Sometimes it’s difficult to find good research about Japanese culture. Oh, I can find information online easily, but the quality is often suspect. Wikipedia isn’t reliable, and I’ve seen chains of so-called references linking back to each other to form a loop of wikis, advertisement sites, and other questionable information. That isn’t to say you…
Category: Culture
The Start of Christianity in Japan
The people whom we have met so far, are the best who have as yet been discovered, and it seems to me that we shall never find among heathens another race to equal the Japanese. They are a people of very good manners, good in general, and not malicious. –Francis Xavier c. 1551 Note: This…
5 Steps to Living an Iki Life
I attempted to define iki already. The shorthand definition of iki is “refined, sophisticated.” Of course, refinement today has different connotations than during the Edo Period. Living an iki life doesn’t mean you have to sip wine while watching opera. Unless that is your thing. But why would you want to live an iki life…
What is Iki?
Iki was an ideal that dated to the Edo period of Japan. It’s a bit hard to define with any precision. Generally, it was defined as refinement and sophistication. Although it could also be considered as urban and plucky stylishness (Graham, 2014). In this famous work, “‘Iki no Kozo,” Kuki Shuzo attempted to define iki…
28 Historical Facts about Geisha and Geiko
Geisha, or geiko as they are known in Kyoto, symbolize traditional Japanese culture. Their heyday in the early 1900s contributed to the exoticism the West felt toward Japan during the Meiji period. Many of those misconceptions remain about historical geisha. Today, becoming a geisha is much like taking up a vocation. It has its…
Why are Harem Anime Popular?
Most harem anime I’ve watched follow a template. A gaggle of various girls chase a guy with little personality and an aversion to making decisions and touching female skin. Each of the girls represent an anime trope: the tsundere, deredere, and so on. You’ll see the usual body stereotypes too, from the large-breasted girls to…