Some Good Economic News from Japan

Japan has been getting some good news on the economic front lately, with a key price index that showed strong growth indicating that the "three arrows" of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "Abenomics" -- increasing the money supply, creating new stimulus through public works projects and embracing de-regulation in order to encourage growth -- might actually be working a little. It might seem odd for a government to try to induce inflation, which makes it harder for people to buy what they need, but Japan's been trapped in a deflationary spiral since 1998 and drastic action was called for. On the other hand, Japan just posted its largest-ever budget for 2014, 96 trillion yen ($921 billion), chock full of money for useful things like construction money for Japan's aging freeway system, dubious things like shinkansen lines to Hokkaido, plus increased defense spending so Japan can continue its silly posing war with China. Japan's conservative government also raised taxes to 45% (55% including prefectural and city taxes) for the highest earners.

Shinzo Abe, the man who makes our anime cheaper.

Looking Back on 2013 From Japan

New Year's Eve is a good time to look back and remember the events of the past year. For Japan, 2013 included many happy events, including Mt. Fuji's official registry as a World Heritage Site, Tokyo's winning of the 2020 Olympics, and some hopeful signs that Japan might actually be starting to emerge from 15 years of deflation. There was sadness, too, including the ten Japanese engineers who were killed in the Algeria hostage crisis, the death of Anpanman creator Takashi Yanase, and the suicide of Fuji Keiko, mother to singer Utada Hikaru. According to Yahoo Japan's annual search term ranking, the most talked-about subjects throughout the year included Abenomics, the hit game Puzzles and Dragons and the ongoing boom of yuru-chara, the creepy-cute giant plush characters that promote the various regions around Japan. The most talked-about people in 2013 included half-Japanese, half-French news anchorwoman Takizawa Crystal, who won the Olympics for Japan with her charm and beauty, and also by being the only Japanese person fluent in French, Miyazaki Hayao, who "retired" from filmmaking for the 37th time, and super sexy model Mitsu Dan, who was everywhere this year.

Some of the people who did stuff in Japan in 2013.

Year End Post 2013

Well another year has come to an end. We at J-List would like to thank our wonderful customers all over the world for making this our best year yet, and for helping advance our plot to cover the Earth in Sailor Moon figures, Japanese Kit Kat and shimapan!

One big cultural difference between Japan and the U.S. is that the roles of Christmas and New Year's Eve are reversed: in the U.S. Christmas is usually a quiet, solemn event event spent with family, but it's a fun excuse for a loud party complete with firecrackers here in Japan. Similarly, while the countdown to a new year is a loud and exciting time in the U.S., here it's common to stay home and watch the Kouhaku year-end JPOP concert while eating 年越しそば toshi-koshi soba or "crossing into the new year noodles," which are said to make you live longer. While my family is usually together as we cross into the new year, this year my son will be out with friends at a "countdown live" concert held by fripSide, the anime band that sings the A Certain Scientific Railgun songs, the lucky guy. The way to wish someone a Happy New Year in Japanese while it's still December is よいお年を yoi o-toshi o which means "[please have a] good crossing into the New Year." Once January 1st arrives, you greet people formally using 開けましておめでとう akemashite omedetou, which translates as "congratulations for opening a New Year," or just "Happy New Year" if you want to be less literal.

We're ready to cross into a new year, Japan-style. Thanks for an awesome 2013!

Don't Forget to Get a Fuku-bukuro Grab Bag

Every year we spend several months accumulating extra stock for our popular fuku-bukuro grab bags, thinking that surly this year we'll have enough. And every year we're amazed at the massive number of anime/toy, bento/kitchen and "ultimate hentai" grab bags we sell. You'll probably be able to grab a grab bag through the middle of January or so, but note that they'll be removed early as stock of the bags sells out. We'll be removing the Japanese snack grab bags on Friday, too, so grab one if you want one...and while our EMS sale is still on.

Our EMS Sale is Almost Over

Remember, you can get $25 or $50 in store credit when ordering $125 or $250 worth of cool stuff via EMS, but the offer finallly ends January 3rd. EMS is ridiculously fast, comes with insurance included and is also fully trackable. The sale ends soon, so why not get in one more order? Get shopping now!

The Japanese Government Decides to Support the Anime Industry

I saw a report on Bloomberg that talked about anime as "Japan's most influential export" in the 21st century, as well as new efforts by the Japanese government to subsidize the industry with $700 million in public funds to help create growth. It's a laudable goal, but there are some issues I don't think they're thinking through completely. Back in the 90s the export market for anime was huge -- it cost $70,000 to license Sailor Moon for the U.S. per episode, and that's just one country out of many -- but all this came to an end with the bursting of the anime licensing bubble, the bankruptcy of most anime retail shops (anyone remember Suncoast Video?) and the general rise of the Internet. Spending public money to try to recapture those days seems ill-advised, at best. Promoting popular culture from the top down can be ineffective, as South Korea learned when it spent millions trying to create brand awareness for manhwa, Korea's version of manga, which basically went nowhere. Finally, if the Outbreak Company anime has taught us nothing, it's that Japanese politicians and civil service workers have no business meddling with something as complex as our collective perceptions of what is "cool" about Japan and its anime culture.

