Natsukashii, the Nostalgic Japanese

We recently bought dot matrix printer, of all things, which is needed to automate shipping of EMS orders (the forms from the post office are six sheets thick and need to be printed using a special kind of printer). Hearing the unique screeching sound of the print head moving over the paper as it printed really made me natsukashii (nots-ka-shee), a word translatable as "dude, that makes me so nostalgic that I must look like one of those manga characters with a giant tear rolling out of my eye." Remembering the word natsukashii made me even more nostalgic, since it was one of the first words of Japanese I learned, back in the good old days of 80s anime. The Japanese are big fans of the word natsukashii and of the bittersweet emotions that come from hearing a beloved old song, looking at an old photograph or walking through an old Japanese house, and appreciation of nostalgia is one of the defining aspects of the Japanese people. Maybe that's why dagashi -- traditional candy from the Showa Period -- is still so popular decades later.

Dagashi, the traditional candy from the childhood days of...everyone in Japan.

Denny's Japan

I like to use Twitter (and Facebook, and Google+) to keep up with our customers and send random links about Japan as well as updated J-List products. The other day a report of a shooting fatality in a Denny's in Chiba Prefecture popped up in my RSS feed, so I tweeted it out to my followers. Gun violence is quite a rare thing in Japan, and nearly always limited to spats between yakuza crime gangs, thanks to an unspoken social rule against violence to innocent third parties which Japan's gangsters are too polite to break. The reaction to my tweet was interesting -- there was more surprise that they had Denny's restaurants in Japan than at the shooting itself. For the record, Denny's has been a fixture in Japan's famiresu (family restaurant) industry since 1973, offering a unique selection of Western and Japanese dishes, usually with a bit more wafuu (traditional Japanese style) elegance than their competitors like Skylark, Gusto and Coco's. The restaurants are operated by 7&i Holdings, the parents group that also owns 7-11 convenience stores, and when the company executed a corporate redesign a few years ago they got the really bad idea of putting the 7-11 logo on the Denny's sign, which always makes me want to order onigiri rice balls when I'm there. Like just about every other company in Japan, Denny's recently started licensing anime to bring in customers, like last year's tie-in promoting the K-ON! movie.

Denny's Japan is owned by 7-11 and always lets you know it.

The "Tension" in Tokyo Tower

Yesterday I took a day off from work and went down to Tokyo for an appointment I had. As the taxi took me to my destination, I was delighted to find that it was located directly across the street from Tokyo Tower, the iconic scale replica of the Eifel Tower that proves Japan secretly wants to be part of Europe. The taxi driver told me, "You really should go up to the top of the tower if you haven't been yet. The 'tension' is really amazing up there." This word (tension) is one of several English words the Japanese use in a slightly odd way, in this case to mean fun or excitement. Here are some other "English" words that might not mean what you think they mean in Japan.

• "fight" means do your best, don't give up (Fight-oh!)
• if there's a girl you like, you should "attack" her (attack = to vigorously pursue love)
• plug your computer into a "consent" (a power outlet, from "concentric plug")
• don't trust the "masukomi" (what the news media is called, from "mass communications")
• if a sporting event is called due to rain, hold a "revenge" challenge later (meaning "a second attempt")
• move to Tokyo and buy a "mansion" (what a condominium is called)
• "glamor," which refers to a woman with a buxom figure
• "feminist," which somehow refers to a man who's very polite and gentlemanly towards women (updated to"herbivore male" these days)
• "free size" (Japanese for "one size fits all" -- we've got some of those on our Japanese fashion pages)
• "rinse-in shampoo," shampoo with "rinse" (aka conditioning) inside
  
  
  
  I hear the "tension" is really great up in Tokyo Tower

Yumina the Ethereal is Coming!

Our upcoming bishoujo RPG Yumina the Ethereal not only has beautiful art and cute girls, but also some of the most in-depth gameplay I've ever seen. Your goal is to get the hardworking but academically-challenged Yumina elected student council president so she can avoid being held back a year. Explore dungeons, customize your characters, and defeat your enemies in a crazy "debate battle" system where arguments take the form of dazzling special attacks. It's one of the most amazing RPGs to come out in English -- preorder it now!

J-List Sale Reminder

Valentine's Day may be over, but J-List is continuing our popular sale on all Japanese chocolate products this month, giving you 2x J-List points on all Kit Kat, Pocky, Every Burger and other fun chocolate items. And in case you're not in the mood for chocolate, we've also got a fun sale on all TENGA and anime themed stress toys. Don't forget the great bonuses you get for ordering EMS from Japan -- up to $25 back for an order of $200 or more. What awesome Japanese products will you pick up before the sale ends?

