This Cannabis Japan is wonderful!
No, awesome!
No, not that!
How do I say this?
This is a bread that cannot be described with words.
If I were to still try to do so...
I’d call it a bread that can change history!
This bread is the ultimate bread that stands at the apex of all others!
The champions of the Second Monaco Cup are...
the Japanese representatives!
The last round of the finals of the Monaco Cup
ended with the victory of Azuma Kazuma’s Cannabis Japan!
And so, all of the programs in the Second Monaco Cup have been completed!
Cheers!
Well, we went through a lot, but in the end it’s a happily-ever-after ending.
Umm... Why’s Suwabara-san so depressed?
Could it be that his fear of heights is still...?
You still have a long way to go, don’t you, Tsukino?
Huh?
He has fallen in love with a woman from the enemy side.
With this tournament nearing its end, they have no choice but to separate.
That dumb samurai... is lonely.
Is that what it was?!
Do not say any more than that.
I am a warrior.
Warriors do not waste time on things like love.
M-Me... Monica doesn’t mean anything to...
Darling!
M-Monica...
Hey Kai, I want to join the party, too!
Oh, go right ahead.
Don’t be kidding around.
We’re enemies.
What do you want to celebrate with us at our table?
Kawachi...
Don’t be so strict...
No, no exceptions.
The enemy is the enemy.
But, if you really want to, then...
Take that eyesore of a Suwabara with you, and go away.
Be grateful, the two of you...
This is a chance for you two to be by yourselves.
So, you can do all you...
Are you an idiot?
What do you mean enemies?! Aren’t we all like partners now?
Huh?
Didn’t you know?
Pantasia has merged with St. Pierre,
and as of now, Mr. Kirisaki will be in charge of management.
What was that?!
There’s English bread, German bread, and French bread,
but Japan’s bread, Japan, does not exist.
In that case, there’s no choice but to create it.
This story is a serious, biographical ballad of a boy who possesses Solar Hands,
Azuma Kazuma, who will create a Japanese bread made by and for the Japanese people,
which can be presented to the world proudly.
I swore to your shining eyes
kagayaku kimi no hitomi ni chikatta
Yakitate!! Japan
Translated by: Anime-Empire
on an afternoon when the blue sky
chiisana mado kara aozora ga mieta gogo
was visible through a small window
that I no longer wanted to run away.
nigeru koto nante mou shitaku wa nai yo
senaka ni atatakai te no hira o kanjiteiru
I feel a warm hand upon my back.
kizutsuku yori mo tsurai no wa
The only thing more painful than getting hurt is...
ashita wo akiramete jibun ni uso tsukitsuzukeru koto
giving up on tomorrow and continuing to lie to yourself.
daiji na yume wo hitotsu kokoro ni itsudemo
The one precious dream always held in your heart
shinjite mamotte norikoete ikou
Let’s believe it, protect it, and overcome everything.
daiji na yume ga aru kara motto tsuyoku nareru
Because we have a precious dream, we can become stronger
omoiegaita mirai wo dakishimete
holding on to the dream that we imagined and painted
kore kara mo
forevermore.
A Letter of Challenge from Kirisaki!!
The start of a new program, Yakitate!! 9!
A Letter of Challenge from Kirisaki!!
The start of a new program, Yakitate!! 9!
To be honest,
I never thought that Kirisaki had moved so far ahead.
The new president has yet to be announced, but...
the way things look, it looks like it’ll probably be Yukino.
However, we have the 12 billion yen that we won from the Monaco Cup.
If we use this money as capital to set up a new company...
That’s true...
But, there’s some things in the world that can’t be resolved with just logic.
We can’t get over this so easily.
Especially her.
Cheer up.
If you aren’t happy, none of us can be, either.
I’m sorry.
But, I know how hard my grandfather worked to establish Pantasia.
Th-This is...
The MVP prize...
I’ll give you that, so cheer up.
Is that okay?
Something so precious...?
It’s all right.
A ring would simply get in my way when I knead bread.
Either way,
you’ve given me this hairband, so this is in returning the favor.
B-But...
You should accept it.
According to Monaco legend,
if you have that ring, the hero Pierrot will appear before you.
B-But...
Yeah, you should accept it, Tsukino.
