Arts12 min
Hayao Miyazaki: Biography and Work of a Master
Hayao Miyazaki's life and work: from Nausicaä to founding Studio Ghibli, from Spirited Away to The Boy and the Heron, his two Oscars and his great themes.
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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.
32 articles
Arts10 min
The Three Friends of Winter: Pine, Plum, Bamboo
Pine, bamboo, plum: the 歲寒三友, Three Friends of Winter, haunt Chinese art. Song origins, Confucian symbolism, and their spread across the Sinosphere.
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Arts12 min
The Colors of Asia's Temples: Vermilion, Gold, and the Five Elements
Vermilion torii, imperial gold, the five elements: a journey through the color symbolism that clothes the temples of Japan and China.
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Arts14 min
Dancheong: The Colors of Korean Temples Decoded
Blue, red, yellow, white, black: dancheong paints Korea's temples and palaces. Decoding the five cardinal colors and their symbolism.
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Arts7 min
Wushu: the Chinese martial art between combat and poetry
History of wushu and Chinese kung fu: from Shaolin to taiji quan, internal and external styles, traditional weapons and the legacy of martial arts in China.
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Arts6 min
Blue and white porcelain: China's fragile treasure
History of Chinese blue and white porcelain: Jingdezhen, cobalt, Yuan and Ming dynasties, kraak ware, export to Europe and a living legacy.
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Arts13 min
Visual Kei and Rhythm Games: Japan's Music Scene
From flamboyant visual kei to the arcade cabinets of Taiko and beatmania, a journey through two pillars of Japanese music culture and their shared legacy.
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Arts6 min
Pansori: Korea's opera of a single breath
Discovering pansori, the Korean epic chant: the singer and his drum, han, the great tales, the UNESCO listing and its surprising revival.
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Arts5 min
Samulnori: when four drums become a storm
History and meaning of samulnori, Korean percussion: four instruments, the peasant roots of pungmul, cosmic symbolism and the move from street to stage.
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Arts12 min
Touhou Project: The Cult Indie Bullet-Hell Saga
The story of Touhou Project, the cult danmaku series built single-handedly by ZUN. PC-98 origins, Gensōkyō, music, dōjin policy and the world's largest fan ecosystem.
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Arts14 min
Studio Ghibli: A Guide to Every Film
A complete guide to every Studio Ghibli film, from Nausicaä to The Boy and the Heron. History, directors, timeline, themes and a recommended viewing order.
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Arts13 min
Shōnen: The Codes and History of Action Manga
Origins, magazines and codes of shōnen, from Shōnen Sekai in 1895 to Jujutsu Kaisen. History, archetypes and the friendship-effort-victory creed of action manga.
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Arts11 min
Seinen vs Shōnen: Understanding Manga Demographics
Seinen or shōnen? Decoding manga's demographic categories: target ages, tone, magazines, examples and false friends. What truly decides the label.
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Arts6 min
Weiqi: the Chinese game of go, the art of encircling
History and principles of weiqi (the game of go): millennia-old Chinese origins, the rule of encirclement, the scholar's art, baduk, igo and the AlphaGo shock.
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Arts14 min
Mecha: A History of Japan's Giant Robots
From Tetsujin and Mazinger to Gundam and Evangelion, the complete history of the mecha genre: super robots, real robots, Gunpla and global influence.
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Arts13 min
Magical Girl: From Sailor Moon to Madoka
A history of the mahō shōjo genre, from Mahōtsukai Sally in 1966 to Madoka Magica. Origins, the henshin codes, Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura and the great deconstruction.
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Arts5 min
Tai chi chuan: the Chinese art of slow movement
History and principles of tai chi chuan (taijiquan): Chinese internal martial art, yin-yang and qi, debated origins, Chen and Yang styles, global health practice.
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Arts12 min
City Pop: The Global Revival of a Forgotten Sound
The story of Japanese city pop, the bubble-era sound resurrected by YouTube and TikTok. From Takeuchi Mariya to Matsubara Miki, a worldwide revival decades later.
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Arts5 min
The erhu: the two-stringed Chinese fiddle
History and secrets of the erhu, the Chinese two-stringed fiddle: origins of the huqin, python-skin sound box, voice-like timbre and Abing's masterpiece.
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Arts6 min
Peking Opera: Makeup, Roles and History of Chinese Jingju
The history of Peking opera (jingju): its birth in the 18th century, the four roles, the lianpu painted faces and their colors, Mei Lanfang and the preservation of a total art.
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Arts5 min
The guzheng: the thousand-year Chinese zither
History and art of the guzheng, the Chinese table zither: 21 strings, movable bridges, glissandos, over 2,000 years of music, from the guqin to today's stages.
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Arts14 min
Shojo: How Girls' Manga Conquered the World
From Meiji-era magazines to Sailor Moon and Fruits Basket, discover how shojo manga revolutionized comics, invented a unique visual language, and amplified women's voices in the manga industry.
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Arts11 min
The Ultimate Guide to Japanese, Korean and Chinese Culture
An illustrated dictionary of works, genres and traditions from Japan, South Korea and China. From Cardcaptor Sakura to Boys Over Flowers, everything explained in one article.
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Arts6 min
Chinese paper cutting: the art of scissors and luck
History and symbols of jianzhi, Chinese paper cutting: red motifs on New Year windows, double happiness, origins after the invention of paper, listed by UNESCO.
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Arts9 min
Japanese Idols: From AKB48 to Morning Musume
From Tsunku's auditions to Akimoto's Akihabara theater, explore the Japanese idol groups that reshaped pop culture and influenced all of Asia.
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Arts14 min
CLAMP: Four Women Who Redefined Manga
The story of CLAMP, the legendary all-female manga collective, from their doujinshi origins to global dominance with Cardcaptor Sakura, X, xxxHolic, and more.
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Arts7 min
Chinese calligraphy: the art of the brush and the breath
History and principles of Chinese calligraphy (shufa): the four treasures of the study, the five script styles, Wang Xizhi and the link between gesture, breath and beauty.
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Arts9 min
Japanese Stationery: A Culture of Detail and the Art of Writing
A deep dive into Japanese stationery: Midori, Hobonichi, Pilot, Tombow, washi and stationery lovers, a daily art of detail that has become a global cult.
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Arts10 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.
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Arts14 min
Pokémon: The Story of Japan's Greatest Pop Phenomenon
From Satoshi Tajiri's insect-hunting childhood to a planetary empire: the Pokémon saga, the highest-grossing franchise ever and icon of Japanese culture.
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