Kachō Kōsaku Shima

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Kachō Kōsaku Shima (課長島耕作, Kachō Shima Kōsaku^?, "Section Chief Kōsaku Shima") is the first in a number of Japanese manga series, by Kenshi Hirokane, about a fictional salaryman named Kōsaku Shima. The series ran from 1983-1992 under this title, winning the 1991 Kodansha Manga Award in the General category.^[1] It depicts the life of a salaryman, a Japanese white-collar worker who devotes his life to his company. The manga have been translated from Japanese into English (partially; through Kodansha Bilingual Editions), French and German.

At the start of the long-running series, Shima Kōsaku is a kachō, or section chief, of a huge conglomerate, Hatsushiba Electric. He is later promoted to bucho (division chief) and eventually promoted to manager and executive-director, and with each promotion the title of the series changed as well.

[edit] Series names

Buchō Kōsaku Shima (部長島耕作, Buchō Kōsaku Shima^? "Manager Kōsaku Shima") 1992–2002
Torishimariyaku Kōsaku Shima (取締役島耕作, Torishimariyaku Kōsaku Shima^? "Assistant Director Kōsaku Shima") 2002–2005
Jōmu Kōsaku Shima (常務島耕作, Jōmu Kōsaku Shima^? "Director Kōsaku Shima") 2005–2006
Senmu Kōsaku Shima (専務島耕作, Senmu Kōsaku Shima^? "Executive Director Kōsaku Shima") 2006–present
Young Kōsaku Shima (ヤング島耕作, Young Kōsaku Shima^? "Young Kōsaku Shima") 2001–present