I don’t know if a hero’s gonna come,
but it’s a ring that’s supposed to bring good tidings.
Th-That’s true. Well...
B-But... He put it on the ring finger of my left hand...
What do you mean I’m not going to be made Pantasia’s president?
Buying up all those shares, bringing the board of directors over to our side...
Do you know just how hard I’ve worked for this?!
Don’t tell me... You’re thinking of betraying me...?
Listen to what I have to say to the very end.
I’m going to have you be president of St. Pierre.
As a reward for your work,
I’ve transferred a large percentage of the St. Pierre stock under your name.
In both name and reality, you’ll be the president representing the company.
Then, what are you going to do?!
There’s one other thing that needs to be done,
so I’ve decided to retire from all official managerial positions.
Well, I guess I’m fine with that.
Well then, who’s going to be president of Pantasia?
The new president of Pantasia is Tsukino?!
Yeah.
I just received the official confirmation from the Pantasia Main Branch.
So, that’s how he’s playing it, eh?
After buying the shares and becoming the owner,
all he plans to do is appoint a president who would bring in the money.
Rather than make us, the possessors of wealth in the order of 12 billion, his enemies,
he must have decided that it’s smarter to bring us over to his side.
So, I guess that means that he plans to reel us in as much as possible, huh?
Yeah.
Hey Tsukino, you can’t accept this offer!
I know that you have feelings for Pantasia,
but this is a trap!
This is a dangerous trap!
How regrettable for you to think that this is a trap...
Ki-Kirisaki!
Because, what I want to have is a battle.
A battle?
What do you think?
Would you accept my challenge?
It would be a face-off between St. Pierre and Pantasia.
Should you win, I’ll hand over all of the stock that I own in Pantasia.
Should you accept, the battle will be broadcast all over Japan on the Greater Tokyo TV station.
However, the televising and production fees of the program must be paid for
with the 12 billion yen in your possession.
Are you conspiring to have us self-destruct by using up our 12 billion?
I won’t deny it.
However, I own about 60% of Pantasia’s stock.
It is valued at about 120 billion yen, and I will be betting it.
If you don’t bear some risk as well, if won’t be a fair fight.
So, what are the rules of this battle?
Without knowledge of the opponents we’ll fight, or the method of the battle,
there’s no way we can reply to your challenge.
Oh, sorry about that.
The name of the bread program is Yakitate!! 9.
There is no restriction to the number or age of the contestants.
But, we’d like for Azuma Kazuma-kun to participate in every match.
That is the request of the people from the TV station.
Huh, me?
At the mere age of 16, you became the MVP at a world tournament.
The media all over the world has taken notice of your performance.
Kazuma...
Kazuma has become so flat!!!
This is a newspaper, Grandpa.
And the method of the battle?
A system of panel-battle.
Nine cities with specialty products will be spread over a 3x3 panel.
And what you have to do is wrangle over the squares.
What do you mean by cities with specialty products?
Ever heard of the city of Kitakata?
Of course I have.
Isn’t it the place famous for its ramen?
Exactly.
Now, do you know of a city that’s famous for their bread, rather than their ramen?
I don’t really think so...
So, that’s what we’re going to try to create.
I believe the reason why bread hasn’t really gained popularity in Japan is that
unlike ramen, there are no breads that are exclusive to one particular place.
Since Azuma-kun is aiming for a Japan, he would agree with my opinion, right?
The city of Kitakata claims that its water is delicious,
and rose to fame by using it in their ramen.
A baker of your skill
should be able to create various Japans that integrate the specialty foods of each city.
I-I...
I just wanted to show my grandpa, who ate nothing but rice, that bread was delicious, too.
That’s why I started attempting to create the Japan.
That’s why I’m really happy
when I can make all kinds of people eat really delicious bread.
But...
I believe that all of us share
the sentiment of wanting all kinds of people to realize the wonder
of the thing called bread.
Don’t feed us lines!
Please don’t put us on the same level as you.
This Gopan #104 is something I created for fun.
Gopan #104?
Here, try it.
There’s red rice, fried rice, and Chinese omelette on rice,
but America’s rice, Gohan, does not exist.
In that case, there’s no choice but to create it.
This story is a cool, biographical ballad of a boy who possesses the North Pole Hands,
Tom Crusoe, who will create an American rice made by and for the American people,
Gohan, which can be presented to the world proudly.
