Cool Products Wednesday, November 16, 2011

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

	Hatsune Miku Live Party 2011 Boxed Set Experience all the excitement, all the amazing visuals, and all the energy from the Miku Live Party 2011 concerts that were held in Tokyo and Sapporo. Filmed in HD, your TV will explode* with the sounds and colors of Hatsune Miku and her Vocaloid friends, virtual idols. (*will not literally explode) View products »
	Aria the Scarlet Ammo Trading Figure Collection Set of 6 Some amazing figures you'll want to collect from one of the best anime out there, and with 6 to collect there is plenty of cuteness to go around.
	Awesome Mario, Smile Slime Plush Toys Fans of the cute Smile Slime from the Dragon Quest game series, our order has come in, and we've gotten in all three sizes of these fun plush toys for you. Very squeezable.
	Hello Kitty Kawaii Violins We've got both the mini and full-sized versions of Hello Kitty's new violin toy that will make you sound like a virtuoso.
	Hello Kitty School Items Restocked Take Hello Kitty everywhere you go, with these amazing bags, pencils cases, and more, from Japan.
	Today is Rilakkuma Day There's nothing like hugging a giant, soft bear plush toy from Japan to make you feel better, and J-List has posted several awesome Rilakkuma plush bear toys for you today, great for ordering as gifts for friends and family, or just score some for yourself. Outstanding softness and quality. View products »
	Rilakkuma Plush Pouch, Too Your cell phone never looked so kawaii! This Rilakkuma pouch can carry a vast number of small things, and you'll never lose something so cute.
	Ane Ageha vol. 5 Get all the latest fashion trends from the young women of Japan in the latest issue of Ane Ageha, the fashion magazine for "older sister" Shibuya girls.
	Large Hood Zipper Hoodie ~ Dark Brown Get the styles you've seen in the fashion magazines, like these hoodies that come straight from Japan. Great for keeping you warm in the winter.
	Rabbit Moko Moko Parka ~ Pink And if you want to look a little more kawaii-kei (cute fashion) then you'll definitely want to pick up this very fully, adorable pink parka.
	Evangelion Aloha Shirt And for the ultimate in Evangelion fashion, this awesome shirts features the major episode titles from the TV series in a very stylish pattern.
	Geisha Sexy Yukata, Shimapan Restocked And for cosplay fans we've got sexy yukata, shimapan and many others items restocked and just waiting for you. Click to see the new stock.
	Gorgeous Artbooks from Japan Restocked Lovers of Japanese influenced artwork will want to check out the many great artbooks we have, like Pixiv, Masamune Shirow, Tony Self Select and more.
	Hatsune Miku Music & Apps from Japan Find great >Hatsune Miku songs on the iTunes Japan store, and even score some awesome iOS apps.
	R-15 Portable (PSP the Best) Take the fantastic fun of R-15 with you on the road with the new PSP game, allowing you to build-up the your eroi power.
	I Have Few Friends iPhone Cases *Preorder* Deck-out your new iPhone 4S or your iPhone 4 with one of these cool Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai cases. No one can say, "We have few iPhone cases"!
	Gakken Otona no Kagaku Science Kits Next, see the amazing interactive devices you can build. Theo Jansen's Mini Beast, a real 35mm Twin-Lens Reflex Camera plus a real Theremin!
	Revoltech Action Figures in Stock See both the new Gurren Lagann figures, with doses of movable points, plus the EVA 05 and Jehuty ANUBIS. Nice!
	The Japanese KOTATSU (Black) A warm, cozy central fixture of Japanese life is the kotatsu, and we've got one in stock for you to grab. Available by seamail or EMS.
