First Term: Obama Increased Debt $50,521 Per Household; More Than First 42 Presidents in 53 Terms Combined

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By Terence P. Jeffrey

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/first-term-obama-increased-debt-50521-household-more-first-42-presidents-53-terms

President Barack Obama speaks in the National Archives beneath a mural of the Constitutional Convention, which depicts James Madison handing the final draft of the Constitution to George Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

(CNSNews.com) - During Barack Obama’s first term as president of the United States, the debt of the federal government increased by $5.8 trillion, which exceeds the combined debt accumulated under all presidents from George Washington through Bill Clinton.
The new federal debt accumulated in Obama's first term equaled approximately $50,521 for each of household in the country.
On Jan. 20, 2009, when Obama was first inaugurated, the total debt of the federal government was $10,626,877,048,913.08, according to the U.S. Treasury. As of the close of business on Jan. 17, the last day reported by the Treasury before Obama’s second inauguration, the total debt of the federal government was $16,432,631,489,854.70.
Thus, from Obama’s first inauguration to his second, the federal government’s debt grew by $5,805,754,440,941.62.
Given that the Census Bureau currently estimates that there are 114,916,000 households in the United States, the $5,805,754,440,941.62 debt increase under Obama equals about $50,521 per household.
When George W. Bush was first inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2001, the total debt of the federal government was $5,727,776,738,304.64. Thus, the total accumulated debt of the federal government was less on the day George W. Bush was inaugurated than the $5,805,754,440,941.62 in additional debt Obama accumulated during his first term.
When Bush left office on Jan. 20, 2009, the total debt of the federal government was $10,626,877,048,913.08. Thus, in George W. Bush’s two terms the total debt of the federal government increased $4,899,100,310,608.44—or by less than the $5,805,754,440,941.62 the debt increased in Obama’s first term alone.
On Oct. 11, 2001, during Bush’ first year in office, the debt rose from $5,805,746,196,414.92 to $5,811,762,115,860.32. Since then it has never dipped below $5,805,754,440,941.62 (the amount the debt increased in Obama’s first term).
Thus, the debt increased more in Obama's first term than it did during the combined 53 terms of the first 42 presidents (George Washington through Bill Clinton).
President Obama is currently demanding that Congress increase the legal limit on the federal debt without making him agree to corresponding cuts in federal spending.

40 Statistics About The Fall Of The U.S. Economy That Are Almost Too Crazy To Believe

By Michael, on May 26th, 2013

 

If you know someone that actually believes that the U.S. economy is in good shape, just show them the statistics in this article.  When you step back and look at the long-term trends, it is undeniable what is happening to us.  We are in the midst of a horrifying economic decline that is the result of decades of very bad decisions.  30 years ago, the U.S. national debt was about one trillion dollars.  Today, it is almost 17 trillion dollars.  40 years ago, the total amount of debt in the United States was about 2 trillion dollars.  Today, it is more than 56 trillion dollars.  At the same time that we have been running up all of this debt, our economic infrastructure and our ability to produce wealth has been absolutely gutted.  Since 2001, the United States has lost more than 56,000 manufacturing facilities and millions of good jobs have been shipped overseas.  Our share of global GDP declined from 31.8 percent in 2001 to 21.6 percent in 2011.  The percentage of Americans that are self-employed is at a record low, and the percentage of Americans that are dependent on the government is at a record high.  The U.S. economy is a complete and total mess, and it is time that we faced the truth.
The following are 40 statistics about the fall of the U.S. economy that are almost too crazy to believe...
#1 Back in 1980, the U.S. national debt was less than one trillion dollars.  Today, it is rapidly approaching 17 trillion dollars...

