Toriyama's trademark style.

"Manga ishizue tekunikku kouza [Fundamental manga technique course]".
Bijutsu Shuppansha, 1988.
  The Bijutsu Shuppansha "Manga techique" books (also known as "How to
  Art") are useful, well-illustrated guides to contemporary manga theory
  and practice.
    This volume features interviews with: Akaboshi Tamiko, Asakura Sekaiichi,
  Azuki Yuu, Eguchi Hisashi, Hatanaka Jun, Ichijou Yukari, Igarashi Mikio,
  Ikezawa Satomi, Kikuni Masahiko, Kitagawa Sho, Kiuchi Kazuhiro,
  Kohashi Motoko, Komichi Meiko, Kouga Yun, Kusano Akihiro, Makoto Kobayashi,
  Moriwaki Masumi, Ouno Morii, Sasaya Nanae, Shintani Kaoru, Suzuki Yumiko,
  Tada Yumi, Takanashi Kumi, Tamura Shigeru, Umezu Kazuo, Urasawa Naoki,
  Wakabayashi Kenji, Yamada Yoshihiro, Yamashita Kazumi, Yoshida Sensha,
  and Yoshimoto Yoshitomo.

"Manga suupa tekunikku kouza [Super manga technique course]".
Bijutsu shuppansha, 1988.

"Manga ouyou tekunikku kouza [Applied manga technique course]".
Bijutsu shuppansha, 1988.



Books and Magazines on Learning Japanese
----------------------------------------
The book(s) you choose for learning Japanese will depend largely on what
you want to know and how fast you want to know it.  If you are enrolled in
a Japanese course, their prescribed textbooks should be all you need.
But at any level, one solid grammar reference and one solid dictionary are
good investments.  There is also a wide variety of Japanese language learning,
reference and word-processing software on the net, which is briefly covered
in a separate section.

"Mangajin" magazine.  Published by Mangajin, Inc.
  A magazine with detailed panel-by-panel manga translations and articles
  on Japanese culture.  The selection of manga is, for once, representative
  of mainstream Japanese tastes.  Strongly recommended to anyone learning
  Japanese, or anyone with an interest in normal manga.  Mangajin have also
  published a book, "Learning Japanese through Manga", a compendium of
  translations published on Mangajin.  They can be contacted at:

     Mangajin Inc.
     2531 Briarcliff Rd., Suite 121
     Atlanta, GA 30329
     USA

     Sekai Shuppan Kenkyu Centre
     Minami Aoyama 2-18-9
     Minato-ku, Tokyo 107
     Japan
     Tel: [phone]
     Fax: [phone]

    Current information about Mangajin:
    <http://www.st.rim.or.jp/~tony/mag_info.html>
    Information about the Mangajin CDROM:
    <http://www.st.rim.or.jp/~tony/cd_info.html>


Aoki, Hirose, Keller, and Sakuma.  "Basic structures in Japanese".  Taishukan
Publishing Company.
  A beginner's Japanese textbook.

Association for Japanese-Language Teaching (AJALT). "Japanese for busy
people".  Kodansha, Tokyo/NY, 3 volumes.  ISBN 0-87011-599-5 and
ISBN 4-7700-1419-8.
  Another beginner's Japanese textbook.  Highly Recommended.

Bleiler, Everett F.  "Essential Japanese Grammar".  Dover, ISBN 0-486-21027-8.

Geers, Todd and Geers, Erika.  "Making out in Japanese".  Charles E. Tuttle
Publishing Company.  ISBN 0-8048-1541-0
  A short book on colloquial Japanese.

Geers, Todd and Geers, Erika.  "More Making out in Japanese".  Charles E.
Tuttle Publishing Company.  ISBN 0-8348-0250-3
  The companion volume to "Making out in Japanese".

Kodoka, Nobumitsu.  "Wa-Ei Poruno Yougo Jiten [Japanese/English Porno
Terminology Dictionary", Kodansha, 1990, Y1400.  ISBN 4-06-201404.
  "The compiler appears to have taken several English slang dictionaries,
  extracted every scatological and sexual term therein, translated them into
  Japanese with commentary, and indexed the list in go-juu-on order. Thus, the
  book is very heavy on English terms and misses much of what I believe is an
  equally rich repertoire of Japanese expressions.  Still, there is much of
  interest here and it would make amusing reading for a rainy day curled up
  in front of the fire with your Nelson."  [RG]

Jordan, E.  "Japanese:  The Spoken Language".  Yale university Press, 1988.
ISBN 0-300-04188-8.
  A standard college-level Japanese text.

Maynard, Senko K.  "An Introduction to Japanese Grammar and Communication
Strategies".  The Japan Times.

Seward, Jack. "Japanese in Action".
Seward, Jack. "Outrageous Japanese".  Charles E. Tuttle Co., 1991.
ISBN 0-8048-1694-8.
  The former is an informative, anecdotal guide to practical everyday
  Japanese speech and grammar.  The latter is a short list of "rude"
  words and expressions.  Both should be of interest to manga readers.


Japanese Dictionaries
---------------------
"Kenkyusha's Japanese-English Dictionary".
  Covers most basic kanji, and is a good kanji familiarisation aid.
  However, it is less useful as a kanji reference once the basics
  have been learnt.

