Cool Products Wednesday, December 1, 2010

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.

	Nyantype vol. 14 The most kawaii 2D girls from all the latest anime series show their stuff in the jumbo posters collected in this latest issue of Nyantype, Kadokawa publishing's moe answer to the famous Megami poster magazine. This issue comes with a Sora no Otoshimono (Heaven's Lost Property) pillowcase, too! View products »
	Dengeki G's Magazine Jan 2011 There's no way my Dengeki G's can be this cute! The popular manga and bishoujo magazine comes with an adorable Kirino figure this month.
	Comptiq Oct 2010 The other major player in the deluxe bishoujo manga magazine wars, Comptiq packs a punch with massive Type Moon coverage this month.
	Megami Magazine Dec 2010 The hugely popular Megami Magazine is also one of our most popular products. See fresh stock of the too-popular December issue, with a zillion posters.
	Tsuyo Kiss 2 Gakki Portable The game that helped put the tsundere "sweet and tart" heroine style on the map is back in this dynamite PSP sequel!
	Chi's Sweet Home 2011 Calendars! Straight from the pages of her manga and anime, you too can adopt the adorable cat Chi into your home! With a choice between the desk and wall versions there's sure to be a cozy kitten in your future staring at you adorably from her nook in your home or office. Both include stickers for special occasions, making this the perfect gift for yourself or a friend. View products »
	K-On! Nendoroid and Figma Figures We have K-On! figures in stock, too, including the Nendoroid of Yui and Tsumugi with instruments, plus the Figma of Nodoka.
	Tons of Restocked Totoro Items Check the top J-List searches and you can see Totoro is really popular this season. We've got many great restocked toys for you today!
	2011 Fuku-bukuro Grab Bags Restocked Are you feeling lucky? The fuku-bukuro grab bags are hot this Christmas, and we sold out of several times. Look for fresh stock today though.
	J-List Best Seller Snack & Dagashi Set A special holiday set including some of our most popular traditionally Japanese snacks, from Green Tea chocolates to Ramune and Taiyaki flavors.
	Otona no Kagaku Science Projects Restocked Big restocking of the science project kits from Gakken, including Theremin, 4-Bit Micro Computer, Mini Electric Guitar and Tea Carrying Robot.
	Poddities iPhone4 Strap Adapters, Cases See fresh stock of the epic Poddities Japan-only iPhone phone straps and cases, which screw into the bottom of your phone so they're secure.
	Hello Kitty Wagara Tea Cup & Pot Set An adorable ceramic pot perched atop a large teacup, both ready to percolate, serve and hold your hot drinks with traditional Japanese Kitty patterns. Black and Pink designs available! Of course we think they'd make the perfect gift... View products »
	Fruits Dec 2010 NO. 161 The iconic street fashions of Tokyo are on parade in this gritty "real fashion" photography magazine, this issue showing the best from fall and winter '10.
	Gothic Lolita Kimono Dress set This is dress is one striking fashion statement, with a rich red and black pattern combining bold kimono and Gothic Lolita elements. Kawaii!
	Arrow Style Ear Cleaner with Rabbit Ema (Wishing Board) This adorable ear cleaner combines two traditional elements of Japanese culture in a unique and novel way: the taste for diligent ear care, and the New Years tradition of a ceremonial arrow as a good luck charm. This one is marked with a rabbit "wishing board" for good fortune in 2011, the year of the rabbit. A great and uniquely Japanese gift idea! View products »
	Samurai Katana ~ Black Here's an electronic samurai sword handle that makes the sounds of a sword swooshing and clanging. Great for your favorite ninja!
	Traditional Items Restocked Popular traditional items restocked, including Japanese money covers for your keys, "grandchild's hand" backscratcher, plus super warm hanten for winter.
	Awesome Photobooks Restocked See fresh stock of the mind-blowing Japan Underground photobooks, with brand new scans posted to the site. Train photobooks, too.
	J-List T-Shirts Make Great Gifts Whether someone on your Christmas list is "Looking for a Japanese Girlfriend" or has no interest in normal humans, these shirts will be appreciated!
	Delicious Snacks from Japan New snacky goodness from Japan today, Meiji Porte in creamy Tiramisu flavor, Fit's gum in Melon and Vanilla flavor, plus awesome "Decoration Chocolate."
	Restocked Japanese Snacks, Too Delicious Meiji Rich Chocolate (Green Tea!), Glico Cratz, Winter Toppo, Chocolate Caramels, Hello Kitty candies plus Mont Blanc Pepsi and epic Bull-dog Sauce.
	Totoro Thermal Bento Box Set Flower in Garden Studio Ghibli provides what may be the most heartwarming bento set we've ever seen. In addition to keeping your food warm with the outer layer of thermal insulation, a special insulated circular rice 'jar' keeps your rice warm and nestles in a perfect fit with two stacking, airtight sealed plastic bean shaped bento boxes. Covered in a pastel Totoro-themed floral pattern, this is a bento set that you'll enjoy for years. Makes a wonderful gift, as well. View products »
	Restocked Bento Boxes, Too Some of our most popular bento boxes are back! Whether it's the Hello Kitty "ball" style box, the Pokeball box or Frog Paws, we've got you covered!
	Bento Accessories & More Some kawaii kitchen items, including Rabbit & Bird Cooking Shaper Set, Colorful Ribbon Clip and Recipes of Japanese Cooking in English.
	The Handbook of Japanese Verbs Never be at a loss for words when trying to pick an action word to describe yourself in Japanese, or find an obscure conjugation with this handy guide.
	Nihongo Challenge N4-5 KANJI ~ JLPT Prep The ultimate study course to prepare yourself for levels four and five of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, particularly the kanji character component.
	Japan iTunes Cards If you're a fan of Yamato, see the movie soundtrack, or this Yamato game (free with iTunes Japan account) that lets you take a picture of yourself wearing a Yamato uniform. Of course all purchases are compatible with all your iPods, iPhones, and iPads. See the top 100 anime songs here. Note that you may need to log out of your current account to view links. View products »
	Nyanko Sensei Plush ~ *Preorder* An extra-large and extra-adorable plush from Natsume's Book of Friends, "professor cat" comes alive for cuddles in this newly available preorder.
	Taiga Aisaka Action Figure ~ *Preorder* We're not posting this gorgeous Aisaka Taiga ToraDora poseable anime figure because we like you or anything.
	Other Preorder Figures Other new preorders include the super sexy mechanic Racing version Hatsune Miku from Goodsmile that brings a whole new meaning to "tuning up."
	We Love Japanese Pens Finally, see several restocked Japanese pens today, including the Pentel Tradio Fountain Pen Style, Lucky Cat decoration tape, and more.
	Memai ~ Mai Nishida Mai Nishida, a cute 20 year old gravure model is making a big splash with her beautiful body and face. Enjoy her hardcover new photobook release!
	More Fun Anime Stress Toys Restocked Whether you love the excellent design and features of the TENGA stress toys or want to get close to your favorite Bible Black, Haruhi or K-On! character, J-List has a ton of popular products restocked today. (Ladies, we have some cool items for you, too. View products »
	Snow Sakura, a Great Game for Winter Want to visit Hokkaido and find love? Then enjoy Snow Sakura, the English-translated eroge. Super characters and story that will warm you this winter!

