Cool Products Wednesday, March 7, 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.

	E2 Reserve subscription ~ Etsu Reserve your very own copy of E2, a new art magazine that brings you tons of cute moe anime girls drawn by Japan's top illustrators. You also get free pin-up posters with every issue! This quarter's issue features famed visual novel artist Kantoku, so fans of Kantoku's work should definitely check it out. Remember that J-List magazine subscriptions can be cancelled or changed at any time, so why not start a revolving subscription now? View products »
	Comic Alive April 2012 A new issue of Comic Alive is here, and it's a thick one! Enjoy over 800 pages of quality manga like Infinite Stratos, Mayo Chiki, and Haganai.
	Quarterly Pixiv vol. 08 (Hatsune Miku Special) Miku fans will be happy to know that this issue of Quarterly Pixiv is dedicated entirely to the Vocaloid craze sweeping the internet. Free Nendoroid!
	Usakoro Kyubey Powder Plushy Fans of the adorable Kyubey will love these plush Kyubey heads, perfect for hanging from you bag, keychain, or rearview mirror. Comes in three colors.
	Hatsune Miku, Madoka Figures Going Fast The beautiful Madoka figure by Goodsmile is now in stock, complete with an adorable Kyubey. Click to see this and other great Madoka Magica figures.
	Moeru! Goddess Encyclopedia The world's goddesses in cute moe form! Try this upgraded version of the popular Moe Moe Goddess Encyclopedia, with added content and all-new art.
	Anime Artbooks Restocked J-List is having a sale on all artbooks this month, so you can get a bunch of good visual illustration books. Akiba Festival Book, plus Steins;Gate and more.
	Fate/Zero Blu-ray Box I - Limited Edition Get pumped for season 2 of Fate/Zero by purchasing the first season collector's set on Blu-ray. Comes with an artbook and other great extras.
	Rewrite  From the writers of Little Busters, Cross Channel, and Higurashi no Naku Koro ni comes a breathtaking visual novel masterpiece. Don't miss it.
	IdolMaster, White Album, Other PS3 Titles We have tons of great PS3 titles for fans of kawaii girls, like Idolm@ster (incl. limited version), Umineko, White Album and more.
	Evachu ~ Pikachu x Evangelion Parody T-Shirt J-List presents an original T-shirt that will have your friends dying of laughter. Combining two of Japan's most famous icons, this hilarious parody T-shirt sports a fearsome Evangelion/Pikachu hybrid, complete with gaping jaws and cute lightning-bolt tail. Try this fun parody product today, in stock in San Diego and ready for your order! View products »
	mini April 2012 Mini is an amazing magazine featuring some of the hottest styles found in Japan, plus many other great magazines you'll only find in Japan.
	Kateigaho International Edition Spring / Summer 2012 vol. 29 Enjoy some of the best kinds of food, art and architecture Japan has to offer in this amazing new issue of Kateigaho, for those with high taste.
	Hello Kitty Omatsuri Straps are Kawaii! This box comes with a total of 10 different keychain/cell phone straps of traditional omatsuri (festival) items transformed into Hello Kitty.
	Bilingual Books, Japanese Study Books Some good Japanese study books restocked today, including the bilingual book Living Japanese Style and JLPT study books.
	Many Restocked Totoro & Ghibli Items Enjoy the Totoro Plush Tree House w/Totoro plush to live inside, Totoro Melody Music Box, that awesome Totoro light for your room and more.
	Lots of Surprises in the iTunes Japan store You can find some pretty cool stuff in the iTunes Japan store, like the Hetalia songs, the Ikki Tousen best album and a new single by Momoiro Clover.
	Origami Sushi, Cake Shop & More Enjoy some amazing origami ideas, like sushi! So many great things to be made using just paper and imagination.
	Our Favorite Paper Clay Crafts Craft your fun with this new edition of the Mousse-chan clay sweets shop, the most artful and inventive "paper clay" molds you will ever seen.
	Kyubey Shaped Snacks, Japanese Drink Snacks These custard-filled Kyubey snacks are an awesome novelty item for fans of Madoka Magica. Also: delicious candies based on Japanese drinks.
	New Snacks, Ramune Stocked in San Diego And don't forget we've got some rare Japanese snacks distributed from San Diego too, for our North American customers.
	Restocked Japanese Snacks Too Enjoy delicious Meiji Choco banana and Liquid Candy seen at festivals, plus Choco Zutsumi, Meltykiss Whip, Fujiya Country Ma'am cookies, Rice Crackers w/peanuts and more.
	Microwave Caramel Popcorn Maker Make your very own caramel popcorn with this fun cooking tool. Uses our Morinaga caramels, so you can even make Totoro Milk Caramel Popcorn.
	Kawaii Panda Bento Containers, Trio Set Wow. These super kawaii bento items featuring panda bears are made in Japan, and are safe for those young and old alike.
	Sanrio Bento Boxes Restocked We've got a bunch of cuteness today from Japan, like this Hello Kitty bento box. Fits perfectly in your purse.
	Pan Pocket ~ Sandwich Pouch Making Kit A fun and new way to enjoy delicious lunchtime sandwiches, with this wacky Japanese invention that makes easy to make sandwich pouches.
	Our Most Popular Microwave Rice Cooker Using just a microwave you can create almost anything, including delicious rice, a very popular J-List product. Rice scoops in stock, too!
	Random Products for your Kitchen Restocked The Mini "Temaki" Rolled Sushi Making Set, Boiled Egg Cutter, and Ramen Microwave Cooking Bowl, all restocked, plus other great kitchen items.
	Guilty Crown Phone Pouch *Preorder* Join Funeral Parlor in the fight against GHQ with this cool black-and-red pouch for your phone. Great for fans of Guilty Crown.
	Aoi Yamada Nendoroid ~ WORKING!! *Preorder* Add to your Nendoroid family with this cute figure of Aoi from Working!! You won't believe how adorable her expressions are. Moe waitresses rule!
	Tekkaman Blade Figma Action Figure *Preorder* Relive the awesome Tekkaman Blade series with an ultra-cool action figure from Figma. Comes with plenty of VOLTEKKAAAAAAAAAAA!
	Lingerie the Best ~ Sexy White Wedding Lingerie It's not every day that we get in a magazine as awesome as Lingerie the Best. In addition to great ero photos for innocent brides in lingerie, but a DVD and a pair of pantsu as well. Japan is truly awe-inspiring in everything ero that they do, and we love being in such an awesome country. View products »
	Restocked Photobooks Top-notch glossy hardcover photobook dedicated to the showing off the best gravure girls Japan has to offer, now restocked.
	Super Awesome Ero Artbooks We're having a sale on all artbooks this month, including the ero ero kind. Today we restocked the gorgeous Satoshi Urushihara "H" book and more.
	Cast-off Figure by Masamune Shirow *Preorder* We also have this sexy Nenenn Cranberry figure coming out soon, so preorders are open for all you Masamune Shirow fans.
	Ageha Vibrator Twin A highly recommended pleasure product with double action, designed by young women for women.
	Japanese Lotion, Other Personal Items Restocked Also, enjoy the awesome Pepee lotion plus slippery, sliding lotion based on your favorite JAV actresses, and more.
	Restocked Ikkitousen, Amagami Parody Toys Amazing parody stress toys featuring great moe characters that will give you hours of fun and enjoyment.
	Bokkin Boy Beast (Ring), More Restocked Give your manhood a shonen power-up with these "girth enhancement rings." Slip one on and listen to your partner's screams of ecstasy.
	Hitomi - My Stepsister We've got dozens of outstanding English-translated dating-sim games for you, like the popular Hitomi My Stepsister, such a fun naughty story.

