Cool Products Wednesday, February 22, 2012

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

	Egg Mar 2012 J-List recommends the fabulous Egg magazine for all your Tokyo fashion needs. Stay up on the latest trends in Shibuya and Harajuku, and enjoy photos of Tokyo girls.
	Hiragana Times 305 Mar 2012 Learning Japanese is fun and interesting with the Hiragana Times, a bilingual magazine that keeps you informed while helping you study.
	Hobby Japan Mar 2012 Grab a new issue of the top magazine for model and figure enthusiasts, packed with mouthwatering photos of Gundams, tanks, cute girls, and more.
	Little Busters! Converted Edition **Pre-Order** Preorder the PSVita release of Key's acclaimed visual novel Little Busters! Features improved graphics, touch screen functionality, and new CGs.
	PlayStation Network Card (3,000 YEN) Get the most out of your PSP, PS3, or PS Vita with this prepaid PlayStation Network card. You also get access to free demos once you make an account.
	Authentic School Uniforms, Made for Your Size Get your very own authentic Japanese school uniform, made to order by one of Japan's best tailors. Plus, authentic school swimsuits, bags, and more!
	Gothic Lace Over-Knee Socks, Maid Outfit You'll be looking your best when you add some Japan made fashion accessories to your wardrobe. All the hot items are here.
	Restocked Pantsu, Cosplay Items For the more risque cosplayers out there, J-List has a wide variety of panties, swimsuits, shimapan and bloomers, now fully restocked.
	More Awesome Monster Hunter Toys And for something a little more epic, we've got the next installments of the Monster Seitaizukan model series, numbers 5 and 6, in stock.
	Pop-up Hello Kitty Oil Absorb Paper Let Japan's cutest kitty help keep your skin young and healthy with these Hello Kitty oil absorbing pads. Comes in two kawaii designs.
	Other Hello Kitty Items Restocked See our Hello Kitty business card holder w/wallet, Hello Kitty Lucky Mascot characters, Re-Ment traditional sweets plus our Hello Kitty glasses holder -- kawaii!
	Totoro Gift Towels, Plush Car Mascot Everyone's wonderful friend Totoro is here, now is practical and fun Towel form, plus other plushies and toys featuring Ghibli characters.
	Kawaii Products for your Kitchen We've got tons of cute products for your kitchen, including the Love Love Panda Salt and Pepper Shakers we restocked today. We love these!
	Go! Go! Nippon! Not able to visit Japan right now? Then you should play Go! Go! Nippon!, a great all-ages visual novel that's almost as good as being here. In stock now.
	Fun Ways to Learn Hiragana Make learning Japanese fun and easy with these great study aids, like the hiragana bath chart, hiragana towel, and Roman Letter Mouse Pad.
	Great Restocked Crafts from Japan With these amazing kits from Japan, you can make your own key chains, erasers, cell phone decorations, and more. Also, the Erasable Bath Crayon!
	Kapibarasan Cafe Sweets Mascot Set of 5 Then see fresh stock of the uber-cute Kapibarasan Cafe Sweets Mascot figures, so cute they'll give you a cuteness overload.
	Glico Fuwa Fuwa Rich Milk Cream Collon Set of 3 Yum! These new Cream Collon snacks are delicious, just like everything from Japan by makers like Glico, Meiji, Tohato, Kracie and more.
	Fun Restocked Snacks The amazing Neru Neru Nerune DIY gummy snack is back, plus Poppin' Cookin' Sushi Candy, Shigekix Pirate Fruit flavor, baked Toppo, and Crayon Shin Chan Chocobi.
	Beautiful Traditional Bento Boxes Restocked Wonderful bento boxes are always available at J-List or JBOX, from ones big enough for a family to some small enough for children.
	Cute Animal Mini 3 Cases Set Store your knick knacks in these kawaii cases shaped like the heads of a pig, frog, and bear. A great new storage solution from Japan.
