August 6, 1945 marked a turning point in human history. August 9, 1945 left no doubt. Humanity had entered the Atomic Age. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagaska burned itself into the memories of the Japanese and the Americans. In many regards, the rise of the atomic bomb, and later the hydrogen bomb, gave…
Tag: japanese culture
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…
Japan’s Warrior Women
The one characteristic that sets women apart from men has shaped how women are treated in most societies. No, I am not referring to boobs. There is something about childbirth that relegates women to the role of property in most agricultural societies. Perhaps it is because most agricultural societies have the idea of land ownership…
Wanyûdô, The Wheel Monk
Jasmin Boehm writes about an encounter with one of Japan’s ancient haunters, the Wheel Monk. This story won our Japanese Fairy Tale Contest. She won the book Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide. It is a strange event that I will tell you of, a moments when I was brushed by the shadow of…
Legend of the Twin Baku
David L. Simon accounts a tale of brothers who ate dreams. This story won our Japanese Fairy Tale Contest. He won the book Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide. You can find more of his work on DeviantArt. Long ago, before the gods had split the world into many lands, there lived twin Baku…