A shot in the arm for anime as a business? We hope so.

The Japanese Concept of "Aisatsu" (Greetings)

All around our city there are these metal plates put up by our local PTA on which are written interesting no-nonsense slogans for raising happy children, like 弱気な子は過保護から yowaki na ko wa kahogo kara meaning "weak-minded children are caused by over-protective parents" or 親孝行見せぬ人の子供が真似る oya koukou misenu hito no kodomo ga maneru, or "those who don't show filial piety and respect to their parents won't receive it from their children." Another of these slogans is 挨拶できる子は非行なし aisatsu dekiru ko wa hikou nashi or "a child who can greet others properly will not encounter difficulties in life." The Japanese concept of 挨拶 aisatsu, simply meaning "greetings," is quite an involved one, going well beyond the salutation you give to an acquaintance when you see them in the morning. Japan is a very "vertical" society, with people organized in senpai/kohai (senior/junior) relationships in school, club or work environments, and one of the rules of this system is that junior members should go out of their way to greet senior members as soon as they see them, which makes social relationships work more smoothly. The word aisatsu is also used to describe formal greetings like meeting your finance's parents for the first time or greeting someone in the new year, as well as the long, drawling speeches given at formal events.

The concept of "greetings" can be quite complex.

Attack on Dust: Big Cleaning in Japan

Now that Christmas is over, Japan is getting ready for New Year's Day, the most important day of the year to the Japanese. Stores here are well stocked with traditional products like kadomatsu, traditional New Year's decorations made from freshly cut bamboo and pine branches which symbolize the renewal of crossing into a new year, and mochi, the super sticky rice cakes that are delicious to eat with soy sauce poured on top. Shops are also selling cleaning supplies, some of them surprisingly cute, since the end of December is when Japanese do their 大掃除 oh-souji or "big cleaning" in their homes, a tradition that grew out of the custom of ritually cleaning Buddhist temples in preparation for the new year. J-List finished our big cleaning yesterday, with all staff members scrubbing and wiping and vacuuming every inch of our company, throwing away a year's worth of trash and junk and getting everything fresh and new for 2014. It's a great feeling.

Attack on Dust: J-List finished our "big cleaning" for the year.

Anime Calendar Season is Here, But They're Selling Out Fast

We started 2014 Japanese calendar season with nearly 250 different calendars, including anime, manga, popular Japanese idols, JAV and more. Thanks to our best Christmas ever, we've sold more than 70% of these calendars completely, and several dozen of our existing calendars are about to sell out. Browse the top calendars now, before the ones you want disappear forever!

J-List's Sale Runs Through January 3

Here's some good news: we've decided to extend our EMS sale through January 3rd! You can get a $25 in store credit if you buy $125 or more on the site and choose EMS shipping, or a $50 back if you buy $250 or more. EMS is ridiculously fast, comes with insurance included and is also fully trackable. J-List store credits can be used on either the JLIST.com or JBOX.com websites, and they never expire. Get shopping now!

Merry Christmas 2013

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from J-List. We hope you are having a warm and special day surrounded by loved ones.

Christmas is, of course, the most important cultural and/or religious holiday to many throughout the world, especially in the West. In Japan it occupies a slightly lower peg on the cultural awareness scale, a fact I was reminded of when my Japanese wife asked me, "What day is Christmas this year?" as if it moved around from year to year like American Thanksgiving. One challenge to enjoying a nice, quiet Christmas in Japan is being so busy, since December is a very busy time. In addition to the seemingly endless stream of 忘年会 bounen-kai or year-end parties you have with co-workers and friends, you have to find time to do 大掃除 oh-souji, the "big cleaning" that must be done before December 31st, so that you can enter the new year with a clean slate. (Companies do this cleaning, too -- J-List does ours tomorrow.) One of the biggest bits of culture shock foreigners will experience when coming to Japan for the first time is that Christmas isn't a holiday here, and I remember getting stuck in a traffic jam while commuting home from work my first Japanese Christmas back in 1991. It was really odd.

Christmas in Japan can be a busy time.

Chopsticks and Japan

One thing everyone knows about the Japanese people is that they use chopsticks to eat with. It's true: except for certain Western foods like spaghetti or curry rice, the Japanese eat most every meal with chopsticks, and they're so ubiquitous here no one gives them a second thought. Children learn to use chopsticks around the age of three, often using training chopsticks to get started, and the first real peer pressure a child will experience is having to eat in front of the other children at preschool, with the fear of embarrassment if they're behind the other kids at chopstick skill. Although I've lived in Japan for more than 20 years, I still get an occasional お箸が上手 ohashi ga jozu ("you use chopsticks very well") compliment. We have tons of fun chopsticks from Japan in stock, with everything from Star Wars light saber chopsticks to Totoro and Ghibli, Pokemon and lacquered bamboo (the best kinds of chopsticks for foreigners to use since they're easy to grap food with). Why not browse now?

Using chopsticks are a big part of life in Japan.

