Top 10 Things I Learnt About Japan Through Manga

Sometimes I'd get into conversations with my friend and occasionally when the topic of Japan comes up for some reason or another I'd spit out information like it was nobody's business. Most of the time they're taken aback, awed by my worldly knowledge but actually it's mostly donates from sitting at home and fawning hopelessly over 2D men.

Here are 10 interesting things I learnt about Japan and it's culture that you can't necessarily read from a textbook

1. Blood Type Horoscopes
   I was always curious why some mangaka would include blood type in character profiles along with height and name amoungst other things. They even made specialised condoms for each respective blood type. It really should be taken with a grain of salt but hey no harm in reading about it. It says that I'm the type to start but not finish thing, that I can agree on.
2. Cosplay Cafes
   Especially Meido (Maid) Cafes to satisfy some fetishes, no hanky panky allowed though. A good manga example is Kaichou Wa Maid-sama or to a lesser extent Himitsu no Ai Chan. They most commonly call customers "Master" and serve them with special messages on their omelets with ketchup. It's definitely on my bucket list along with visiting a butler cafe.
3. Seifuku
   Sailor Uniforms, what more can I say? Not a fan of the short skirts but I would just love to wear one one day and enter a Japanese school *_____*
4. Host Clubs
   Host Clubs are definetly an interesting concept in Japan and mangas like Ouran Highschool Host Club is an easy example. Though reading real life accounts of the franchise is actually quite depressing. The boys work all night and encourage their customers to purchase crap-quality alcohol at inflated prices only to drink until they need a liver transplant. The Hosts do get quite a hefty sum to simply accompany wealthy women but at a huge price. There's an interesting documentary on host clubs called The Great Happiness Space: Tale of an Osaka Love Thief. I haven't got around to watching yet but if you do comment below and tell me how it is.
5. Yakuza
   Aka Japanese Gangsters. Some interesting things they do are cut off their pinky finger and have massive tattoos and where suits all time with their posse (don't quote me on that). In shoujo they're usually used comedically but I doubt these guys are really that friendly in real life.
6. Love Hotels
   Houses in Japan are typically packed close together with thin walls so you can imagine the awkwardness of waking up in the morning and having your neighbours give you the wriggly eyebrows or the old lady giving you a disapproving scrowl. Well the solution is Love Hotels. They facilitate discrete love making, with no fuss and no hassle. In manga they are often played for laughs as the main couple take it to the next level unless you're reading ecchi of smut >>
7. Todai and Cram Schools
   Todai (not to confused with the restaurant) is shortened version of Tokyo University. There is a common theme, though not so prominent in shoujo, that education is the first and foremost and Tokyo University is where you have to be if you're gonna get anywhere. The Japanese approach to education seems rigorous compared to Western standards but these derive from cultural values  That's why they have cram schools everywhere to optimize their chances of getting into Todai and you often see manga characters going to cram schools (tutoring centres) though it doesn't look like they do much work.
8. Train (or Bus) Chikan (means grope)
   A common trope in shoujo is when the main female lead is on the train or bus and gets groped, usually by some shady businessman who doesn't know how to keep his business in his pants (ironically it's never the delinquent).  Though their seriously short school girl skirts don't help the situation while they're packed like a can of sardines on a busy train. But wait- the guy comes to save them. It's an overused trope but unfortunately this happens quite often to women commuters on trains. Japanese authorities had to resort to women only trains but this hasn't really solved the problem. "48.7 per cent of women over 20 years old had at least one experience of being groped" (source).
9. Yukata
   So I quickly learnt that yukata is what the Japanese commonly wear if they opt for traditional dress especially during the New Year Festival or just festivals in general that involve fireworks. I once saw two Japanese girls at New Years with Yukata and geta sandals, they were so kawaii.
10. Onigiri
    In the Western world, Sushi (or things that are called sushi but taste like crap) are the go to food but in Japan it's quite the opposite. Sushi is reserved for special occasions (maybe because it tastes way better there) and onigiri is the equivalent of the sandwich to us. Often packed with a bento, they frequent the lunches of our favourite manga characters.