Ushijima the Loan Shark

In recent years, Japan has become the shining light of Asia, with its noteworthy achievements in the fields of Science and Technology, Medicine and the like. But while there are a great number of rich and successful Japanese people, there are even more who're engaged in a furious struggle simply to earn their day-to-day living expenses -- all the while battling dangerous and money-consuming addictions such as gambling and alcoholism. What will these people do when they require the cash to feed the never-ending desires that are part and parcel of being human? How miserable and dangerous might their lives become if they fall into traps set by black market money-lenders to ensnare just such weak-willed individuals? *Note: Won the 56th Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga in 2011. And the 23rd Japan Media Arts Festival Social Impact Award in 2020.*