Live Action Anime Series Have Few Friends

There are certain things I will never understand about Japan, like their fascination with the number of creases a person has in their eyelids. Eyes that are 二重 futae, with two eyelid creases resulting in a larger "gaijin-style" look, are said to be preferable to 一重 hitoe, eyes with only one eyelid crease creating narrower "Asian" eyes. I'm also at a loss as to why the Japanese love making live-action versions of popular anime series so often. Whether it's a stage musical version of Steins;Gate, the drama adaption of Ouran High School or the upcoming Kiki's Delivery Service film, live-action versions of already-beloved anime series seem guaranteed to receive negativity from many fans. This is an interesting question to ponder: why are the Sailor Moon musicals considered classics by most fans while production stills from the upcoming I Have Few Friends movie resulted in much groaning and facepalming online. One reason might be the strength of our existing attachment to the characters in anime form. I hadn't seen the anime version of Nodame Cantabile so I had no problem enjoying the live-action series, and the 20th Century Boys film trilogy (based on the manga, with no anime series made) is among my favorite Japanese films. Spending money to create live-action versions of anime series despite low interest by fans is one sign studios are ネタ切り neta-giri, a phrase that can be translated as "out of fish pieces for making sushi," or in this case, out of fresh ideas.

I'm not a fan of most live-action anime adaptions.

2014 Anime & Japan Calendars Are Selling Fast

We started 2014 Japanese calendar season with nearly 250 different calendars, including anime, manga, popular Japanese idols, JAV and more. Thanks to our best Christmas ever, we've sold more than 70% of these calendars completely, and several dozen of our existing calendars

J-List EMS Shipping Sale Extended Through Jan 3!

Here's some good news: we've decided to extend our EMS sale through January 3rd! You can get a $25 in store credit if you buy $125 or more on the site and choose EMS shipping, or a $50 back if you buy $250 or more. EMS is ridiculously fast, comes with insurance included and is also fully trackable. J-List store credits can be used on either the JLIST.com or JBOX.com websites, and they never expire. Get shopping now!

Death Planning in Japan

Today (December 23rd) is the birthday of the current Japanese emperor, Akihito, who happens to be the 125th ruler in an unbroken line that stretches back for 2000 years. The reign of each emperor has an "era name," with the current one being Heisei ("peace everywhere"), and since 2013 is the 25th year of Akihito's reign the year is nearly always referred to as Heisei 25 inside Japan. It's unknown how many more years the Heisei Era has left, since the Emperor is getting up in years, having reached the age of 79 with health problems ranging from prostate cancer to a heart condition requiring bypass surgery. Last month the Emperor did something quite remarkable: he released a document outlining his wishes for a funeral and burial for himself and his wife, Empress Michiko. This was unique because, for all the "death culture" that foreigners observe when they arrive in Japan, there's very little forward thinking about preparing for death. In America, it's quite common to write a will outlining your wishes or create a living trust to protect your family's assets from undue taxes upon your death, but these kinds of preparations aren't done in Japan at all, and even bringing up the subject is a big taboo, as I've learned by accidentally raising the issue with my Japanese in-laws. Hopefully with the Emperor's embracing of the subject, more Japanese will think positively about making preparations for the future.

The Emperor and his wife are thinking about the future.

Japan, Christmas and Christmas Cake

Well, the stockings are hung by the chimney with care, and we're all getting ready for a nice American-style Christmas in Japan. Being a relatively recent import from the West, Japan's idea of Christmas is likely to be a little different from your country. While around 1.5% of Japanese are Christians who attend mass at local churches (there a dozen or so Catholic, Baptist and Mormon churches located in the cities around J-List, and even one affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church), for most Japanese Christmas is a fun excuse to have a party with loud firecrackers, spoil children with presents from Toys "R" Us and maybe perhaps go on a date with that special someone. It's common in the U.S. for people to lament how "commercial" Christmas has become, though this is not a new problem -- it's a theme found in the Charlie Brown Christmas Special which has been around since 1965. Sadly Japan is no exception to this trend, and shops are filled with so many plastic Christmas-themed products it can sometimes be hard for gaijin living here to get into the proper mood. One idea I'm fascinated with is whether it's possible to quantify the cultural importance of a thing by how many related fanart images are posted to websites like Pixiv. If this measure is at all accurate, Christmas is very important to Japan, based on the thousands of cute images of anime characters dressed up as "Santa-san" that exist. If you want to see some of these pictures, follow the J-List Facebook, Tumblr or Twitter feeds!

One of the most famous images of Christmas in Japan is "Christmas cake," a delicious cake that's either handmade from scratch or ordered from a bakery to be picked up on December 24th. The custom got started in 1910 when confectionery company Fujiya -- the ones who make those delicious Milky caramels -- introduced the British tradition of Christmas cake to Japan, though the local version is usually a standard sponge cake with strawberries and a whipped cream-based icing. One big trend over the past few years has been the rise of convenience stores selling Christmas cakes featuring licensed characters like Madoka Magica, Pokemon and even Attack on Titan. Convenience stores have become a popular way for animation studios to reach new fans, and by creating limited products like Lawson's Eva-themed Christmas cake that comes with a metal Spear of Longinus knife to cut your cake with, convenience store chains can bring a lot of customers into their stores.

The Japanese love creating Santa-themed art; you can't have Christmas without a Christmas Cake.