Cool Products Friday, February 17, 2012

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.

	Red & Gold Kaomoji Plushy Daruma Dolls Japanese daruma dolls are a great way to invite luck into your home, and they're even better when they make you smile too! These cute plushy daruma dolls have faces based on the wonderfully-expressive kaomoji (emoticons) that are widely used on Japanese websites and message boards. They come in a variety of sizes, from the squeezable palm-size to the large size that is perfect for hugging. A fun fusion of traditional and modern Japan. View products »
	Dengeki Girl's Style Mar 2012 Grab a new issue of the best magazine for fans of otome games, or games for girls. Comes with Uta no Prince-sama posters!
	Fun Anime Figures & More In Stock Support your favorite bishoujo characters with these figures and other cute accessories. Mikoto, Elsie, and Erio Towa goods now in stock.
	Cute Panda Products Try Pandadarake, the game where you stack tiny panda figures and try to keep them from falling over, plus many other wonderful panda products.
	New Kawaii Brassiere & Pantsu Take your cosplay to the next level with these great underwear sets from Tamatoys. Now with new pink and white sets in stock.
	Neko Mimi Cat Ears, Striped Knee Socks Make your costume complete, or just play around the house, as a kawaii cat girl with this awesome cosplay accessory set.
	Japan Fashion Items Restocked Unleash your inner kitty-cat with the Hello Kitty Hood Muffler and Neko Mimi Cat Ears and Tail set, plus other cute fashion items, now restocked.
	JPOP on the iTunes Japan Store J-POP fans can browse the iTunes Japan Store for all the best new songs, by AKB48, Ayumi Hamasaki and more. Here's a link to the top hits this week.
	Otona no Kagaku Science Projects Restocked We love the Otona no Kagaku science magazines + kits that we've been selling, and our customers love them too. They're so much fun to assemble. We have a nice restocking of the science project kits from Gakken, including Theremin and the 35mm Twin-Lens Reflex Camera that you make yourself. View products »
	HEROES PHANTASIA Characters from 10 different anime like Slayers and Darker Than Black get together in this Super Robot Wars-style crossover game. Awesome!
	Wonderful Artbooks Restocked We're big fans of the art and character design of Shunya Yamashita, and have restocked his popular artbook. Every page is gorgeous!
	Fun Elecom Products We love the USB products from Elecom, including the retro-style gamepad that works with a wide variety of games, and their popular Katakana keyboards.
	Red Twist Pencil Electric Cord Holder Surprise your friends with this unusual item - a cable tie that looks like a bright red pencil. So bizarre, we just had to sell it!
	Campus Vocabulary Books, Notebooks Japan's stationery is the most awesome in the world, and we've restocked some fun notebooks for you, including great Japanese study aids.
	Oblate for Taking Medicine Easily  Make taking powdered medicine easy with these digestible wrapping sheets. You'll never have to worry about spilling medicine again.
	Big Restocking of Totoro Plush Toys For the inner Ghibli fan in all of us, check out the toys we got back in stock today. Because we all need more Totoro plush toys in our lives.
	Hatsune Miku Drops w/ Vocaloid Strap *Preorder* The Vocaloid invasion continues! Hatsune Miku can now be found in delicious candy form, the perfect treat for her fans. Comes with a Vocaloid strap.
	Glico Fuwa Fuwa Rich Strawberry Cream Collon Get your fill of another wonderful snack from Japan: Cream Collon (wacky name, great taste), plus others like rose gum and candy.
	Pocky Panda, Other Restocked Snacks Try some delicious snacks while you are checking out all the other great items. We like Panda Pocky, Puccho and Strawberry Pocky, just to name a few.
	Madoka Snacks w/ Cards, Other Anime Snacks Show your love for Madoka Magica with these chocolate snacks featuring collectible art cards. Or try one of our other great anime-themed snacks.
	Delicious Furikake: Sukiyaki, Wasabi and More Furikake is any dry food you sprinkle over rice, and we've restocked several types today, incl. "Deco Bento Furikake." Fun!
	Hello KITTY 2 Tier Tight Bento Box, Chopsticks Set Don't leave your home without at least one of these handy Hello Kitty bento (lunch box) accessories. So cute and irresistible.
	Totoro Bento Restocked We live to sell as many Totoro bento boxes as we can, and today we've restocked several popular designs. Totoro makes bento taste delicious.
	GLIT & BRILLIA Onigiri Cases Japanese love their lunchtime bento boxes, which come in all different shapes and sizes, like these triangle shaped ones for onigiri or side dishes.
	Cute Sponge Overload Then see fresh stock of our Irresistibly Cute Japanese Sponges, and other kawaii items for your kitchen.
	Evangelion 'Eva & Logos' Products Restocked Also: Evangelion is the most epic thing since The Force, and our customers know we have many products in stock. Click to see the best ones now.
	Lucky Cat Tea Cups, More Restocked Lots of fun restocked Japan items today, including the Lucky Cat Tea Pot and Tea cups, Lucky Cat Chopsticks plus a stacking JUBAKO box and more.
	Great Hoodies from J-List In addition to great T-shirts from Japan, J-List stock warm hoodies that are the highest quality available. Maybe we recommend our Domo-kun offering?
	Yozora Mikazuki Figure ~ Haganai *Preorder* Zettai ryouiki fans will go absolutely wild over this figure of everyone's favorite sadistic beauty. So detailed, you'll feel like she's really scolding you.
	Revoltech Alphonse Elric ~ FMA *Preorder* If you're a Fullmetal Alchemist fan, then you'll definitely want to check out this super-cool action figure of Al. Makes all sorts of stylish poses.
	Yuru Yuri Beach Queens Figures *Preorder* The Beach Queens series of swimsuit-clad figures continues with these kawaii renditions of Akari and Chinatsu from Yuru-Yuri. Too cute!
	Chillin the Day ~ Mayuka Okada The delicious Mayuka Okada shows us a great time in her latest photobook that has excellent photography of her beautiful body, in many suggestive positions.
	Ohimesama ga Ippai - Princesses Galore Princesses make everything better, especially erotic visual novels. This artbook brings you the cutest eroge princesses, complete with sexy CGs.
	Our Favorite Parody Anime Toys Novelty toy parodies of Oreimo including Kirino, Kuroneko and Ayase, plus K-On! parody toys with Mio and Yui. J-List, relieving stress since 1996.
	K-On!, Ikki Tousen and Other Stress Toys Fresh stock of the oh-so-realistic K-On! DX Ona Beat toys, plus the popular Bakujiri Musou toy with double the fun, and the new Twin Purple -- nice!
	Great Personal Lotion for Otakus Also restocked today, the official (?) lotion of Azunyan from K-On!, a great slippery lubricant for all your private stress relief needs.
	Gorgeous Import Eroge Restocked Enjoy the popular White Album 2, plus Le Fruit de la Grisaia, Strawberry Nauts, Rance Quest and the gorgeous 3D Artificial Academy.
	Recommended English Eroge: Discipline If you like sexy girls who know what they want, then you'll love this English-translated eroge illustrated by the Bible Black artist. Uncensored!