	Kawaii Bento Cups from Japan Keep the parts of your bento lunch in their own individual cups, each featuring cute art of Hello Kitty, Rilakkuma, or another kawaii mascot character.
	Awesome Onigiri Shapers Restocked, Too Have trouble molding your onigiri rice balls into a perfect triangle? Worry no more, with these handy shapers that get them perfectly shaped!
	Star Wars Lightsaber Chopsticks Restocked Japan and Star Wars go together like rice and... well, anything! Take, for instance, these brilliant lightsaber chopsticks, restocked today.
	More Great Chopsticks We've also restocked several other innovative Japanese eating utensils, including the popular Sushi Non-Slip Chopstick Set and training chopsticks.
	Get Your Own Kanji Name Stamp in 2012 Get your very own custom made Japanese hanko name stamp, legal for use in Japan, with your name (or anything else you want) in kanji.
	Traditional Japanese Ear Cleaners You haven't lived until you've had your ears cleaned by a Japanese bamboo Mimikaki. See our popular ear cleaners restocked, including kawaii pink cotton swabs.
	Embroidered Polo Shirts from J-List J-List carries professionally embroidered polo shirts which look great, allowing you to "keep it real" even while at work. Several fun designs in stock.
	Tamaki Kousaka 1/4 Figure ~ ToHeart2 *Preorder* Check out this sexy figure of ToHeart2's Tamaki Kousaka in a bikini that leaves nothing to the imagination. Comes in giant 1/4 scale!
	Inia Sestina Figure ~ Total Eclipse *Preorder* Moe figure collectors will also be interested in this beautiful rendition of mecha pilot Inia Sestina. Chest or thighs - take your pick.
	Marisa Kirisame Figure ~ Touhou *Preorder* Next, we have this stylish figure of everyone's favorite sorceress Marisa Kirisame. Love the hat, and could her dress get any more frilly?
	Double Homura Figures on J-List Today Two new figures of Homura Akemi for preorder, both featuring her cute school uniform in moe moe mode. We love Homura!
	Yuki Miku Nendoroid Winter Coat ver. *Preorder* Don't miss this one-of-a-kind Nendoroid featuring internet sensation Hatsune Miku in cool and stylish winter attire. She looks like a snow fairy!
	CHIBUSA no Aru Fukei ~ Scenes of Breasts This unique photobook collects scenes of women baring their beautiful bodies in some of the most famous places in Japan. It's a great new photobook that combines an amazing photographic concept with one of our favorite things, beautiful Japanese girls. As usual in Japan, the printing quality is out of this world, and we recommend this item a lot. View products »
	UNICORN ~ Pink Personal Massager Here's a great new offering for our poor stressed-out female customers: a well designed simple massager that's easy to use yet has many features, including ten vibration modes. Fully waterproof, you can use it in the bath -- wow. We also restocked several popular products including the classic Japanese "egg rotar" [sic] that every girl should have in her "special" drawer. View products »
	Amazing Stress Toys Restocked, Too That mouth-shaped love hole is back in stock for you to enjoy, plus Greatest Stroker II self-powered toy for men, and the Bubble Shake Onahole too.
	Restocked Personal Lotion from Japan A top-quality stress toy needs top-quality lotion to keep its action smooth and sweet. Try Female Nectar and Tenga Hole Lotion, now restocked.
	Great Restocked Import Eroge Enjoy HOTEL, Corona the Dragon Maiden, Binyuu Kiss Nee Rimi plus the popular Ikinari Anata ni Koishiteru (Suddenly, In Love With You).
	Great H-Games by Internet Download, Package J-List has tons of English-language eroge too, like the famous Sagara Family, one of the most beloved English titles ever.