Consider J-List Gift Certificates for Gifts

If you missed anyone on your list this year, there's still time to get them the perfect gift: a J-List Gift Certificate, the gift that says, "I think your nerdiness level is over 9000." J-List gift certificates can be used on either the J-List or JBOX.com sites, and they never expire. They can be sent directly to your recipient via email, or sent to you, so you can print it out and present it to them in person. Order a J-List gift certificate now!

Our EMS Sale Goes Through January 1st

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Japan's "Geinou-kai" Talent World

It's fun to look at Japan's 芸能界 geinou-kai or entertainment world, which encompasses all actors, singers, bikini idols, comedians and anime voice actors. Japan's show business industry is highly structured, with virtually every aspect of a given star's career carefully controlled by professional talent agencies with names like Yellow Cab, Keep Smiling, Queen's Factory and Hello! Project, who manage what stars will appear on which TV shows, what "guarantee" (lump sum payment) will be paid by the TV studios, and even what kind of bento the stars will be served while working. There are similar talent management companies in the U.S., of course, but one big difference is that here, everyone is quite aware that the irresistibly cute Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is affiliated with the Asobi System talent agency, while the enigmatic half-Japanese, half-Russian fashion model Rola works through the Libera Production management company. It's common for stars associated with the same company to sometimes appear together. For example, director/comedian Takeshi Kitano runs a successful talent agency called Office Kitano which discovers and manages young comedians and other "talents," and any show he produces will often feature members of his "Takeshi family" of performers. Japan's talent management companies often become so influential they can leave a lasting impression on popular culture, like Johnny's Entertainment, which virtually created the category of ikemen (ee-keh-men, extremely cute male idols) in Japan over the past three decades.

The Japanese know which companies manage their favorite stars.

Famous Memes from Japan: Domo-kun and Ichigo Pantsu

It's fun to mark the Japan-related memes that come along over the years, like the rise -- forgive the pun -- of ichigo pantsu, underwear with strawberries printed on them, iconicized by the popular manga and anime Ichigo 100%, or the recent popularity of the cartooonish "boned meat" meme in Japanese pop culture. This Sunday marks the 15th anniversary of an old friend of ours at J-List, Domo-kun, a popular brown monster created on December 22, 1998 to celebrate ten years of satellite broadcasting by NHK, Japan's national broadcasting network. Domo is a "strange creature that hatched from an egg" whose name is a very polite word (seen in phrases like どうもありがとうございます domo arigatou gozaimasu, the most formal way to express thanks), and he exists in part to encourage Japanese children to speak to others more politely. Domo-kun exploded onto the Internet in 2002 when someone posted the now-famous "Every time you...God kills a kitten" Photoshop image to FARK.com, and suddenly anime conventions were filled with Domo-kun cosplayers chasing catgirls all over the place.

Some of my favorite memes from Japan.

Famous Memes from Japan: Domo-kun and Ichigo Pantsu

It's fun to mark the Japan-related memes that come along over the years, like the rise -- forgive the pun -- of ichigo pantsu, underwear with strawberries printed on them, iconicized by the popular manga and anime Ichigo 100%, or the recent popularity of the cartooonish "boned meat" meme in Japanese pop culture. This Sunday marks the 15th anniversary of an old friend of ours at J-List, Domo-kun, a popular brown monster created on December 22, 1998 to celebrate ten years of satellite broadcasting by NHK, Japan's national broadcasting network. Domo is a "strange creature that hatched from an egg" whose name is a very polite word (seen in phrases like どうもありがとうございます domo arigatou gozaimasu, the most formal way to express thanks), and he exists in part to encourage Japanese children to speak to others more politely. Domo-kun exploded onto the Internet in 2002 when someone posted the now-famous "Every time you...God kills a kitten" Photoshop image to FARK.com, and suddenly anime conventions were filled with Domo-kun cosplayers chasing catgirls all over the place.

Some of my favorite memes from Japan.

The Japanese Love Traveling to Famous Resorts, Including San Diego

The Japanese are big fans of traveling abroad, and there are hundreds of travel agencies that provide cheap package tours to various destinations, along with dozens of TV programs that showcase the best vacation spots around the world. The other day I was flipping channels and stopped at a familiar site: my home town of San Diego, California. It was a show called "Let's Enjoy the Seven Seas" in which beach-loving comedians Mimura Masakazu and Otake Kazuki -- who form a manzai duo called "Summers" -- travel to resort destinations like Tahiti, the Bahamas and Australia's Gold Coast, reporting on things that are important to Japanese travelers like the cost of rooms, the quality of the food and even the strength of the water pressure in the showers. The duo traveled all around San Diego, eating at my favorite Hawaiian Shave Ice shop in Pacific Beach and exploring exotic resort hotels in La Jolla. The show awarded San Diego its coveted five star rating, saying it matched the top-ranked Hawaii in terms of fun activities for tourists while providing the perfect climate free from unpleasant humidity.    

The Japanese love traveling to exotic locations.

Fun Memes from Japan via J-List

Whether it's Japan's famous shimapan or ichigo pantsu or cushions based on the "boned meat" meme in Monster Hunter and elsewhere, you can find fun products on J-List. We love to follow anime memes as they get popular and get the items on the site, since anime is more fun if you can buy the real products. Why not browse and make an order during our shipping sale?

