Building Bridges
This blog and this author seek to build cultural bridges with Japan and the people in it across geographic and linguistic barriers alike. By creating bonds, we can build a brighter future for everyone.Japanese Characters
If your computer is not set up for Japanese browsing, Japanese characters, such as the site tagline and the "FAQ" page, will not be properly visible. Look up "Japanese computing" on Google for help about these problems. Enjoy the blog. - JLearn Japanese Online
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Category Archives: Art
Free Ebook: The Allure of Japanese Swords
Here. Take it. I tried pushing this thing in preview form a while back. I’d rather give it away for free than have no one look through the whole thing. It’s about Japan, swords, samurai, art, culture… and more swords. … Continue reading
Gundam Unicorn, Episodes 1 and 2
It Started With A Conversation This post is as spoiler-free as humanly possible. – J I was talking to my friend Andrius (readers of my long interview with him about Final Fantasy 14 may recall him) about Gundam Unicorn and … Continue reading
Posted in Anime, Art, Culture, Japan
Tagged anime, art, Char, culture, Full Frontal, Gundam, Gundam UC, Gundam Unicorn, Japan, Laplace's Box
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The Impact of Japanese Fashion
Quick Post This Time. I just wanted to bring this article to everyone’s attention. It’s from the Japan Times, which is in English here, about the impact of Japan’s fashion input on the wider global fashion industry. The part that … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Culture, Japan
Tagged Cool Japan, culture, fashion, Hello Kitty, Japan, Japan Times, Japanese
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Why We Watch Anime, Part One: Creativity
So Why Do People Watch Anime? This is a question posed to me by Andre Klein, the guy who owns the server this blog runs on and the man behind Learn Out Live. A German national, he has a family … Continue reading
Posted in Anime, Art, Culture, Japan
Tagged anime, art, creativity, culture, film, Japan, television
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Japanese Culture: Anime Review, “Asobi Ni Iku Yo”
So, It Was Interesting Asobi ni Iku Yo (“We’re Coming Over To Have Fun”) has finished its run of 12 episodes. I have finally had a chance to see the end of the series and have some thoughts on it … Continue reading
Posted in Anime, Art, Culture, Japan
Tagged anime, art, Asobi ni Iku Yo, culture, Japan
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Japanese Culture: A Monster Hunter’s Life, Pt. 1
Since I’m in-between projects, and I wanted an excuse to blog about this, I have started a new game of Monster Hunter 2 “Dos” . This game never reached American shores on the PS2, but portable (PSP) spin-offs have long … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Culture, Japan, video games
Tagged culture, Japan, Japanese, Monster Hunter, video games
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Japanese Culture: GothLoli (Gothic Lolita) Fashion
Not Quite Goth Or Lolita, Per Se This requires a little explanation. While the term “Lolita” must necessarily hail from the famous novel, the gist is reversed in this context. Rather than little girls dressing like adults, this far more … Continue reading
Japanese Culture: Geisha, A Term Of Art
芸者 (げいしゃ、geisha) Let’s start with a bang: Geisha is a gender-neutral term in the original Japanese. This word is actually quite simple, combining 芸 (“gei,” lit. performance) with 者 (“sha,” lit. “person who does ___”). Thus, the word itself suggests a … Continue reading
Conversations: Monster Hunter (Video Game Series)
A Monster Franchise For our second “conversation,” here is IceBurner, an acquaintance of mine from the western half of the United States. IceBurner is a fan without peer of the Monster Hunter video game series, a smash hit in Japan … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Culture, Japan, video games
Tagged art, Capcom, culture, Japan, Monster Hunter, video games
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Conversations: Gundam 00, Part 1
So Let’s Communicate Blogging is about communication. It’s essentially a conversation. But, it’s hard to have a one-sided conversation. I’ve decided to start a different kind: blogging interviews with people interested in different aspects of Japanese culture. In this case, … Continue reading