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.

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2 articles

Japan

Pièce traditionnelle japonaise en tatami, vide et silencieuse, évoquant le retrait social et la réclusion chez soi propre au hikikomori.

Society8 min

Hikikomori: The Social Withdrawal That Is Ageing With Japan

Hikikomori, the prolonged social withdrawal born in Japan, is no longer a teenage affair: it is ageing, becoming chronic, and unsettling an entire society.

July 18, 2026Read

Japan

Salle de classe d'une école élémentaire japonaise avec ses pupitres alignés, à l'école primaire Hitane.

Society13 min

Juken, bukatsu, randoseru: the Japanese school system explained

The 6-3-3-4 structure, the satchel that lasts six years, the compulsory club that eats the evenings, and juken, the exam war that sometimes starts very early.

June 4, 2026Read