Did You Order Anything Using our EMS Cash Back Sale?

Remember that J-List has begun an awesome EMS cash back sale! From now through Christmas, we'll give you $25 in store credit if you buy $125 or more on the site and choose EMS shipping, or a whopping $50 back if you buy $250 or more. EMS is ridiculously fast, comes with insurance included and is also fully trackable. J-List store credits can be used on either the JLIST.com or JBOX.com websites, and they never expire. . Get shopping now!

Good News for Kuroko no Basketball fans

The word 同人誌 doujinshi literally means "same person publication" and refers to an amateur-published work (these days nearly always a comic book, though literary magazines used to be common) made by a group of like-minded fans who share the same passion for embracing and extending Japan's pop culture. Unfortunately this view isn't 100% universal, as witnessed by one individual who sent more than 400 letters -- some containing lethal substances like hydrogen sulphide -- threatening violence against shops and doujinshi events that carried works related to the anime and manga 黒子のバスケ Kuroko no Basuke (Kuroko's Basketball). As a result of the letters, circles producing comics related to the anime and manga were banned from selling their works at Comiket, and several other events were canceled entirely over public safety concerns. When the police announced that 36 year old failed manga-ka Hirofumi Watanabe, the individual responsible for the letters, had been safely arrested, there was much rejoicing throughout Japan's otaku community.

The reign of terrorism against sweaty anime boys has come to an end.

The Japanese Take their Glasses Seriously

I write often about how one of the joys of living in Japan is experiencing exceptional service, which is all the more amazing because there's no custom of tipping here, which can be a frustration when you want to reward someone who went out of their way to provide exceptional service but can't. The other day my wife wanted to buy some new glasses, so I went with her to her regular glasses store to see what new designs they'd gotten in. The Japanese take their megane seriously, and there were many styles in the shop, including frames by famous designers like Christian Dior and Bvlgari along with functional designs with more down-to-earth prices. The process of choosing the frames was impressive: we sat down at a counter and drank green tea while the employee, who knew my wife by name and was already familiar with her tastes, suggested different styles to try on. While she did this, another employee completely dis-assembled her existing glasses, replacing several parts that were worn out and tightening everything nicely for her. The coup de grâce came as we left the store, and the first employee rushed out into the street to bodily stop traffic for us, bowing deeply as we drove off. It was certainly an experience to remember.

The Japanese take their glasses very seriously.

The History of Kissing in Japan

One topic that's interesting to explore is the Western custom of kissing and its history with Japan. While the English word "kiss" was imported during the Meiji Period, when Japan was modernizing as fast as it could, the concept of kissing goes back at least to the Heian Period (794-1185), where it's described in literature from that era. As often happens in Japanese, English speakers are happy to find a convenient loan word available to use, the English word キス kisu, but eventually you have to learn the archaic but often aesthetically beautiful Japanese word, which is 接吻 seppun. While private kissing between lovers is fine, the Japanese are very conservative when it comes to this act, and would never do it in a public place. They're extremely suspicious of the European custom of cheek kissing as a greeting between friends, and this is often used as the basis for comedic misunderstandings in anime. Drawing their favorite anime and game characters kissing is a favorite pasttime of Japanese fan-artists, whether it's as a reward for a job well-done or exploring the various possibilities of yuri tonsil hockey. If you're on Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr, follow J-List to see some of the random images I post each day.

Some info on the history of kissing in Japan.

2014 Anime Calendars are Selling Out Fast

Every year J-List carries hundreds of great 2014 calendars from Japan, including anime and manga, popular Japanese idols, gorgeous views of Japan including Mt. Fuji, and some "naughty" calendars for JAV fans. Every year the calendars sell out quickly around Christmas, but this year they're disappearing at an even faster rate than normal. Already several major calendars have sold out for the year, so if you want to avoid the agony of missing out on that gorgeous Kantoku or Oreimo or Steins;Gate calendar, grab the ones you want now. All calendars are covered by our ongoing EMS sale, too! Click here to browse all 2014 calendars, ranked by our awesome customers.

Our EMS Sale is Still Going Strong

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My Bilingual Kids

My kids are haafu, half Japanese and half American, and my wife and I have done our best to ensure they could grow up bilingual in both languages without having to go through years of hard study as we did. I imported all my DVDs from the U.S. so that if my kids wanted to watch Harry Potter or A Series of Unfortunate Events they'd have to do it all in English. I'd even sit through anime that was badly dubbed in English with them, pretending there was no Japanese track on the disc in order to force them to learn English, which I think shows real dedication as a father. Most movies that children would be interested in seeing are shown in two versions in Japanese theaters, a dubbed one for younger viewers and a subtitled one for adults who can read the difficult kanji characters. My kids had no problem with English, so they were always the only kids in the subtitled theatre. Because they know English, they're able to observe Japan in ways normal Japanese can't. My daughter is a fan of reading novels submitted by users of Japanese websites, and there's a button asking users to "clap" their hands if they liked what they read. Sadly, most of these sites write the word as "crap," which causes my daughter to giggle every time she comes across one.