#2 During Obama's first term, the federal government accumulated more debt than it did under the first 42 U.S presidents combined.
#3 The U.S. national debt is now more than 23 times larger than it was when Jimmy Carter became president.
#4 If you started paying off just the new debt that the U.S. has accumulated during the Obama administration at the rate of one dollar per second, it would take more than 184,000 years to pay it off.
#5 The federal government is stealing more than 100 million dollars from our children and our grandchildren every single hour of every single day.
#6 Back in 1970, the total amount of debt in the United States (government debt + business debt + consumer debt, etc.) was less than 2 trillion dollars.  Today it is over 56 trillion dollars...

#7 According to the World Bank, U.S. GDP accounted for 31.8 percent of all global economic activity in 2001.  That number dropped to 21.6 percent in 2011.
#8 The United States has fallen in the global economic competitiveness rankings compiled by the World Economic Forum for four years in a row.
#9 According to The Economist, the United States was the best place in the world to be born into back in 1988.  Today, the United States is only tied for 16th place.
#10 Incredibly, more than 56,000 manufacturing facilities in the United States have been permanently shut down since 2001.
#11 There are less Americans working in manufacturing today than there was in 1950 even though the population of the country has more than doubled since then.
#12 According to the New York Times, there are now approximately 70,000 abandoned buildings in Detroit.
#13 When NAFTA was pushed through Congress in 1993, the United States had a trade surplus with Mexico of 1.6 billion dollars.  By 2010, we had a trade deficit with Mexico of 61.6 billion dollars.
#14 Back in 1985, our trade deficit with China was approximately 6 million dollars (million with a little "m") for the entire year.  In 2012, our trade deficit with China was 315 billion dollars.  That was the largest trade deficit that one nation has had with another nation in the history of the world.
#15 Overall, the United States has run a trade deficit of more than 8 trillion dollars with the rest of the world since 1975.
#16 According to the Economic Policy Institute, the United States is losing half a million jobs to China every single year.
#17 Back in 1950, more than 80 percent of all men in the United States had jobs.  Today, less than 65 percent of all men in the United States have jobs.
#18 At this point, an astounding 53 percent of all American workers make less than $30,000 a year.
#19 Small business is rapidly dying in America.  At this point, only about 7 percent of all non-farm workers in the United States are self-employed.  That is an all-time record low.
#20 Back in 1983, the bottom 95 percent of all income earners in the United States had 62 cents of debt for every dollar that they earned.  By 2007, that figure had soared to $1.48.
#21 In the United States today, the wealthiest one percent of all Americans have a greater net worth than the bottom 90 percent combined.
#22 According to Forbes, the 400 wealthiest Americans have more wealth than the bottom 150 million Americans combined.
#23 The six heirs of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton have as much wealth as the bottom one-third of all Americans combined.
#24 According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 146 million Americans are either "poor" or "low income".
#25 According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 49 percent of all Americans live in a home that receives direct monetary benefits from the federal government.  Back in 1983, less than a third of all Americans lived in a home that received direct monetary benefits from the federal government.
#26 Overall, the federal government runs nearly 80 different "means-tested welfare programs", and at this point more than 100 million Americans are enrolled in at least one of them.
#27 Back in 1965, only one out of every 50 Americans was on Medicaid.  Today, one out of every 6 Americans is on Medicaid, and things are about to get a whole lot worse.  It is being projected that Obamacare will add 16 million more Americans to the Medicaid rolls.
#28 As I wrote recently, it is being projected that the number of Americans on Medicare will grow from 50.7 million in 2012 to 73.2 million in 2025.
#29 At this point, Medicare is facing unfunded liabilities of more than 38 trillion dollars over the next 75 years.  That comes to approximately $328,404 for every single household in the United States.
#30 Right now, there are approximately 56 million Americans collecting Social Security benefits.  By 2035, that number is projected to soar to an astounding 91 million.
#31 Overall, the Social Security system is facing a 134 trillion dollar shortfall over the next 75 years.
#32 Today, the number of Americans on Social Security Disability now exceeds the entire population of Greece, and the number of Americans on food stamps now exceeds the entire population of Spain.
#33 According to a report recently issued by the Pew Research Center, on average Americans over the age of 65 have 47 times as much wealth as Americans under the age of 35.
#34 U.S. families that have a head of household that is under the age of 30 have a poverty rate of 37 percent.
#35 As I mentioned recently, the homeownership rate in America is now at its lowest level in nearly 18 years.
#36 There are now 20.2 million Americans that spend more than half of their incomes on housing.  That represents a 46 percent increase from 2001.
#37 45 percent of all children are living in poverty in Miami, more than 50 percent of all children are living in poverty in Cleveland, and about 60 percent of all children are living in poverty in Detroit.
#38 Today, more than a million public school students in the United States are homeless.  This is the first time that has ever happened in our history.
#39 When Barack Obama first entered the White House, about 32 million Americans were on food stamps.  Now, more than 47 million Americans are on food stamps.
#40 According to one calculation, the number of Americans on food stamps now exceeds the combined populations of "Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming."

