Hochonin Ajihei

Author: Big Joe, Jiro Gyu

Run: 1973–1977

Chapters: 212

Genres: Slice of Life

Ajihei, son of Matsuzo Shiomi, a master of high-end Japanese cuisine, turns his back on his father's elite path, convinced that cooking should serve ordinary people with food that is delicious, cheap and within anyone's reach. Starting as an apprentice at a humble Western-style diner in Shinjuku, he hones his craft through knife duels and large-scale cooking contests, in a series regarded as a pioneer of the cooking-battle genre.