Hikikomori in Japan By Allan Goh Cher Wei, Andre Lim Yu Xuan, Bharathi Mohan Bharkavi, and Clarissa Phua Yan Ting Introduction Hikikomori is defined as a severe form of social withdrawal where one retracts from society and seeks extreme degrees of confinement and isolation. The term applies to both the action of shutting oneself in,… More Hikikomori

Akihabara’s “Wacky” Maid Cafés Debunked By Amelia Lee, Andrew Lim, Chen Yiyang, Chua Liangwei Introduction As Wagenaar contends, owing to the prejudiced nature of Orientalism, the West perpetuates the fallacious assumption that bizarre phenomena like maid cafés are products of Japan’s inherent “wackiness” (2016, 50). This misguided stereotype will be debunked through a comprehensive appreciation… More Maid Cafés

Understanding Japan’s Two-Dimensional Love Phenomena By Charlotte Teng Li Hui, Gooi Jin Wah Darren, Kum Shan Ning, Nicolette, and Michelle Phua Kah Hwee  Introduction In Wagenaar’s model of “Wacky Orientalism”, he describes a, at times malicious, relegation of Japan to an odd spectacle while the West establishes itself as the “norm” (Wagenaar 2016, 46-52). One of… More Two-Dimensional Love

Derailing Wacky Orientalism: A New Perspective on Oshiya By Jerald Tan Jen Rong, Aloysius Ow Keng Hean, Brandon Ow Chong Hiang, Mohamad Matin Bin Mohamad, and Ang Wan Fang, Dawn Japanese transport is renowned globally for its efficiency, with trains running to the exact second. Not long ago, in 2017, a Tokyo train company even apologised when… More Oshiya 

Foreign Culture in Japanese Commercials By Wang Lei, Timothy Yee Bing Lun, Sun Shuwei, Hannah Neo, and Vivian Chang Many Japanese commercials have been perceived by Westerners as weird. One reason is the presence of seemingly irrelevant foreign elements (e.g. people or language) in some. The continued existence of such one-sided portrayals in the West… More Commercials