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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Tag Archives: culture
Why Newtype Awakening Won’t Save Mankind
A Naive Idea, Often Repeated An idea advanced by Japanese writers, directors, and thinkers in general, goes something like this: if we only understood what was in each others’ hearts, war would cease and we would become a better, more … Continue reading
Posted in Anime, Art, Culture, Japan
Tagged anime, art, culture, Cyborg 009-1, Gundam, Gundam 00, Japan, newtype, psychic, thoughtcrime
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Early Anime Impression: Gosick (Pronounced “Gothic”)
ゴシック (“Gothic”) Gosick is animated by Bones, which I have lauded in the past; I liked Heroman, but at any rate they tend to do far out and artsy stuff which I respect. Pronounced “gothic” (and you see this clearly in … Continue reading
The Fractale Scandal And Its Implications
A Sad, Infuriating Spectacle My experiences with the new anime Fractale began innocently enough with this article in the Asahi Shimbun (official romanization; ‘shinbun’ in text but ‘shimbun’ as spoken in Tokyo dialect). Long story short, director Yutaka Yamamoto sees … Continue reading
Posted in Anime, Art, Culture, Japan
Tagged A-1 Pictures, anime, art, controversy, culture, fansubbing, Fractale, Japan, piracy, scandal, Yutaka Yamamoto
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The Sohei
Warrior Monks Although the word sohei is usually translated as warrior monks, the hei part fits “soldier” much better. These are monk-soldiers, but as English has no such term, warrior monks will generally do. The image above is a procession … Continue reading
A Japanese Spin On Thor
An Imagining of a Western Icon This is an artist’s impression of Thor used as a representation of the mythological figure in the Playstation 2 game, Persona 3. As opposed to other games in the “Shin Megami Tensei” franchise, also … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Culture, Japan, video games
Tagged culture, Japan, Megaten, Mjlonir, Persona 3, Shin Megami Tensei, SMT, Thor, video games
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No Spoiler Anime Review, Ore no Imouto
Highly Recommended. Ore No Imouto Ga Konna Ni Kawaii Wake Ga Nai OK, the basics: this is not Yosuga no Sora. This is not porn. The relationship at the heart of the show usually translated as “My Little Sister Isn’t … Continue reading
Gundam 00 Movie Review, Spoilers Under Tags
Gundam 00 Movie: Awakening of the Trailblazer Spoilers Under Tags Below Non-spoiler review HERE. Now, the point of this review is not to spoil the plot. It is to write in detail about various things of interest to the Gundam … Continue reading
Gundam 00 Movie, Non-Spoiler Review
No Spoilers Here Spoilers, under appropriate tags, will be included in a separate post. This post is spoiler-free so that I can link back to it for people who don’t want to know any of the plot.
Traditional Dishes of Japan
Edible Culture You may have noticed from the last couple of posts, but I am not feeling well so I am not doing intensive writing. Rather, I’m trying to point people to other good content on the Web. Why is … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Japan, Tourism
Tagged culture, dishes, Japan, Tourism, traditional, Travel
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Japanese Cultural Principles: Gaman
Gaman (我慢、がまん) I saw this word being used as a cultural principle over at the Japan Times in an article about a modern production of the Tale of the Forty-Seven Ronin (known natively as the Chuushingura – “chuushin” (中心) means … Continue reading