A while ago I had an article on how to watch anime for cheap, or even free. Inspired by this, I’ve prepared a short list of ways and places to get physical anime and manga merchandise such as figures, DVDs, physical manga, and much more, sometimes for much cheaper than their retail price! These methods…
Category: Culture
Paris Syndrome
You step off the plane in the fabled City of Light. Paris. What do you do first? Find a cab? Book a hotel room? Jump in and visit the Louvre? If you are Japanese, your first visit may just well be the hospital. Between 12 and 20 Japanese tourists each year are overwhelmed by Paris…
Challenges of the Japanese Single Mother
50% of one-parent Japanese families live below the poverty line (Ichino, 2014). Japanese single mothers are one of those topics people do not talk about. Japanese society has a long history of divorce, but during the Meiji Restoration, divorce became a problem for women. The combination of strong family values and tax policies that support…
Write your Own Japanese Fairy Tale Contest
Contest is now closed. We will announce the winners in a few weeks. Thanks for all the interest! Tuttle Publishing and JP have joined forces to make you work! Just kidding. Have you ever wanted to write or illustrate your own Japanese fairy tale? Now’s your chance. Before I get into the rules, lets talk…
Retired Husband Syndrome
It afflicts women in their 50s and 60s. It moves into their homes and makes demands on time, autonomy, and every aspect of daily life. The retired husband. Japanese women of the baby boomer generation struggle with Retired Husband Syndrome (shujin zaitaku sutoresu skokogun). This syndrome is characterized by common symptoms caused by the added…
Samurai Baseball: A Look at the History of Japanese Baseball
“…there will never be a war with Japan.” –Connie Mack “…hope every Jap that mentions my name gets shot – and to hell with all Japs anyway.” — Babe Ruth In 1853, Admiral Commodore Matthew Perry forced Japan to open to the United States. Just 20 years later, baseball crossed the Pacific. Japan has not…