One of the keys to learning Japanese is stroke order and drilling until each stroke is second nature. Jim Gleeson put together a wonderful workbook that lets you do just that. In a short introduction, Gleeson outlines the different strokes needed to form each letter, and he briefly provides a history lesson about how kana…
Japan on a Pedestal: Thoughts on the American Idealization of Japan
Japan. The Land of the Rising Sun. American has long had a complicated relationship with Japan. America forced Japan to open her ports to the wider world for the first time after nearly 500 years of isolation, resulting in Japan’s astonishing transition from an agrarian feudal society to an industrial powerhouse. This planted the seeds…
Am I a Weeaboo? What does Weeaboo Mean Anyway?
My goal for JP is to cut through some of the mistaken ideas anime and manga fans have about Japan. As I dug around the net and academic databases researching for this article, I wondered if I really do meet my goal. Or, perhaps, I only add to the preponderances of misinformation and mistaken ideas…
The Sunshine Award Nomination
Thanks to Rekari over at Shooting Star Dreamer for the Nomination! These blog awards are a great way for bloggers to get to know each other. This is my first award nomination. “You like me! You really like me!” Reka gave me 10 excellent questions, but excuse me a moment. “Where was that dang-fangled thing…Blasted…
The Meat Head: Looking at Shonen Heroes
I have a bit of a bias toward shonen. I often write about shonen anime and themes. Frankly, it is because most shojo stories do not appeal to me. Another reason is because most imports we see here in the States are of the male variety. So that being said, it is time for another…
Andrew’s Guide to Blogging–Good Writing is the Key to Good Blogging
In the first two installments of this series, we talked about how to choose a premise for your blog, and in the second I gave a brief primer on different blogging platforms. Assuming then that you’ve chosen a topic and have a platform to write on, you’re probably eager to start clacking away, churning out…