Introductions finished, Azuma readies to board a train to Tokyo, where he has been offered a job at one of the biggest bread store chains, Pantasia (and right after graduating from high school, or so his grandfather claims). As he boards the train, Azuma remembers back to how he started making bread...
10 years earlier, only Azuma's older sister Inaho liked bread. She wanted to eat toast for breakfast like all her other friends, but their grandfather (being a rice farmer) didn't want change. Azuma agreed with his grandpa, saying that he loved rice and didn't want 'dried out old bread'. So, Inaho decided she would show her little brother what real, good bread tasted like, tied him to the back of her bike, and made him run all the way to a bakery called St. Pierre. There, Azuma is astounded at all the different shapes of bread that are displayed. Inaho takes a loaf of bread and shoves it in Azuma's face, and he gobbles it up, declaring that it's great, and asking how it was made. Inaho runs off (since she's late for school), and the nice baker shows Azuma how to make bread. Though Azuma doesn't understand all the terms, he's eager to try making some, and the baker notices with surprise that Azuma has Solar Hands! It's while they are first making bread together that the baker tells Azuma of his dream to make Japan, a bread that will not only represent Japan (as French Bread represents France, etc.), but that will also appeal to the Japanese: a bread tastes better than rice! Sadly, the owner of the bakery says that he'll soon have to close down his shop, since the locals don't buy much bread. Azuma becomes determined to make his grandfather eat bread and like it, and start a trend that the other locals will follow.
Azuma's grandfather, however, has other ideas. He tries toast, but becomes flustered that it doesn't go well with his daily natto and miso soup. Azuma races back to the bakery, where the baker gives him some tips on how to make bread that will taste good with natto and miso- Azuma is going to make Japan! So they once again make bread, but instead of milk, they add soy milk. They take this new bread to Azuma's grandpa for the final test.... and it works! Azuma and Inaho rejoice, and Azuma tells his grandpa that it tasted good because it was made just for him.
Azuma hurries to tell the baker, who is relieved, but still had to close his store down. However, he tells Azuma that he is moving on to Tokyo to make his dreams come true. Azuma asks if they'll meet again, and the baker tells him that if Azuma makes Japan his dream, they are sure to meet again...
Back to the present, Azuma says he doesn't remember the man's face clearly any more, but still holds the dream of making Japan. He arrives in Tokyo, fired up and ready to work at Pantasia, and enters the huge main store... only to find that he is 5 minutes late for the "Employee Exam" and, as a result, loses 5 points (from his total of 10).
Due to his tardiness, Azuma has already lost half of his allotted points for the Pantasia hiring examination. As stated in the notification letters that were sent out, the prospective employees must participate in an one-day trial (which Azuma just happened to overlook due to his excitement). Regardless, Azuma is still optomistic and ready to go. Another hopeful employee-to-be, Kawachi Kyosuke, heckles Azuma for not understanding "how incredible" it is to be picked for Pantasia. He proceeds to explain just "how incredible" Pantasia is, but fails to impress Azuma. The examiner in charge of the test, Kuroyanagi Ryou, scolds them for chattering. Kawachi attempts to cover for himself, and in the process discovers Azuma's solar hands. Meanwhile, Kuroyanagi promptly fires three prospective employees for lacking clean appearances. Heading back to Azuma, Kuroyanagi takes off two more points because Azuma's hair is messed up. A female employee applicant, Azusagawa Tsukino, gives Azuma her headband to fix his hair and taunts Kuroyanagi (who adamantly refuses to take back the point reduction). Azuma ponders why Kuroyanagi's attitude seemed to change while talking to Tsukino, and the examiner instructs the remaining applicants to head to the workshop on the second floor.
Upstairs, Kuroyanagi explains the first part of the test: simply making bread. The type of bread is up to the participants, but they are urged away from plain bread and told not to use any mixers. If any special ingredients are needed, the applicants may request them. Kawachi guesses what type of bread several other applicants are going to make, purely off of the ingredients they have requested. Azuma replies that he doesn't know very much about bread since the only thing he has ever made was Japan. Kawachi questions the meaning behind "Japan" and Azuma says that he'll show it by creating Japan #56!