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Disney Villains Clean Up Well, Wow Japan

• May 11, 2013 by Rona Moon
• http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/05/11/disney-villains-clean-up-well-wow-japan/

If you haven’t seen them already, the images of Disney villains given a more attractive spin have been making the rounds. In fact, some think they appear so beautiful that despite their notorious villainy, they’re probably out of most people’s league… especially Ursula, the half-woman, half-octopus from The Little Mermaid, and Jafar from Aladdin, who’s now a dead ringer for Omar Borkan Al Gala, one of the men allegedly kicked out of Saudi Arabia for being too ridiculously handsome.
Anyway, from Cruella de Vil to Shan Yu, they’ve all been given an extra tszuj and they’re absolutely fabulous. While many find the combination of bad and beautiful well-nigh irresistible, you could also draw a few conclusions as to society’s obsession with beauty (and Disney). Sigh.
Check out these dramatic before-and-after makeovers!

Cruella de Vil…. As we know her.

Cruella, as we’d like to get to know her better.

Who is this guy? Apparently Judge Claude Frollo. Well, he looks quite judge-mental.

Now he looks beautifully dated. And datable.

Off with their heads!

Off with her head, on with a new one. She makes Alice look frumpy.

Dr. Facilier, the silver-tongued devil from the Princess and the Frog.

Transformation central! Reformation central! Transmogrification central!

Hades from Hercules.

Hades, Greek god, king of my Underworld.

Jafar, you look like a camel.

Omar baby, I wanna ride your camel.

Oh Cecaelia, you’re breaking my heart- you’re shaking my confidence daily.

Ursula’s… hot! Tentacle-tastic. Smoky eye and lots of hair work wonders.

Arrr, thar be Captain Hook.

Arrrrrrr, Captain Hook-up.

Shan Yu from Mulan. “Now you’ll bow to me.”

“Now you’ll drool over me.” Striking similarity to Khal Drogo.

So what’s the moral of the story here? Bad made good, riches to gladrags, or if you clean up well, you too can wow the internet?
Go figure. Anyone feel like a Disney marathon?
Source: Imgur via Matome Naver

“Bored” 59-Year-Old in China Inserts Length of Wire into His Anus, Ends Up on the Operating Table

• Apr 3, 2013 by Philip Kendall
• http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/04/03/bored-59-year-old-in-china-inserts-length-of-wire-into-his-anus-ends-up-on-the-operating-table/

Now here’s a tale that will have you squirming in your seat: a 59-year-old man from Xiaogan, China has ended up going under the knife after inserting a 20cm-long length of wire into his colon. When asked why he would do such a thing, the man commented that he had simply been “bored” but then found that he could not remove the wire once he had fed it all the way in.

