Higashimura Akiko

A tribute to Maya Mineo's Fly Me To Saitama with short stories, illustrations and full manga by a variety of artists.

Satori Iwashita fell in love with a mysterious kimono beauty the moment she laid eyes on her at the coffee shop where she worked part-time. Then, the kimono beauty asked her to let her wear the kimono of her dreams! She was struck by the beauty of the kimono and the depth of traditional Japanese culture...?

Haruka is a 30-year-old single woman who works as an overworked gossip magazine writer. Back in 6th grade, she had a crush on a 3rd grade boy. Since she was afraid of being bullied due to that, she told others that she crushed on the boy's brother instead. Despite that, the boy confesses and without an answer, moves away. Since then, Haruka wonders why she unconsciously likes celebrities that remind her of him. She wonders if he still remembers her…

A relay series project with 109 short stories, each done by different mangaka for 100 days straight during the 2020 pandemic, depicting everyday life in a post-coronavirus world. Volume 1 Day 1 - Evil Spirit by Chiba Tetsuya Day 2 - Hirokane Kenshi Day 3 - Yanauchi Daiju Day 4 - Ishikawa Sei Day 5 - Nata de Coco Day 6 - Tsuchida Eri Day 7 - Mogi Sayaka Day 8 #1 - Mikashima Kentaro Day 8 #2 - Yoshimoto Yoshitomo Day 9 - Kumakura Takatoshi Day 10 - Asou Mikoto Day 11 - Momoi Ito Day 12 - Shirono Yuki Day 13 - Mori Moriko & Tomimura Cota Day 14 - Taiyou Marii Day 15 - Takahashi Ai Day 16 - Nomari Day 17 - Mukouyama Atsushi Day 18 - Aoki U-hei Day 19 - Yaguraba Tekka Day 20 - Yuzuka Masanari Day 21 #1 - Azuma Yoshio Day 21 #2 - Uta Ariko (Ariko) Day 22 - Suzuki Suzuhiro Day 23 - Imai Yuu Day 24 - Yamada Hitsuji Day 25 - Ooei Yukio Day 26 - Amagakure Gido Day 27 - Ishitsuyo Natsuko Day 28 - Nagata Kitsuneko Day 29 #1 - Ayame Gonta Day 29 #2 - Tosazu (Inoue Tosazu) Day 30 - Suenobu Keiko Day 31 - Kuwabara Taku Day 32 - Yuchi Mikumi Day 33 - Fujimura Akeji Day 34 - Machiko Day 35 - Sekiguchi Kanko Day 36 - Robico Day 37 #1 - Manatsubi Zuru Day 37 #2 - Shin Yui Day 38 - Fujio Ai Day 39 - Fuyukawa Tomoko Day 40 - Matsumoto Hidekichi Day 41 - Umino Tsunami Day 42 - Tsujitomo Day 43 - Nanato Eri & Kameyama Satoshi Day 44 - Okaue Ai Day 45 - Yamada Daisy Day 46 - Toyoda Tetsuya Day 47 - Kinoshita Itaru Day 48 - Etsuko Day 49 #1 - Andou Mikio Day 49 #2 - A Boring Story About Telework by Yamada Kintetsu Day 50 - Hiura Satoru Day 51 #1 - Kasori Riara Volume 2 Day 51 #2 - Yamato Aka Day 52 - Anno Moyoco Day 53 - Murata Hiroyuki Day 54 - Himeno Yuuma Day 55 - Megochimo Day 56 #1 - Iwamura Tsukiko Day 56 #2 - Sakai Eri Day 57 - Tanaka Ai Day 58 - Natsumin Day 59 - Nikaidou Ko Day 60 - Saotome Ageha Day 61 #1 - Chicchi Mama Day 61 #2 - Hinase Mayu Day 62 - Izumi Mitsu Day 63 - Ogawa Etsushi Day 64 - Konari Misato Day 65 - Tsutsui (Tsusui Itsuki) Day 66 - Hinaki Day 67 - Kubota Wataru Day 68 - Higashimura Akiko Day 69 - Namori Day 70 - Nishizono Fumiko Day 71 - Kameno Hiroya Day 72 - Kozaki Ai Day 73 - Wanatsu Kou Day 74 - Mizushina Takayuki Day 75 - Tanaka Motoi Day 76 - Yuma Satoru & Kumano Nell Day 77 - Mimori Day 78 - Tenamachi Saho Day 79 - Yuuki Masami Day 80 - Suzunoki Yuu Day 81 - Kuroda Iou Day 82 - Itagaki Paru Day 83 - Kamurada Ichina Day 84 - Nishikawa Maru Day 85 - Hachi (晴智) Day 86 - Shiro Manta Day 87 - Serizawa Naoki Day 88 - Okada Atsushi Day 89 - Oomachi Terrace Day 90 - Yabe Tarou Day 91 - Tanaka Keiichi Day 92 - Takasugi Katsura Day 93 - Aiuchi Airu Day 94 - Kitamichi Masayuki Day 95 #1 - Minamoto Keisuke Day 95 #2 - Kumeta Kouji Day 96 - Nishi Keiko Day 97 - Karasuya Satoshi Day 98 - Shiraume Nazuna Day 99 - Yamashita Kazumi Day 100 - Morikawa George

