A young "idol" with paperback in hand standing in a high school classroom isn't what one would expect to see on the cover of Natsume Soseki's literary classic "Botchan."
But putting a new face on old masterpieces has become a print industry trend, with both large and small publishers releasing paperbacks of well-known literature featuring creative cover designs in an attempt to expand sales and readership.
And with summer vacation prompting many students to search out books to read and review for their homework, bookstore shelves are sporting colorful cover-art offerings of the masters.