In an incident that gives new meaning to the phrase “bored to tears”, a Xiaogan resident known only as “Mr. Yang” inserted the 8mm-thick length of wire into his anus in order to kill his tedium.
Unsurprisingly, the wire began to cause the anal experimenter severe discomfort shortly after the end disappeared into his sphincter. Despite the pangs of pain, Yang decided to leave the wire where it was in the hope that he would pass it out along with his next bowel movement. Alas, it was not to be; two days later the wire was still firmly lodged in place and the pain was worsening. Left with no other option, Yang took himself off to a nearby hospital and explained his embarrassing predicament to the medical staff there.
Unable to retract the wire, doctors resolved to send the man to neighbouring hospital whose specialist colorectal ward might be better equipped to handle its removal. There, an X-ray image was taken which revealed that the wire had become completely bent over, lodging itself firmly inside the man. It soon became clear that no amount of lubrication and pulling would work; it was time to operate.
After making a small incision in the man’s belly, surgeons were able to locate the wire inside him. The decision was made to enter the hole in his stomach and cut the wire in two, removing one half through the incision while pulling the remainder back the way it had originally been inserted.
According to Mr. Yang’s family, this was the second time that he had inserted a foreign object into his body, suggesting that he may be suffering from stress or some form of mental anguish. Let’s hope that this incident has taught the man that counselling and the full and frank discussion of our problems will always be far less painful and embarrassing than actions that result in major surgery.
Source: 長江商報 (Chinese)

[ Read in Japanese ]

Teenage Boy in China “Had too many erections”, Severs Own Penis

• Nov 7, 2012 by Philip Kendall
•   http://en.rocketnews24.com/2012/11/07/teenage-boy-in-china-had-too-many-erections-severs-own-penis/

Prepare to squirm in your seats, fellas.
According to news report over at Japanese info hub Heaven, a 17-year-old boy in China has taken a knife to his own love wand, cutting it off completely, later giving the reason that he was experiencing too many unwanted erections.
Thankfully, the following report does not contain any graphic photos, but there’s still plenty of mental imagery guaranteed to make any man shudder in front of his computer or smart phone…

At around 10 a.m. on Saturday 3 November, a teenager from Quanzhou in southeast China lay back on his bed and removed his own penis using a household knife.
Hearing their son’s blood-curdling scream as he committed the act, the boys parents ran into his bedroom, but found themselves barely able to stand when confronted with the horrific and bloody scene.
Using a car borrowed from a (very generous!) neighbour, the boy was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors worked to stop the bleeding, which is reported to have been life-threateningly severe. Due to the nature of the injury, however, he was then transported to a second hospital where he underwent complex surgery to further suppress the bleeding and re-attach the severed member.
The boy is reported to have told doctors at the hospital that he took the drastic step after feeling embarrassment when he experienced frequent and unwanted erections.
Many men will probably recall that awkward period during their adolescent years when their hormones went crazy and they would be afflicted with “random wood”, as we called it at my school. A good friend of mine suffered through an especially embarrassing ninth grade when, every day at almost exactly the same time, he’d find himself saluting for no apparent reason,  completely void of any form of stimulation. At a time when young men start to notice girls and become self-conscious, being caught pitching a trouser tent through no fault of your own is undeniably embarrassing, which perhaps goes some way to explaining how this young man was feeling before making the grim decision.
But taking a knife to one’s private parts isn’t something that most people would even dream of doing, leading us to wonder whether the youth was experiencing some other form of mental anguish or in need of professional help…
The teenager is reported to have dropped out of school during his second year of junior high, and, having since given up on a private studies, had spent the best part of a year confined to his family home with very little to do.
“He’s a very bright boy, and often helps out around the house without making a fuss, but he finds it difficult to socialize,” the boy’s mother commented. “We don’t even have a computer at home, so he has little to keep him occupied.”
Thankfully, the reconnective surgery is reported to have been a success, with doctors stating that they have confidence that, given time, the boy will be able to lead a normal, sexually active life in the future.
You can uncross your legs now, guys…

Source: Heaven
Title image courtesy of The Cook’s Thesaurus Inset image: Flickr

Osaka Politician Busts Man Peeing Against His Campaign Poster, Tweets the Outcome

                                ~tough on crime ~                                                   

Osaka Politician Busts Man Peeing Against His Campaign Poster, Tweets the Outcome

