Shojo Manga Recommendations for Newcomers

Shojo manga has a very long history and always targeted a young female demographic in its readership. These manga have a strong female character as the protagonist and use the theme of romance as their focal point to attract female readers. Its counterpart, shonen, has dedicated itself to the young male demographic by depicting intense action scenes and humorous plots while following a male protagonist. Even though these two traditional manga genres started out with a desired audience they were dedicating their work to, nowadays the audiences have crossed over to explore the world opposite of the norm.

With the increasing popularity of shojo manga, it is starting to interest a wider audience. Its roots and defining purpose may be romance but it has developed into something much more. Many shojo manga have added subgenres to their work such as historical drama, supernatural and fantasy to compliment the theme of romance. This adds more dynamic to the storytelling, welcoming new readers to the shojo genre.

The Best Side Trip From Osaka: Okayama

When people decide to take the plunge and travel to Japan, they start planning their trip with what to see and what to do when over there. Many people, especially those who will be going for the first time, make plans to only go visit the big three: Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto with a possible pit stop to Nara. Nothing is wrong with this travel plan. I even did this travel plan the first time I went to Japan (no regrets). But once you have already become familiar with these places, where else do you go?

There are so many places in Japan that are worth visiting. Out of the many places to choose from, may I suggest Okayama.

Watching Anime During COVID-19

Whether you are considered "essential" for work, working from home now, or unfortunately lost your job, we are all experiencing some extra time on our hands since leisurely things are closed off from the world due to the current worldwide pandemic that is COVID-19, a type of coronavirus. With this free time we have staying at home, one of the great things about being an otaku during this time is the fact that we can watch anime!

Hiroshima: Visiting Japan's History

I knew at some point in all my travels to Japan I would want to visit Hiroshima. There are many reasons why people should want to visit Hiroshima, but in this blog post I am going to talk about the most important one: the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

The Best Pancake in Kyoto

When I was in Kyoto this past summer I was determined to try the famous Japanese fluffy pancakes. I would always see videos of these interesting pancakes, and the people eating them always seem to enjoy them. I took a spontaneous afternoon in search of the best fluffy pancakes I could find in Kyoto.

Don't Fear Going to Japan

First, a little back story to why I'm talking about this topic in my blog. As announced on my YouTube channel, I got a new job! This new job involves me educating college students about Japan and taking them over there for a month during the summer to study abroad. I'll link the program here.

Anyway, my university did a survey on Freshmen about what countries they would love to travel to but why they didn't go. I already knew finances were going to be an issue, but to my surprise it was fear that was commonly mentioned in the survey. So I would like to clear up any fears that people may have about going to Japan.

Being a Picky Eater in Japan

This is a topic that gets very popular when talking about going to any country that's different from what you're so used to. Food is one of the greatest things we enjoy in life (at least I do), and when you throw yourself into a new environment that is not your own the biggest question you have for yourself is"how will I survive?" (a.k.a "what will I eat?"). In regards to traveling to Japan and living in America, it may seem like a necessary concern. What will you be able to eat in Japan? They seem to like their food raw and fresh, like just jumped out the water "fresh."

I'm here to reassure you that you will be just fine in Japan when it comes to food. There is something for everyone.

How To Speak Japanese When You Don’t Live In Japan

This article is by That Japan Girl. She's very knowledgeable about Japan and the Japanese language. Find her links at the bottom of this article! Enjoy!

                    

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When it comes to speaking Japanese, what makes the situation difficult is exactly the thing that makes it so exciting. Another person is there, listening to you speak, and responding to what you’re saying to them. They can interrupt you whenever they want, cut you off and talk over you. They can ask you to clarify something, to repeat what you just said or to start all over from the beginning. They can talk fast or slow, shout or whisper, speak in standard Japanese or hit you with that Kansai-ben.

Bottom line is: you’ll never know what flow a conversation takes.

And that’s what makes it so exciting to speak Japanese!

Is Japan Really the Land of Anime?

Many foreign countries have had the pleasure of being introduced to Japanese culture whether it be through food, art and, of course, anime. Anime is the Japanese word for animation (any kind of animation), but to the world outside of Japan it is distinctly referenced to animation from Japan. With that said, would would think something like anime would be all over the place in Japan. The reality of it is that it can actually be pretty had to come by.

Desserts and Sweets in Japan

One of the many things people like to talk about when it comes to Japan is the food. Japanese food is simple yet precise, and aims for the best quality. The same goes for its dessert and sweets. Whether it be traditional Japanese sweets or their rendition of other countries' sweets, Japan aims for quality no matter how simple or complex it may look. I'm going to go over a few sweets that are definitely worth a try when in Japan.