A bunch of one page panels showing member series of the "Authorized Books of Japan" official group, encouraging you to only read from legitimate/approved physical and digital official sources. Links: Alternative Official Raw - Shuppankoho (Click the blue button) Video version - YouTube

Rinko, Kaori and Koyuki swore they would get married by the 2020 Tokyo Olympics ... Now they're about to step into a new chapter of romance … but will they, should they, finally get married?

"The times have changed since I said 'what if'." Introducing Reina Hirota: 30 years old, part-time worker. She has no dreams or goals in life, and spends her time with no boyfriend or crush. In the new year, she will work to find her true passions! A new season of the popular series that depicts the dreams and realities of modern girls living in the Reiwa era!!

Shoko has turned 30 and she has finally given up on finding a marriage partner. Recently having completed a year long contract, she wants to explore the freedom her lack of relationship and job obligations afford her and books a trip to Seoul, Korea. Unencumbered, she wants to visit the Korean BBQ restaurants alone and drink to celebrate her "graduation from marriage seeking activities." Not quite supportive is her sister, one who is already married to a good-looking, high earning man, who thinks Shoko should do the responsible thing and give marriage hunting a shot again. But Shoko cannot be deterred. But life has a strange way of turning things around. On her trip to Seoul, Shoko makes a surprising discovery, and an unexpected connection… This is a collaborative project between Higashimura Akiko and NAVER webtoon, which may be the first of its kind, at least involving such a luminary figure in manga. It is being released in Korean and Japanese, but not quite simul-release. Korean is about 20 chapters ahead. Gisou Furin is now a live-action JDrama! The setting is changed slightly, as the trip is to Hakata in Fukuoka, not Seoul, Korea and the love interest is a returnee who had moved to Spain as a kid and not a Korean. Most unfortunately, there is no Bump-chan. Boo. The first episode covers almost to chapter 12. There are subtitled 1080p episodes available at usual sources. Try it!

The life of daimyo Uesugi Kenshin commanded authority and fear during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. In this retelling, the powerful lord is reimagined as a woman.

It's tough being a mangaka assistant with your own dreams of being a successful author. In this semi-autobiographical manga, Higashimura plays matchmaker with her assistants who have dreams, but no free time, and starts a business to pair them with career women who need a "house husband." If the aspiring artists are house husbands, then they'll have the free time to work on drawing manga with the support of their wives until they break into the industry! This new serialization blends Higashimura's comedy with light commentary on a society where men are no longer guaranteed to be the breadwinners, and about how both roles (breadwinner and house caretaker) are both equally important roles in today's modern society. It was cancelled after reader backlash accused Higashimura of "looking down on her male assistants and other men."

The "Tokyo Gourmet Club" meets once a month in order to eat delicious foods. During one of these sessions, Inspector Katoono receives a phone call: the corpses of a man and woman were found in the same hotel. The cause of death is poisoning. Using the information and connections within the hotel that Inspector Akechi gives him, and involving Ichigo, he sets off on this investigation.

