Tag: history

Japan’s relationship with China is a long and varied one. Long before Japan became smitten with the desire to industrialize ...

The history of Ecchi, and Yakuza in Japan.

It's part of the nature of the Japanese people to prefer substituting euphemisms for words that are embarrassing to use ...

Do Japanese hate hugs? And other random observations.

I've always done my best to observe the Japanese people during my time here, so I can pass those observations ...

The end of a terrible war, and what makes Japanese so hardworking?

This year has been an interesting one for history buffs as it's seen the 70th anniversaries of the events of ...

The cutest anime in the world, and a sad Sukiyaki Song.

One of the most popular series this season is Himouto! Umaru-chan, the story of a smart and attractive high school ...

Japanese superstitions that make you rich, and the era of customized animation.

I've been a student of animation all my life, ever since I fell in love with Star Blazers/Space Battleship Yamato, ...

Random thoughts on beer and Japan, and the next big thing in moe characters?

It was fun spending time in Las Vegas, relaxing by the pool and enjoying the odd beer or five. I ...

The history of “Yuri” in anime, and how to succeed at anything.

The history of yuri culture in anime, and how to succeed at anything. If you follow the J-List Facebook page ...

Being tall in Japan, and J-List’s views on paradigm shifts.

There are certain difficulties Westerners face when coming to Japan. The language is a problem, of course, especially outside cities ...

How indoor shoes work, and the history of eyepatch moe.

The concept of 萌え moé can be quite deep. Coined around 1993 in response to (according to one theory) the ...

The history of whiskey in Japan, and a new Haruhi series?

The other day I was in a store buying groceries when I decided to pick up some cans of "highball," ...

The 70th anniversary of the sinking of the Yamato, plus kawaii voices in Japan.

We're entering a special time in WWII-related history, when the 70th anniversary of many iconic wartime events will be arriving ...

Exploring (delicious) cultural bridges, and being a foreigner in Japan.

It's interesting how often one of the most important cultural bridges between two countries is food. There are many "routes" ...

Exploring alternate history themes in anime, plus more Your Lie in April

Greetings from J-List! Tomorrow is 3.14, a day to celebrate the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, also ...

Remembering events in Japanese history, and exploring beauty in Japan.

While the United States has some amazing history under its belt, something about being from a relatively "young" country has ...

Cute gestures Japanese people make, and breaking through cultural distance.

As with other countries, communication in Japan goes beyond simple words, and people say as much with body language as ...

How anime hair colors and styles work, and a wonderful new idol anime.

One of the most successful ideas in the history of anime has been the creation of stories about idols, which ...

One of my favorite Japanese Cities (Kobe), and Japanese Desserts You Should Try.

Greetings from J-List. We're rushing to finish this post early because today is the day of the J-List New Year ...

How Japanese study WWII in school, and the history of ecchi.

One reason I like J-List's Facebook page and Twitter feed is the ease with which I can get feedback from ...

A new anime about WWII ship girls, and the mechanics of kanji.

The new year brings with it a new anime season, and as usual I'm still trying to finish shows from ...

My history with H Games, and a brief trip to a tropical island.

Hello from Kota Kinabalu, a city in Western Borneo, Malaysia, where I've brought my family for some relaxing fun, just ...

The history of ‘tsundere’ characters, and all about Japan’s deflation.

We hope everyone in the U.S. had a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving holiday surrounded by family and friends. J-List's big ...

Some firsts in Japanese history, plus not being sure if I’m in the USA or Japan.