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#japanese-culture

4 articles Reset

JapaneseSociété11 min

Gachapon: Japan's Capsule Toy Culture

The history and culture of gachapon, Japan's capsule-toy machines. Onomatopoeic origins, Bandai, Kaiyōdō, Fuchiko, and an industry worth hundreds of billions of yen.

16 juin 2026Read

JapaneseSociété14 min

Japanese Toilets: Technology and the Culture of Hygiene

From TOTO's washlet to futuristic public restrooms, Japanese toilets embody a cultural obsession with comfort, cleanliness, and innovation.

15 avril 2026Read

JapaneseSociété9 min

Sanrio and Hello Kitty: The Global Empire of Japanese Kawaii

From silk to Hello Kitty through Kuromi, Cinnamoroll and My Melody, the history of Sanrio, the Japanese company that invented the economy of kawaii.

8 février 2026Read

JapaneseArts9 min

Gunpla: The Culture of Gundam Model Kits in Japan

From Bandai's first 1980 boxes to today's Real Grades, a deep dive into Gunpla, the Japanese hobby where assembling a Gundam becomes a meditative art.

6 février 2026Read