Given three hours to complete their bread, the candidates for employment go to work. Kawachi observes Azuma's dough, and notes its excelled rising speed due to his solar hands. Determined not to be beaten, Kawachi is able to subtly trip Azuma with a rolling pin and "accidentally" step on his dough. Azuma pretends that it's fine and he'll make it again, but he realizes he wouldn't be able to make another in time and decides to give up on Japan #56. Azuma starts into a new creation while Kuroyanagi surveys the rest of the participants. Tsukino has made a mid-sized batard, and another applicant named Suwabara Kai has created a difficult German bread called roggenbrot. Meanwhile, Kawachi is ready to bake his bread... and so is Azuma! Setting it for 30 minutes at 250 degrees Celcius, Azuma claims that in half an hour there will be "perfect Japan".
30 minutes pass by, and almost all of the participants have finished baking. Kawachi becomes curious of what kind of bread Azuma is making, so claiming that 30 minutes have already passed, he opens up the oven. He peers in and sees... nothing! Kawachi angrilly confronts Azuma, who claims he opened it "too early". Kawachi is about to retort, when he hears a "thump". He turns back to the oven to see that bread in the shape of Mount Fuji has fallen down from the cieling! But wouldn't the dough need more time to rise? Azuma replies that is because it's the non-rising bread, Japan #16!
With that, everyone is done and the scoring begins. Kuroyanagi passes by #1 and #2, and promptly take off all 10 of their points. When asked how something so harsh could be decided without even tasting their bread, Kuroyanagi says that when it comes to flavor, he "just knows". #2 challenges the point reduction by stating that though he and #1 both made butter rolls, it's obvious that his is better merely by appearance. Kuroyanagi tests this by pressing his thumb into the bread, which leaves a visible imprint. Claiming that well made bread will always bounce back, the examiner stands by his decision and after clearly dismissing #1 and #2, moves on. Azuma comments on the examiner occhan, only to lose two more points.... since Kuroyanagi isn't an occhan yet (why, he's not even 22). As Azuma laments, Kuroyanagi looks over Suwabara's roggenbrot. Kuroyanagi asks if he can test it. Suwabara accepts the request, and Kuroyanagi slams his fist into the bread. The roggenbrot returns to its original form, and Kuroyanagi gives Suwabara a zero point reduction. He continues on with the participants until he reaches number #34, Kawachi, who has baked a Chinese bread called "hua chuan". Though well made, Kuroyanagi takes away two points from Kawachi's score, saying that he should have reduced the baking time by 30 seconds. Moving onto #35, Azuma, Kuroyanagi is forced to try the bread in order to test it. Taking a bite, the examiner is overcome with an immense urge to eat curry. He quickly discovers that although shaped differently, Japan #16 is actually an Indian bread named "nan" (though disputed by Azuma, who says it was Japan created to go with the "Japanese food" known as curry). Kuroyanagi reveals Azuma's score: plus two points, the only positive point adjustment for that test! Furthermore, he has only four competitors move onto the second test: Suwabara, Tsukino, Kawachi, and Azuma. The goal of the next test is to stay in the store overnight and make a croissants. Suwabara is openly pleased about the theme, Tsukino wishes the other participants luck, Kawachi ponders what Tsukino is up to, and Azuma is confused and asks Kawachi a question: Who's Kurowa-san?
Azuma calls up his sister and asks if anyone there knows of a "Kurowa-san". Meanwhile, Kawachi is relieved that one of his opponents is out of the way. He recalls hearing the name "Suwabara Kai", but can't seem to remember where. Elsewhere, Azuma runs into Tsukino, who explains to him what a croissant is and offers to show him how to make one. Azuma asks why she's helping him out so much, and she replies that she wants to "observe all the workers" with her own eyes. Suddenly, Kawachi runs up and "kidnaps" Azuma. Azuma questions Kawachi for his actions, and Kawachi explains that Suwabara has won the highest-class of a bread artisan competition in which the final test was making a croissant. Since Suwabara is certain to be a difficult opponent, Kawachi suggests that he and Azuma should team up in this test. Azuma refuses at first, but after listening to a sob story from Kawachi about his poor starving siblings, he has a change of heart and agrees. Admist Kawachi's instructions for making a croissant, Azuma realizes how very similar croissants are to Japan #45! Kawachi continues on to mention that the bare maximum number of layers are around 108, but Azuma claims that with Japan #45, he can easily get 324. Kawachi has many doubts, thinking that that many layers would make it burn, but Azuma begins to work nontheless. Soon after, Tsukino stops in to see how they are doing, and Azuma hurriedly runs off with her. Kawachi ignores this and finishes making the croissants himself, anticipating his victory.
