Random Japanese Lesson

Random nihongo lesson! There's a category of four-syllable (four kana) word used here that are so pregnant with meaning they boggle the mind, and I enjoyed learning them because they are so different from anything we have in English. One such word in this group is sekkaku (seh-KAH-koo), which carries the implication of having gone to great trouble to do something, e.g. sekkaku dakara, yukkuri tabemasho ("because we've gone to all the trouble already, let's take our time eating it"). Another fun word is yappari (yah-PAH-ree), which means "just as I thought" or "as I expected" or "Aha! I knew you'd be here trying to peek into the girl's bath!" When you learn something that surprises you, you might use the phrase naruhodo (nah-roo-hoh-doh), which can be translated as "wow, I didn't know that" or "I see your point." Finally there's tonikaku (TOH-ni-kah-koo), which just means "at any rate" "regardless of that fact" or just "anyway." When my bilingual son was growing up, he got confused and accidentally combined English and Japanese create the hybrid word toni-way (tonikaku + anyway), which has been a running joke in our family ever since.

My son, who is in high school now, looks just like Keima from The World God Only Knows.

The Needs of the Many, in Japan

There are many good things about living in Japan. It's a safe country, and you'll never experience fear here, except perhaps fear of making a mistake while ordering mango juice from a pretty waitress. Public transportation is excellent, too, and being able to take a train home after a night of drinking with friends is very convenient. Still, because Japan is such a homogeneous place, with 97% of people believing they come from the same genetic stock for reasons of social convenience, the needs of the many often eclipse the needs of the few. The vegetarian lifestyle is one example of a minority way of thinking that just isn't well understood in Japan -- one food blog I happened across had a recipe for a vegetarian wrap and advised readers to add some bacon or shrimp to make it even better. People are much more understanding of left-handedness today, but this may not have been the case in previous eras, as parents felt pressure to make sure their children wrote with the same hand as everyone else. (Fun aside: Minmei's song "My Boyfriend is a Pilot" from Macross is a parody of a song called "My Boyfriend is Left-Handed.") It's not that the Japanese are insensitive jerks that don't care about other groups. To my mind, the problem lies with the word joshiki, literally meaning "common sense," the knowledge, beliefs and values that are shared in a society. In general people possessing similar knowledge and values is a good thing, but it can be carried too far, like the way most Japanese consider "normal" milk to be the 4.3% milkfat kind, and wonder why anyone would drink anything else.

Other groups that will face difficulty are diabetics (do you know how many foods in Japan are bad for you guys?) and people who can't drink caffeine (hard to find decaf tea or coffee). Oh, and gaijin ^_^

The Japanese often don't "get" minority points of view.

Japan Summer 2011: Watermelon Ice Cream Edition

Summer has come to Japan, which means doing fun things like attending festivals, shooting off fireworks with the kids, drinking mugi-cha (Japanese roasted barley tea), and lounging around the house in my jinbei summer kimono while keeping mosquitoes away with Japanese mosquito coils. One of my favorite things about summer here is being able to eat those Suika Bars, a delicious watermelon-flavored ice cream bar complete with chocolate "seeds" -- yum. This summer is unlike any other because Japan is still dealing with the aftermath of the devastating earthquake and tsunamis of three months ago. Everyone in the TEPCO service area (from Tokyo northward) is bending over backwards to save electricity, keeping lights dimmed in stores and the temperature in public buildings set no lower than 28 degrees C (82 degrees F), and encouraging employees to dress in light, casual wear called Super Cool Biz.

I love watermelon ice cream in the summer.

J-List Points are Online Now

The new J-List Points system is off to a great start, and our customers have already begun accumulating points by purchasing awesome products from our website. Before we launched the program we got a lot of useful feedback from our customers, and we think you'll look all the cool benefits. Here's how it works:

• You get points for all products you purchase through J-List, including promotions on certain products. For example, to celebrate the program's launch we're giving bonus J-List points when you buy bento boxes, anime figures, English-translated "H" dating-sim games, and all DVDs & Blu-ray discs this month.
• You can use them any time, for example with your next purchase -- no delays or minimums. Or if you like, save up 5,000 or 12,000 points to get an upgrade to $10 or $25 worth of points!
• Points are attached to a J-List account, so they don't work with "guest checkout." Also, please use points in your account within a year.

What cool things will you buy with your J-List points?

