The lonely gourmet - Jirô Taniguchi and Masayuki Kusumi

Born in 1994 from the collaboration of Masayuki Kusumi and Jirô Taniguchi, The Solitary Gourmet has, over nearly twenty years, gradually won over an ever-growing Japanese and Western audience. Considered in Japan as a celebration of a certain art of eating, the wanderings of its protagonist have been adapted into a television series which, after several seasons, continues to enjoy enormous success. First published in French in 1997, this manga reflects a Western enthusiasm for Japanese cuisine that has never waned since. 

Jirô Taniguchi , born in 1947, began his career in comics in 1970 with *A Dry Summer* . Since then, through a prolific body of work, he has become the most beloved manga artist among French-speaking audiences. In 2011, Jirô Taniguchi was named a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters. In 2015, the ^42nd Angoulême International Comics Festival dedicated a major solo exhibition to his work, the largest in Europe.

Masayuki Kusumi , born in 1958, is a screenwriter, short story writer, documentary filmmaker, newspaper and television columnist, and musician. He collaborates with numerous manga artists. He works in business, but he's not in a hurry; he likes women, but prefers to live alone; he's a gourmet, but above all, he appreciates the simple cuisine of working-class neighborhoods... This man is the solitary gourmet. As he travels and his desires dictate, he makes each meal a unique experience, one that rekindles buried memories, sparks new thoughts, or leads to fleeting encounters.