When it comes to Japan’s contribution to modern arts, there’s nothing more Japanese than manga. What most Americans see as comic books, manga is more of an art form. In this month’s Wired, Daniel H. Pink reports that manga sales in the United States have tripled in the last four years, and it has also become popular in Europe. (Still don’t see why manga is popular? Just turn on your TV to any network showing cartoons, and chances are it’ll be an anime program that was spawn from manga, like Naruto and Dragon Ball). But despite the growing popularity on our shores, the magazine also finds that manga readership is falling in Japan. The article explores the complexity of the genre, and where it’s headed.

Check out the article here, which includes additional online features, like a quick guide to manga.