	Yutanpo (Hot Water Bottles) with Fleece Cover Warm up your bed without wasting electricity using the natural heating power of hot water, with a soft plastic body covered with a even softer fleece cover.
	Meiji Meltykiss Whip More Set of 3 Boxes The delectable chocolate goodie called Meltykiss is always more delicious than first expected, and we've got this year's new Meltykiss Whip in stock -- oishii!
	Make Your Own Taiyaki! Want to make your own taiyaki, with anything inside you like -- even camembert cheese? We restocked our popular taiyaki cookers today.
	Puccho x AKB48 w/ Mini Photo book Set of 3 Enjoy the flavorful candy, or the enjoy the collectable photobooks, and since they are equally fun, you'll want to have more and more.
	Calorie Mate, Other Restocked Snacks Got restocked J-snacks, incl. Calorie Mate, awesome mochi chewy candy, Felix the Cat bubblegum, Glico Salad Pretz. Black Sesame Caramel and more.
	Beautiful Traditional Bento Boxes Restocked Today's restocked bento boxes are great, with beautiful traditional styling and color. Several types restocked today, great for giving as gifts.
	Totoro Bento Boxes, Other Kawaii Items We've also restocked several Totoro bento boxes for you today, a great way to bring some organic Totoro goodness into your life. Totoro baby rattle too.
	Restocked Bento Bags are Kawaii Perfect for carrying your lunch in style. Collect a variety of bento bags and your co-workers and friends will be jealous of your style.
	Donburi Animal Cups, More Restocked A bento by itself is fine, but when you add some accessories like cups, separators, cutters and more, then you'll really how off the cuteness of your creations.
	Niko Nori Punch, More  A fun way to decorate your bento lunch is to use one of the nori punches we sell to cut sheet seaweed into interesting and cute shapes. Very popular with our customers.
	Kawaii Boiled Egg Shapers Why are you still eating normal hard boiled eggs when yo could enjoy awesome 3D eggs? We've restocked several egg shapers, including Hello Kitty.
	Mechanical Pencils & Pens We've got pens, pencils and other great study items that top Japanese students use to pass their incredibly difficult university entrance exams.
	Lucky Cat Tea Cups, More Restocked Awesome: those Lucky Cat tea cups, which can be displayed as art objects of turned upside down to drink tea from, are back. Also: Shinto lucky charms!
	Muramasa the Third 1/7 Figure *Preorder* This gorgeous figure from Full Metal Daemon Muramasa is both stunningly elegant and downright sexy, in her maid outfit.
	Other Preorder Anime Figures And we've got tons of other great figures that are ready for preorder from series like Hellsing, Sengoku Basara, Rance Quest and more.
	Amazing Artbooks With excellent illustrations by seasoned artist Shigeo Hamashima, you'll want to pick up a copy of his newest artbook, filled with many ero moe characters.
	More Ecchi Artbooks, Too We've also got fresh stock of some deliciously naughty artbooks, with great art on every page. Click to browse the items (nosebleed warnings apply).
	A10 Cyclone & Starter Set Stress Relief System The most famous stress relief toys ever is the A10 Cyclone series by Rends, which promises to bring more stress relief than you can possibly imagine.
	Awesome Stress Toys for JAV Fans Pick-up another amazing onahole, designed after one of your favorite JAV stars like Sarah, Rei Mizuna, Risa Kasumi, Maria Ozawa and many others.
	Today's Awesome New Import Games Got two new imported eroge today: the gorgeous Izuna Zanshinken and the gorgeous Little Queen of Kingdom, so cute and awesome.
	Restocked Japanese Visual Novels Also: fresh stock of great import eroge like Fate/stay night, Fate/hollow ataraxia, Artificial Academy, Utawarerumono and Starless by the Bible Black creator.