Omiyage Culture in Japan

It's an exciting time when you get to go on vacation. In Japan, it's no different. You finally get a break from school and/or work in order to enjoy some time away from everything. But in Japan they have one thing to worry about when on vacation, and that's what to bring back as a souvenir for people. Let's talk about the souvenirs in Japan.

Stories From Japan: Stop Giving me Stuff

Hello! Welcome to another story time! "Stories from Japan" is a little series on my blog where I tell stories from my personal experiences in Japan. In this story, I'll be talking about my time in Japan as a student where I really needed to learn a phrase to use in order to stop receiving street advertisements.

Why People Stop Learning Japanese

When you first start learning Japanese it can be fun and exciting. You're on your way to learning a new language! First you learn the alphabet, then start learning useful words and phrases. There's a lot of progress in the beginning and learning Japanese looks very promising. But then you hit a wall in your learning Japanese. Whether it's conscious or not, you start to find a reason to stop learning. If you find a good enough reason, it won't look like you failed in learning Japanese.

I'm going to go through these "reasons" why people stop learning Japanese and give you realizations that it can still be done. There is sadly no good excuse for not learning Japanese. If you just want to stop that is acceptable, but don't try to use one of these excuses because it will just make you look bad in the long run.

Taste of Japan: Vancouver, Canada

I was looking for a place to go over the summer. In my search for vacation spots I had some requirements: good weather (where I'm from it's deathly hot), good food (I love to eat) and it had to have some kind of Japanese presence. A few places in the US was mentioned but in the long run my friends and I decided to go out of the country, but not too far out the country. This meant staying in North America. So we chose Canada, specifically Vancouver because it was cheaper than Toronto.

I did some research online before going to Vancouver. My goal was to see as much "Japan stuff" as possible. It looked really promising online. They have a consulate in Vancouver for Japan and there's also a Japan social group, almost like a society for Japan enthusiasts. A lot of people kept mentioning a bunch a Japanese stores, especially south of Vancouver in the city of Richmond.

Overall, here is what I got from my experience in Vancouver Canada.

The Joys of Exploring Japanese Neighborhoods

It's common for people who live in Japan to tell you not to plan out your trip to Japan, to just explore and find new things. I agree with that to an extant. It's easy for them to say that because they live there and have a lot of time to explore. For visitors, your time in Japan is limited. It's natural for you to want to fit in as much as possible. I plan out all of my trips when I go to Japan. But what I do is when I find a break in my already planned schedule, I try to explore the neighborhood I'm staying in just to see if I find something interesting.

Let's talk about the discoveries you'll come across during your travels in Japan.

Japanese Bathrooms in Japan

When looking for accommodations for your stay in Japan you may look at the size of the place, how big the beds are, if there's free WiFi or even how big the bathroom is. You won't be spending too much time in your hotel or other accommodation but it can still be a game changer on how big that bathroom is. The size of the bathroom can be a game changer for your trip to Japan. That may sound weird but it could possibly make things relaxing for you or super difficult. Let's explore Japanese bathrooms.

Two Uses for your Passport in Japan

This is not going to be a blog about how to get a passport. That is for another day. This blog post is about the two uses for your passport when you are in Japan as a visitor or tourist. Your passport has more functions than you know about. The main use of a passport is to get you into Japan when traveling, but did you know it still has purpose once in Japan? Let's talk about it some more.

Tokyo is not Japan

Now, before you decide this is a hate post on Tokyo I'm going to tell you right now it's not. There is a reason why Tokyo gets so much praise, and it deserves that praise. Tokyo is a place where everybody can find something they will be happy with. So then what's going on with title? Well, it's exactly what it says, "Tokyo is not Japan." Let me start explaining.

What to do at Night in Japan

While you're planning your trip to Japan there will most likely be many things on your to-do list. Sometimes it can look really scary because you may be thinking how am I going to get all of this done during my trip to Japan? There is a simple solution, and not many people think about it. On your list of things to see and do in Japan is probably some stuff that can be done during the night hours. This can save you a lot of time for activities during the day.

A Day at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

I did a blog on things to do in Osaka, and one of those things was the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. The aquarium is a great place to escape to from the busy city or the weather, if it's really hot. Osaka is famous for a lot of things and this aquarium is one of them.

Let's review what you will discover and experience at the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan.