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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3 articles

Korea

Une membre du girl group MyB fait le geste du « finger heart » (손하트), symbole de l'aegyo, le charme mignon si prisé de la culture pop coréenne.

Society11 min

Aegyo: The Korean Art of Performed Cuteness

Baby voice, finger heart, buing buing: aegyo is a Korean relational language. Origins, repertoire, the gender debate, and its Asian cousins decoded.

July 24, 2026Read

Japan

Mur de distributeurs de gachapon colorés alignés dans une gare d'Akihabara à Tōkyō.

Society12 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.

May 10, 2026Read

Japan

Le parc Sanrio Puroland, dédié à Hello Kitty et aux personnages de la marque.

Society10 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.

March 6, 2026Read