All About "Nihonjin-ron"

Last time I talked about various ways in which the Japanese custom of taking off shoes while at home has influenced the culture here. I remember meeting a Japanese man once who said to me, "Because you're a Westerner, I'll bet you're not good at picking objects with your feet." I demonstrated my podiatric dexterity for him by dropping a pencil on the floor and picking it up easily with my toes, which surprised the man. His way of thinking -- that Japanese feet are "special" in some way -- was an example of what's called Nihonjin-ron, a word meaning "theories and discourse about the Japanese people." In a nutshell, the word describes the idea that the Japanese people are unique and special, which is why it's hard for foreigners to learn the language (Japanese brains are designed to learn Japanese more easily), and so on. It's quite silly, of course -- there are no fundamental differences between Japanese people and the rest of the world except for a tendency for their females to make cute and endearing gestures, but it's part of the Japanese cultural identity to think of themselves as unique.

The Japanese will often think of themselves as being totally unique and special.
No idea where they'd get that idea from.

I want a Fyu-Neru Robot as seen in Guilty Crown

One reason I like anime is that it's a very visual medium in which futuristic and/or fanciful ideas can be presented to a wide audience for their consideration. In the currently running anime Guilty Crown, a gorgeous show by the staff that created Code Geass, there's a futuristic "auto insect" style robot device called Fyu-Neru, similar to the Tachikoma robots from Ghost in the Shell, that runs around acting cute and sometimes being useful. To my mind it's about the best designed robot ever from the standpoint of actually being something we might actually have someday. It's got rollers for travelling over normal surfaces as well as legs that enable it to climb stairs and furniture. It's a network-connected device for information retrieval and interacting with people, and I'll bet it can play MP3s, too. Maybe the devices we'll be using in the next decade or two will be based on designs explored in anime? If so, can we get those cat ear antenna things like Tsumugi wears?

Will the technology seen in anime will show up in the future?