Sorry, I don't want to read any "novels of crap" today.

Gunma Prefecture, the Least Interesting Prefecture in Japan

If you visit Tokyo's prestigious Ginza district right now you might come across a shop selling products featuring the official mascot of J-List's home prefecture of Gunma, named Gunma-chan. The purpose of the shop is to promote awareness of our prefecture's many wonderful products and teach Tokyo-ites about Gunma, which is located in the exact center of Japan's main island of Honshu, about 100 km northwest of Tokyo. Gunma's "brand" has been suffering over the last few years, coming in last place in a popularity ranking of Japan's 47 prefectures, and when most people in Tokyo are asked what comes to mind when they think of Gunma, they can't think of anything beyond onsen hot springs and maybe a few ski resorts. Over the years I've met several business partners in Tokyo who were amazed that J-List was located in such a quaint and out-of-the-way place, as if we were based in Kalamazoo, Michigan instead of a brief shinkansen hop from Japan's capital. Although Gunma's mascot Gunma-chan has a lot of fans, we're definitely losing out to Kutamoto, whose popular prefectural mascot Kumamon brings in an incredible $300 million in tourism and trade to Kumamoto Prefecture annually.

Our home prefecture tries to improve its image.

Dating and Marriage Sites for Otkaus?

Yesterday, December 15, was designated as World Otaku Day by the Internet, a day to celebrate our 2D-loving lifestyle. It was a good excuse to hold オタクのための婚活 otaku no tame no konkatsu, or activities to help otaku-minded single people meet potential partners for dating and marriage. In today's stressed-out world it can be hard to find time for dating, a phenomenon which contributes to Japan's low birthrate and high number of people who are just plain lonely. To help combat the problem, both private companies as well as various municipalities around Japan have embraced 婚活 konkatsu, lit. "marriage activities," which are structured programs to help singles interact with each other in the hopes that some will hit it off. Since otakus get lonely too, companies like the cutely-named dating site "I'm Single" have been pioneering a similar concept for them, for example 合コン goh-kon or drink parties with a pre-set menu of activities that make it easier for guys and girls to break the ice with each other. Otakus lucky enough to find someone like-minded to date can form an オタカップル ota-couple in which 2D-related hobbies like anime and games can be shared and enjoyed together, or east understood by the other party without bias. While these dating/marriage services are intended for Japanese people living inside Japan, you might want to check the J-List Friends site, since there are many interesting Japanese people to meet there.

There are dating & marriage services for otakus in Japan.

Steins;Gate's Package is Printing Now

As you know, we've licensed the excellent science fiction adventure game Steins;Gate for release in English, and here's an update on our progress. The metal Future Gadget Laboratory pins have been manufactured and are in San Diego now, and we've started printing the packages at a large facility in Japan. (The limited edition packaging and artbook are being printed in Japan so we can get the maximum quality, matching the Japanese version of the game.). The game master is also being worked on at a feverish pace, and we're on target for an early 2014 release as planned. Make sure you've got your preorder for the limited edition of the English version of the game! It comes with two "lab member" pins in a case, a glossy artbook with original content, the game on DVD-ROM plus a download code for the game so you can play it the day it's released!

J-List's EMS Sale is Continuing

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The Most "Japanese" Image In The World

Hello from "the land of kawaii and sugoi," Japan! J-List is in full Christmas mode, packing and shipping hundreds of packages per day. Note that we recommend you order by Friday the 13th in order to ensure you get your packages in time for Christmas. What awesome products can J-List send you today during our big EMS shipping sale?

I like to post random things to the J-List Facebook page, from various anime-related pictures I've come across on Pixiv to occasional Sailor Moon yuri. Once I posted a picture I'd found that, to me, represented Japan more than any I'd ever seen, with the image of Mt. Fuji viewed behind sakura trees with a five-story pagoda off to the side. When I asked readers to post pictures that represented their own countries, the responses included this iconic image of Italy, a lovely castle in Germany, this extremely British image, an example of archeology in Canada, a "nice boat" from Norway, plus a something for Americans to smile about. A few replies were snarky, like one reader showing us what it's like using the Internet from Australia. It's fun to analyze how our impressions of our own countries are affected by interacting with foreigners, and learning how they view us. When Japanese staff first start working at J-List, they probably think they understand that gaijin love things like Mt. Fuji and Kyoto. But when they actually start working with our customers, who often possess incredible passion for subjects like Japanese history and samurai swords and extremely esoteric pop culture from Japan, they're filled with pride and come to see their own country in a new way.

What image would represent your country? Hopefully not "People of Wal-Mart."