• Nov 14, 2012 by Philip Kendall
•   http://en.rocketnews24.com/2012/11/14/osaka-politician-busts-man-peeing-against-his-campaign-poster-tweets-the-outcome/

I’m sure we all have politicians whom we’re not especially fond of, and, while most of us would never go as far as taking a leak against one of their campaign posters, the thought of making our feelings known through… unusual… means might have occurred to us on more than one occasion. My own dear uncle, for instance, was once temporarily barred from entering the US after writing a particularly heartfelt letter to former president George W. Bush during his tenure. But that’s another story…
On Sunday this week, a 40-year-old man in Osaka decided that his strong dislike of politician Kei Yamamoto needed to be expressed physically, and, spotting the politician’s face on a poster down a quiet countryside road, decided to let rip with a golden shower of contempt.
Unfortunately for him, who should be cruising by at that exact moment but the politician himself…

Spotting the alternative activist mid-flow, Yamamoto approached the man and asked him politely to stop.
The man simply replied “Can’t you see I’m peeing, here?” and continued to empty his bladder until he put two and two together and noticed the similarity between the face on the pee-soaked poster and that of the pissed off (sorry) politician standing behind him.

▼The scene of the crime

Small though it is, the above photo shows Kei Yamamoto’s green political poster just to the left of the centre of the image.
Yamamoto immediately contacted the police who came and arrested the man, who is reported to have begged Yamamoto not to tell anyone and who later returned with a bucket and detergent in the hope of removing any evidence of his crime.

▼Kei Yamamoto’s official Twitter feed, complete with Japanese political favourite “Let’s do this!” clenched-fist-pose photo

The politician shot to internet stardom immediately after the man’s arrest when he tweeted about the incident, saying “I have just returned from the police station where the police are investigating a civil servant who was caught urinating against my campaign poster.”
Oh dear. It turns out that the perpetrator was, in fact, a member of staff at Osaka city hall, which perhaps explains why he was so desperate to cover up the event and begged Yamamoto to keep it between them.
The city hall employee is quoted as saying that he had been “caught short” while out and about, and that “it’s possible that some urine had found its way onto the poster” as he relieved himself. This would be far more believable had the same man not been “caught spitting on campaign posters” in the past, according to Yamamoto.
But before we write the politician off as just another stiff in a suit, he admits that, “had it not been my poster, I probably would have laughed, too…” on his Twitter feed.
Just to show what kind of man he is, here’s Yamamoto himself doing a marvellous impression of The Beatles’ famous Help! album art in a separate- hopefully dry- campaign poster…

Twitter users were understandably amused by the entire episode, with some saying that arrested man’s bad timing was nothing short of “hilarious” and that “shocked” doesn’t even begin to describe how he must have felt turning around to find the man featured in the poster staring at him.
Keep it in your pants, guys. You never know who’s watching…
Source: Matome Naver
Title image inset image: Ameblo Twitter: Kei Yamamoto

Drunk Man in Taiwan Severs Own Genitals with Pair of Scissors, Regrets It the Day After

• May 17, 2013 by Master Blaster
•   http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/05/17/drunk-man-in-taiwan-severs-own-genitals-with-pair-of-scissors-regrets-it-the-day-after/

Ever have one of those nights where you knock back one too many and wake up not remembering what happened the night before?  Then as you fumble around for clues like a matchbook or photos on your phone, you discover that you’ve cut off your own privates with a pair of kitchen scissors?
If so, I’m terribly sorry for your loss, but, as this truly sobering tale of self-mutilation reveals, you’re not alone…

