From manga and anime to movies, magazines, video games, advertising and music, Japanese schoolgirls are everywhere.

For years, schoolgirls have shown up in internationally popular anime such as Sailor MoonThe Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, and Blood: The Last Vampire. Films such as Battle Royale inspired Quentin Tarantino to include a fighting schoolgirl in Kill Bill; and recently, Rinko Kikuchi received an Oscar nomination for her role as a schoolgirl in the film Babel.

There are schoolgirl characters in video games such as Street Fighter. And the “Japanese Schoolgirl Watch” column in Wired magazine has long kept an eye on the trends emerging among these stylish teens. In effect, the Japanese schoolgirl has all but replaced the “geisha-girl” as Japan’s new female icon.

This is a “must have” for any serious Japanophile, anime otaku, or fan of Japanese school girls.

If you’ve ever wondered about the origins of the sailor suit uniform, or are fascinated with the power these teenagers hold over the Japanese economy, this book is for you.

Japanese Schoolgirl Confidential: How Teenage Girls Made a Nation Cool

Bleach episode 285, news from Japan, and an amazing kid plays guitar with Ozzy Osborne on this week’s episode.

Japancast HD Video Episode 013 from Hitomi Griswold on Vimeo.

Links to items mentioned in this episode:

Perfect Blue

Paprika

Satoshi Kon’s last words (Japanese)

English Translation

The Exquisite Short Films of Kihachiro Kawamoto (1968-1979)

The Book of the Dead (Kihachiro Kawamoto)

The last K-On! we’ll cover, Japan’s self defense, high school festivals, and bad kanji tattoos.

Japancast Video Episode 012 – Learn Japanese @ Japancast.net from Hitomi Griswold on Vimeo.

In this episode: self mummification, cutting off your finger for the one you love, PLUS – submit your questions for anime director Michael Arias!

Japancast Video Episode 011 – Learn Japanese @ Japancast.net from Hitomi Griswold on Vimeo.

K-On! again. This week is a short episode, but we have a huge announcement. Anime director Michael Arias has agreed to do an interview. Make sure to watch this episode and then submit your questions. This is a rare opportunity to find out what it takes to work in the anime industry in Japan.

Japancast Video Episode 010 – Learn Japanese @ Japancast.net from Hitomi Griswold on Vimeo.

Lots of vocabulary words, listening comprehension for intermediate students, more K-On!, and our first video question.

Please make sure to tweet: @Japancast – Learning Japanese with Japancast’s HD videos now!

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Japancast Video Episode 9 – Learn Japanese @ Japancast.net from Hitomi Griswold on Vimeo.

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This week – don’t say constipated when you mean beautiful! We continue learning from K-On! And a new sponsor…

Click “Japancast Facebook” at the top of the page to join our new Facebook page!

Japancast Video Episode 008 – Learn Japanese @ Japancast.net from Hitomi Griswold on Vimeo.

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K-On!, plus the biggest tuna in Japan, and we talk about Japanese etiquette.

Japancast Video Episode 007 – Learn Japanese @ Japancast.net from Hitomi Griswold on Vimeo.

Remember – to subscribe to the Japancast.net HD video feed in  iTunes, just CLICK HERE.

If you are interested in subscribing to the audio-only feed, it can be found here:

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In this episode: What’s up with the swastikas in Japan?

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I just came across this site via Cartoon Brew.  It’s simply amazing.  Take your lunch break and spend some time watching some of these – it’s a great look into the history of Japanese advertising.

http://www.documentshowa.jp/

From Cartoon Brew:

Here’s one for the history buffs: a link to a fascinating online archive of fifty vintage Japanese animated commercials.

This site is part of an on-line exhibition showcasing domestic life in Japan during the “Showa” period (the Hirohito era, 1926-89). Japan’s Research Institute for Digital Media and Content (DMC Institute) digitized of a large collection of TV advertisements obtained from the Momoya Co., a leading food company. The collection consists of 218 animated TV spots that date back to 1953. Of the 50 pieces posted on-line, the earliest one was produced in 1958. These provide a glimpse at a rarely discussed early phase of anime history

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