"Nelson's Chinese Character Dictionary".
  A large, widely-used Japanese character dictionary.  It should fulfil
  the needs of most manga readers, but those who enjoy manga dealing with
  historical or occult subjects will find it somewhat lacking.  Also, the
  indexing system is unsatisfactory, and some important compounds are missing.
  On the whole, a fairly reasonable reference, but not a perfect one.

Henshall, Kenneth G.  "A Guide to Remembering Japanese Characters".
Charles E. Tuttle Co. ISBN 4-8053-0509-6
  Excellent etymological reference for the "official" set of 2000-odd
  kanji.  Describes the evolution of each kanji, readings, compound
  examples and suggested mnemonics.  The complete opposite approach
  to the rote-learning system, and recommended to anyone who wants
  to really understand kanji.

Spahn, Mark & Hadamitzky, Wolfgang.  "Japanese Character Dictionary,
With Compound Lookup via Any Kanji".  Nichigai Associates.  ISBN
4-8169-0828-5.
  Has many more kanji and compounds than Nelson's, and an index that
  is very fast once you get the hang of it.  The content is also more
  modern.


Where to buy manga
------------------
Translated manga can be obtained from comic stores.  The details
of ordering, speed of delivery, price, etc. all vary widely.  These
matters all pertain to the Western comic industry, and have nothing
to do with rec.arts.manga - related questions should be posted to
rec.arts.comics.misc.

Bookstores where original, Japanese-language manga can be bought are
listed below.  Prices are determined by the current exchange rate plus
an additional markup, usually around 50% or more.  Some bookstores courier
their stock by air, so that magazines are on the rack the same day they
are released in Japan.  The customer tends to pay slightly more for this
service.

See also:
  - check under "Email addresses/Shopping Guide Maintainers" for
     local manga/anime shopping guides.
  - Japan-Related Bookstores and Mail Order
    <http://www.culturewave.com/culturewave/jrp/books.html>

NB: The staff of some Japanese bookstores do not speak fluent English, or
any English at all.  However, you can usually make yourself understood
if you can write your order in Japanese (supplying your name, address
and phone number).  Kinokuniya's order form looks like this:

- Japan (major Tokyo stores)

   Shinjuku:
     Manga no Mori (manga/anime specialized bookstore)
     Animec (manga/anime specialized bookstore)

   Harajuku:
     Mecca Harajuku (aka Idol Wonderland; anime stuff)

   Ikebukuro:
     Manga no Mori

   Kanda Jimbouchou:
     Shosen Book Mart (manga/anime specialized bookstore)
     Comic Takaoka (manga/anime specialized bookstore)
     Nakano shoten (manga specialized secondhand bookstore)

- USA

   Arlington Heights, IL:
     Asahiya Bookstores U.S.A., Inc
     Yaohan Plaza
     100 E. Algonquin Rd.
     Arlington Heights, IL 60005
     [phone]

   Atlanta, GA:
     Iwase Bookstore
     [phone]

   Edgewater, NJ:
     Kinokuniya Bookstores
     Yaohan Plaza
     595 River Road
     Edgewater, NJ 07029
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)

   Fountain Valley, CA:
     Tokyo Do Shoten
     18924 Brookhurst
     Mountain Valley, CA 92708
     [phone]
     10:30-18:30 (Mon-Sat), 11:00-17:00 (Sun)

   Los Angeles, CA:
     Asahiya Bookstores U.S.A., Inc
     Yaohan Plaza
     333 S. Alameda St. Suite 108
     Los Angeles, CA 90013
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)

     Books Nippan
     Nippon Shuppan Hanbai U.S.A., Inc.
     532 West 6th Street
     Los Angeles, CA 90014
     [phone]
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)

     Kinokuniya Bookstores
     [phone]

   Maryland:
     Sakura
     [phone]

   San Francisco, CA:
     Kinokuniya Bookstores
     1581 Webster Street
     SF, CA 94115
     [phone]

   San Jose, CA:
     Kinokuniya Bookstores
     675 Saratoga Ave
     San Jose, CA 95129
     [phone]

     Nikaku Japanese Animart
     615 N. 6th
     [phone]
     10:00-18:00 (Tue-Sat), 10:00-17:00 (Sun-Mon)
       Send them a self-addressed stamped envelope for their catalog.

   Torrance, CA:
     Kinokuniya Bookstores
     [phone]

   Weller Court, CA:
     Kinokuniya Bookstores
     [phone]

- Europe

   Holland:
     O.C.S. Bookshop B.V.
     Ferdinand Bolstraat 333
     NL-1072 LH  Amsterdam
     The Netherlands
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)
     10:00-18:00 daily

- Australia

   Sydney, NSW:
     OCS Bookshop
     Argyle Centre, The Rocks
     ph: 241 3990
     Mon-Sat 09:00-17:00
     Sun 10:00-16:00

     Japan Book Plaza
     Martin Place, City
     Mon-Sun 09:30-17:00

                                   -===-

Contributors
------------

Ron Granich ([e-mail]) - porno jiten

David Mou ([e-mail]) - Saruman review

Nikki White, via Widya Santoso ([e-mail]) - some
  entries in the "Books about Manga" section

ITO Takayuki ([e-mail]) - Japanese manga stores

John Yung ([e-mail]) - "Expert manga technique" info


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