Cool Products Wednesday, November 24, 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.

	Sound Fit Muff Headphones Whether you're looking for a set of cute earmuffs or a stylish pair of headphones you can wear through the cold winter, these are the perfect fit.
	One Piece Wall Clocks Every hour of the day is pirate hour with this bold One Piece themed pirate clock! Features all your favorite characters in a large friendly display.
	Awesomely Nerdy iPhone Cases from Japan Make your iPhone look like a vintage Nintendo controller or a cassette tape with these awesome cases! Also see the new Range Finder camera and Twin Lens Reflex Classic camera style cases, with bold designs that will make your phone the topic of conversation. View products »
	Anime Picture Book ~ Totoro, Ponyo Two new Ghibli picture books are now in stock! Written in easy Japanese with phonetic characters, these are also perfect study tools for beginners.
	Awesome Totoro Products Restocked This plush Totoro backpack has your back, and it's restocked on J-List today, along with Totoro bento, a pencil case and that kawaii baby bib.
	To Love-Ru and Toradora PSP games Specially priced versions of the PSP Toradora and To LOVE-Ru games, so much fun to play. You won't believe some of the endings, too...
	Macross Frontier Blu-Ray, Games Restocked The Macross Frontier Blu-ray + PS3 game, plus my favorite anime game, Macross Ultimate Frontier (seriously, get it), and Tales of Phantasia.
	Shinkansen Sushi Remote Control Toy Dining at Japan's kaiten-zushi or "rotating, conveyor belt" sushi restaurants is a unique experience where food is delivered to you on individually priced plates. One of the most fun styles of delivery puts the plates on the back of a model Shinkansen, or bullet train, and now you can replicate this wacky experience in your own home with this great train set -- perfect as a toy, or to add a Japanese touch to your meal setting, and an epic gift for the holidays too. View products »
	Hello Kitty Deodorizer Premium Berries Here's a really awesome Hello Kitty product, which will add elegance to any room, and a nice smell too. Restocked today.
	Fun Traditional Phone Straps, More See cute Lucky Cat phone straps, Japanese-style oil absorbing sheets, easy-to-use colorful chopsticks and omamori lucky charms!
	Hiragana Times Nov 2010 A great bilingual Japanese study magazine with articles in both languages. "For relaxing times, make it Hiragana Times."
	Waterproof Flash Cards, Memo Pad Japanese are nothing if not innovative when it comes to studying. See our waterproof flashcards and memo pads, which can be used in the bath!
	Gorgeous Artbooks In Stock We can't get enough of Shirow, and the awesome Pieces 4 is in stock for you. Also, Takeshi Okazaki's REBOOT artbook, so gorgeous.
	More Unexplored Train Station Photobooks Photobooks documenting lonely rural and haikyo (modern ruins) train stations, a great series, showing you a side of Japan you can't easily see.
	Fun New Snacks from Japan Meiji The Corn pottage snack sticks (yum), a killer new flavor of CRATZ almond snacks, plus Choco-saku, a crunchy, fun chocolate from Lotte.
	Excellent Restocked Snacks Rice Crackers w/peanuts, fortune-telling gum, Shigekix Hard Gummy in Energy Drink flavor, Morinaga Baked Chocolate, Barley Sugar Candy and more!
	GummiX 1 Gummy Insect Maker Japanese boys love insects, and you can make your own beetles and other creepy crawlies -- but these can be eaten!
	Onigiri Shapers, tor the Perfect Rice Balls Avoid the embarrassment of improperly shaped onigiri rice balls with the fun shapers we've posted today.
	Pocket Monster Bento Box Restocked Based on the amount of buzz in J-List's Twitter feed, this is one of the most drooled-over items of the season.
	NATURAL LUNCH TIME Bento Items Restocked Fresh stock of the popular Natural Lunch Time bento series, a great place to start your bento collection.
	Rilakkuma Is Taking Over the Kawaii World Rilakkuma ("Relax Bear") Microwave Rice Cooker, Silicon Cake Mold, and awesome Overhead Headphones.
	New Bento Accessories See a cute bento box band with a plush rabbit, plus awesome bento cups that teach you hiragana!
	Chopsticks Rest Set ~ Ume & Heart 4 Dogs  Then, these little dogs keep your chopsticks clean and give them a place to rest. Plus they're cute!
	Samurai Sword Chopsticks Restocked Only Japan could make chopsticks that look like historically accurate samurai swords. Restocked today.
	Awesome R2-D2 Soy Sauce Bottles, Pepper Mill Although we love anime, Star Wars is a part of our DNA too. Today we're restocking the nerd-tastic R2-D2 Soy Sauce Bottle!
	Restocked Bento & Japanese Food Books See fresh stock of the Japanese Food Phrasebook, books with bento ideas, and First Kanji Dictionary.
	Portable Paper Soap Restocked Then there are the sheets of soap you can carry with you, so you can always clean your hands no matter where you find yourself. Back in stock today!
	Interesting Japanese Pens We have more Japanese pens for you too, including the Mild Liner set of 3 colors and the ENERGEL 3-in-1 amazing pen.
	Oreimo iPad, iPhone 4 Cases *Preorder* Turn your lame, boring iPhone or iPad into an awesome Ita-device, with the OreImo cases we're announcing for preorder today. They fit standard iPhone 4 and currend iPad devices all over the world and will set you apart as a very special otaku. There's no way my iPhone or iPad can be this cute... View products »
	Today's Preorder Anime Figures A truly epic Rin Tohsaka figure (just look at that detailed hair!), plus sweet Ui and Jun from K-On! in biknis for you.
	Misaka Sisters Eye Mask ~ Index *Preorder* This is ingenious -- an eye mask that lets you cosplay as one of Misaka's younger sister clones and catch up on your sleep at the same time.
	Avion ~ Mihiro (5000 Limited Edition) If you had to live out the rest of your life on a desert island with just one beautiful Japanese woman, who would you choose? Make ours Mihiro!
	LoveLove & ChuChu vol. 5 It's another volume of the popular, sexy "H" manga series that brings together the best artists of Japan to show off their skills in the hottest ways possible. This volume focuses on kimono and traditional dress, tatami rooms and very "Japanese" themes, so those looking for a taste of Japan, ero-style, will love the many different takes on it from all these wonderful artists. View products »
	G-Best ~ G-Taste Best Selection The G-Taste artbook series by Hiroki Yagami was epic. Now enjoy the best of the series with an ecchi DVD + artbook!
	Pepee OMEGA 3 Personal Lotion Personal lotion products from Japan are the best in the world, and today we've got a new variety of Pepee ("peh-peh") lotion, as seen in all the best AV videos. Not only is it the best lotion in the world, it's also a symbol of Japan's unique sexual freedom of thought. Contains no strange chemicals, either. View products »
	Haru Nyan mini! vol. 2 ~ Yuki Nagato Parody Toy Next, if you're a serious fan of Yuki Nagato from Haruhi, we've got the new parody toy of her. Haruhi and Mikuru are also available.
	Bible Black, Sumire Portrait Studio Onahole Fresh stock of popular Bible Black onahole toys, plus the awesome Sumire, the girl who works in a portrait studio.
	Marmalade Illust Works An awesome new artbook presenting the gorgeous works of eroge brand Marmalade. Super artwork throughout.
	Restocked 'Ecchi' Artbooks See a big restocking of awesome anime artbooks from Japan, including the Nitroplus game Jingai Makyou, Push!! Illustration Archives and more.