According to Taiwan’s Apple Daily, the man in his 40s had been drinking from the afternoon straight into the evening, when his girlfriend called him on it an argument ensured.
It must have been a hell of an argument because the man’s anger took such a hold of him that he threw off his pants, grabbed a pair of scissors, and ran into the bathroom. He then proceeded to snip off his own penis.
It all happened before the woman could react, but she called for an ambulance and rushed him to the hospital. On arrival, the man had slipped into a coma from blood loss. When the bleeding subsided he was taken to a larger hospital for further treatment.
Doctors reportedly said that they would have been able to reattach the member had surgery been done within six hours. However, the man had apparently flushed his member down the toilet in his drunken rage.
As the man regained consciousness he was reportedly appalled at his own actions, but has calmed since. All that remained was a stump no longer than 3 cm long. Doctors feel confident that he will have no problem urinating in the future.
Source: Apple Daily (Chinese) via Big Globe News (Japanese)
Image: Wikimedia Commons

The Best of the Best of Manga: Shonen Jump’s 20 Best Sellers of All-Time

• Feb 26, 2013 by Master Blaster
•   http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/02/26/the-best-of-the-best-of-manga-shonen-jumps-20-best-sellers-of-all-time/

As anyone will tell you, Japan is home to many major manga “monthlies” and “weeklies,” and of course the can be bought virtually everywhere from convenience stores to train stations. Among these many titles, however, it is without a doubt that Weekly Shonen Jump reigns supreme.
In the 90s the popularity of Shonen Jump soared and the stories it put out captured the hearts of young Japanese boys and girls everywhere, resulting in peak of 6 million copies sold. Although those numbers have fallen to 3 million in recent years, the company has stuck to its tried and true formula. Popular titles such as Dragon Ball and One Piece get serialized weekly in the magazine and then 10 episodes are compiled into comic books.
In this article we’re going to show you the all-time sales ranking of these books – something that we’re sure will appeal to both manga fans and newbies alike.

Jump adheres to two editorial policies.
The stories should be centered on the themes of effort, friendship, and victory. Keeping these concepts in the hearts of the youth is the fundamental policy. Dragon Ball and One Piece are prime examples of these themes.
On the other hand, Jump employs a cutthroat “survey system” to decide which books stay alive. If any book, regardless of its notoriety, is not pleasing fans for a period of 10 weeks (one book), it is cut from the Jump line-up. Even legendary writers are not immune to this policy as a way for Jump to maintain its integrity.
Below you’ll find the 20 series that since 1968 have not only survived this survey system but have flourished under it, being adapted into anime, live action movies, and merchandise galore.

#20 Death Note
(12 Volumes 2003-2006)
27 million copies sold

Using the “Death Note” notebook which kills the person whose name is written the main character hopes to create a perfect world and get wrapped up in a battle of wits with a master detective. It’s been widely reviewed as a gritty story involving death “unlike a series from Jump” but good nonetheless.
Murders including one in Brussels, Belgium where the killer left a note saying “Watashi wa Kira dess [sic]” and jokes about idol Aki Higashihara’s blog which seems to magically create misfortune referring to it as “Death Blog” are examples of how strong this manga’s impact is.

#19　Yu-Gi-Oh
(38 Volumes 1996-2004)
28 million copies sold

The main character was bullied as a child, but by obtaining a mysterious “millennium puzzle” from ancient Egypt, another dark personality emerged from him. In this dark fantasy story the guardian of darkness punishes the villains. The story revolves around Magic & Wizards a card game similar to Magic: The Gathering which has become more popular than the original series itself. In fact, Guinness World Records has awarded it the highest selling card game in the world.

＃18　BASTARD!! : Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy
(27 volumes and counting 1998-present)
30 million copies sold

This dark comic fantasy was based on themes of mythology and the Bible. The protagonist, Dark Schneider continuously wages battle with demons and angels. The author and heavy metal fan, Kazushi Hagiwara put references to rock all over the series both jokingly and reverently. Its explicit sexuality became controversial due to its appearance in a magazine for youths.
Between hiatuses, the series is still ongoing but changed magazines.

＃17 City Hunter
(35 Volumes 1985-1991)
35 million copies sold

This hard-boiled comedy series follows the exploits of Ryo Saeba as he works as a bodyguard and detective in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Despite its adult oriented storyline which didn’t quite match a youth-oriented magazine, it sold very well in book form. Currently the series continues as Angel Heart.