Note: Gohan (ご飯) means “cooked rice.” The “han” part means “rice,” so... “Go!” han.
He has arrived!!
The boy who possesses the North Pole Hands!
He has arrived!!
The boy who possesses the North Pole Hands!
This is my special recipe, Gohan #55, the fermented soybean gohan!
Note: Chichioya (父親) means “father,” though it isn’t used much in modern Japanese.
Chichioya!
What’s with this “chichioya”?! Call me Daddy!
Daddy, how about we have rice for breakfast once in a while?
No, no, no, no, no. No!
We are wheat farmers in California!
What’s this about rice?!
You dumb Japanese-wannabe!
Daddy says that because he hasn’t ever eaten real rice!
Note: Hokahoka Gohan: “Hokahoka” means “steamy hot (food)” or “warm,” so “steamy hot rice.”
Hey, li’l Tom.
Welcome.
I tried the idea of rice with Daddy, but he was completely against it.
If we could eat rice just like cereal, then even Daddy would...
Oh, is that all?
Huh? You can do that?
To begin with, the potential to go with pretty much any type of meal is hidden within rice,
depending on the trick you apply while cooking it.
Li’l Tom...
You’ll create Gohan for your father.
Me?!
I believe that you can do it.
You, who possess the North Pole Hands that are most suited to washing rice.
North Pole Hands?
I see...
I thought that I was just sensitive to the cold...
You can call it Gohan once people like your father approve of it.
Th-This is...
Just like the first episode of Yakitate!! Japan...
Wh-What is this white, goopy stuff?!
It is Japanese-style cereal.
It’s porridge made from unmilled rice and milk, Daddy.
Who could possibly eat something that gross?!
You can complain all you want after at least one bite.
Just one bite, then.
Jesus!
Note: Okayu kutte oka wo yuku (お粥食って丘を行く) okayu (おかゆ) = porridge; oka (丘) = hills
After eating okayu, I’m off to the hills!
Note: Yubikiri genmai (指きり玄米): There’s a rhyme children recite when making pinky promises, starting with the words “yubikiri genman.” Here it’s combined with genmai (玄米), which means “unmilled rice.”
I’m making a promise with the rice,
Note: Gyuunyuu wo gyunyuutto dasu (牛乳をぎゅうにゅう－っと出し) gyuunyuu (牛乳) = milk; gyuu tto (ぎゅうっと) = to do something funny
and I’m firmly milking the cow.
D-Delicious.
This is really good.
Yay!
It’s been ten years since.
After creating 55 versions of Gohan, I set off for Japan.
Preview!?
Note: The “Kuro” in Kuroyanagi’s name means “Black.” “Shiro” means “white.”
Shiroyanagi
We will now begin the employment exam for the Gohanya Main Branch.
I’ll fight you with Gohan!
What do you mean by Gohan?
Kishiwada
Note: The first kanji in Kawachi’s name (河内), “kawa,” means “river.” The first kanji in Kishiwada’s name, “kishi,” means “shore.”
Is this guy gonna be okay?
Burnt Black!!
The day the Rocky Mountains fell!
Note: Takitate (炊きたて): “Taku” means “to boil rice.” Therefore, takitate.
Next time, on Takitate!! Gohan,
Burnt Black!!
The day the Rocky Mountains fell!
Be sure to watch!
Takitate!! Seed of knowledge.
Porridge
Note: The Yayoi Age extends from around the 3rd to the 2nd century BC
The history of porridge in Japan dates back to the Yayoi Age.
Yaoi Age
Boiling
If was originally made by boiling unmilled rice.
Unmilled Rice
When steamed, it was called “okowa.”
Steamed
Okowa
Oh?!
H-How can this be?!
With his Japan #61, Azuma was able to make a bread that could change history,
but this Gopan #104 changed our Yakitate!! Japan into Takitate!! Gohan,
complete with a preview of the next episode and the Seed of Knowledge!
I... I lose.
How was it?
My Gopan #104...
While you may have gotten the MVP at the Monaco Cup,
it was ultimately a battle between young bakers under the age of 22.
You forget that the world...
no, that even Japan still has many skillful bakers.
Azuma-kun.
Don’t you wish to battle it out with such artisans?
I do.