Understanding Japan: Tatemae and Honne

In accordance with the Treaty of San Francisco, I'm required to blog about certain core Japan-related concepts every year or so. Two important ones are the twin ideas of tatemae and honne, pronounced tah-teh-MA-eh and HONE-neh. Tatemae literally means facade (like the front of a building) but in actual use, "the way we pretend things are, even though we know they're not." Its opposite is honne, translatable as "real sound" but in practice meaning the truth, a person's real intention, or the way things really are. Some good examples of tatemae are speed limits that no one ever follows, using false humility in front of your boss , and in the case of the U.S., the news media doing everything they could to tear Michael Jackson down then wringing their hands in feigned sadness after he died. Pachinko is another hilarious example of this falseness in action, since gambling for money is illegal here, so instead you win "valuable prizes" which you redeem for cash at a small shop next door. Recently I was coming back from Tokyo on the train and the conductor came on -- speaking that cute nasal voice they're all so good at -- to remind passengers standing around the "priority seating" area for elderly people to switch off their cell phones, presumably so radio waves don't stop someone's pacemaker from working. It was a cute gesture, but universally ignored by the people in the train, who would never cut off their oh-so-important link with the outside world like that.

Also, prostitution is illegal, but "soaplands" are not. There's one right behind this Koban (police box) in Shibuya..

Do You Know the Totoro Tree?

The next time you're in the village of Ayukawa in Yamagata Prefecture in northern Japan, you might want to go see the Totoro Tree. It's a large tree which has captured the hearts of Japanese fans because of its close resemblance to My Neighbor Totoro, and hundreds of fans drive by daily to snap pictures and pray at the nearby Shinto shrine that's become an unofficial shrine to the Ghibli character. The tree -- which is actually two trees, a large one with another behind it -- is a cedar and not a camphor tree, like in the animated film, so it loses some points there. But it's fun to see people from all walks of life come to see this really cool tree that makes them happy.

There's a tree in northern Japan that looks like Totoro.