Yumina the Ethereal Characters

I've been playing through our working copy of the upcoming epic RPG Yumina the Ethereal, and I'm amazed by how much I like the heroines. The main character Yumina is the classic upbeat "genki" girl whose antics are both hilarious and charming. Then there's Kirara, the leader of the Debate Club, whose cuteness contrasts brilliantly with her sly and sadistic personality. And finally, we have Ai, a cool and collected blue-haired girl who often says things that will leave you wondering, "What planet is this girl from?" You can see detailed profiles for these characters at the official Yumina the Ethereal site, or visit the product page to preorder the game now!

Bodacious Space Pirates

The current anime season is an extra-good one, with several interesting series I want to follow, and I've had to really juggle my schedule to create enough free time to watch them all. (Sometimes being a dedicated Japan/anime blogger can be hard work). One show I'm liking a lot is Mouretsu Uchu Kaizoku, translated as Bodacious Space Pirates, though I shed a tear that the original novel's title of Mini-Skirt Space Pirates wasn't preserved, since girls wearing mini-skirts in zero-G spaceships is...well nevermind. It's a well-made space opera about Marika, a genki high school girl who learns that her father was a famous space pirate, and is told she must take over as captain of his ship. As usual, it's common for elements of the story to potentially cause confusion. In one scene, captain-to-be Marika calls the intelligent Chiaki (also known as "Kuroneko...In...Space!") by the familiar name "Chiaki-chan," which causes the mature girl to take offense. This is the kind of cultural issue you might counter when watching anime that can confuse you even if you have subtitles -- in this case the chan name suffix is only added to people who are younger than you or below your station somehow, and some females dislike having it added to their names.

Space pirates in mini-skirts certainly are bodacious.

Gaijin Talents vs Korean Talents

There's some interesting psychology going on when it comes to ex-pats living in Japan, like the Three Stages of Eye Aversion we go through when encountering other gaijin on the train when we first arrive in the country. Then there's the built-in resentment of other foreigners who have been here longer than us and/or who speak Japanese better than we do, which I learned about when I came here after studying the language at SDSU for four years. This confused the Americans, Canadians and Brits I encountered here, and they weren't sure how to categorize me. (I know now that that I was violating the wa of the senpai/kohai relationship by brashly speaking better Japanese than people who had been in Japan longer than me.) Foreigners living in Japan can be especially jealous of the "gaijin talents" who get to be on TV just because they can be funny and/or insightful while speaking the language, though this is slowly changing. While you can still get your daily dose of Dave Spector's Hollywood gossip on the morning "wide show" -- we all hate him because he dyes his black hair blonde to appear more "foreign" to the Japanese -- the rise in Korean stars in has has pushed out a lot of Western foreign talents out of the limelight. Which is okay with me -- I love the cute accents of those KPOP singers when they speak Japanese.

Dave Spector is the American gaijin love to hate.

Exploring Stereotypes About Japan

Stereotypes are a part of all of us, for better of for worse, and when we hear that a person is from a certain country we're likely to call up preconceived images of what that place is like, even making judgements about the person based on this limited information. We know these images are highly subject to error, of course, but it can be hard to revise your way of thinking. Before I came to Japan, I imagined an extremely high-tech country where everyone performed their jobs with meticulous efficiency. In reality, there's plenty of "low-tech" present in everyday life here, a fact the J-List staff is reminded of every afternoon when we hear the old man driving around our neighborhood selling stone-baked sweet potatoes. Japan often has little use for efficiency, and when it's time for J-List to make our monthly payment to our local bank, our banker comes to our office to pick it up himself rather than us sending it directly to their account, which is done to preserve the old-timey feeling of of community banking, or something. Below is a fun image by a Japanese artist showing famous stereotypes of Japan by foreigners...although since he's expressing his own stereotyped views of what we love about Japan, it's quite an interesting image to analyze. (The full sized version of the picture is on the J-List Tumblr if you want it.)

So what are your stereotypes of Japan?

It's fun to explore our stereotypes.

Pettanko, the Delicious Flat Chest Girls in Anime

Anime is a highly stylized art form featuring characters designed to appeal to viewers on different levels, and it's fun to explore why some of these archetypes work so well. You've got the extremely dedicated osana-najimi (childhood friend) character type, the mysterious blue-or-purple-haired "emotionless girl," and several variations on tsundere, yandere or kuudere (this last one describes a girl who acts cold and uncaring towards a male main character but in fact has strong feelings for him). Another classic character type is the pettanko, a Japanese word that literally means "flat as a pancake," and there's a long line of oppai-challenged anime female characters who are very popular with fans. The attraction we feel for these characters may take many forms, but I love the inherent cuteness and potential for comedy when a pride-filled DFC ("Deliciously Flat Chest" in fanspeak) is forced into an embarrassing situation. 

