Japanese Statistics Given New Life in Cartoon Book

TOKYO —  The Japanese government has revamped its dry 654-page economic white paper to make it more palatable to the reader. It’s now a 22-page cartoon book.

A cartoon version of the Economic Planning Agency’s fiscal 1987 white paper hits the stands today with easily assimilated information on Japan’s trade imbalance and the merits and demerits of a strong yen. The text, with many of the original white paper’s boring statistics deleted, includes illustrations by one of Japan’s leading cartoonists, Hiroshi Oba.

Economic Planning Agency Director Tetsuo Kondo ordered the cartoon version because the government’s annual report on the state of Japan’s economy is too difficult for many members of the public to understand.

“We believe everyone will enjoy this book,” said Hiroshi Nemoto, a spokesman for the agency. “In a short time, anyone can understand what it’s about, and there are some very good drawings.”

The government will print 55,000 copies and distribute 50,000 of them free to banks and local government offices. The rest will be sold in bookstores at $1.40 a copy.