Western Names in Kanji

One area of Japan gaijin are often fascinated with is the way kanji names work. While foreign names are generally written using the katakana writing system, it's possible to assign kanji for Western-style names based on the pronunciation of the characters, and it's fun to see what meaning will be communicated, like my friend Rodger whose kanji name translates as "old snake." It's not uncommon for anime series to feature characters with Western names written in kanji as a way of adding an exotic European element to the story, and the anime Umineko no Naku Koro Ni has several characters with names like this. It's a time-honored tradition for gaijin to ask a Japanese person to come up with kanji for their name, perhaps making a custom hanko kanji name stamp like the ones we sell. I did this, too, but accidentally went a step further, registering my outrageous kanji name legally. As a result, signing official forms like insurance documents is extremely long and complex, and whenever I go to the doctor and present my official insurance card they think I'm Chinese. (The characters in my kanji name roughly translate as Flying Great Asia Peaceful Temple.)

Vending Machines and Japan

One thing about Japan: they love vending machines. There are more of them here than any other country on Earth -- one for every 23 people -- selling everything from hot canned coffee to microwaved meals to beer. The other day I drove into Tokyo on business with Yasu, and we stopped at a "parking area" (one of the rest stops along Japanese freeways, which are like little oases of convenience to weary travelers) to grab some lunch. The place we stopped at had recently been renovated and looked quite similar to one of the "food courts" you can find in American shopping malls, with many different small restaurants selling pizza, udon noodles, Panda Express-style Chinese food and so on. There was one big difference though: all the purchases were made via a vending machine located in the front of each shop, allowing customers to browse color pictures of the meals before purchasing a meal ticket, which they gave to the shop employee. It's all very efficient, since all the money is stored inside the secure vending machine, and it frees up the employee who would have to man the cash register to cook your food instead. The only downside might be that foreigners who don't read the language might have more difficulty choosing what to eat.

Vending machines are a big part of life in Japan.

