No you're not reading the title wrong, it makes sense in context.
I went to a Japanese Culture convention a couple of days ago and wandered what anime truly represent Japanese Culture?
This list features ten such anime along with their subject matters to better describe what I'm talking about.
10. Sports - Initial D
It was a choice between numerous sports titles such as Eyeshield, Hajime no Ippo, Slam Dunk, Captain Tsubasa & Princess Nine, and Bamboo Blade came really close but nothing is more Japanese than illegal street racing with modified cars. This series is coming to an end real soon.
9. Advertising - Nurse Witch Komugi
Tiger & Bunny originally came to mind but the concept of that show is more American than Japanese so we come to spin-off show Nurse Witch Komugi, where idols perform as marketing models for various companies, it seemed to also work as an advertisement for Tatsunoko as a whole.
8. Business - Salaryman Kintaro
Goldenboy was considered, but Salaryman Kintaro is more business based. It's about a former fisherman turned Salaryman which is another term for a businessman, in order to fulfill a wish for his departed wife. The business world in Japan is surreal to an outsider, most Western societies wouldn't be able to cope.
7. Cosplay - Cosplay Complex
I would never choose Comic Party so Cosplay Complex is the next best thing. To name all the anime references in this show is an achievement in itself.
6. History & Martial Arts - Rurouni Kenshin
It was really tough to choose between so many martial arts anime, but I think the best one has to be Rurouni Kenshin. The Samurai is a good choice warrior & the Meiji era is often seen as more popular in terms of writing than other eras. It should've been Sengoku Basara but said show is far too over the top.
5. Folklore - Inuyasha
A strange choice but nevertheless, Inuyasha plays with more Folklore than most anime, playing on numerous Folklore tales using Rumiko Takahashi's signature styles.
4. School - Azumanga Daioh
Again there are many school titles but Azumanga Daioh trumps them all thanks to ADVFilms guide to the Japanese references, I learned more about Japan in this series than any other.
3. Gaming - World God Only Knows
Okay he does nothing but play dating sims, but Keima is still a gaming genius when you consider what he owns in hardware, plus it's the only video game anime to actually play by Gaming logic.
2. Sentai - Ultraman
The only one on this list to be more popular live action than anime. Ultraman is the obvious choice when it comes to Sentai, more so than other classic mecha series or homages to Ultraman itself, out of all the giants that have walked the streets of Tokyo, Ultraman stands on the same level as Godzilla.
1. Japan Official Mascot - Doraemon
But who should represent Japan as a whole? Pikachu? Hello Kitty? Hetalia's Japan? Hatsune Miku? (We can only hope) Anpanman? (Getting warmer) None of those, it's Doraemon; made in the late 60s, Doraemon is Japan's national cartoon, no other series can claim that title nor can it's closest opposition steal it from them. Very few cartoons in this world can claim the same title as Doraemon, what makes it even more amazing is that it hasn't been tainted by modernization, nothing has changed from it's core structure for nearly 45 years.
