By: TCO The world’s favorite kitty-cat, Hello Kitty, has turned 40 this year (sorry, but I’m not buying the whole “Hello Kitty is not a cat” thing). Hello Kitty first appeared in Japan in 1974 on a vinyl coin purse. Since then she has appeared on more merchandise that one would think humanly possible. (I’m […]
Tag Archives: Japanese
September 12
Cross-Dressing in Anime and Manga
posted by terraolsen
By: Leah Zoller and Kathryn Hemmann [A version of this series was originally given as the panel “Cross-Dressing for Fun and Profit” at Sakura-Con in Seattle on April 19, 2014, and was also published on the blog Contemporary Japanese Literature.] This past April, the ever-amazing Leah of The Lobster Dance and I gave a panel on […]
March 14
Featured Kickstarter: Amy’s Mochi
posted by terraolsen
Featured Kickstarter: Amy’s Mochi By: Meg Humphrey Amy Eam is a Seattleite with a passion for mochi. “What’s mochi?” you might ask! Mochi is a Japanese treat made of glutinous rice that is pounded into a paste and then shaped (usually into balls). Although mochi by itself is more on the savory side (since it […]
March 05
History Lessons from the Tokugawa Matriarchy
posted by terraolsen
History Lessons from the Tokugawa Matriarchy: Ôoku: The Inner Chambers By: Leah Zoller In 1716, Tokugawa Yoshimune, the great-granddaughter of the first Tokugawa shogun, become shogun herself, despite being the third daughter of a branch family and having a low-ranking concubine as a father. During her reign as Shogun, Yoshimune enacted a number of reforms, […]
December 28
Nerd Guy of the Month
posted by terraolsen
Meet Rob, a Language Nerd Interview by Terra Olsen What are you nerdy for? This is a tough question. I am definitely a nerd, but although almost everything I do and like is nerdy, I’m not quite as into it as the people who are REALLY into it. I love board games, from Monopoly […]
November 28
Takaya Natsuki’s Fruits Basket
posted by terraolsen
~*~Shoujo Manga Maniac~*~: Takaya Natsuki’s Fruits Basket By: Meg Humphrey Let me preface this first installment of Shoujo Manga Maniac (I foresee more in the future as I spend too much of my time on scanlation websites) with the fact that I’m a manga (Japanese comics) nut. I have a fondness for anime, but it […]