Ryoma Sakamoto RIP (ze yo)

The 49th "Taiga Drama" -- the big budget jidai geki period drama put on by Japan's public broadcasting network NHK every year -- has come to an end, culminating in the violent assassination of our hero in the Teradaya inn in Kyoto. Ryoma Sakamoto is one of the most important figures in recent Japanese history, a low-born samurai who happened to be in Edo (present day Tokyo) when Admiral Perry arrived in his famous Black Ships to force Japan to open itself to trade with the United States, and his feeling of shock and powerlessness against the mighty technology of the West mirrored much of Japan during the period. He convinced the rival domains of Tosa and Satsuma to band together against the Tokugawa shogunate, which resulted in the formation of modern government that would "respect the Emperor, and expel the foreign barbarians from Japan" (although once in power they realized they needed Western technology too much to return to the old isolationist policies of the Edo Period). Soon after winning the Abducation of the 15th Tokugawa shogun, Ryoma was assassinated by pro-Tokugawa forces who had lost their livelihoods. Like Date Masamune (who indirectly inspired Darth Vader), Ryoma has become a pop culture icon, appearing in novels, TV shows, anime and video games. A big fan of all things Western, he popularized the wearing of modern boots instead of traditional samurai footwear, and carried a Smith & Wesson six-shooter, as unique a gadget in his day as the iPhone is in ours. The last meal he ate before he was killed has been released in traditional Food Drops form, if you really want to delve into Japanese history....

Ryoma Sakamoto is the George Washington of modern Japan.

J-List Cyber Monday Sale!

Well, Cyber Monday is here and we've got some good news -- we're continuing our holiday sale, giving you back $5 for every $100 you spend on the site! This means its a great time to browse for popular traditional Japanese items, 2011 anime calendars, rare and wonderful Hello Kitty and Totoro products, wacky kanji T-shirts and hoodies and other items for the special Japan-obsessed people on your list this year. Remember to check our convenient J-List Holiday Shopping Guide with products our staff thinks would be good for your Holidays hopping, updated daily by the J-List staff -- so check out the new products now!

Cool Products Monday, November 29, 2010

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.

