Pop Culture9 min
Seiyu: Japan's Voice Actors Who Become Stars
In Japan, seiyu (声優) dub anime and sell out stadiums. The history, schools, salaries and figures of a craft that turned into an idol machine.
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JournalJapan Japan
Japan
Japan
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.
6 articles
Culture6 min
Kit Kat in Japan: the limited-edition frenzy
How a British chocolate bar became a Japanese cultural phenomenon. More than 400 flavours, a good-luck charm for exams, and regional limited editions.
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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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Society11 min
Otome Games: Japan Reinvents the Love Story
From Angelique's 1994 debut to global hits like Hakuōki and Uta no Prince-sama, discover how otome games became a billion-yen industry and a worldwide cultural phenomenon.
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