Tankoubon

Synonyms:	manga collection, graphic novel, trade paperback
See also:	manga
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

単行本 (tankoubon, lit. "single book") is the Japanese term for a single standalone book, and in manga, for a volume of manga. Most manga in Japan are published chapter by chapter in large-format serial magazines such as Weekly Shounen Jump, along with dozens of other series. The most popular shounen serials are weekly; others are monthly or quarterly. When enough chapters are published for a single series, they are then collected into smaller-format tankoubon.

While American manga volumes tend to be on the pricey side for paperbacks ($8-$15 USD) regular-sized Japanese tankoubon sell new for about 300-600 yen (aprox. $3-$6 USD), and are available in many used bookstores in Japan for as little as 100 yen (aprox. $1 USD). And some Japanese fans don't bother buying them at all, instead standing and reading them in used bookstores.

Some English-speaking fans use "tankoubon" instead of "volume", sometimes shortened to "tank."