How old is Nintendo? Older than computers. Nintendo was started back in 1889! Sony (founded in 1946)! Sega (1951)! Microsoft (the youngest at 1975). Long before the transistor existed, Nintendo was making playing cards called hanafuda. Back in 1633. Japan banned foreign playing cards because of gambling problems. That didn’t stop people from making other…
Tag: japanese culture
The Tongue-Cut Sparrow
Once upon a time there lived an old man and an old woman. The old man, who had a kind heart, kept a young sparrow, which he tenderly nurtured. But the dame was a cross-grained old thing; and one day, when the sparrow had pecked at some paste with which she was going to starch…
Dating and Marriage in Japan
Japan and the United States have different views of dating and marriage. There are many similarities, as well. Marriage has a long history in Japan, a history that is based on gender roles influenced heavily by Confucian views. I won’t get into these views in this article. If you want to learn more about gender…
Hentai: What is it, really?
Hentai. Yep, I am going there! Some information here may be considered graphic. You’ve been warned! Hentai is as valid a branch of manga and anime as shonen and shojo. Hentai has a long history and conflicted definitions. The word hentai is a compound word that describes a person, action, or state of being sexually abnormal….
Momotaro: Little Peachling
Many hundred years ago there lived an honest old woodcutter and his wife. One fine morning the old man went off to the hills with his billhook, to gather a faggot of sticks, while his wife went down to the river to wash the dirty clothes. When she came to the river, she saw a…
Geisha: Art and Shamisen
The ultimate goal of a geisha is the find a patron, a danna. The patron frees a geisha to pursue her art, to live outside the okiya, and even help start a business. The key to snagging a patron is in the geisha arts: dance, music, and cultural enrichment. The root gei means art. Sha…