Aokigahara lies at the foot of holy Mount Fuji in Japan. Also known as the Sea of Trees, it is a dense, dark forest, a place that has long been the focus of myth and legend. It is said that great deposits of iron lay underneath the Earth there, and that they play havoc with…
Category: Culture
Antique Bakery
I started to watch this drama because I was on a bakery kick, and I liked the title… “Antique Bakery”. My overall impression was that not a lot happens in this drama. Regardless this drama is heartwarming, and I couldn’t help but cheer the characters on. I have to admit, the real reason I like…
Lolita
Lolita is a type of fashion (and a novel wrote by Vladimir Nabokov) that originated in Japan. Clothing is based on Victorian and Rococo clothing. Rococo is also called the Late Baroque period and developed in Paris, France. Rococo is more lighthearted and intimate than the earlier Baroque periods. The novel (if you are wondering)…
Kawaii
Kawaii literally means lovable, cute, or adorable. Kawaiasa is the noun ( love-ability, cuteness, or adorableness). Kawaii refers to the cuteness that appears throughout Japanese pop culture. Both men and women are expected to look and act kawaii. Interestingly, when cute seems fake it is looked down upon. Women who try to be kawaii and…
PES: Peace Eco Smile
I don’t like advertisements. They are annoying and too ubiquitous; I do everything I can to block and avoid them. But I find PES: Peace Eco Smile very interesting. Peace Eco Smile is an advertising campaign for Toyota Motor Corporation. Promotional anime? Sounds like a corruption doesn’t it? I can only say it is about…
Japanese Gestures
Japanese have many gestures that come off as strange to us Westerners. When we see ’em in anime and movies they can leave us scratching our heads. I couldn’t find some of the odder gestures, but I did manage a collection of the more common conversation gestures. Here is a low down on some of…