Cool Products Friday, June 24, 2011

Here are today's "really cool products" that I've picked out for you, out of the 30+ new items we've added to the J-List and JBOX.com sites today. Note that some products may be "not safe for work" but that all links will allow you to redirect yourself either to the J-List or JBOX.com websites. To see all the J-List products, check out J-List or the JBOX.com updated products link.

	Highschool of the Dead TV Animation Complete File Artbook When Japan gives us its take on the Zombie Holocaust, you know cute moe female characters are going to be involved...and you won't be disappointed. Enjoy this fabulous artbook, just released! View products »
	Figure Maniacs Otomegumi vol. 43 2011 Some people like to buy figures, and others like to build them. Thanks to Figure Manics they can both agree on one thing, this magazine is great.
	Bishoujo Figure Hakusho 2011 Another outstanding book for anime figure collectors, this documents the best releases of the past year. The perfect record of anime figure awesomeness.
	Angel Beats, Miss Marvel Figures In Stock We've got two new figures in stock today, a new Shunya Yamashita offerings and the very cute Kanade from Angel Beats!
	Fairy Tail 3D Oppai Mouse Pads Japan is the world's leading producer of oppai mouse pads, and we love it. These new ones feature characters from Fairy Tail.
	Solar Sunshine Buddies Are Back! Kawaii! We're happy to report that the Hidamari no Tami solar powered relaxation toys are back! We feel more relaxed already.
	K-On! Sound Egg Set of 6 Take the undeniably cute voices of your favorite characters from K-On! with you everywhere you go with these cute sound eggs.
	Preorder Anime Products In Stock Got some cool products in stock, incl. the Disgaea coffee cup and One Piece Yellow Submarine.
	KERA Aug 2011 vol. 156 The top source of information on street fashions in Harajuku/Shibuya. The pictures are a visual treat, with something awesome on every page.
	3 x Summer Tops Set Japanese girls know how to dress in the summer, to keep cool outside and comfortable inside, and this tops set is very kawaii.
	Stripe Panty and Half Top set Fans of Hatsu Miku will enjoy these cool green shimapan we just got in stock. Comes with a matching half-top for summer fun.
	More Anime iPhone Cases See even more iPhone 4 cases that will have you saying moe moe kyun! OreImo, Madoka, Evangelion and more. Which will you choose?
	Poddities iPhone 4 Money Clip Here's a great idea from Poddities: a sturdy clip that screws into your phone, allowing you to hold money, cards and other items, and secure the phone.
	Poddities iPhone 4 Bike Mount And for you biking fans -- use your iPhone as a street navigator worry-free! Compatible with the company's Japanese strap adapters.
	Rewrite ~ Special Edition Years in the making, the new flagship release from Visual Arts brand Key -- the folks who brought you Kanon, Air, Clannad, and Little Busters -- is here! Join some of the best writers in the visual novel world on a journey of daily life that leads to fantastic mysteries, romance and revelations in a town where the green grows wild. On sale today in a gorgeous special edition package! Note that this is the Japanese import version of the game. View products »
	Restocked DS Anime Games The legendary Love Plus and its sequel are restocked at their new lower prices. Also, the wonderful Kimi ni Todoke.
	Study Japanese with your Nintendo DX Then, you can learn Japanese with your Nintendo DS! We're restocked several fun games that can help you get started.
	One Piece B5 Craft Notebook Take your One Piece fandom to school with this special Japan-only notebooks. Very cute and perfect for all your studies.
	Restocked Anime Magazines We've restocked several popular moe magazines, including the new Comptiq which sold out in record time. Also, Yuri Hime for yuri lovers!
	Rilakkuma Silicon Cooking Mold, More You love him, we love him, so we've stocked Rilakkuma cooking molds so everyone can make kawaii pancakes and more.
	Today's Awesome Totoro & Ghibli Items Also: enjoy the Totoro Dondoko Odori light that just came in, a fun way to bring the organic warmth of Totoro to any room.
	Microwave Potato Chip Maker? Then: Why buy store-bought potato chips when you can make your own at home, using this wacky microwave potato chip maker from Japan? Restocked today.
	Japanese Barley Tea - Mugi Cha Another great way to make summer special is by drinking mugi cha, the barley tea that all Japanese love to drink. Very healthy! Makes 32 liters of cold tea.
	Today's Delicious New Japanese Snacks A fun lineup of new Japanese snacks for you today, including authentic Japanese Doritos chips in Mix Vegetable and Consomme flavor. Also enjoy "Kiss Mint," the gum that will make you ready for kissing, plus UHA Puccho Ball. View products »
	Anime Gift Snacks Restocked We've restocked several of the items on our "Anime & Gift Snacks" page, incl. K-On! Manju cakes, Akihabara Bunny Shrine Green Tea Cakes and more.
	Fun Snacks Restocked, Too Traditional Bontan Ame candy, FritoLay Japan Takoyaki snacks (??), Pokemon Gummies, Thin Tomato Pretz and Tyrant Habanero!
	Popular Bento Boxes Restocked We've got a nice selection of bento boxes, newly restocked and ready to ship. From traditional to hen (weird), check them out.
	Microwave Petit Taiyaki Maker Make your own miniature fish-shaped pastries in the microwave with this awesome kit. A great party idea from Japan.
	ZEROHARI Paper Stitcher, Secure Stamper We always have fun stationery products from Japan. See the ZeroHari magic stapler, Secure Stamper for hiding personal info, and more.
	Cool Products for your Home Charcoal that removes odors, fizzing BUB, sakura clothes pins, your home will become a Japanese shrine of cleanliness with these.
	Awesome Japanese Ear Cleaners Restocked You haven't experienced joy until you've tried the traditional Japanese mimikaki ear cleaners. Several styles restocked, incl. Ninja!
	KATORI-BUTA ~ Ceramic Mosquito Coil Server Pig Shaped What's incredibly cute and holds a Japanese mosquito coil for you? Katori-Buta, that's who! This iconic product has been restocked just for summer.
	Homura Akemi 1/10 Figure Beach Queen *Preorder* Beach Queens' Homura from Puella Magi Madoka Magica is ready for pre-order. She's all ready to gawk at Madoka-chan.
	Homura Akemi Nendoroid Figure *Preorder* Also: the upcoming Homura Nendoroid is a treat, as it comes with many parts including "Meganekko Homura"!! Homu homu!
	Dengeki G's Festival Comic ~ August 2011 Fans of moe-tastic girls all agree that Festival Comic never disappoints. Loaded with great ero content, plus a free dakimakura pillow!
	New Ecchi Artbooks Restocked Enjoy the most gorgeous artbooks from Japan, including the restocked Azalea Floating offering from illustrator Risa Miyasu.
	Ona Star mini! ~ Lucky Star Parody Toys Here's a fun new parody onahole toy series that lets you get close and personal to your favorite Lucky Star character. Which girl will you choose?
	Amazing Restocked Onahole Toys Whether you prefer realistic toys based on JAV stars or ones from kawaii anime parodies, we've got we've got a great lineup of toys restocked.
	White ~ blanche comme la lune Nekoneko-soft's newest eroge is here, full of bishoujo goodness. Bring women, trapped on a Victorian-era island, back to modern society.
	Yukkuri Panic: Escalation Golden Master! The hottest yuri game in years is shipping next week, but you can still order it for free shipping when it's ready. A great ADV + arcade ecchi game!

