Journal

The Kotoba Interactive journal.

Editorial features on the cultures, history and languages of Asia. Filter by culture, by topic, or search for what inspires you.

Glossary

4 articles

KoreanSociété5 min

The haenyeo: the sea women of Jeju

History of the haenyeo, the traditional women divers of Jeju Island: free-diving harvest, matriarchal society, the sumbisori breath and threatened UNESCO heritage.

3 juin 2026Read

KoreanSociété6 min

The jjimjilbang: the Korean sauna that never sleeps

Discovering the jjimjilbang, the 24-hour Korean public bathhouse: hot and cold baths, heat rooms, matching uniforms, baked eggs, body scrubs and the etiquette of nudity.

28 mars 2026Read

KoreanSociété5 min

Korean age: why Koreans were one or two years older

Understanding Korean age: born at one, aging on New Year's Day, the three coexisting systems and the 2023 reform that made a whole country younger.

12 mars 2026Read

KoreanSociété5 min

Hoesik: the company dinner that seals bonds in Korea

Understanding hoesik, the Korean team meal: its rituals, the etiquette of drinking, the successive rounds, the hierarchy and its recent evolution.

20 février 2026Read