	Hex Bug Nano ~ Red The genius of Japanese robotics is on display in this lifelike robotic bug toy with a surprisingly realistic AI that's endless fun to watch. A great gift!
	Choken-Bako Dog Coin Bank In Japanese, a piggy bank is called chokin bako, meaning "savings box." Change the kin (meaning money) to ken (meaning dog) and you have a great joke item.
	Hiragana Times Dec 2010 The latest issue of the world's best Japanese learner's magazine is packed with fun, informative winter Japanese with a spotlight on Sapporo.
	Children's Advertising in the Showa Era Some of the most striking visual art and design from Japan in the 20th century is gathered in this book, featuring some truly wacky products!
	NAGOMI Air Fresh Ball with 5 Aroma oil ~ Green A natural, aromatic solution to freshening the air of your room or house, this water-based aroma-scented oils will create a soothing environment wafting quietly and steadily from the spherical bowl throughout your living space. Five different scents to tailor to your exact style. View products »
	Gwendolyn, Assassin's Creed Figures The figure makers at Alter have produced a truly marvelous version of Gwendolyn for us. Also, the new Assassin's Creed figure has come in!
	Mayoi Hachikuji 1/8 Figure by Kotobukiya An awesome Bakemonogatari figure featuring the energetic and mischievous Mayoi, now in stock for you to enjoy.
	Yotsubato 2011 Calendar Here's a cool item: a very special 2011 calendar for Yotsubato fans all over the world, and we just got it in! Click to see the new calendar, or browse the other 200+ anime, idol, traditional photo and ecchi calendars we have in stock right now. View products »
	Hello Kitty 'MIMI' Pen ~ Black & Red An official Sanrio pen where you can use Kitty's ears as the switches to extend the red or black ink tips from the front of the pen. Wacky fun!
	Restocked Japanese Pens The best pens from Japan are Zebra's Sarasa line. See fresh stock of these, plus the Zebra Check Age Pen Set and Habanero Pencil Case.
	Hello Kitty Earphones These are the cutest earphones we've ever carried on J-List, a pair of high quality Hello Kitty in-ear earphones. Restocked for Christmas.
	More Hello Kitty items restocked Our epic Hello Kitty Waffle Making Pan is back, as well as Boiled Egg Shapers, the Sanrio Microwave Rice Cooker and sushi making set. Fun!
	Nogizaka Haruka's Secret ~ I Started Doujinshi Fans of the Nogizaka Haruhi no Himitsu anime, manga and novels can rejoice - now you can interact with Haruka in a dating sim game!
	Restocked DS Games Enjoy the awesome and sexy Strike Witches 2 game, plus great RPG Fire Emblem and Touch Training with Anpanman.
	Sakura Water Magic Umbrella J-List is your one-stop shot for interesting umbrellas from Japan. Enjoy these gorgeous transforming umbrellas!
	Japan iTunes Cards  In addition to great music, you can get Japan-only apps for iPhone and iPad like this moe 2D alarm clock, or the Love Plus interactive character games.
	Nyan Nyan Nyanko ~ Nyanko Cafe They're the cutest cats in the world, the kawaii cats of Nyan Nyan Nyanko. Some of our most popular artbooks have been restocked today.
	Ladybug Earphone ~ Red Some of the cutest earphone accessories we've seen, these red ladybugs look great and sound great, too.
	Black Cotton Swabs ~ 280 pcs  Keep good hygiene in devastatingly good style with these "Q-tip" style cotton swabs. They're black so you can see the wax you remove from your ear really well!
	Cooling Pad for Fever ~ Netsu Sama Sheet Beat colds this winter with natsu-sama sheet fever reducing sheets. Any girl you attach them to will become 100% more moe.
	Super Cool Ghibli Products See some of our most famous Totoro and Ghibli items today, including the Super Huge Neko Bus, the Ponyo Bento Box, and Totoro rubber stamps (!).
	Totoro China Tea Cups & China We also have many outstanding items for Christmas like our Totoro china sets by Noritake or our Totoro cushions and blankets.
	Evangelion UCC Coffee Figures The Evangelion figures with UCC coffee are starting to sell out, and we recommend fans get yours before they're gone. They also make nice gifts!
	Lucky Cat Salt & Pepper Shaker We think this is the cutest (and luckiest!) way you can serve salt and pepper at your dinner table, little cats with the "luck" kanji on their bellies.
	Ryoma Sakamoto Food Drops (Ryoma Sakamoto) In celebration of Ryoma Sakamoto, the samurai who got the Japanese wearing boots, we have a new flavor of Food Drops in delicious Nagasaki Kamo Nabe (duck stew) flavor, since that was the last meal he ate before being killed. Also, fresh stock of Kyoto Green Tea, Sapporo Beer and Hot Milk Moe Drop flavors. View products »
	Awesome New Japanese Snacks A super new fluffy version of Meltykiss chocolate fudge called Whips, plus amazing lychee flavored gummy and a new Meiji Copan.
	Restocked Kompeito, Other Snacks Finally, amazing restocked snacks, including Kompeito, Strawberry Toppo, Meltykiss (incl. Green tea), Japan Oreo, plus Pocky!
	Restocked Bento Boxes Some outstanding bento boxes restocked today, including the Ume Kira Kira Bento, Japanese Kerria Bento and Sakura Square Mini Bento Box. Love them all! View products »
	Restocked Items for your Kitchen Microwave ramen cooking bowl! Special brush for making takoyaki! Great miso soup bowl with lid!
	Restocked Bento Boxes, Accessories From flower, circle, oval, heart, and animal bento cups for side dishes to cute bear, apple, pig, animal, and vehicle soy sauce bottles, all restocked today.
	Other Fun Bento Items Restocked Nothing makes a man happier than having a heart drawn on an plate of omrice (omelet over rice) by a woman he loves. And more!
	Dream Land Egg Shaper For people who really want to make a special bento creation, see the device that lets you make star, diamond and other interesting shapes in your sliced eggs.
	Chirimen Purple Glasses Case A lovely accessory to hold that extra pair of glasses or store yours when not in use, a case covered in authentic quality floral print kimono fabric.
	Restocked Traditional Items Today's fun traditional Japanese items include "Maiko" combs from Kyoto, red Panda chopsticks, a wooden ninja sword and a color changing Geisha towel.
	New Preorder Figures ~ Kirino and BRS A super cute bikini version of Kirino from Oreimo (My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute), and Black Gold Saw Nendoroid from Black Rock Shooter!
	One Piece iPhone 4 Screen Protectors *Preorder* A pirate's life for me! Show your One Piece pride with this bold Luffy design protecting the back of your iPhone with matching faceplate too.
	Restocked Glossy Photobooks We love the gorgeous glossy photobooks published in Japan, and today we've got fresh stock of the awesome recent offering by Kirara Asuka (omnomnom).
	Give The Gift Of 'Love Goods' This Season You wouldn't think of stress toys as being a popular gift item around Christmas, yet our sales are always very brisk during the Holidays, as guys and girls buy interesting personal massagers, lotions to use together, and other fun items. Click to see the most popular massagers on the site, including the legendary Hello Kitty vibrators. View products »
	BAND GAL! ~ K-On! Parody Stress Toys We've restocked several onahole stress toys too, including K-On's Azunyan, the Sexy Twins deluxe toy, Zhang Xiao Yu's body pillow and more.
	Dating-sim Games by Download While we love selling shrinkwrapped package versions of our games, they're also available as Internet download versions, too. Which would you like to try?