Essay

FEATURED

Benkei: Was Japan’s Warrior Monk Real?

Benkei was a Warrior Monk whose life was filled with rich history and folklore. Or at least, that's how the tale is…

ENTERTAINMENT

Your Anime is Political: The Radical Revolutions of Akira and Evangelion

Some anime are more than political. In fact, our author argues, two of the most well-known anime in history are downright revolutionary.

CULTURE

The Uilta: an Invisible Indigenous Group in Japan

How one man's journey reflects the struggles of the Uilta people in defining themselves in the wake of Japanese colonization.

JAPANESE LANGUAGE

Husband? Master? The Many Imperfect Words for Male Spouses in Japanese

Japanese is fraught with unspoken rules and meanings. For example: how should people refer to their husbands?

ENTERTAINMENT

Japanese K-Pop: A Musical Twist or a Cultural Riddle?

Is it K-Pop...or J-Pop? How the emergence of all-Japanese K-Pop-style groups highlights some unique differences between the two genres.

HISTORY

Becoming Japanese: The Story of the Indigenous Uilta of Sakhalin

How the Japanese government attempted to erase and assimilate a small indigenous people - in one case, even using them as spies.

JAPANESE LANGUAGE

10 Useful Japanese Social Media Slang Terms Worth Learning

Before you give your next ii ne in the ripuran, study our guide to online Japanese slang and start tweeting like a…

ENTERTAINMENT

Anime From the Left – and From the (Far, Far) Right

Anime may be entertainment, first and foremost. But art is almost always political. Anime is no exception.