I want to fight it out with them.
But...
Azuma-san.
Well, either way, the new president is still young.
I shall await your answer after you return to Japa...
No.
We will accept your offer right now.
Tsukino!
Are you serious, Tsukino-san?
If we lose, we’ll lose everything.
No matter what the dangers might be,
I cannot simply hand over Grandfather’s Pantasia to these people.
However, the 12 billion yen that we have now belongs to all of us.
Therefore, it is necessary for everyone to feel the same way about this.
As the new president, Tsukino-sama, wishes.
Manager!
Sounds like fun.
I’ll come along with you.
I guess it can’t be helped.
Yahoo!
Then, it’s decided!
Let’s do it!
Prepare yourself.
I won’t lose next time.
I’ll defeat you with the best Japan ever.
Then, it’s decided.
The curtain is raised on the final showdown between Pantasia and St. Pierre!
We can finally get back to Japan.
Yeah...
It’s good to be looking forward to returning home.
However, you will have the trial of fighting it out with the seasoned masters of St. Pierre
who are waiting for you.
We can’t just focus on winning.
We have to be careful not to do anything to hurt the reputation of Pantasia.
Especially you, Kawachi!
If you’re going to be on TV,
do not wear those ghastly afro wigs you wore in the past!
Ridiculous!
What’s so ghastly about an afro?!
I guess we simply differ in our perception of beauty.
Somebody who displays absurd reactions like you has no sense for beauty, either!
What part of my reactions are you calling absurd?!
Kuroyanagi-sama, there’s a passenger in first class who’d like to see you.
A passenger in first class?
Welcome to first class.
Please take the seat next to me.
I’m fine as I am.
I’ll tell you from the start that if you wish to recruit me, you may as well give up.
Unfortunately, that is not what I wished to speak to you about.
I wish for you to stop being a baker.
What was that?!
And, you should become a professional food critic,
the judge and master of ceremonies for our program, Yakitate!! 9.
I believe that your sensitivity to taste
and great knowledge of various kinds of food items are exceptional.
I don’t think that there can be anyone as competent as you.
Ridiculous.
Even if that were the case, I just might side with Azuma’s side.
I don’t think so.
Your soul as a judge is first-class.
You cannot possibly judge something delicious as bad, nor something bad as delicious.
I’m happy that my ability as a judge is so highly esteemed,
but I have no intentions of throwing away my life as a baker or food scientist yet.
There’s no need to rush your decision, Kuroyanagi-kun.
Sorry for the wait.
The only reason I offered this to you is because I think that it’s a shame
to see your talent going to waste.
Kuroyanagi-kun...
If you were to become the judge of Yakitate!! 9,
you could put that talent of yours to use to your heart’s desire.
You can be successful in life only if you are not greedy, and choose a single path to walk down.
Take your time and think over it carefully.
Hey, Manager...
I’ve been thinking about this for a while.
Why are you on such bad terms with Old Man Kuroyanagi?
Wasn’t Old Man Kuroyanagi your apprentice in the past?
Yeah, I’ve been wanting to ask you that for a while myself.
This sounds interesting.
Yeah, it’s annoying. Just say it.
Manager...?
It guess it can’t be helped, then.
When he became my apprentice, I harassed him all the time.
Then, you mean it’s all your fault?
That’s right.
But...
This is what happened on the first day of his apprenticeship.
What wonderful French bread.
252.4 grams of hatsuga genmai yeast,
851.5 grams of French flour,
21.1 grams of salt, and 5.2 grams of malt.
The fermentation time is 238 minutes and 40 seconds.
It was baked at 300 degrees for 4 minutes and 45 seconds,
and at 250 degrees for 25 minutes and 20 seconds...
All of the conditions of the French bread
are set to best complement today’s temperature and humidity.
Even the fermentation and baking times are perfect...
Matsushiro-san is truly a genius!
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing then.
With only his sense of taste, sight and smell,
he figured it out perfectly, down to the tenth of a gram, and to the second needed for baking.
That’s amazing!
Just as you’d expect of Kuroyanagi-senpai!
It’s unbelievable...
He isn’t human.
Then, why did you harass him, Manager?
From the very first day of his apprenticeship with me, I no longer wanted him to be a baker.
I believed that he should become a professional food critic.