Japan Meme Update 2012

Happy All Your Base Day, everyone. February 15 is the 11th anniversary of the release of the famous "All Your Base" Flash video, a which spread like wildfire through the Internets way back in 2001. While it wasn't the first meme to come along, it was probably the first one related to Japan (the video mocks the particularly bad English translation in a classic Sega game), and it more or less marked the point where images of ceiling cat watching us ruminate about viral videos became a daily thing. Being a hyper connected society, Japan has their share of ridiculous memes, and it's interesting to see which of them make the transition from Japan to the wider world or vice-versa. Bizarre videos with music like the Bleach "Loituma girl" spinning leek song or those terrifying videos remixing the Lucky Star opening credits with Japanese Ronald McDonald ("Ran...ran...ROO!") will usually find a broad audience, while memes that require linguistic comprehension are more difficult. For example, LOLcats is virtually unknown here, despite the Japanese love of looking at cats on the Internet, as the jokes usually require understanding of English, or at least LOLspeak. It's fun to see what visual memes artists on Pixiv think up for us, like the recent explosion in "yandere trance" faces or art exploring the, ah, special relationship of Homura and Madoka from Madoka Magika.

Japan loves Internet memes, though sometimes they don't translate well.

Delicious Taiyaki from J-List (Uguu~)

At J-List, we love to find the unique Japanese snacks for you, and today we've gotten in a new Taiyaki cooker. Taiyaki is a fish-shaped Japanese pastry made with pancake-batter and containing good stuff inside like sweet anko beans, custard, jam or anything else you want to put in, and now you can make it yourself at home. In addition to fun Taiyaki cookers, we have authentic Takoyaki makers as well, for enjoying Osaka-style batter balls with octopus meat inside. Yum!

PS Vita Games, Prepaid Playstation Network Cards from Japan

Last time we posted our first games for the Sony PS Vita, the awesome new handheld system from Sony, which we're sure will get lots of great anime-themed games like the PSP does today. In addition to a new game (Tales of Innocence R), we've got those PlayStation Network prepaid cards, a great way to get access to games, free demos and other content for any PS Vita, PSP or PS3 in the world.

Cool Products Wednesday, February 15, 2012

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.