Kanji of the Year 2013

Today (December 12) is 漢字の日 kanji no hi or Kanji Day, a day for appreciating the role of Chinese characters in modern Japanese society. It's also the day the Japanese Kanji Proficiency Society announces the "kanji of the year," the single character that best sums up the events of the past twelve months, which is done at a ceremony at the beautiful Kiyomizu-dera temple in Kyoto. The character for 2013 has been announced, and it's....輪, meaning circle, hoop or ring, clearly a reference to Japan's winning of the 2020 Olympics, which are called 五輪 gorin ("five rings") in Japanese. The character is pronounced wa when used by itself or in certain words like 輪ゴム wa-gomu, a rubber band, and rin (reen) when forming more advanced words like 一輪車 ichi rin-sha, a unicycle, or 輪廻 rin-ne, the Buddhist concept of death and rebirth (samsara). Perhaps the most common use of 輪 (wa) is to describe your circle of friends (友達の輪 tomodachi no wa). Previous kanji of the year have included 命 inochi (life) in 2006, a year marked by a record number of suicides; 変 hen (change) in 2008, a year of change for Japan as well as the world; and 絆 kizuna (bond, as in the bonds that tie us to one another) after the terrible trials of the earthquakes and tsunamis of 2011.

The Kanji of the Year for 2013 is 輪。

Happy Friday the 13th From Japan

I've talked before about how the Japanese can be quite superstitious at times, and since today is Friday the 13th, I thought I'd revisit some of the more interesting folk beliefs here, such as, don't urinate on a worm, or he'll get revenge by making your private parts swell up. Don't whistle at night or a snake will come, and don't play with fire or you'll wet the bed. When you sneeze twice, it means someone is gossiping about you, a joke that pops up in anime quite a lot. If you see a spider in the morning, it's good luck, so don't kill it. If you want to check the weather tomorrow, throw your shoe as far as you can; if it lands sole down, it will be sunny, but if upside down, it will rain. Being such a death-oriented place, there are a lot of superstitions related to death. When you attend a funeral you'll be given a packet of salt by the funeral home, and you must throw the salt over your body to cleanse it before crossing the threshold into your house or the spirits of the dead will move in to your house. Don't cut your fingernails at night, or you won't be able to be with your parents on their deathbed. Finally, if you see a hearse, you should hide your thumbs inside your fists, or one of your parents will die -- this is due to the fact that the word for thumb (親指 oya-yubi) literally means "parent finger." The Japanese know about the Western superstition of Friday the 13th mainly thanks to a movie about a guy in a hockey mask, and they usually expect good things to happen on that day instead of bad things, which is a pretty good outlook to have.

Happy Friday the 13th from J-List. Hope something good happens today!

An Update on the English Version of Steins;Gate

As you know, we've licensed the excellent science fiction adventure game Steins;Gate for release in English, and here's an update on our progress. The metal Future Gadget Laboratory pins have been manufacturered and are in San Diego now, and we've started printing the packages at a large facility in Japan. (The limited edition packaging and artbook are being printed in Japan so we can get the maximum quality, matching the Japanese version of the game.). The game master is also being worked on at a feverish pace, and we're on target for an early 2014 release as planned. Make sure you've got your preorder for the limited edition of the English version of the game! It comes with two "lab member" pins in a case, a glossy artbook with original content, the game on DVD-ROM plus a download code for the game so you can play it the day it's released!

Our EMS Sale is Still Going On

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The History of Cosplay in Japan

Hello from "the land of kawaii and sugoi," Japan! J-List is in full Christmas mode, packing and shipping hundreds of packages per day. Note that we recommend you order by Friday the 13th in order to ensure you get your packages in time for Christmas. What awesome products can J-List send you today during our big EMS shipping sale?

One of my favorite aspects of fandom is cosplay, the act of transforming yourself into your favorite anime character through costume and make-up skills, something that started to get popular in the 1970s as a result of Japan's contact with the costuming culture of Worldcon. The word is an example of 和製英語 wasei eigo or "made-in-Japan English," and it was coined in the June 1983 issue of My Anime magazine, which included a special feature on "hero costume play" that had to be shortened to "cosplay" on one page to fit into the layout. The first anime cosplay is said to have taken place at a science fiction convention in Yokohama in 1978, when a judge mistook a fan cosplaying a character from the cover of an Edgar Rice Burroughs novel as being from an anime called Triton of the Sea; the error was never corrected, and suddenly fans got the idea of bringing 2D characters from anime into the 3D world. These days it's not hard to find "cosplay idols" like Kipi or Necoco who create the most amazing costumes for us to enjoy, capturing every minute detail of the characters with remarkable skill. If you like random pictures of cosplay, I recommend J-List's popular Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter feeds, since I've always got something interesting being posted there for fans to check out and comment on.

Some background on the history of cosplay.

Shoes In the Genkan

It's fun to try to understand Japan by thinking about its culture from new directions, for example through the aesthetic concepts of 侘び wabi and 寂び sabi, translatable as "sober refinement and austere serenity," which in practice mean appreciating things that are old and imperfect, like a well-used green tea cup or the sad loneliness of a rural train station in Hokkaido. You can even seek to understand Japan from the bottom up, so to speak, by thinking about shoes. The Japanese famously remove their shoes at a lowered area called a 玄関 genkan before entering a home (or businesses like J-List), which keeps most of the outside dirt from coming in. Shoes are always considered 汚い kitanai (dirty), and if I were to ever wash dirty shoes our family's washing machine I'd be buying my wife a new washing machine in a hurry. Because shoes are always left near the front door, you can tell if a boy has female company over by checking his shoe area. This happened in a recent episode of Kyoukai no Kanata/Beyond the Boundary, when Mirai visited Akihito and noticed a mysterious pair of girl's shoes in his genkan, which led to a very cute misunderstanding.

