Learn Japanese Online
Learning from a blog is great, but learning directly from a tutor is better. If you are interested, follow the link to Learn Out Live and see what opportunities await you.
Category Archives: Culture
Japanese Business Culture: What The Japanese Side Wants To Hear
Broadly speaking, we all want to make a sales pitch. It’s a difficult habit to resist. We want to put the best spin on our company’s talents and resources and present everything in as positive a light as possible. We … Continue reading
Profiles in Anime: Shiki
A Vampire Drama “Shiki” began as a novel written by Fuyumi Oni, whose chief claim to fame is writing the “Twelve Kingdoms” novels. (I have yet to read these, but I am told they are very interesting. I am aware … Continue reading
Learning Through Lyrics: Part 7
We’re already up to part #7! Yes, it’s a long work in progress, but explaining things the right way takes time. Line Seven 変わることのない 愛はきっとここにある Translation That’s not something that’ll change surely there … Continue reading
Profiles in Anime: High School of the Dead
Theme: Passion There’s existing, and then, there’s living. “High School of the Dead,” adapted from a manga of the same name, is a Japanese take on Romero style zombie movies, down to the open homage in episode titles (featuring English … Continue reading
Fan Service: What It Means, And Why
Defining A Phrase Most people with even a small amount of knowledge of anime or manga are familiar with the term “fan service,” and usually with what it means. However, there is an interesting little story to tell about the … Continue reading
Sincerity: A Core Japanese Virtue, On TV Anyway
Image: Ferns. In flower language, the fern signifies “sincerity.” As I try to scour the Internet for good comments on Japanese culture, I found one that seemed slightly random at first. This comment was that sincerity is considered an important … Continue reading
Posted in Anime, Culture, Japan, video games
Tagged anime, character design, culture, Japan, pop culture, video games
1 Comment
Why Bushido Didn’t Push Japan Into WWII
Setting The Record Straight I don’t want to link to this because it’ll only draw attention to leaky history but, in my efforts to find sites worth linking this blog to, I began reading a ‘history of Japan’ that floated … Continue reading
A Concise History of the Samurai
This is from a class I once taught on an education site. I provide it for free. It is, as the topic implies, a concise history that takes the big picture view that puts all the little details in context. … Continue reading
Japan Culture Sites Shouldn’t Hate Japan
This is a relatively young blog. I wanted to go around the Internet finding sites to link to, but there’s a little problem with that. I keep finding sites that cover Japanese culture that, without naming names, because that would … Continue reading
Culture of Japan: Ukiyo-e, Part 1
A depiction of a young Japanese housewife returning from shopping in historical Edo (modern Tokyo). Source: Tokyo Metropolitan Library.