Harry Potter Fans in Japan

Harry Potter fans are going wild over the new film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I, which opened here over the weekend bringing in a cool $14 million for the studio. Japanese fans have always embraced Harry Potter in a big way, buying up books and toys and adding a rather unique flavor to Potterian fandom with doujinshi and excellent cosplay. Japan is an important International market for Hollywood -- Titanic did 40% of its ticket sales here -- and Warner Bros. has been good at massaging Japanese fans by bringing the stars here to appear in variety shows, etc. Being a Harry Potter fan in Japan is not easy: it took a full year for the official translation of the final book to be released, which must have been hell for the waiting fans, and as is common with localized versions of foreign books, it was released in two volumes to maximize the publisher's profits. As with all movies that cater to younger fans, this Harry Potter film is released in two versions, one dubbed in Japanese and one subtitled, since viewers under the age of twelve or so can't read the kanji in the subtitles, which is why my kids (who speak English) are always the only ones in the theatre for the subtitled version. I'll go see the film eventually, but my son is studying
for his high school entrance exams and can't go with me, so I've decided to wait and see it with him.

Japanese Harry Potter fans are hard-core; and they love Nekomimi Hhermione.

J-List Sale Announcement & Other Updates

J-List has been making more improvements to our website. In addition to the new Christmas theme for the Holidays (do you like it?), we've fixed a bug in our popular customer wishlist feature that kept comments from being saved for some users. Customer wishlists, by the way, are a great way to keep track of the items you want to review later. Just add the items you want to your wishlist and they'll be saved for you when you come back, so you never lose track of anything. (It's best to log in too, so the items are synched with your account rather than stored in a browser cookie.) You can optionally make your wishlist public, so family members, friends or random people can see what you think is cool. I enjoy browsing the items J-List customers add to their wishlists by viewing the RSS feed that we have for that.

J-List is starting our Black Friday sale early, to give every more time to order and get their packages from us. Starting today, we're giving you $5 back as a store credit for every $100 you spend (shipping not included). Buy $200 in great gifts for the Japan-obsessed members of your family, get $10 back, or if you're just a few dollars from the next $100 amount, add some Pocky or Japanese Kit Kat to put yourself over the top J-List is loaded with awesome products that would be perfect for the special person on your list this year (or you), so why not start your Christmas shopping now? Remember, too, we've got a handy J-List Holiday Shopping Guide with products our staff thinks would be good for your Holiday buying.

Cool Products Monday, November 22, 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.

