[Mican Limited Cover!] Natsume Soseki's 'Botchan' (Shincho Bunko) features Ehime mascot Mican on the cover!

It has been 120 years since Natsume Soseki published 'Botchan' in the magazine 'Hototogisu'. To commemorate this, Shincho Bunko is releasing a limited edition cover featuring Mican, the image-up character of Ehime Prefecture, the setting of 'Botchan' and where Soseki himself served as an English teacher! This limited edition, attracting attention from bookstores across Japan, will be available for a limited time starting in late May. It can be purchased at bookstores nationwide. The cover features many Micans dressed in various costumes related to 'Botchan' and Ehime Prefecture. The front flap features Mican with Soseki, while the back flap contains information about Soseki's books and the reconstruction of 'Gudabutsu-an', Soseki's former lodging in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture. The spine color is also Mican-themed, making it stand out on bookshelves. In 1895, Soseki was appointed as an English teacher at the Ehime Prefectural Ordinary Middle School (now Matsuyama Higashi High School). Soseki enjoyed Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama and participated in haiku meetings with Masaoka Shiki and Takahama Kyoshi, laying the foundation for his literature. Soseki left Matsuyama about a year later, but later wrote 'Botchan' based on his experiences there.