I need help on this puzzle, but I do not want an answer. Instead I would like better hints. Got any good hints?

With 81 steps, this is a difficult puzzle to give hints for

You may find it useful to glance at one of the mid point pictures in the walkthrough to give you an idea of what you should be aiming for (such as trying to get all the blue blocks to the left)

http://professorlaytonwalkthrough.blogspot.com/2008/02/puzzle135.html

I solved it finally and have now completed all 135 puzzles.

Also, thanks for link. I was very interested to see how it was done in 81 moves. I did it in like 350 moves in 6 minutes.

Just wondering, what does the hint "In japan, these types of puzzles have been around for hundreds of years." exactly mean?

It means just what it says

Quite a few of the Layton puzzles are old or common puzzles

These old sliding puzzles are more commonly presented vertically and the 135 puzzle is perhaps the most common of these

On a side note, this continues into the Diabolical Box with puzzles such as Peg Solitaire (invented in the 1600s), Tower of Hanoi (invented in 1883) and Knight's Tour (dating from around the 9th century)