"I always just worried about what could have been, and I'm already this age!" That isn't how it's supposed to go, but somehow I'm already thirty-ish! That's how it is for Rinko. It's six years until the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and she's been thinking about marriage but… Note: Nominated for the 9th Manga Taisho Award and the 40th Kodansha Manga Awards in 2016. Official English

The manga anthology is created as part of charity with royalties donated for reconstruction of areas affected by the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake (Higashi Nihon Daishinsai) disaster that struck Japan on March 11, 2011. The volume contains works by Satoru Hiura (Hotaru no Hikari - It's Only Little Light in My Life), Toshinao Aoki (Kurumi no Ki!), Ume (Giga Tokyo Toy Box), Keiko Okamoto (Corrector Yui), Mayu Shinjo (Demon Love, Ai Ore, Love Celeb), Tomoko Ninomiya (Nodame Cantabile), Naoko Matsuda (Juuhan Shuttai!), Kyo Hatsuki (Itaya-san to Ushiyama-san, Sudden Death), Nagamu Nanaji (Parfait Tic!, Aruitou), Riho Sachimi, and Kazumi Ohya.

This is an autobiography that tells the story of Akiko Hayashi, the author as she was in her third year of high school at the beginning of the story. Through her friend Futami, Akiko starts going to an art class led by Kenzou Hidaka, an intimidating teacher who spends much of his time yelling at his students and keeping them focused on drawing with the use of a bamboo sword. Akiko is initially confused by the behavior of the teacher and her fellow students in the class, but she keeps going regardless, eventually becoming the mangaka she is today.Official EnglishWon the 8th Manga Taisho in 2015Won the 19th Japan Media Arts Festival Grand Prize for Manga

Konno Izumi, a beautiful life drawing model tormented with the unrelenting curse of her excessive beauty. Weepy are her eyes, streaming down her cheek with mirth. With all these means, the curtain is raised on the riverside concerto of a beautiful woman struggling along the path to unpopularity. By the author of Princess Jellyfish. Note: Nominated for the 4th Manga Taisho in 2011.

Kurashita Tsukimi is an 18 year old 'kurage fujoshi'. She lives in Tokyo in an all-female apartment complex full of various types of fujoshi. They fear and despise beautiful, fashionable people while existing happily in their no-man, no make-up world. That all changes when a 'hipster' saves the life of a jellyfish and intrudes upon Tsukimi's isolated existence. Things are made even more complicated when it turns out that the beautiful woman is actually a man in drag.Official EnglishWon the Kodansha Manga Award for Shojo in 2010

How does a washed-out, child genius actor confront his fears? Faced with the fear of never surpassing the acting of his greatest nemesis, he idles away while his childhood mentor and director recovers in a hospital. For five years, he sits idly, wondering what it takes to be a good actor. That is, until the day he met her…

Sunflower ~ Kenichi Legend is a gag manga based on the manga author's real life story. Sunflower is about an OL named Akiko who is very good at drawing illustrations for her company bulletins. She drew manga as a kid, but hadn't pursued it. Her father Kenichi works at the same company. He is a tropical fruit freak & is on a different wavelength than others. Sunflower ~ Kenichi Legend was nominated for the 1st Manga Taisho Award in 2008. (Source: MU)

A young woman gazes wistfully off of her balcony, gazing at the beautiful view. She enjoys drinking beer on her days off, and has noticed someone growing flowers in an empty space on the first floor. One day, she receives mail that does not belong to her; and after happening a second time, she returns it to its owner. And that's when she meets a special man…

Lingerie shop employee Kazuko longs for some drama to spice up her tedious daily routine. For Satou, a middle school teacher, Kazuko is the ideal woman. What will happen when these two people meet in rather extreme circumstances!? My Eternal Screen Jiro has moved from the countryside to Tokyo along with Haruo, his friend from high school. He suddenly receives a letter from their old school friend, Yuriko. But what is it that Yuriko wants and why is Jiro, who is constantly bewildered by women, willing to return to the rural town he deserted to find out? The Graduation Trip Ronin, Yussuuke, goes on a sort-of "graduation trip" to find his illegitimate half-sister and give her money from his father, who thinks he's dying.

Meet Yuka, a 6th grade fashionista who, thanks to her ability to put together just about any outfit on the fly, can disguise herself as nearly any age she wants. She’s just a little bit crazy, and has been known to pass herself off as the older sister of her actual older sister. This manga is the tale of her life…

Follow the daily life of Haruko Nakajima, a young middle-aged woman who is a specialist in love. (from ebookjapan): Izumi Kikuchi 38 years old, single. She is a food writer. She has been in an adulterous relationship for 10 years. In Paris, Izumi met the most powerful and unconventional female president. Her name is Haruko Nakajima. Can Haruko create a storm in Izumi's stagnant life...?　 Included in the book is a bonus manga.