#16 Dr. Slump
(18 Volumes 1980-1984)
35 million copies sold

A hit by Akira Toriyama of Dragon Ball fame, it’s the story of Arale and the inhabitants of Penguin Village. Arale’s catch-phrases “ho-yo-yo” and “ncha” became popular with children at the time. The first-run printing of the sixth volume sold a record-setting 2.2 million copies and was the first first-edition to break 2 million copies.

#15 The Prince of Tennis
(42 Volumes, 1999-2008)
40 million copies sold

The story centers on Ryoma, a student at a prestigious tennis school who is striving to win the nation championships. The rules and strategies of tennis are well explained so that even those not familiar with the game can get into it. However, recently unrealistic special moves like unreturnable shots, a single person playing doubles by cloning, and supernatural glowing bodies have been appearing more and more since around half way through the series. It’s been treated somewhat as a joke because of this.

#14 Rokudenashi Blues
(42 Volumes 1988-1997)
43 million copies sold

In this comedic coming of age story a group of friends deepen their friendship while fighting and boxing. The series is set in Tokyo and features many famous places like, Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Asakusa. The faces and names of characters who appear in it are jokingly modeled after famous musicians and athletes as some of the many jokes filling these stories.

#13　Yu Yu Hakusho
(19 Volumes 1990-1994)
47 million copies sold

Written by the author of Hunter X Hunter, Yoshihiro Togashi, the story follows the adventures of Yusuke Urameshi, but as the story progresses it falls into Jumps bread and butter of martial arts battle stories. The author’s mood swings are legendary. In the series some drawings seemed to be published in a state of near draft calling some to question his mental stability. Nevertheless, it was one of Jump signature works of the 90’s.

#12 Rurouni Kenshin
(28 Volumes 1994-1999)
50 million copies sold

This samurai story set in the Meji Era broke what some thought was jinx preventing Jump from making hits ever again. Although the characters and story are fictitious, real people and events such as the Shinsengumi were intertwined. Its popularity has endured from the end of the series resulting in a live action movie adaptation in 2012.

#11　Dragon Quest: Dai’s Great Adventure
(37 Volumes 1989-1996)
50 million copies sold

This mega-hit was set in the same world as the Dragon Quest video games with a lot of the same spells and items. However, none of the game’s characters are connected. Although some might see it as simply a cash-grab on the name of Dragon Quest, the series received high acclaim from surveyed fans from the very start. Thanks to its Jump-friendly storyline it achieved great popularity and success.

#10 Hunter × Hunter
(32 Volumes and counting 1998-Present)
60 million copies sold

The main character, Gon, in order to meet his father whom he had never seen, becomes a Hunter which is a fictitious job set in the world of this story. A wide variety of enemies and allies with unique special abilities set in a vast yet detailed world have boosted the popularity of this series. However, the weekly magazine series is notorious for its excessively long hiatuses. Over its long run the series has taken breaks of up to two years, and much like in the author’s previous Yu Yu Hakusho drawings have been published in a seemingly unfinished state. On the Net, this apparently lackadaisical serialization has been chided with cries of “Work Togashi!”

#9 Fist of the North Star
(27 Volumes 1983-1988)
60 million copies sold

Set in 199X the world was destroyed by nuclear war, the story develops as Kenshiro employs the Hokuto Shinken fighting style to battle a variety of powerful foes. The series’ style and world were said to have been influenced by Mad Max and The Killing Fields.
From its inception the series was hugely popular and steered Jump toward the martial arts action genre. Also, over twenty years since it ended publication the franchise has endured with spin-offs and anime adaptations.

#8 Captain Tsubasa
(37 Volumes 1981-1988)
70 million copies sold

The hero of this story, Tsubasa Ozora, grew up with dreams of becoming a pro-soccer player in Brazil. It features superhuman acrobatic skills that would probably get you a yellow card in real life. The impact of this work can be seen in the countless fans around the world including most Japanese professional players, Fernando Torres, and Zinedine Zidane. Tsubasa’s fame has even reached the Middle East where he could be seen drawn on the side of trucks delivering water.

