Animal Crossing may have become a global phenomenon when the latest game, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, was released on the Nintendo Switch, but this game franchise has its roots in Japan. The first game in the franchise, Dōubutsu no Mori, was released exclusively in Japan in 2002 on the Nintendo 64.
In order to be released worldwide, a lot of changes were made to the game in order to localize it and make it more appealing to a wider audience, meaning that a lot of holidays were added and some of the hyper-specific references to Japanese culture were adjusted. But there are still a ton of references to Japanese culture in the game series that many fans might have missed.
To see 10 references to Japanese culture in Animal Crossing, keep reading!
10 The Stalk Market
Each Sunday, Daisy Mae comes to a player's island to sell turnips which can then be re-sold to Timmy and Tommy, hopefully for a major profit. This has become known as the "stalk market," a play on the stock market, and has helped a ton of players to be able to afford to beautify their islands.
But, why turnips? In Japan, this is actually a clever pun that seems slightly confusing and random in translated versions of the game. In Japanese, the word for turnip is "kabu" which sounds exactly like the Japanese word for "stock."
9 Star Fragments
Celeste is a returning character from past Animal Crossing games that can give the player special DIY recipes that use star fragments. Star fragments appear on the beach the day after a meteor shower, after the player makes a wish on the shooting stars they see.
These star fragments look like colorful, pointy balls and are almost as nice to decorate with as the furniture that Celeste helps us to craft with them. These star fragments are designed to look like a Japanese sugar candy called Konpeito. Although Konpeito is tasty, these star fragments are not for eating!
8 Tom Nook
Tom Nook has had Animal Crossing players in debt for years. He always helps us to build our houses and now, his adorable proteges Timmy and Tommy run a store that sells us furniture to decorate our homes and islands.
Tom Nook is often called a raccoon by fans of the game franchise, but that's actually not the animal he is. Instead, he's a Japanese animal known as the tanuki, also called a "Japanese raccoon dog." In Japan, the reference is even more clear as Tom Nook's name is Tanukichi.
7 Kabuki
There are quite a few animal villagers in Animal Crossing that are references to Japanese culture. We all know the obvious ones like Zucker being a takoyaki or fried octopus ball, but Zucker isn't the only villager that's a reference to Japanese culture.
Kabuki is a cranky cat villager that has appeared in all the games in the franchise. Both Kabuki's name and his design are a reference to the traditional Japanese theater style of the same name.
6 Flashy Flower Sign
The "Flashy Flower Sign" is an item that can appear for sale in Timmy and Tommy's shop, Nook's Cranny. Although it may look a little ridiculous, it's actually a reference to a fairly common piece of decor in Japan.
This item is known in Japan as a "hanawa." Typically, hanawa are floral wreaths that are sent to people who are in mourning after losing a loved one, and they can be used as decor at funerals. Pretty dark for Timmy and Tommy to be selling, right?
5 Coco & The Gyroids
What is Coco? Fans of the Animal Crossing franchise might recognize this rabbit as a Gyroid, a mysterious decorative item that could be found in the ground after it rains. But, that still doesn't answer what exactly a Gyroid is.
In the Japanese versions of the game, Gyroids are called "haniwa." Haniwa are unglazed clay figures that were created during the Kofun period of ancient Japan. Haniwa come in a variety of different shapes, but some of them look a lot like the Gyroids that appeared in past Animal Crossing games!
4 Mail From Home
A central part of the Animal Crossing series has involved receiving mail from home. The player will often check their mailbox and have a letter from mom, including a special gift on certain holidays. These letters have even sparked theories among the fans about the idea that the player's character might be dead. Spooky!
But, something many people likely haven't considered is how often these letters come from mom, not dad. This is because in Japanese culture, the male head of the family is responsible for working hard and making money to care for their family, something that can leave them somewhat distant from their children. The fact that dad so rarely writes is a reference to this.
3 Crazy Redd
Redd is one of the special characters in the franchise. He's a fox that appears in the Animal Crossing games and sells famous works of art to the player. These works of art can then be donated to the museum... as long as they're real. We all know Redd is sneaky and often sells counterfeit paintings and sculptures, but how many people knew that Redd's sneaky side is actually a cultural reference?
Redd may appear to just be a fox, but he's no ordinary fox. In fact, Redd is based on the Japanese mythological creature the kitsune. According to Japanese folklore, the kitsune is a special kind of fox that is always pulling tricks on people.
2 The Tale Of Genji
Genji is another villager in the Animal Crossing franchise that is a reference to Japanese culture. Genji is a rabbit that looks totally different from other rabbits in the game and there's a good reason for it.
Both Genji's name and design are a reference to The Tale of Genji, a classic work of Japanese literature that was written sometime in the 11th century and is known for being one of the earliest works of literature ever written. Genji's features resemble the artwork that is often associated with this novel and his name speaks for itself.
1 Kapp'n's Boat Rides
Kapp'n is a character that has appeared in multiple Animal Crossing games, most notably in the Nintendo 3DS title Animal Crossing: New Leaf in which Kapp'n would take players on his boat to a vacation island where they could fish, play games, and get exclusive furniture. Based on Kapp'n's design, it's easy to assume he's a turtle, right?
Actually, no. In the Japanese versions of the game, Kapp'n goes by the name Kappa. Along with being the name of this character, a kappa is a demon found in traditional Japanese mythology. According to myths and legends about the kappa, they often trick people or children into coming to the water with them and the kappa then proceeds to drown them. That makes Kapp'n's boat rides a lot scarier!