Filial Piety (Oya Koko) and the Japanese

A couple of updates ago I used the word "filial piety" (oya koko, pronounced oh-yah koh-koh) when discussing the signs our local PTA puts up around our city, with feel-good slogans on child rearing like "those who don't show respect to their parents won't receive it from their children." If you read novels about Japan by people like James Clavell, it's easy to come away with the impression that Japanese people are driven by honor and will commit seppuku if it's required to save face in the eyes of their ancestors. While these stereotypes are all laughably false, the one area where Japanese people actually behave like this is when it comes to their parents. The idea of oya koko essentially means honoring your parents and making them happy, and this can take many forms, including being a good son or daughter, helping with the family's finances when you start working, and taking responsibility for a family business and/or the care of your parents when they get older. Another example of Japanese parental respect in action is the university entrance exam system, in which all the best national universities are also the least expensive. It's truly a good son or daughter who works extra hard so they can get into Tokyo University, which costs only $6000 or so a year compared with private universities like Waseda that cost many times more.

Filial Piety -- respecting your parents -- is one concept the Japanese actually practice.

There's No Way Japanese Women Could Be This Cute

One word that's become quite well-known in anime- and Japan-centric circles is kawaii, which means cute, pretty, adorable, and in the context of someone who you have special feelings for, precious. It's a word that can be applied to just about anything from cute cats on the Internet to onigiri kitchen sponges to little bean-shaped dog characters who spout trivia at you. The ideal of kawaii is important to females in Japan, and as a rule they'll speak and act in a way that is cute and feminine -- even the way Japanese females sneeze is cute. Whenever a word is popular, its meaning divides and moves in new directions. Some variations on the basic kawaii meaning include ero-kawaii (girls who are cute, but with an erotic or grown-up undertone present as well), or busu-kawaii (used for girls who have unattractive faces but who are nevertheless cute overall). A girl who tries too hard to be cute -- perhaps by holding the sleeves of her coat with her fingers to make her arms seem too short so she looks like a "Super Deforned" character -- is called burikko, loosely translated as "falsely cute girl."

Japanese people have a heightened sense of kawaii.

Aselia the Eternal Available via Download Edition Now!

Great news for fans of Aselia the Eternal, our new English-translated all-ages JRPG. After waiting a week for the shrinkwrapped DVD-ROM edition of the game to reach preorder customers, we're announcing that Internet Download Edition sales are now open. This is a seriously satisfying game explore, with a great story, fun combat and all the elements that make a good you can choose between the game in package form or via awesome Download Edition! Click here to see all downloadable eroge titles.

How to use iTunes Japan Prepaid Cards

J-List sells the popular iTunes Japan Prepaid Cards, which enable you to create an iTunes account and purchase cool music and iOS apps, just as if you lived in Japan. With an easy-to-set-up iTunes Japan account you can purchase awesome JPOP and anime songs, including the I Have Few Friends OP, the amazing Hanamaru Sensation, or this awesome pre-selected set of songs for fans of Yoko Kanno. (It's also fun to browse the top 200 anime songs on iTunes Japan for the week.) You also get access to awesome Japan-only iOS games for iPhone and iPad, many of which are free, though you need an iTunes Japan account to access them. We like this Yuru Yuri bouncing ball game a lot, this Yuru Yuri alarm clock that lets you be awoken by Kyoko every morning, great software for Steins;Gate fans, plus the "virtual" Yozora for fans of I Have Few Friends. To get started, purchase your first iTunes Japan prepaid card, and the rest is easy! The cards are fully compatible with iTunes, iPod, iPhone and iPad from all around the world.

Being a Fan of "Anison" (Anime Songs)

The other day I was driving in my Mazda Miata (which is called a Roadster here in Japan, though for phonetic reasons virtually all Japanese think the name is "Road Star"), and the iPod in my car selected the ending theme [iTunes Japan link] of the "What If the Female Manager of a High-School Baseball Team Read Drucker's 'Management'?" anime to play next. I realized that the anime itself didn't really generate that much buzz online anymore, yet months later I still loved both the OP and ED (as opening and ending themes are called). The more I thought about it, there was a large number of anime series which seemed to live on forever through their anison, or anime songs, even when the popularity of the show itself fades. The legendary Kannagi OP, the classic "You Get to Burning" opening theme of Nadesico, and all those dreamy Rayearth songs still stand the test of time for me -- though I'm sure you have your own personal list -- and I've known more than anime fans who were first and foremost fans of the music in anime and choose what shows to watch based on the songs they liked. If you're an anison fan too, we recommend our iTunes Japan prepaid cards, which allow you to access all kinds of only-available-from-Japan music content.