	Rilakkuma Earphones Rainbow Heart The cutest bear in Japan comes to you with an adorable pair of high fidelity earphones! Bring soothing San-X audio fashion to your ears today.
	One Piece Chopper Man iPhone 4 Protect Film Protect your iPhone's delicate viewing surface from scratches and prying eyes with this film from One Piece's Chopper mascot character.
	Aunt Merry Heart Shaped Yutanpo Plush Toy What could be a more adorable symbol of warmth and companionship than a wooly sheep, in this case one that snugly fits a container of heated water (called a "Yutanpo") that's a traditional way of keeping your bed toasty in the winter months. One of our featured holiday gift products this year that we absolutely love. View products »
	Rilakkuma 'Yutanpo' Bed Warmer, More The cutest bear around will warm up your bed on chilly winter nights with this great plush cover for a 'tanpo' hot water heater. Other Rilakkuma too!
	Hello Kitty Glasses Stand ~ Megane The most popular Hello Kitty product this year is back in stock, and she's ready to hold your glasses for you. Get yours before they sell out again.
	Amazing Totoro Items Restocked We've limited stock of the epic Totoro Cuckoo Clock (!), plus Totoro plush toys that walk when you pull their strings, for Christmas!
	Ponyo Cushions, More Restocked Or if you're more a Ponyo person, we've gotten in some great items for you, including the beautifully made sitting cushion and nap pillow.
	High School of the Dead 1 & 2 (Blu-ray Disc) Highschool of the Dead is the fanservice-packed zombie thriller anime that took fans by storm this year, and now that the Blu-ray is available we're incredibly excited to be able to share it with you. If you've seen the show or even clips of it online, be prepared to have your socks blown off by the intense quality of full native HD - the glorious action scenes in the show as they should truly be viewed. View products »
	How to Make Itasha & Ita-Goods ~ Itamono Kobo Have you seen the "itasha" craze of cars covered with huge, colorful anime bishoujo decals? With this guide you can make your own!
	Also, Restocked Moe Moe Encyclopedia, Too Learn about such important subjects as lingerie, dragons, fairies and the world of Cthulhu with the fabulous Moe Moe Encyclopedia, restocked today.
	Restocked DS Anime Games See the Nintendo dating-sim games that changed the world, Love Plus and Love Plus PLUS, plus Tokimeki Memorial Girls Side 3rd Story.
	Black Bar Censor Sun Glasses The Japanese respect privacy by printing horizontal bars over the eyes in print magazines. Here's a wacky pair of sunglasses that recreates this effect.
	Fuku-Bukuro Grab Bags in San Diego We've been highlighting our "lucky bag" specials in past updates, and today we're happy to announce that the variety of items included has been expanded to cover goods also stocked in our San Diego warehouse. Choose new sets including anime & toy items plus our limited-stock ecchi grab bags. View products »
	Fun Games in English Remember that J-List carries great games in English, like the doujin (indie) shooting game Suguri by Rockin' Android. Restocked today!
	Dot-s Super Mario Brothers 8-Bit Toys Fans of pixel art and related crafts are going to love the ability to create your own legendary Mario sprite hands-on. Makes a great gift too!
	Restocked Japanese Pens, Origami Complete origamii sets for papercraft fans (make your own sushi!), kanji writing pens, Mameshiba pen case and much more.
	Coca Cola 350ml Ball Bottle Christmas Version Own a piece of uniquely Japanese Coca-Cola history with this winter's limited edition ball bottled and winter-labeled classic Coke. Whether to drink, display, or use as a creative tree ornament or party favor, these unique bottles are a delightful addition to your holiday festivities or gift selection. View products »
	Today's New Japanese Snacks Enjoy awesome Japan-only Doritos Spicy Chicken flavor, plus Hershey's Ball chocolate caramel cookie, and winter-only Choco Ball from Morinaga.
	Restocked Snacks & Gum Also: Glico Posca "Astroy Boy" gum, UHA Puccho in several flavors, Morinaga Hi-Chew Blue Hawaii, plus Bacon Doritos Twist, yum.
	Restocked Anime & Gift Snack Sets For the gift of Japanese food this season we have several items restocked, including Salt Daifuku, Akiba Bunny Shrine Chocolate and "Railgun" cookies.
	Restocked Food Drops Yakisoba from Utsunomiya, Takoyaki from Osaka, Sake from Awamori and "Moe" from Akihabara -- all flavors you can taste now in food drop candy form!
	4 Color Cube Convenient Container Set A bold interlocking Lego-inspired design is featured in this great bento set of microwave-safe boxes, perfect for a large meal or dishes for several.
	MOTTAINAI Eco Bento Boxes The Japanese word mottainai (mo-TAI-NAI) literally means "it's a shame to waste!" and is a great theme for this bento box series, restocked now.
	SAND de PANDA Sandwich Maker, Case See fresh stock of that awesome SAND de PANDA device which removes the crusts and seals the sandwich shut for you, just like the Japanese eat.
	The Most Beautiful Miso Soup Bowls in the World Here's fresh stock of a really special item: a set of two miso soup bowls with sakura painted on the side, plus matching sets of chopsticks.
	Cute 3D Cookie Cutter, Egg Shapers Enjoy some guaranteed kawaii items for your kitchen, incl. the 3D Mickey Mouse Cookie Cutter (it also makes 3D toast), plus egg shapers and more.
	Awesome Bilingual Books from Japan We are fans of the travel guides and study books from JTB, and today we've restocked A Look Into Japan, Say It In Japanese, and Eating in Japan.
	Magical Sakura Kimono Towel Now you see it, now you don't - a kimono-clad geisha with garment that fades as you dry with it is the theme of this racy and wacky new bath item.
	Restocked Traditional Items From good luck charms to tea leaf containers, geta sandals to bamboo flutes, calendars to playing cards, your slice of Japan is back in stock!
	Today's Preorder Figures A gorgeous new Kasumi figure from Dead or Alive and Xecty Ain from Shining Wind lead the way on today's preorders, truly items to see to believe.
	Black Rock Shooter Jewelry *Preorder* How cool is this? Gorgeous necklaces for BRS fans that are really epic, a treasure to own.
	Inner Forest ~ Emi Kobayashi ~ Sabra DVD Mook  Gorgeous photobook and DVD combine to profile one of the sexiest nude idols posing today, set against a backdrop of natural splendor.
	Fera Zoma This is an amazing device for taking the edge off after a hard day at work. Accurately simulates getting serviced by a gorgeous anime girl. Novelty only. View products »
	Restocked Tenga Flip Hole, More The most popular Tenga stress toys have been restocked, including the Tenga Flip Hole, one of the most advanced products ever.
	KABUTO Condoms for Samurai Restocked J-List carries awesome condoms from Japan which turn you into a samurai between the sheets. Also see our popular personal lotions.
	Kyoko Kaneda 1/7 Cast off Figure From the popular manga Hishoka Drop, comes the ultra lusty character Kyoko Kaneda in her "cast off" business suit.
	The Most Awesome Ero Artbook in Japan What's the best artbook J-List has ever carried? I'd have to go with the amazing Dendrobium, restocked today!