Fire and Japan: Summer 2011 Update

Fire is a constant problem in Japan, a country taken with building houses of wood and paper then heating them with kerosene space heaters rather than Western-style central heating, and whenever the "air raid siren" at the elementary school goes off at any time of day other than noon, we know that a fire has broken out somewhere. On no less than three separate occasions we've heard fire trucks and and opened our window to see homes near J-List being engulfed in fire, including one just a few houses over. Today as the J-List staff was posting the new products to the site we heard many loud sirens approach, and sure enough, a building about 50 feet from J-List had caught fire, sending thick black smoke into the air. It was a small factory that makes auto parts, and no one was hurt, but it's strange and sad to have to deal with fire this much. I much prefer the anime character archetype known as moe to the character for "burning."

Yet another fire in the immediate area around J-List.

Unique Views of the Japanese

The Japanese have some unique ways of looking at the world, and as an "outsider" (which is what the word gaijin literally means) I often find myself scratching my head. There's a long list of somewhat confusing views the Japanese have -- if you sneeze, it means someone is gossiping about you, don't ever pass food from chopstick to chopstick, and eat sekihan ("red rice" containing azuki beans) to celebrate certain life-affirming family events -- that really perplexed me at first. Once I took my family to the beach, and a bird flying above us happened to poop on my daughters head. To my surprise, my wife acted happy that such a thing would happen, and told me having a bird poop on you is considered good luck in Japan, because the word for poop (unchi) sounds like the word for "good luck" (unki)...which might explain some of these products. It's also supposed to be lucky if swallows build a nest in your house, since it means they consider it a safe and secure place. We've currently got a nest containing the cutest baby chicks you've ever seen right above our front door, giving us a double good luck bonus, since we have both the nest and the poop.