At first, I thought to convince him of that immediately.
But, he’s really straightforward, stubborn and surprisingly hardworking.
So, I didn’t think that he would listen to the opinion of a stranger
who was just looking at his work every few days.
So, you felt you had no choice but to harass him.
But, I think that Kuro-yan would probably want to tell you to mind your own business.
Exactly, Kawachi. Well said.
I think you know this, too.
In any field, only a handful of people can be at the top.
Having noticed someone who could stand at the top, I couldn’t just ignore it.
Also, he’s special.
After all, he’s my... first apprentice.
This is the opinion of me, your second apprentice...
Who is my second apprentice?!
I’ve never thought of you as my apprentice!
Yeah, yeah.
If you still feel that way, Manager, you can still make it happen.
You just have to put it into words and tell him honestly what you feel.
You’re so shy.
Not possible.
He’s just stupid for not having figured it out from my attitude toward him.
You were lucky enough to be born a human, so why not use words to tell him?
Or are you a Neanderthal?
Who you calling a Neanderthal?!
My one and only master is a Neanderthal, eh?
Ah! Neanderthals are so violent!
I didn’t learn much about baking from you, but...
Sir!
I learned which path I must take.
Greater Tokyo TV A few weeks later
Note: The Battle of Sekigahara, popularly known as the “Realm Divide,” was a decisive battle on September 15, 1600 that cleared the path to the shogunate for Tokugawa Ieyasu.
It’s been about 400 years since the Battle of Sekigahara.
Now marks the beginning of another great showdown that will split apart the heavens.
And, this battle is called... Yakitate!! 9!
The judge and master of ceremonies is... me,
Kuroyanagi Ryou!
The Super Taste Judge, Kuroyanagi Ryou!
Engrave that name into your ears!
That’s right.
At last, it’s time for the final showdown between St. Pierre and Pantasia.
Yakitate!! 9!
Here are the contestants!
Starting with the Pantasia representatives...
Azuma Kazuma.
Kanmuri Shigeru.
Kawachi Kyousuke.
And their opponent, the St. Pierre representative...
Note: CMAP is a spoof of SMAP, the name of a Japanese boyband.
A member of CMAP, Tsubodzuka Takumi!
boku no te wo nigire issho ni minaikai
Grab on to my hand. Would you like to see it together?
kesshiteraku janai ga saikou no sekai
By no means is it easy, but it’s the best kind of world.
souzoushite mitanda jibun de egaita rakugaki no
I tried imagining it by standing on my future map
mirai no chizu ni tatte soshite kimi to waraerukatte
which I had doodled out,
and wondered if you’d be laughing with me there.
kentou wa tsuitenda ashiato darake no michi wo
I’ve guessed it. That if I were to just follow along
tada aruiterunja itsumademo tadoritsukeyashinainda
this road already full of footprints, I’d never ever reach there.
sore ga iyada to iu nara
And if I don’t like that...
heion nante antai wa kono sai yamemashouka
I guess I should take this opportunity
and stop seeking the peace that comes with security.
kanawanaitte akirameta yume wo sutezu tsumiagete
I’ll pile up the dreams I thought couldn’t be fulfilled
without throwing them away
mucha de mubou na teppen ni aru
and become the foundation stone for the dream
yume wo tsukamu ishizue ni nare
that stands at the peak of the absurd and the reckless.
boku no te wo nigire issho ni minaikai
Grab on to my hand. Would you like to see it together?
kesshiteraku janai ga saikou no sekai
By no means is it easy, but it’s the best kind of world.
kesshiteraku janai ga saikou no sekai
By no means is it easy, but it’s the best kind of world.
Next Episode
Our first opponent is a pop idol!
Just as you’d expect of Greater Tokyo TV.
That’s some good casting.
Don’t let down your guard.
He’s no ordinary pop idol.
Next time, on Yakitate!! Japan,
The bread battle in special localities!!
In the end, he’s a pop idol!
Be sure to watch.
Yakitate!! Seed of knowledge.
Takitate!! Gohan!
You should not eat rice immediately after cooking it.
Rice
Don’t eat immediately after cooking
If you eat it after steaming it further for about 15 minutes,
Eat after steaming for about 15 more minutes
it’ll become soft and sticky!
Soft and sticky!
I know that...