Ramen is considered one of the icons of Japanese culture, but it is actually from China. Ramen appeared in Japan in 1910 when some Chinese cooks in Tokyo made their noodles with kansui, a sodium-carbonate mineral water. It made the noodles yellow and elastic; the ramen noodles we know. The dish was originally called shina…
Japan’s Ghosts–The Yurei
Several months ago, I did a post about Aokigahara, Japan’s suicide capital and a purportedly haunted forest. It is widely believed that the forest is haunted by Yurei, which are essentially Japan’s version of ghosts. These differ from the traditional Western style ghosts. On our side of the ocean, ghosts are ephemeral things that can…
This Ugly Yet Beautiful World
You know it is an anime when people take an alien in stride. This Ugly Yet Beautiful World opens with a mysterious light in the woods and a nude teenage girl. The protagonists Takeru and Ryou are immediately attacked by an anime. Takeru abruptly transforms into a beast version of himself and pummels the alien,…
Japan’s Forest of Ghosts–Aokigahara
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…
Anime Stereotypes: The Clueless Guy
The Clueless Guy is a very common motif in both shonen and shojo. Clueless Guys are very dense about the romantic or sexual interest of others. They are often naive and appear innocent. Although the Clueless Guy is closely related to the Pervert stereotype. Clueless guys have Pervert tendencies but try to hide or control…