Iron Wok Jan

Iron Wok Jan (鉄鍋のジャン) is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Shinji Saijyo. The manga was licensed in English by ComicsOne before the license was transferred to DrMaster. The manga is licensed in French by Soleil Manga.

Its sequel, Iron Wok Jan! R: The Summit Operations (鉄鍋のジャン!R 頂上作戦) is also released in Japan by Akita Shoten and in France by Soleil Manga.

Akiyama family

 * Jan Akiyama (秋山 醤) is a 16-year-old talented young chef and the male protagonist of the manga. His grandfather is Kaiichiro Akiyama, the “master of Chinese cuisine”.
 * Kaiichiro Akiyama (秋山 階一郎) is known as the “master of Chinese cuisine”.
 * Minki Tou (桃 明輝) is Jan's grandmother and Kaiichiro's wife.
 * Baku Akiyama (秋山 爆) is Jan's father and Kaiichiro's son.

Gobanchou family

 * Kiriko Gobanchou (五番町 霧子) is one of the best cooks in Gobanchou, her family's Chinese restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo. She is the same age as Jan.
 * Takao Okonogi (小此木 タカオ)
 * Mutsuju Gobanchou (五番町 睦十)

Manga
Akita Shoten released the 27 bound volumes manga between June 1995 and March 2000. The manga was re-released into 16 kanzenban volumes between December 2004 and September 2007.

Akita Shoten started releasing the sequel, Iron Wok Jan! R: The Summit Operations, from March 8, 2007.

ComicsOne published the manga's 27 bound volumes between December 15, 2002 and December 28, 2007.

Reception
Comics Worth Reading's Johanna Draper Carlson comments on the illustrator's use of caricatures to dramatise the manga. Manga Life's Michael Aronson commends the manga for its art and its ability to appeal to audiences. Animefringe.com's Ridwan Khan comments on the "love-hate relationship" between Jan and Kiriko. IGN's A.E. Sparrow comments on the artist's ability to make a cooking competition as compelling to watch "as watching two feudal clans go to war".