The next day, Kuroyanagi prepares to judge the entrants' creations. Kawachi looks over his burnt croissant, recalling how Azuma had told him earlier to use a spoon on it before tasting. He then notices only he and Suwabara are present. Kuroyanagi reveals that Azuma has refused to take the test, and suddenly Tsukino and the owner of the Pantasia group enter. Kawachi discovers that Tsukino is the granddaughter of the owner, and was merely "participating" in the exam to look over the other applicants. Kawachi fears that Azuma knew of this and therefore dropped out. Determined to at least finish his creation, Kawachi smashes a spoon upon his burnt croissant, cracking it open to reveal a perfect croissant. Both Kuroyanagi and Suwabara taste it, and it is soon discovered that Kawachi has been chosen to be hired by Pantasia! Tsukino explains that Azuma dropped out because he didn't want Kawachi to be disqualified for breaking the rules, so he could move on to feed his family. Kawachi is touched by this, and therefore refuses to work for the main store. In return, both Kawachi and Azuma are invited to work at a different store: the Southern Pantasia branch.
Some time later, Azuma and Kawachi begin their first day of work in the Southern Pantasia store. Kawachi mopes that he was unable to work at the main store and is instead stuck in a small branch that almost no one visits. Tsukino mentions that they might be able to make it to the main store if they impress the Manager. After each making a loaf of French bread, Kawachi and Azuma head to the horse tracks to meet with the Manager. They come across a man with an afro and sunglasses, tossing some bread to a horse. They learn that this man is actually the Manager, and after seeing that the horse won't eat their bread, he tells them to create bread that is "good enough for a horse". They both return to the Southern Pantasia store, where Tsukino explains that the Manager's little sister once ate some bread and had an allegeric reaction from the milk. Since then, he has tried his best to make good bread that can be eaten by people that are allegeric to dairy. Kawachi and Azuma set to work on making bread, and the next day they return to the Manager with their new works. The horse eats Kawachi's bread that contains no dairy and was made with wheat, but refuses to eat Azuma's which contains goat's milk butter. Though the horse refused to eat Azuma's creation, the Manager recognizes Azuma's creativity and welcomes both of them to the team at the Southern store.
While working at the SoPan store, Azuma and Kawachi begin to wonder why they hardly get any customers... the Manager (in typical Manager fashion), takes them outside by the shirt collars and directs them to the huge store across the street- the main store of Pantasia's rival company, St. Pierre. The manager of this store, Mokoyama Tsuyoshi, makes his debut and challenges Azuma (and his Japan) to a televised battle of their newest bread creations- and the Manager accepts on behalf of Pantasia. Even though word reaches the main store about this battle, the Meister (who makes a rather cool entrance himself) allows it, and shows interest in the newest Southern Pantasia store workers. The battle time comes around, and the fight is on!
Mokoyama, in typical flashy fashion, has a sugary, super-loaded bread that's almost like a pastry, in contrast to Azuma's re-creation of old bread with a special sauce. When the audience starts to recognize what the Manager had already said was Azuma's bread's "fatal flaw" (the fact that it is old bread), the Meister shows up, asking how much each store will charge for the bread- Mokoyama will of course charge a lot, and Azuma gets to decide the price for his Japan... so he sets it for free! Azuma wins the battle thanks to the Meister's quick thinking, and the SoPan store sees some business once again. Things are going great, and then one day a red card comes in the mail... it's the announcement of the Pantasia Newcomer's Battle, a battle held every year that pits new employees against each other to see who is the best. This year, the theme is table bread- and the bread has to be resistant to growing mold! While Azuma has an idea almost right off the bat for it, Kawachi struggles, and finds himself jealous of not only Azuma's Japan, but also of his natural Solar Hands... but Tsukino interrupts his misery, telling him that she knows of a way to obtain Solar Hands for himself! Could it be true?