#7 JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
(107 Volumes and counting, 1987-present)
77 million copies sold

The Joestar family is handed down from parent to child in this series. Each chapter focuses on a different character in the family and often jumps from one country to the next. This series takes the familiar superhuman fighting genre and mixes it up by constantly changing the main character’s skills and wits. Author, Hirohiko Araki’s collaborations such as the one with Gucci has helped to boost its popularity and style for each of its long line of cast members.

#6 Bleach
(57 Volumes and counting 2001-Present)
78 million copies sold

This story by Tite Kubo takes place in the world of the occult. It’s a world in the style of a Japanese Exorcist. This ongoing popular series follows Ichigo Kurosaki as he gains powers of a shinigami and fights evil. While this story deals with Asian mythology it has gained an audience in other countries as well. Although Jump is often seen as a boys’ magazine, this series has become very popular with female readers too.

#5 Slam Dunk
(31 Volumes, 1990-1996)
117 million copies sold

In this basketball manga by Takehiko Inoue, delinquent high school student, Hanamichi Sakuragi is advised to join the school basketball team by Haruko Akagi. It’s a coming-of-age story which deals with the relationships between the teammates and rivals. This manga has had a big impact on basketball programs in middle schools and high schools across Japan. Even in Taiwan some students made a tribute video to the series. There have been rumors of a sequel but nothing has materialized yet.

＃4　Naruto
(63 Volumes and counting, 1999-Present)
135.5 million copies sold

Naruto is a martial arts manga which deals with aspiring ninjas. It’s been popular from the get-go and can often be seen alongside One Piece as the current signature series. For a story revolving around oriental subjects it has found success in more than 30 countries around the world and its anime adaptation can be found in over 80 countries. It was also independently made into a live action short film which got attention worldwide.

#3　 Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen Mae Hashutsujo
(184 Volumes and counting, 1976-Present)
155.3 million copies sold

This goofy comic by Osamu Akimoto stars a police officer in downtown Tokyo. Referred to affectionately as Kochikame it’s a testament to longevity as it has continuously run from 1976 to 2013 along 184 volumes. It’s an episodic series that focuses on slapstick humor but mixes in pop-culture references and some dramatic elements. Not taking a single hiatus in over 30 years, Kochikame has earned a Guinness World Record for longest running series in a youth magazine.

＃2　One Piece
(68 Volumes and counting 1997-Present)
270 million copies sold

This action adventure series follows the pirate Luffy and was created by Eiichiro Oda. When the popular works of the 90s like Dragon Ball and Slam Dunk ended, Jump found itself out of mega-hits. It needed something to escape the post-Dragon Ball depression. Despite its satirizing of complex issues like territorial disputes, religion, and war, it refrains from murder or graphic death, explicit sex, and the main hero doesn’t talk of killing. This allowed it to be well received as a young readers’ comic. It Japan alone, One Piece is the top-selling manga of all time. But when we take global sales into account…

＃1　Dragon Ball
(42 Volumes 1984-1995)
350 million copies sold

This comic masterpiece was based on the classical Chinese tale Journey to the West, but with an emphasis on fighting. It contains all the three elements of a Jump comic; victory, friendship, and effort.
The series’ creator Akira Toriyama had said that among the series characters, Vegeta, Piccolo, Krillin and Mr. Satan were his favorites.
One criticism of the series was that it could seem like and endless series of increasingly stronger enemies to fight. This eventually led to the ending of the series even though it meant discontinuing a series that brought endless revenue from magazines, merchandise, animated series, etc.
Its wholesome and positive storytelling is the main reason for the peak sales of 6 million copies for Weekly Shonen Jump.
Source: Naver (Japanese)
Pictures: Amazon.co.jp