Shoes in a genkan can give away your secrets.

Before You Get a Kanji Tattoo...

Westerners seem hopelessly taken with the mysteries of kanji characters, often choosing to get exotic tattoos with Chinese characters on their bodies. This is a cool thing to do, though occasionally they find out that a character is printed upside-down or that the characters mean something different than what they intended. Recently one customer asked our native Japanese staff to "translate" something he wanted to get as a tattoo, which was "never forget, never bow, never give up." The translation came out as 忘れず、媚びず、諦めず wasurezu, wabuzi, akiramezu, which is an accurate translation but one that doesn't work well because it lacks any context, e.g. no one ever says these words in this way in Japanese. Another idea was changing the message to 決して諦めない kesshite akiramenai, which has much better balance and sound, meaning "never give up [no matter what happens]." Finally the staff settled on 不屈の精神 fukutsu no seishin, a very beautiful phrase that literally means "indomitable and unyielding spirit," which we felt was going to work much better for the person than trying to force a translation directly from English. If you're interested in kanji but want to think twice before getting any permanent tattoos, why not consider our custom hanko name stamps which allow you to make name stamps with your name in kanji, or our custom Japanese calligraphy message board, with any Japanese phrase you like written for you. Because our staff are native Japanese speakers, there's no worry you'll end up with something embarrassing like "raging diarrhea."

This lovely Japanese tattoo says...tomato?

Make New Year's Cards with your "Sumaho" (Smartphone)

Hello from "the land of kawaii and sugoi," Japan! J-List is in full Christmas mode, packing and shipping hundreds of packages per day. Note that we recommend you order by Friday the 13th in order to ensure you get your packages in time for Christmas. What awesome products can J-List send you today during our big EMS shipping sale?

December is a very busy time in Japan, what with buying Christmas presents and other year-end gifts, planning that special romantic date on Christmas Eve and preparing for 大掃除 oh-souji, the year-end "big cleaning" that everyone does here. It's also time to make 年賀状 nengajo, or New Year's greeting cards, which are mailed during December and delivered to everyone on January 1st. While you can have nengajo printed professionally, it's much more fun to make them yourself, and over the years the du joir method for doing this has evolved greatly, from wood blocks and rubber stamps to computer software that lets you choose from various clip art on CD-ROM. Now with the rise of スマホ sumaho (smartphones) you can create nengajo cards using apps on your iPhone or Android phone, which you can then print yourself or have printed professionally by companies like Fuji Film. 2014 is the Year of the Horse according to the Chinese zodiac, and if you want to celebrate it in classic style we've got some fun products you should look at.

Make new year's cards with your smartphone.

Japanese Cuisine Wins UNESCO Recognition

The Japanese like nothing more than to be recognized internationally for their achievements, which is why the popularity of anime/manga creators like Hayao Miyazaki or Shirow Masamune soar in Japan when their works achieve acclaim abroad. One of the highlights of 2013 was when Mt. Fuji was officially recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which caused all Japan to swell with pride. Now another institution has received special recognition: 和食 washoku, or traditional Japanese cuisine, known for its beautiful presentation as much for its delicious taste. One problem facing modern Japan today is how to maintain interest in traditional food culture in a world where the "mind-share" of Japanese food is shrinking due to globalization and the rise of convenient alternatives. Consumption of fish and rice, two staples of the country for centuries, has fallen by half since the 1960s, and today the most popular foods among children are curry rice, spaghetti and "hamburg" (Salisbury) steak, none of which are Japanese. Hopefully the official UNESCO recognition will cause more people to turn to traditional dishes in the future.

Japanese cuisine receives recognition by UNESCO.

Japan's New Secrecy Law

Japan is buzzing over the enactment of a new Secrets Protection Act which threatens prison terms for government employees or journalists who divulge information the government deems secret. The law is clearly intended to prevent any local Edward Snowdens from cropping up, but it's worrisome because of the way in which anything can arbitrarily be named a state secret by the government. While there's been much hand-wringing over the new law, I find I'm pretty mellow towards it. First, while Japan ostensibly has a "free press," it's actually pretty dysfunctional, happily censoring itself on topics such as the Japanese Emperor or Google's accidental publishing of historical maps that show where the buraku-min (Japan's version of India's untouchables) lived during the Edo Period, all while proactively protecting the "privacy" of individuals caught in scandals if they happen to be affiliated with AKB48 or the Johnny's Jimusho talent agency, though no one else is afforded such consideration. As a result, net-savvy Japanese increasingly turn to Western news sources like Yahoo or MSNBC, which (being foreign-based) presumably have a more Western-style approach to reporting what the public needs to know. Then there's the grand tradition of 建前 tatemae (ta-tay-mah-eh), lit. "facade," which means the way we pretend things are even though we know it's not the truth; and 本音 honne (hon-neh), lit. "true sound," which means the way things really are, the truth, the actual situation. Whenever a law banning this or that is made in Japan, I know that it will mostly be smoke and mirrors, created for the purpose of projecting an image or enacting an official stance, with very real action taken.

There have been protests against the new secrecy law in Tokyo.

Cool Products Monday, December 9, 2013

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