This is the details page for the manga "Yakitate!! Japan". Here you can see what the manga is about and what the main characters are. You can also read the manga.

Plot synopsis:

The story focuses on Kazuma Azuma, a boy on his quest to create "Ja-pan", a national bread for Japan itself. He initially heads to Tokyo to expand his bread-making horizons at the bread-making chain Pantasia; the story continues with Azuma's exploits with his other coworkers. Although the story has baking as its main theme, the parts that generate the most interest are the outrageous puns in the story. Especially notable are the "reaction" based puns made by the judges, who go to great lengths to prove a single point about the bread that they had tasted. The series in general also pokes fun at the shounen genre's tendency to be melodramatic over mundane tasks.

Main characters:

Kazuma Azuma (Azuma Kazuma)
The 16-year-old male protagonist, a bread artisan who dreams of making the perfect Japan. Initially, he doesn't seem very bright, but when it comes to bread, he's a genius. Azuma also has "Solar Hands": exceptionally warm hands that allow the yeast to ferment faster and better when he is making his bread. Eternally optimistic and cheerful, he never gets upset from challenges faced in baking competitions, but rather from emotional tragedies that occur to characters around him. He gets his inspirations for his Japan from seemingly random sources, like other Japanese foods and stories from his experienced but over-talkative grandfather, who is a rice farmer.

Kyousuke Kawachi (Kawachi Kyousuke)
Coworker and sidekick to Azuma, from the Kansai area. Initially, Kawachi's knowledge is superior to Azuma's, but as the story develops, he becomes the fall guy and comedic relief. He considers Azuma to be his rival. With Tsukino's help, he has obtained "Solar Gauntlets": Solar Hands developed through physical training. He is somewhat lazy, but at desperate times, he focuses his effort to create exceptional bread. An interesting note about Kawachi is his hairstyle - he is the character with the most hairstyle changes throughout the entire series.

Kai Suwabara (Suwabara Kai)
Kuroyanagi's understudy, a serious bread artisan. A master of the katana who claims to have left the swordsman path of destruction to follow the path of life-giving bread. Despite that, he often becomes very warrior-like and fearsome during baking competitions, which occasionally makes other characters wonder if he is truly focused on the 'life-giving' aspect of his bread.

Tsukino Azusagawa (Azusagawa Tsukino)
Granddaughter to the owner of the Pantasia chain, and understudy to Ken Matsushiro. She seems to have a crush on Azuma, though it is never explicitly stated. Has difficulty getting along with the rest of the Pantasia-involved Azusagawa family because she is an illegitimate child. While she stays behind the scene most of the time, she is implied to be talented, as she managed to make it to the third place of a past newcomer's battle.

Ken Matsushiro (Matsushiro Ken)
Manager of Pantasia Southern Tokyo branch. A burly man with an afro and sunglasses. Renowned as the best French-bread artisan in Japan.

Chapters: