Nicolas Carreau 5:00 p.m., July 15, 2022

Since the beginning of the year, manga sales have increased by 168%, which corresponds to 14 million more copies sold at the same period in 2019. A madness which is explained by the ever growing popularity of Japanese series.

It is in this sense that the Japan Expo opened its doors on Thursday in Paris.

For several years, the manga has imposed itself on the French market.

This literary genre, which came straight from Japan, is actually a comic book that can be read upside down.

Manga sales were already very impressive, but since January they have increased by 168%, which corresponds to 14 million more copies sold in the same period of 2019.

A genre that appeals to young and old

After school, the kids run to the bookstore to buy the new volume in their series, a bookseller confides in me.

The French are crazy about One Piece, Naruto or Kaiju.

And comics made in Japan appeal not only to young people, but to adults as well.

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This phenomenon can be explained by several reasons, according to Amandine Coll, of the Librairie de Paris: "It has intensified a little with major popular series, with a new audience. And now, there are a lot of series, it's "Better translated is better done. There is also more regularity in the publications. That too is very important to say," she explains.

The Japan Expo currently in Paris

And manga lovers have been in heaven since Thursday, July 14.

The Japan Expo, the great event of Japanese culture in Paris, has opened its doors and will be held until Sunday.