Today, hundreds of millions of people are learning English, the language of commerce, technology, and opportunity. According to a recent report by the British Council, two billion people will be studying English within ten years, and about half of the world’s population will speak the language. Parents who want their children to be successful pay high fees for English language schools.

Native English speakers are outnumbered by non-native speakers. “There’s never before been a language that’s been spoken by more people as a second than a first,” English language expert David Crystal said. In Asia, the number of English users is more than 350 million, which is around the combined populations of the United States, Britain, and Canada.

New Englishes are appearing all over the world, such as the Philippines’ unique spoken English and “Janglish” in Japan. People in South Africa have adopted their own version of the English language, which is filled with local words.

Anpanman was published way back in 1973. The creator, Takashi Yanase, was not famous as a cartoonist when Anpanman was published. Anpanman is a superhero who offered a part of his head made of bread to hungry children. He wore an old cape with patches in the early books.

American culture affected Japan after World War II; superheroes like Superman were popular among children. Yanase, however, had a different idea about superheroes. “Those superheroes defeat their enemy and say justice has been done. But I don’t think they are true superheroes. True superheroes help people in need.”

Yanase thought about justice throughout his life. He wanted to be a cartoonist as a child but had to become a soldier to serve his country. He saw and experienced true hunger in the army. It was a bitter memory for him. Many people were still suffering after the war, and this caused Yanase to not believe that justice is defeating other people. He came to believe that justice is giving food to the hungry. This led him to the idea of Anpanman.