So, who's your favorite DFC?

"When you hug a flat-chested girl, you're closer to her heart."

EMS Sale Update

Another reminder: we're continuing our popular sale on all Japanese chocolate products this month, giving you 2x J-List points on all Kit Kat, Pocky, Every Burger, plus a great sale on TENGA and anime themed stress toys, too. Don't forget the great bonuses you get for ordering EMS from Japan -- up to $25 back for an order of $200 or more. Depending on the weight of what you're ordering, that's like getting free shipping. What awesome products can J-List send you today?

Cool Products Monday, February 20, 2012

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

	FMA - The Scared Star of Milos Fanbook Fullmetal Alchemist fans will definitely appreciate this awesome artbook and guide to the blockbuster FMA movie. Contains tons of behind-the-scenes info like storyboards and design sketches. You also get an interview with Kazuya Murata, the director of the spectacular FMA Brotherhood series. Best of all, the printing is gorgeous -- naturally, since it's printed in Japan. View products »
	Yuki Hime 2012 Winter And if you've got a hankering for more of the lovely Super Sonico, you should take a look at this artbook featuring Sonico and other moe girls. (Please see on the J-List site.)
	New Japanese Figure, Car Magazines For our car and figure enthusiasts, we have the latest issues of Drift Tengoku and Figure King. Each is packed with tons of hot info and cool photos.
	Super Mario Mushroom Salt and Pepper Shakers Nintendo fans who are also food lovers, you will want to have a set of these neat Super Mushrooms in your kitchen, either power-up or extra-life.
	Madoka Magica Nendoroid Petite Full Set of 11 Check out this set of super-cute Madoka Nendoroids featuring all of the show's magical girls in two different poses each. And of course, Kyubey!
	Kawaii Nendoroid Figures In Stock We also have plenty of other kawaii Nendoroids for your enjoyment, like Kirino from OreImo, Taiga from Toradora, and more!
	New Shimapan + Half Top Sets (incl. size 5L) Are you a shimapan (striped panty) lover? Then browse the new sets we posted today, in many different colors and including 5L size.
	Fuwa Fuwa Panda Poncho, Rabbit Ear Hoody Make this winter more... kawaii with this fluffy, super soft poncho with a hood that will make you look like a panda.
	Kawaii Striped Socks, Goth-Loli Accessories Add some cute gothic style to your wardrobe with these striped socks, arm gloves, and other accessories in a variety of colors and sizes.
	Portable Paper Soap Restocked Then there are these 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!
	Rilakkuma, Sushi Vibrating Massagers? These miniature vibrating keychains are the perfect way to grab a quick massage with Rilakkuma. Sushi vibrators restocked too.
	DX Rilakkuma Plush (Lying on Stomach) Speaking of Rilakkuma, we've restocked some of the most kawaii Rilakkuma plush toys today, which are very huggable.
	Evangelion iPhone Cases Our most popular iPhone case ever is the Evangelion NERV case, now in stock along with the Rei plugsuit, Asuka plugsuit, and other great iPhone cases.
	Region Free Anime Games for PSP Restocked Enjoy the best anime games on PSP, including Queen's Blade and Ikki Tousen (yay ecchi fighting games), plus Magical Girl Nanoha, Railgun and more.
	Wonderful Totoro Products We love to bring you delightful Totoro products from Japan and have restocked several items, including the Wooden Totoro Music Box. Nice desu!
	The Most Awesome Thumbtacks You Will Ever See J-List has a lot of fun items for creative minds, and we've restocked our popular Sakura Thumbtacks, easily the most beautiful you will ever see.
	Japanese Study Books Restocked Also, fresh stock of the Japanese kanji drill books used by Japanese children, with several back in stock. Study like the Japanese do!
	Delicious 'Food Drops' Candies Fun -- we restocked the cute Mameshiba Food Drops candies, which may or may not cause you to start spouting interesting trivia.
	March of Koala ~ Creamy Cafe Latte  Lotte is out with a new flavor of kawaii koala-shaped cookies in delicious cafe latte flavor. Also, Tomato Chocolate...?