So what are your favorite anison?

Anime songs, a great way to appreciate Japan.

Cool Products Monday, November 14, 2011

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

	Comptiq Dec 2011 Enjoy the new issue of Comptiq, one of our favorite anime and all-around moe magazins, which gives you an incredible 400+ pages of material from Da Capo III to Fate/Zero and the newest Hatsune Miku news. Best of all is the omake free item, an ero ero pillowcase. View products »
	Otomedia vol. 5 And for all the boy lovers out there, we've got the new issue of Otomedia, the cool omake of a Tiger & Bunny folder, and Ao no Exorcist poster.
	Dragon Age Dec 2011 Need some awesome comics to read? This month's Dragon Age has over 800 pages of amazing manga, with easy to read furigana included. Always a favorite.
	Myojo Nov 2011 Keep on top of the hottest trends and male idols in Japan with the newest issue of Myoko magazine, this month featuring Hey! Say! Jump, News, Kat-Tun and more.
	I am Maru DVD (w/English Subtitles!) Speaking of idols, Japan's #1 "cat idol" is Maru, and we've restocked the awesome DVD w/English subtitles. The last 2012 calendars are on the site, too.
	K-On! Badge w/ Ramune Candy Box Set Collect these irresistible K-On Badges, and get some ramune candy as an additional treat. True fans will want all 20 varieties.
	Tank Girls of World War II History buffs and lovers of moe come together to see how these WWII tanks could be anthropomorphized into gorgeous girls. Full of interesting facts too.
	Paku Paku Panda While we ususally don't think of pandas as being the water loving animals they are, this toy will soon be your child's favorite bath toy.
	DECOLE Manmaru Panda and Frog Mug Cups We defy anyone to find a cuter panda or frog coffee cup than the awesome ones we're restocking today. Other cute kitchen items posted as well.
	Monthly Anime Style vol. 4 This month's amazing Anime Style comes with a cool Ruri Hoshino Nendoroid, from the epic anime Kido Senkan Nadeshiko (Nadescio). You get to burning!
	New Anime Figures In Stock Check out these amazing Preorder figures items we just put up, like this Homura Akemi and Dorothy Wayneright from the awesome Big O anime.
	Aselia The Eternal Download Available Too If you've been waiting for the download edition of ASELIA the ETERNAL, we've gotten it posted to the J-List site now. Choose shrinkwrapped package w/manual or download!
	Super Anime & Otaku T-Shirts Overheard on Twitter: "I ran into someone wearing J-List's 'Looking for a Japanese Girlfriend' shirt, and I was wearing my 'Yukkuri' shirt." Cool!
	Tokyo Sky Tree Crystal Illumination Pen Celebrate the newest edition to the Tokyo skyline, the Tokyo Sky Tree, with your own colorful light-up model. Make your bedroom feel like you are in Tokyo.
	Restocked Japanese Pens, Notebooks Japanese students know how to study (perhaps too well) and so they also know the best study stationary products, many of those we have stocked.
	Samurai Sound Katana Sword ~ Kurenai Ninja ver Make your imagination run wild with this motion activated katana. With 48 different action sounds, this makes for a great gift for young samurai warriors.
	New EVA Mugs In Stock These high quality, stainless steel mugs are designed by the popular outdoor sports company LOGOS, so they'll last nearly all your lifetime.
	iTunes Japan Prepaid Cards We've gotten in a big restocking of the 3000 yen iTunes cards, so you can score great anison like the "I Have Few Friends" OP or .other new shows.
	Tiger & Bunny iPhone Cover These two dreamy hunks from Tiger & Bunny are now on your iPhone, along with other great T&B items too. Now in stock!
	Fuwa Fuwa Panda Poncho ~ Black Warm, soft and stylish. What more could you want from a delightful Poncho? Back in stock for now, but these will sell out again fast.
	Stripe Pantsu Restocked What can we say? The meme of anime character wearing striped panties (called shimapan in Japanese) is awesome. Big restocking today.