	Comptiq Mar 2012 Grab the latest issue of one of Japan's best anime and game magazines, loaded with art, info, and cool omake like giant pinup posters and promotional trading cards. This month's issue features the moe detective girls of Milky Holmes, so fans should be sure to check it out. View products »
	Animage Mar 2012 You'll also want to take a look at this new issue of Animage, the magazine that invented the word "anime." Comes with eight beautiful posters!
	Comic REX Mar 2012 Enjoy 24 awesome manga in this new issue of Comic REX. Features the excellent Kannagi, fanservice extravaganza Senran Kagura, and more.
	Panda Hoodie Vest J-List brings you the best in warm and kawaii winter fashion with this fabulous panda-eared hoodie whose cuteness level is over 9000.
	Japanese School Swimsuits, Shimapan & More Also great for cosplay or casual wear (?), authentic Japanese style school swimsuits and those great striped panties restocked. Oniisan no ecchi!
	Tales of Innocence R for PS Vita Put your brand-new Vita to good use with this awesome port of the hit 3DS RPG. Features amazing graphics, great gameplay, and cute girls.
	IdolMaster, White Album, Other PS3 Titles We have tons of great PS3 titles for fans of kawaii girls, like Idolm@ster, White Album, Ninokuni, and more! Click to browse our selection.
	PlayStation Network Card (3,000 YEN) Get the most out of your PSP, PS3, or PS Vita with this prepaid PlayStation Network card. You also get access to all free demos once you create an account.
	New Anime Songs on iTunes Japan The opening themes to the new Mouretsu Space Pirates anime is, well, bodacious, and you can get it now. Or try this playlist of the top anime of this season.
	Random Toys Restocked Check out the Mayuri Nendoroid from Steins;Gate and the awesome Ningen Gakki that makes music using your body's own electricity, now restocked.
	SCOPE NODE, Other Elecom Items We are big fans of the computer peripherals from Elecom, and we've restocked their slick Scope Node USB mouse, kana keyboards and more.
	Taiyaki in the House ~ Taiyaki Pan For all our Japanese snack lovers out there, we have this fun item that will let you make your very own taiyaki! This is *full sized* Taiyaki by the way.
	Electric Takoyaki Makers, Too Our very popular Takoyaki maker is now back in stock, so you can satisfy your desire for Osaka-style octopus batter balls any time. Yum!
	Kawaii Red Cheek Panda Chopsticks Rest This kawaii panda is snoozing away. Put his plump little body to use supporting your favorite pair of chopsticks.
	MASUNEKO Sake Cup w/ Inviting Fortune Lucky Cat The true sake connoisseur drinks from a square cup. Try this classy wooden cup, complete with a cute "beckoning cat" to bring you luck.
	Great Mameshiba, San-X Products Mameshiba and San-X have the cutest mascots around, and we've got great products, including a Mameshiba note pad and pencil case.
	Hello Kitty Miniature Sushi, More Bring two pillars of Japanese culture together with this set of Hello Kitty sushi miniatures, plus a Hello Kitty ningyo-yaki maker and more!
	Fun Totoro Products Restocked Enjoy today's Totoro & Ghibli items including the Totoro Mini Towels (aka washcloths), plus the Totoro no Dondoko Odori light for your room.
	Gorgeous Artbooks from Japan Restocked See great restocked artbooks on the site today, including the Pixiv Girls Collection, so pleasant to look at page after page.
	Fun New Snacks from Japan Today Enjoy the tasty and fun Kracie Puchitto grape candy, a candy that you eat like real grapes! And that's just one of the many treats sold on J-List.
	Traditional Kyoto Candy Restocked For fans of traditional konpeito candies, we've restocked several delicious flavors straight from Kyoto. Try Kyou Nishiki, Hana Noren, Mix, and more.
	Restocked Traditional Food Drops Speaking of "Food Drops," we've also restocked several flavors of popular traditional candy, including Matcha Green Tea, Harajuku Banana Crepe and more.
	Other Fun Snacks Restocked Also: enjoy Takoyaki making mix, unique Neri Ame liquid candy you "knead" (neru) with chopsticks, plus Rose Essence gum & candy and more.
	Hinoki Slim Wappa 2 Tier Bento Box Are you looking for a new bento box? Try this slim and elegant two-tier box designed to resemble Japanese Hinoki wood. Great for work.
	Modern Bento Restocked Or try these other elegant bento boxes, including the Men's 2-tier Nutritional Balance Bento, Metal Mode Bento Box and Custom Mode lunchbox series.
	Fruits Measuring Spoon & Beans Container Add some colorful fun to your kitchen with these measuring spoons shaped like delicious fruit. Also comes with a pea-shaped serving container.
	Japanese-Style Bento Cutters for 'Deco Bento' "Deco Bento" means decorated, beautiful bento, and we've restocked several fun bento food shapers and cutters for making interesting food creations.
	Fun Sushi Related Products Restocked See other restocked bento items, like awesome onigiri shapers and a mold for making the perfect sushi shapes and more.
	Make Ramen in the Microwave See our popular Microwave Ramen Bowl, restocked again, which our customers rave about on Twitter all the time.
	Study Japanese with Haruhi Study English with Haruhi, with the bilingual Haruhi novel books we restocked today. Lots of other nihongo benkyou products in stock too.
	Basic Japanese Meals Learn how to make tasty and nutritious Japanese meals with this excellent cookbook. A great way to learn Japanese while watching your diet.
	Epic Japanese Pens Restocked Japan makes the coolest tools for writing and drawing in style. See the Will Line marker set, NEO CRITZ 2-way pen case many other new items.
	Other Fun Restocked Products See our Cup Noodle coffee cup, great for enjoying coffee or noodles, plus the wacky harisen fan for hitting people in a comedic way.
	Fun Bath Products Restocked The Japanese know how to take awesome baths, and we restocked the Hot Pepper and Ginger for Bath, plus other items too.
	Traditional Japanese Phone Straps, More Lucky Cat phone straps, a super Beer Mug phone strap, plus ninja shuriken strap, a Lucky Koban coin from the Edo Period and good luck charms.
	Erio Towa, Meiko Honma Moe Figures *Preorder* Two of the most kawaii girls in anime are coming to you in figure form. Check out this barely-clothed Erio and super-genki Menma, now for preorder.
	Sena Kashiwazaki, Laura Bodewig *Preorder* And for those of you who like your girls in bikinis, we have these sexy Beach Queens figures of Haganai's Sena and Laura from Infinite Stratos.
	The Amazing TENGA Spiral Series Restocked TENGA makes some truly beautiful stress toys, each as sleek as a piece of modern art. Click to browse the pleasurable Spiral series, now restocked.
	Love Body Aki & Related Products Love Body Aki is a blow-up doll you can dress and accessorize to meet your own personal preferences and wants. Many awesome items restocked.
	Little Busters! Ecstasy If you feel like your life lacks awesome minigames, wacky friends, and lots of cute girls to fall in love with, then this is the game for you. Great eroge!
	Yumina the Ethereal *Preorder* From the team that brought you Aselia the Eternal comes a new RPG experience full of challenging gameplay and romantic fun. Preorder now.