Pop Culture6 min
One Piece: why this manga became a phenomenon
Twenty-eight years of serialisation, more than 500 million copies, a single author: what really explains the longevity and the grip of One Piece on pop culture.
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The Kotoba Interactive journal.
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Business & Tech6 min
Why K-pop works everywhere: the anatomy of an export
What actually explains K-pop's global success: public policy, YouTube, multinational line-ups, songwriting camps, fan platforms and the economics of the comeback.
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Society
67- K-beauty, J-beauty, C-beauty: three schools of skincare compared
- Xiangqi: Chinese chess, from the river to the scandal
- Korean baseball: the KBO and its culture of the stands
Traditions
35- Chinese legends: Chang'e, the cowherd and the others
- The Korean wedding: the pyebaek, the hall and the envelope
- Sumo: the rules, the rites and the banzuke hierarchy
Arts
34- Tatsuro Yamashita and Mariya Takeuchi, the city pop couple
- Studio Trigger, MAPPA, ufotable: the studios that matter
- Hayao Miyazaki: Biography and Work of a Master
Culture
32- The vertical format: how webtoons redrew Asian comics
- Donghua versus Japanese anime: styles, themes and markets compared
- Going to a sumo tournament in Tokyo: the practical guide
Recent entries
All entriespersonnalitechine
Lao Tzu (老子)
Legendary Chinese sage. Founding figure of Taoism, presumed author of Tao Te Ching.
1
personnalitejapon
Yasuke
First African samurai in history (16th century). Servant of Oda Nobunaga who became a legend.
3
gastronomiechine
Bubble Tea (Naicha)
Taiwanese drink that became a global phenomenon. Milk tea with tapioca pearls.
3
conceptchine
Confucianism
Chinese philosophy founded by Confucius. System of thought centered on ethics, rites and social relations.
2
conceptjapon
Cosplay
Art of dressing up as fictional characters. Culture born in Japan that became global.
1
studiojapon
Broccoli
Japanese entertainment company. Creator of franchises like Uta no Prince-sama and Galaxy Angel.
gastronomiecoree
Banchan
Korean side dishes served with main meal. Kimchi is the most famous.
1
conceptcoree
Nunchi
Korean art of social reading. Ability to perceive others' emotions and thoughts through subtle cues.
5
Lifestyle
All lifestyleFive ways in
The table, beauty and brands, festivals, screens, games. Each door opens on its entries, its articles and its lists.
Food & recipesRecipes to cook tonight, and the dishes that explain a culture.
Beauty & brandsSkincare houses, everyday retail names and cult stationery.
Festivals & seasonsWhat is being celebrated right now, and the calendar that decides it.
Screens & stagesAnime, manga, dramas, cinema, music, and the people behind them.
Video gamesThe franchises, the makers and the places where Asia plays.Asian kitchen
Authentic recipes from China, Japan and Korea, step by step.
Asian beauty
K-beauty, J-beauty, C-beauty: the brands that matter, explained.
The map
Browse Asia with a fingertip
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