The Japanese have a unique way of looking at the world.

Announcing the J-List Points System

We're happy to be taking the wraps off our new J-List Points system today after several months of preparation. J-List has the best customers in the world, and we wanted to give something back to you to let you know how much we love you. Here's here J-List Points works:

• You get points for all products you purchase through J-List. Sometimes we'll have special promotions on certain products. For example, we're giving bonus J-List points when on bento boxes, anime figures, English-translated "H" dating-sim games, and all DVDs & Blu-ray discs this month.
• You can use them any time, for example with your next purchase. Or, save up 5,000 or 12,000 points to get an upgrade to $10 or $25 worth of points!
• Points are attached to a J-List account, so they don't work with "guest checkout." Also, please use points in your account within a year.

All Hail the Anime Fangirl

Recently I was getting all nostalgic with my Twitter followers about how things have changed for anime fans over the years. Some were surprised to hear there was a time when the idea of anime products being commercially available in stores was unimaginable, and I'll never forget my shock at seeing the fledgeling anime corner in Tower Records back in 1991. Another big -- and very welcome -- change has been the Rise of the Fangirl. Back in the 80s and early 90s, anime conventions were male-dominated affairs, and the idea of seeing awesome and fun females who were interested in nerdy things like manga, anime and games was a distant fantasy...yet these days about half the fans at anime conventions are female. I'd trace the rise of the fangirl as a social phenomenon to the popularity of Sailor Moon, which taught a generation of girls that was okay to obsess over 2D characters, get excited about cosplaying and so on. Now fangirl culture has gone mainstream, as fujoshi (female anime fans) shop for yaoi/BL or "otome" games (girl centric dating-sims that are very popular) in their very own part of Tokyo, the Otome Road shopping district in Ikebukuro. And people-watching at anime conventions is a lot more fun than it used to be, thanks to all the awesome fangirls!

I'm a big fan of anime fangirls, which used to be extremely rare.

Here are today's "really cool products" that I've picked out for you, out of the 30+ new items we've added to the J-List and JBOX.com sites today. Note that some products may be "not safe for work" but that all links will allow you to redirect yourself either to the J-List or JBOX.com websites. To see all the J-List products, check out J-List or the JBOX.com updated products link.

