Yakitate!! Japan 222

Chapter 222

( ) = on the side text, see raw

Bread making form
Meister: You will not touch so much as a grain of wheat flour until the day you have your match with Azuma-kun!
Kawachi: What'd you say!?
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Kawachi: W... well than how will I practice!?
Meister: You've been practicing the whole time up until now haven't you?
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Idiot!! I'm not talking about practicing magic or weird ways of holding chopsticks!!


P170
Kawachi: I mean real bread making practice!
Meister: Like I said, those things were bread making practice.
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Bu.... but....
Meister: Don't you understand Kawachi-san, // What you need to do is forget everything you know about making bread!
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Kawachi: Wha.. what are you talking about!?

P171
Meister: Baseball, Tennis, Golf, etc... no matter the sport, if you get used to doing something in a strange way, it can impede you from getting better. You know that right?
Kawachi: Y... yeah...
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Kawachi: Actually when I was in middle school, I played for the baseball club, but the coach used to get mad at me for having a really bad batting stance.
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Kawachi: Correcting something like that is really hard to correct, and you can't get better if you can't correct it.
Meister: Ooh, you understand quite well don't you.
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Well then, why can't you correct your bread making form?

P172
You've been relying on only three fingers like many other bakers, and have in the process learned a strange bread making form.
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Meister: That's why you need to forget everything you've learned, and relearn the form.
Kawachi: Is... is that what happened?
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Kawachi: But, is it really possible just forget what I know about kneeding? (I don't really have any confidence)
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It's alright.
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Hitting a thrown ball in baseball is quite different, all you need to do is kneed the bread dough!

P173
Meister: If you strengthen the senses in your ring and pinkie fingers by practicing magic and chopsticks, you are able to learn the ultimate kneeding technique.
Kawachi: The ultimate kneeding technique...
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Well then, if you understand, let's move on to the next training.
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Next is the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare clerical work aptitude test. It is used to test the dexterity of one's fingers. This is an F.D. Board.

P174
It's quite easy, you have a 90 second time limit you have to take as many of the pegs from the holes in the top board and move them to the bottom board.
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However, before you put pin in the bottom board, first you must take a metal washer that is on the pole on the left and put it on the pole.

right side: "pin" left side: "metal washers"
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Meister: And then of course this too....
Kawachi: I can only use my ring and pinkie finger, right?
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That's right.

P175
Your opponent not only possesses the Solar Hands, he also has the natural gift of soft finger joints to the point of Goddess Hands!
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Meister: You have no time to rest!
Kawachi: Alright! Let's do it!
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Yuck! It's that smell again...

P176
Whenever Azuma-kun opens the window, this smell comes out...
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To think we're able to smell it out here
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Kanmuri: I'm surprised he can be in there and be fine.
Tsukino: Yeah...
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Well, that just means he's really serious.

P177
I think even more than being accepted by his grandfather, Azuma wants to have a good battle with Kawachi.
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Tenchou:He doesn't have time to worry about smells.
Azuma: That's exactly right.
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Azuma: Woooo~~ I finally completed it~
tenchou: Azuma...
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I've tried a lot of things for this match, but I think I finally got something that will be acceptable!
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Azuma: Now I can finally bid farewell to that smelly room
Tsukino: Really?

P178
So then, after Kawachi finishes his special training, you can finally have your match.
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Yeah!
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But Azuma-kun, what on earth is that terrible smell?
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Tsukino: There's no way that the bread you'll make for the match will smell like this too right?
Azuma: (Heh heh) That's a secret, but I will tell you this.
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In a way, my Egypt Ja-pan is even more that any other Ja-pan....

P179
An ultimate Ja-pan!
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Ul... ultimate Ja-pan..!?
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Tsukino: This looks like it will turn into an amazing match.
Tenchou: Yeah.
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Azuma's Ultimate Ja-pan vs Meister + Kawachi
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We are probably going to see something completely amazing!!

P180

Some days later...

P181
Stop there!
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Amazing, in 90 seconds you were able to move all 50 of the pegs.
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The average of that test is only 31-32 pegs, which means you are have become one of the most dexterous people in all of Japan!
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Meister: With this you can even get a job with a company that requires you to be very dexterous!
Kawachi: Yeah! I did it Mom! With this my employment is secured!!

P182
.. hey wait a sec! Why do I have to change jobs!? // I'm already an employee of Pantasia right!?
Meister: Now now...
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You've graduated safely, so please don't get mad at a joke like that.
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Gra... graduated?
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Yes, this ends my special training... You have been reborn as a super high level baker.
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Kawachi: So... so then...
Meister: You could have your match with Azuma as soon as tomorrow

P183
Remember everything I've taught you up until now and fight with your all!
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Kawachi: Yeah... but... wait a second... it's just so sudden...
Meister: "You haven't even taught me anything about bread yet!?" // is what you want to say?
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Well.. yeah, that's it.
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Ha...
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Wh... what's so funny!?
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This Umajirou-jiisan hates new breads, am I correct?

P184
In that case, you don't need me to teach you, just make a bread roll or french bread, or some kind of bread that you feel good at making.
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Kawachi: N.. that's that exactly what I wanted to say...
Meister: Ah... That's it!
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I told you "not until the day of the match," but let's have you touch some wheat flour on this day before the match.
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I've already prepared the ingredients over there, So please try out your new found powers.

P185
Kawachi: So... you're really not going to instruct me at all?
Meister: Right.
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Even if I instruct you poorly, it will only get in your way, it's fine, just try kneeding the dough.
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If.. if you really think about it, it sounds like a pretty stupid story...
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I was supposed to be building up my interosseous muscle, but all I've done is some weird special training and zero bread practice...

P186
If you could get better at bread making just by doing this, all magicians would be super high class bakers...
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Huh... !?
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What in the world is this!?
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I only started kneeding the dough 2 minutes ago, and yet...
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THe bread dough has already swelled up to many times larger than normal!!!

Yakitate!! Japan 24 - End

p187
O ・MA ・KE
E - XT - RA

August 27th, 2006... // It happened at a barbeque part sponsored by an acquaintance's car shop...
---
Box: As the barbeque was approaching its climax, one of the people there...
Guy: Let's have a race!
Box: had an idea

P188
Since everybody had a good amount of alcohol in them, they were all for it
(Ooh! Good idea! Let's do it! Let's do it!)
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The men were divided into two teams, and the first runners were me and Young Person A
(Since it's a relay, we used a towel instead of a baton)
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Course map
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Start!


P189
I can't lose! I can't let some youngster beat me!
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All that's left is to go down the stairs!
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Because of the alcohol, I, who had become so competitive for no reason and joined the race,　used too much force and ended up slipping and hitting my back on ever stair. // Since it was Sunday, I was taken to my hometowns emergency hospital. I couldn't breathe, and I thought I might die.
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Since I got so worked up over something stupid at the age of 39... this is the first time in my life a as manga artist that I wrote this story in a magazine.
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Even now while I write this, my back starts to hurt
Pic: Corset