So hopefully we all watch some anime and read some manga to understand that there are always some kind of reference to Japanese culture, from the kinds of houses the characters live in, how a Japanese family interacts within the household, how school life goes for those harem animes, or when the characters gather at a shrine on New Years etc. I know a lot of animes don't emphasize Japanese culture a lot like, say Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Galaxy Angel, Trigun, Utawarerumono and a few others that I've watched where the setting is on say a different planet or it's really far into the future. But for those animes that do heavily use Japanese culture and lifestyle to tell their stories, how accurately is it reflected in anime and manga?

I can say from watching animes that I've learned a few Japanese phrases. I have a pretty good idea of how a Japanese school would look like, but do the culture and sports fest really exist like they do in anime as they do in reality? A more controversial example is how Japan is more lax when it comes to dating your cousin - we see it a lot in harem shows where one guy has a ton of girls to pick from and one of them may be their cousin or sometimes their sister, related or not. Is that really happening in Japanese life or is that all fantasy? A more specific culture in Japan is street racing reflected in animes like Initial D and Wangan Midnight.

So what do you guys think? Is anime and manga really a good medium to learn some aspects of Japanese culture from? Or do you have to travel to Japan to see the real deal?

Longbow

So what do you guys think? Is anime and manga really a good medium to learn some aspects of Japanese culture from? Or do you have to travel to Japan to see the real deal?

You probably have to be there to fully appreciate the culture. Just seeing it in some tv program/anime/whatever does not make it true. Not all of Japanese culture is depicted accurately in these shows in most cases, they just show what's usually acceptable to the Japanese people.

Well i guess a bit of both. Like the way the anime character speaks, where they live, the food (you can't forget about the food lol), sometimes even the festivels as well i do think that it is like that in Japan and stuff. Oh and the school, i think what they do in the anime would be the same in Japan, i think the uniform would be about the same right?

I also think however that you have to go to Japan to see the real deal. Like how the people interact what is accepted what isn't.

Yeah, my answer is that whats in the Anime would also happen in Japan, but i also think you should go to Japan to experience everything firsthand. ^^

Clearly I can't speak from firsthand knowledge of Japan, but anime and manga do give some cultural insight; you just have to be careful what you take as true and use other sources for information as well.

I agree that there are some differences from what we see in anime and real life.But in Japanese schoolc,every student wear the uniform,use the same bag and wear the same shoe while they are in school.I saw it in a newspaper article sometime ago.As for the food,long live sushi and udon!

Always wondered why anime always have these girls that are well proportioned with a big bust and nice butt, but have them around the age of 14. Is there something with Japanese animator or culture to have them that young?

I don't think so. Well, perhaps some anime has an accurate depiction into Japanese culture, but most are exaggerated. I believe that direct interaction to the culture is a more acceptable and efficient way to understand it. Much like holywood movie where most scenes were dramatized and tend to stray from the reality.

I lived and worked in Japan for a year and It's a really hard question to answer, and a lot of it depends on what you're reading / watching obviously. (I never saw any tantacle monsters over there). Certainly the architecture is represented pretty accurately. Schools out of things like Project A-ko and Vampire Princess Miyu look exactly like the real thing. (And yes, that's what their school bells sound like. Bloody Hell they can get annoying). And even some of the futuristic things can be a lot like what they really have. Our nearest major shopping area looked a lot like the multy-layered malls they had in Akira just on a smaller scale.

A couple of subtle things come to mind. First, you see a lot of people getting slapped in animes, and I must say, I would have seen more people getting slapped the year I spent in Tokyo than the 31 years I've spent in Australia. Not sure whether they're more tolerant of it or not, but they certainly do it a lot more. And they are really big on their before / after school activities. I used to have 13 year old kids falling asleep in my class because they averaged about four hours sleep a night. As for street racing, rubbish. The Japanese are the most careful drivers I have ever seen. I saw one bit of reckless driving the whole time I was there and that was some try-hard gangster on a scooter being chased by a cop on a scooter. It was so cute.

Like the Americans and Hollywood there are a lot of basic cultural values written in, but there are also a lot of desired values that they don't really posess. I'll come back and write about this when I think of some good examples. One other thing will say though is they are pretty good at making strange little comments about their country. Like the bit in Ghibli's Pom Poko where the animals first start practicing walking around in human form and they explain that to keep it up they have to drink lots of energy drinks. If you go to practically any train station in Japan you'll find a vending machine selling these tiny little bottles of highly caffeinated drinks that range from about 5 to 50 dollars US. I used to wonder "who on earth would buy these things?" Takahata played with this idea so well. The machines are only there for animals that are posing as human beings. Whenever I was waiting for a train I used to watch these machines hoping to see one buying a drink. Sadly I never did :(

Well, since it's origins reflects the mind of the author then i guess it's closely accurate to the cultures of japanese because that was their first hand experience in life by which they founded the concept for the story of each and every anime. but the reaction of the characters, the people and the way of living can also be applicable to other cultures. perception is somehow linked to the other culture simply put it that the belief for good or bad and mostly universal.

the japanses culture presented in the anime are the signature of its creation. hence, we admire such culture though in some means, their way of life can also be seen bluntly in each society.

you could say that it is an elaboration of their present life, mixed with their history as well as their fantasy that has yet to be realized.

Is anime and manga really a good medium to learn some aspects of Japanese culture from?

NO, manga and anime is intended for entertainment, not education. Oh I'm sure some things are reflected in manga and anime about Japanese culture but you really gotta take it with a grain of salt. If you're really interested in learning about Japanese culture, research, read a book, take a sociology class, plenty of websites about japanese culture to take a look at, and perhaps visit Japan.

I think theres a few mangas and anime that make fun of foreigners whose base knowledge of Japan came from manga/anime/samurai films.

Just like any other form of entertainment that comes from the media, the content is to appeal to the tastes of the viewers who are most likely to watch it. Yes, it is necessary that it has cultural elements so the people can easily understand the contexts of the story. Now, for example, considering that a lot of the viewers are males, it just makes sense to increase the bust size and decrease the skirt length of high school girls. And why not? instead of making them be shy, showing some of them (not all, since there are people who like shy cute girls) as eechi or with pervy behaviors would add more points of audience...because thats what it is liked.

So, in other words, shows have what is going to be appealing even if it is necessary to sacrifice some reality from it to achieve that purpose. And besides, we all know very well that USA is not as it is portrayed in many americans shows. I would bet that the same happens in most countries.

Don't be confused about what you see in anime and in real life. Anime is anime and real life is real life. That's all there is to it. Anime is for entertainment, not a tourist guide. It only tells you ideas, not the entire content. If you want to know about Japan, either go there or research about it.

Well,I think it is reflected in Japanese tv drama but not anime...

Japanese school life in anime make it seem like Japanese high schools are always full with fun. I guess this can be true depending on which school you go to and how active you are in the school, but it also includes alot of studying. There are entrance exams you have to take in Japan to get into high school and college.
But overall I think stuff like "gakushoku" (cafeteria), "bukatsu" (clubs), and the school buildings itself are pretty accurate. Although I do wish "gakuran" (school uniforms) were as elaborate like the ones in anime lol.
IMO Manga/Anime reflect Japanese life/culture alot more accurately than Hollywood movies.

@tsunderemoe: either that, or the high school is a breeding stew for gangs and bullies.