	DORAYAKI Making Kit ~ Pancake Mix & Azuki Bean Make delicious traditional Japanese dorayaki and treat your guests to a delicious breakfast or mid-day snack.
	Amazing Japanese Snacks Restocked See today's new snack and gum offerings, incl. Matcha Milk Caramels (yum!), delicious Hi-Chew candies, Sushi no Ko for making sushi rice, and more.
	Awesome Gum from Japan, Too Also try exciting Lotte Blueberry and No Time toothbrush gum, Fusen no Mi "secret" bubblegum, and Uranaikko Gum that tells your fortune.
	One Piece Chopper Bento Box, Cup & More Great for holding lots of yummy goodies, this four box set are designed to be compact as well as stylish. Plus other great One Piece products too.
	Other Traditional Bento Boxes Restocked And get yourself a lunch box that shows off your cultured nature, like one of these traditional Japanese style bento boxes.
	Kawaii Japanese Soy Sauce Bottles Make your lunch extra cute with our restocked bento accessories, including those insanely cute little bottles for carrying soy sauce in your bento.
	Pocky Decoration Molds, Pocky Chopsticks! I knew the silicon mold that allows you to decorate Pocky sticks would be a hit, and we sold out fast. We got more for you, though!
	NORI / Seaweed Punch ~ Heart Shape for Decoration Bento Make your breakfast, lunch or dinner more fun by adding a smiling face, thanks to these amazing food cutters from Japan.
	Japanese Anime T-Shirts in San Diego J-List T-shirts are an institution, and we've got dozens of great ones in stock, from Angry Choco to Tsundere to Science! and more.
	Onsen Bath Salt, Fizzing Bath Ball w/Toy Make your bath into an onsen, with bath salts and minerals taken from hot springs from different regions of Japan.
	Soft Rubber Shuriken, Other Items Restocked They look awesomely realistic, but these ninja shuriken are made of soft rubber. Also restocked, our favorite Miso Soup Bowls w/chopsticks and more.
	Iris Figure - Shirow Masamune *Preorder* Do you like sexy girls packing serious heat? Then you'll love this figure of Shirow Masamune's Iris. Comes with no fewer than three guns.
	High School DxD Bathroom Poster *Preorder* Hang this waterproof poster in the shower and image yourself bathing with the sexy ladies of High School DxD. Another great moe invention.
	Mawaru Penguindrum Mug Cup Triple H *Preorder* Here's a cute cup that will brighten your day. Features art of Triple H, the fictional pop trio that sings Penguindrum's ending songs. And penguins!
	Osamu Tezuka Towels Vol.1 Set of 6 *Preorder* Six popular artists like Ito Noizi pay homage to the great Osamu Tezuka with this set of tradable towels featuring art based on his most famous works.
	The Best Magazine April 2012 NO. 172 Another amazing issue of The Best magazine, filled once again with Japanese lovelies, this time in sexy office outfits and stockings. I'm a big fan of this magazine, the best ero magazine published in Japan, because the quality of the photography is so high -- they really nail the awesome camera angles we want to see. It doesn't hurt that the girls are all gorgeous, too. View products »
	Minami Kaze ~ Minami Kojima With a charming smile and a body to die for, we are very excited to see Minami doing a photo book, giving us all a sexy girlfriend experience.
	Saeki Ai Cast-off Figure ~ FAULT! *Preorder* This scrumptious figure is based on a Tony Taka character design, and you won't be able to look away from her beautiful body. Too hot!
	TOTSUGEKI MAX Japan once again takes adult toys to the next level with this vibrator that works on both men and women. You'll never run out of uses.
	Restocked Tsundere & Other Parody Toys See the awesome tsundere toy for Kagami fans, plus the amazing Sexy Twins toy series and something special for Ika Musume fans.
	Nice Restocking of Import Eroge We love carrying import eroge for fans and collectors, and have restocked some fun titles today, including Artificial Academy, with a full 3D CG interface.
	Recommended English Eroge: Tsuki Possession I'm a fan of the games by Zyx, which feature great art and ero content. One game with some darker themes you might like is Tsuki, with animated "H" scenes.