Like this post? Help us by sharing it! The face mask has become a more defining feature of everyday life in the last few months than any of us in the West expected. Though it’s now a visible reminder of the coronavirus pandemic, in Japan they’ve been commonplace in hay fever season or as winter […]
Culture & History
Calm by Design: Bringing a Japanese garden home
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! For many people, one of the major attractions of a trip to Japan is the chance to visit some of its world-famous gardens and experience the visual beauty and tranquility they encapsulate. Over the last century and a half, beginning with Japan’s opening, the style has taken […]
Paper Screens
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! I have met thousands of travellers to Japan over the years and one thing that is routinely commented on is how peaceful, organised, quiet, clean and just generally calm people are in Japan. Whether getting stuffed into a crowded rush-hour train, waiting 90 minutes for a bowl […]
Shinto and Buddhist Influences on Anime and Manga – Part II
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Part II I’ve described how Japanese religions have made an impression on the country’s main media export: manga and anime. References to Japanese religion and folklore often appear in media as tropes, storytelling devices for describing situations the creator can assume the audience will recognize. In Part I we examined Shinto and natural […]
Shinto and Buddhist Influences on Anime and Manga – Part I
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No-face, Chihiro and Zeniba from 'Spirited Away' (image courtesy of Studio Ghibli & Studio Canal)
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Part I Just as Christian symbolism and references have made their way into popular media worldwide, Japanese religions have also made an impression on the country’s main media export: manga and anime. References to Japanese religion and folklore often appear in media as tropes, which the website TV […]
Finding Japanese Calm
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Current Tokyo resident, ex-Kyoto university student, martial-arts practitioner and Buddhism scholar, InsideJapan’s own Thomas Siebert went headfirst into his adopted Japan. Delving into his background and knowledge, he gives us a little overview of Buddhism and Shintoism, how they help him and can help you find ‘calm’. […]
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Current Tokyo resident, ex-Kyoto university student, martial-arts practitioner and Buddhism scholar, InsideJapan’s own Thomas Siebert went headfirst into his adopted Japan. Delving into his background and knowledge, he gives us a little overview of Buddhism and Shintoism, how they help him and can help you find ‘calm’. […]