	Megami MAGAZINE Creators vol. 023 A super new issue of Megami Creators, the special issue of our favorite anime magazine that focuses on the craft of character design, with sections by top artists in Japan where they can present their characters and tell how they created them. Includes a nice double-sided large poster plus mini illustration book. View products »
	Hiragana Times July 2011 NO. 297 The best way to learn a language is to read it, and we've got a new Hiragana Times, with interesting articles in both English and Japanese.
	S Cawaii July 2011 The popular fashion magazine S Cawaii, filled with great pictures, ads and beautiful Japanese models, always has lots of good stuff to check out.
	Cat Ears Clips (Neko Mimi Clip) We think everyone needs a pair of neko-mimi (cat ears) around the house for special occasions, like birthdays, movie parties, or anime cosplay.
	Restocked School Swimsuits, Shimapan Cosplayers, take note. Many of our popular schoolgirl items have been restocked, featuring swimsuits and shimapan.
	Cool Japanese Fashions Restocked Get your wardrobe into style with this season's hottest fashions from Japan. Great tops and one pieces dresses, perfect for summer.
	The Borrower Arrietty (Blu-ray Disc) Studio Ghibli has finally released its latest movie "The Borrower Arrietty" for home entertainment. This is the highly anticipated collector's Blu-ray release which includes a "picture within picture" feature of the storyboard played alongside the film. Best of all, it features full subtitled and dubbed tracks in English, French, Korean and more. View products »
	Totoro Products for Summer Nothing says "summer" like this Cat Bus mosquito coil holder, which will zap the flying pests while it fills the room with the smell of summer.
	AKIRA (Blu-ray Disc) The mega-hit anime AKIRA has made its way onto Blu-ray, a must have for collectors. The black Blu-ray case really completes this product.
	Mosquito Coil w/ Stand Fight mosquitoes this year with a Japanese traditional Japanese method -- the Mosquito Coils, which we've restocked today. Just like being in Japan!
	Yuzen TATAMI Mouse Pad ~ Vivid Color Traditional Japan now for the office. Take a part of the Edo era with to work with these high class tatami mouse pads. Also great for toy display.
	New Figma Toys In Stock Nice -- we got the popular Chris Makise Figma figure in stock, plus the cool android R. Dorothy Wayneright.
	Raquel Gothic Figures by Vispo Wow, words don't describe how awesome this new Vispo-sculpted figure is - just look at those wings. Both are in stock now.
	Galerie de Art ~ Bungaku Shojo 2 It's hard to find an artbook with the same relaxed yet refined style as Miho Takeoka's new Literature Girls book. We love it.
	Restocked Anime Earphones, Headphones J-List is happy to stock awesome anime-themed earphones and headphones, form Evangelion to Monster Hunter and One Piece. Click to see.
	Amazing Anime iPhone Cases In Stock Also, now is a great time to grab an awesome new iPhone 4 anime case, which we have in stock. Madoka Magika, Evangelion, OreImo, K-On! and more.
	Morning Rescue is Restocked Did you party too much last nght? Then Morning Rescue is coming to save you! A popular health drink that contains "ukon" (a Chinese herb) that helps you feel better when you've had too much to drink, it's beloved of Madoka Magika fans too. Order now! View products »
	Tohato Mammoth Meat Snack ~ BBQ Flavor Taste the flavor of prehistoric mammoth, a weird snack idea that we like a lot. The "anime girl eating meat off a bone" fanart is also fun.
	Restocked J-Snacks, Too Today's restocked snacks include Neru Neru Nerune DIY gummy candy, Sakuma Drops, Fuwarinka Rose Gum and...green tea and black sesame marshmallows?
	Black Cat Chilled Bento Box Along with cat ears, we also have cat bentos today. These cute bento boxes include a cat freezer pack to keep your food chilled in the summer.
	Hello Kitty x Bento @ J-List Nothing says Japan like Hello Kitty themed bento products, and we have many today, incl. Hello Kitty Ball Bento, Face Bento and many more.
	Onigiri Shapers Restocked Avoid the embarrassment of improperly formed onigiri. Two our most popular products updated today, for making round and triangle shaped rice balls.
	Kawaii Things for your Kitchen From the adorable onigiri and banana sponges that make washing up fun, we've got all the handy kitchen helpers you need!
	Big Restocking of Japanese Pens, More Japanese pens are the best in the world, and we've restocked a truckload. See Air Press, Surari Emulsion Ball Point Pen, SELFIT, ENERGEL and more.
	Gray High Grade Yukata ~ Japanese Cotton Kimono / Size XL We also have these premium quality traditional men's yukatas -- the perfect way to say, "I love Japan," this summer. In stock now.
	Traditional Items Restocked See fun traditional items from Japan, including our Yokobue (yoko-boo-eh) flute, plus awesome 3D Mt. Fuji Crystal for Souvenir and Squeezing Soft Buddha.
	All Star Surper Mario Bro. Converse Shoes *preorder* These cool Nintendo x Converse shoes are going to be a hit, we just know it! Pre-order yours soon as the cut-off will be next week.
	Madoka Magika Preorder Products Madoka Magika is such an interesting anime with equally interesting products you can order. See the new book and (ulp) transforming Charlotte plush.
	Nymph Nendoroid Figure ~ Sora no Otoshimono *Preorder* And more preorders! This time for the extremely kawaii Nymph Nendroid from Sora no Otoshimono Forte. Moe~~~
	More Photobooks Restocked See fresh stock of several popular photobooks celebrating the gorgeous ideal that is the Japanese joshi kousei.
	Anzu Nyan Pero Pero Lotion K-On! fans will appreciate this cool Azunyan themed personal lotion to help you relax with a good massage after a hard day at work. Give yourself the gift of K-On! inspired relaxation with this unique lotion from Japan. View products »
	Restocked Personal Massagers, Too Also: the perfect stress reliever for females, we've restocked the PLESTO [sic] and Sophia Pink offerings from ToysHeart, plus... Hello Kitty?
	Also: Fera Zoma, Maria Ozawa Hole, More That mouth-shaped love hole is back in stock for you to enjoy, AKETEMITE! and something special for Maria Ozawa would-be lovers.
	Gorgeous Restocked Doujin Soft Big restocking of doujin software, too, like Nitou Oumono wa Ittou Mo Ezu, Miss Pig Princess, Hatsujo Exorcist and more.
	Sakura-Iro Quartet Robot girls have invaded your high school with their adorable animal-like traits and hot bodies. A stylistically interesting eroge from Japan.
	'Futanari' H-Games & More A lot of J-List customers love the aesthetic genre known as futanari, literally "the two, being one." We recommend Cat Girl Alliance for this!