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Manga Meets Traditional Culture

Comics About Calligraphy and Tea Ceremony Prove Popular
In the past few years, a series of manga about school students enjoying traditional pastimes such as the tea ceremony and calligraphy as part of their extracurricular activities have become bestsellers, and more young people are becoming interested in traditional pursuits as a result.

Location, Location, Location

The Games That Get Phone Users Moving
An increasing number of mobile phone users are becoming avid players of ichige ("location games"), a type of online game that utilizes location data provided through their phones' GPS function.

Manga Milestones

Two trailblazers in the world of Japanese manga magazines celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their inaugural issues in March 2009. Weekly Shonen Magazine, published by Kodansha Ltd., and Weekly Shonen Sunday, from Shogakukan Inc., have both produced a vast number of hit manga series.

The Kawaii Ambassadors (Ambassadors of Cuteness)

To deepen understanding of Japan among young people around the globe, three young Japanese leaders have been appointed as Kawaii Taishi ("Ambassadors of Cuteness"). The role of the three ambassadors, each a leading figure in a particular genre of fashion, is to represent Japan's vibrant popular culture overseas.

"Cool Japan" Takes Hollywood by Storm

Hollywood is the latest place to experience the worldwide boom in Japanese pop culture. Studio executives in America's movie-making capital cannot get enough of the manga, anime, and video games for which "Cool Japan" is famous.

Mascots Making Waves

Local governments and other organizations are increasingly turning to mascot characters to boost regional development. Certain of these beloved yuru kyara (literally "loose characters") are even transcending their home regions to become popular nationwide.

"Element Girls" Bring Chemistry to Life

The Element Girls, 118 female cartoon characters based on the building blocks of all matter, are gaining fans among a wide range of readers in Japan, including people who do not consider themselves scientifically minded. The Element Girls are the stars of a dictionary of the periodic table.

Tokyo Character Street

Tokyo Character Street opened in March 2008 and has since served as a center for people who want to buy goods featuring characters from anime and other forms of pop culture. A total of 15 shops operate there, including TV networks' shops, an Ultraman shop, and a Snoopy store.

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