	Awesome PSP Anime Games Restocked Enjoy the new Black Rock Shooter game, the popular OreImo game, IdolMaster 2 DX Limited edition, and more. So much fun for PSP and PS3.
	Rosario + Vampire Oppai Mouse Pads Fighting carpal tunnel syndrome never felt so good with the help of an oppai mouse pad, like these great preorders of Rosario + Vampire.
	Today's Awesome Totoro & Ghibli Items Also: enjoy the Totoro Dondoko Odori light that just came in, a fun way to bring the organic warmth of Totoro to any room. We love Totoro at J-List.
	Hello Kitty Beanie Plush Toys Making your world a little brighter, one Hello Kitty at a time. These new plush dolls come in a variety of styles and sizes, so browse them all now.
	Delicious New Snacks: Jagabee Potato Snacks It's Monday, which means we've got some new, delicious snacks on the site. Today we're featuring Jababee Potato Snacks, a french fry treat from Japan.
	Restocked J-Snacks Too Also: Lotte Rich Toppo, Japanese Oreo cookies, Tyrant Habanero spicy snacks, FritoLay Doritos for Highball that go with alcohol (yay!), plus Spicy Pretz.
	Restocked 'Food Drops' Even more fun flavors of "Food Drops" from Japan, including Sapporo Beer Drops, Shirokuma Ice Cream from Kagoshima, and Spicy Diet!
	More Cup Noodle & Gundam Model Kits These sold out faster than a battle between Quatro Bajeena and Makoto from School Days, but we love Gundam and ramen and got some more for you.
	Kapibarasan Bento Kapibarasan is the lovable capybara who only wants to make people happy. A favorite among kids, with his unique face and body. You can take Kapibarasan with you as your lunchtime buddy, as either a two-tier or single-tier bento, plus a pair of portable chopsticks. All feature the cute face of Kapibarasan. View products »
	Awesome Traditional Bento Boxes, Too Also enjoy the traditional bento boxes we restocked, incl. the Picnic Style Bento seen in K-On!, the DX Osechi Wooden Style Bento Box and more.
	Restocked Bento Accessories Restocked bento items too, including the Vegetable Shaper for Bento (make sakura-shaped vegetables!), Colorful Ribbon Clips and more.
	Humania Rescue Chopsticks Rest 'orz' Will you save these poor souls by removing the chopsticks from their backs, or pin them down to die? Which path will you chose?
	Wonder JAPAN Haikyo Photobooks An amazing photographic look at the abandoned urban archaeological landscape of Japan. Several books restocked today.
	Japanese Study Books Restocked The JLPT test is just right around the corner. Get prepared with these great resources that are sure to help you pass and get a score of 'over 9000'.
	Charlotte Hug Muffler *Preorder* Show your Puella Magi Madoka Magica fandom with this muffler, featuring Charlotte. A great item not only for keeping warm, but for attracting other fans.
	RIOBOT Gurren Lagann Action Figure *Preorder* With amazing possibility, this spectacular new figure that has so much detail, you'll be stunned by its realism. A limited change for Gurren Lagann fans.
	Madoka Magika Hantens *Preorder* Mixing the traditional with the modern, this Madoka Magika Hanten (Japanese winter jacket) keeps your favorite character nearby.
	Epic Cast-Off Figures are Epic Battle Vixon cuties Ryofu and Ignis take it off in their newest cast-off figures, plus many other ero figures for your enjoyment.
	Shirow Masamune's 'Pieces' Restocked Shirow Masamune is a legend in the manga world, with his beautiful characters, fabulous color and shading, deep imagination, and limitless energy to put out amazing works of art. We've restocked all of his past artbooks, just in time for your Christmas list. View products »
	Our Favorite Parody Anime Toys Novelty toy parodies of Oreimo including Kirino, Kuroneko and Ayase, plus K-On! parody toys with Mio and Yui. Stress-free fun from Japan.
	Other Amazing Stress Toys  Enjoy the Bakujiri Musou DX onahole with two ways to enjoy them, plus the Pururun Angel Oppai that are soft and pleasant to touch.