One of the more unique aspects of Japan is the country’s racial homogeneity, with approximately 98.5% of the country identifying as “pure” Yamato Japanese. This is actually quite inaccurate, as Japanese blood actually contains plenty of Korean, Chinese, Mongolian, Ainu, Russian, Pacific island and (thanks to me) American blood in it, though the “national meme” that all Japanese come from the same genetic stock is one that won’t be going away soon. Everyone is used to seeing half-Japanese — haafu — whose faces are a pleasant blending of Asian and Western features, in the modeling and entertainment world, but recently they’ve been popping up in other places as well, like last year’s groundbreaking Japan Miss Universe title awarded to Ariana Miyamoto, born in Nagasaki to a Japanese mother and African American father, or Aska Cambridge, half-Japanese and half-Jamaican sprinter, who distinguished himself at the Rio Olympics, nearly besting Usain Bolt. Now the lovely Priyanka Yoshikawa, a Tokyo-born Japanese woman who is half-Indian, has won this year’s Miss Japan contest. Congratulations, and thanks for helping us all see a new side of Japan!
There are many bizarre visual jokes in anime, which probably look odd to Western viewers at first. Characters getting a giant “sweat drop” on their heads when they’re upset, or the “anger mark” that appears on the foreheads of characters who are about to explode with rage. (When my daughter was young, she saw a model of a German WWII plane and decided the plane was “angry” because the German insignia looked like this mark.) Then there’s the ubiquitous nosebleed that shows up whenever a certain character gets excited after seeing or thinking about something naughty, which first appeared in a 1970 manga published in Shonen Jump called Yasuji’s Life Lessons for Messed Up Kids.
September is terrible! We have to go back to school and/or work, and there’s lots of stress that makes us feel bad. Why not take away all that stress with a great Visual Novel from J-List? We’re having a big sale on all English-translated VNs, from Sonico to Flowers to Seinarukana, plus all import VNs for PC and PSVita/PS4 as well. Stock up ASAP!