Decision Point! Life is Like an Eroge Sometimes

Perhaps it comes from my long years translating and selling visual novels, Japan's interactive multi-story love-simulation games, but it's my personal belief that any problem or challenge in life can be overcome, depending on how you go about attacking the problem. Put another way, any desired ending can be reached by figuring out the best combination of choices to make doing them in the right order, just like in a good eroge. I remember back when I first started university, receiving my Japanese textbook which was filled with writhing snakes I later learned were hiragana characters, and I prepared to drop the course in the first week, certain that no one could possibly learn this incredibly difficult language. I didn't know it at the time, but this was a bunki-ten, a "choice point" for my life, just like you see in any visual novel, and happily I decided to remain in the course.

Life is full of "choice points" just like in eroge. Unfortunately there's no save game option.

March 5 is Hug a Shrine Maiden Day

The Japanese are fond of assigning titles to certain days, often based on phonetics, for example February 9 is Niku-no-hi (Meat Day) because 2/9 can be pronounced niku. March 5th happens to be Miko-no-Hi or Shrine Maiden Day, so I thought I'd write about these lovely females who are common fixtures in anime and games. Japan, of course, has two main religious traditions, the indigenous Shinto, which sees kami (gods or spirits) in natural objects like mountains, trees, rocks and rivers, and Buddhism, which was imported from the Korean Peninsula around the 6th century A.D. and has formed the basis for Japan's culture ever since. Japanese are very laissez-faire when it comes to religion, and generally mix Shinto and Buddhism freely, sometimes without even knowing which is which unless smart-aleck foreigners come along and ask them questions. In Japan today there's a tendency for people to turn to Shinto for life-affirming ceremonies like weddings, celebrating newborn babies and marking the start of a new year, and Buddhism only for funerals, and this makes Shinto inherently more "fun" and subsequently more likely to represented in popular culture...which is why you can probably identify the shrine maiden costumes below but have no idea what a Buddhist Nun might look like. While shrine maidens are ostensibly there to purify the home of the kami and give you advice about which Shinto good luck charm you should buy, they often aren't all that pure. I once found myself drinking with some university students I taught English to and a miko-san who'd been sitting nearby came over to say hello. I was amazed at her ribald sense of humor -- she definitely was no maiden. Incidentally, J-List has some interesting products for anyone interested in Shrine Maidens and Shinto culture.

March 5 is Miko Day, so hug a Shrine Maiden today.

The Japanese Love The Word "The"

One English word the Japanese get a lot of mileage out of is "the," pronounced za in Japanese due to phonetic limitations. The word is used frequently in marketing, like the popular brand of curry called "House The Curry," or the limited beer from Yebisu called "The Hop." Whenever I pass through Ueno Station in Tokyo I eat lunch at my favorite restaurant, "The Restaurant" and if I need to buy some new clothes I might wait for a local department store to have their seasonal sales event called "The Sale" (za see-ru). Although we don't think of English's humble definitive pronoun as being particularly challenging grammatically, getting the word "the" right can be difficult for ESL learners, especially from Asian countries like Japan. There's no word corresponding to "the" in Japanese, a language so vague that whether a noun is plural or singular, count or non-count isn't even considered unless it's needed for context, and the difference between, say, "the car" and "a car" would almost never need to be overtly expressed.

The Japanese are very big on the word "the."

Manga and Artbook Sale This Month

Remember, J-List is having a great sale this month on all manga and artbook titles on the site, with 2x J-List points awarded for all purchases. Also, we're continuing our popular EMS sale, which gives you $10 back for orders of $100 or more, or $25 back for orders of $200 or more, when you order from Japan via EMS. We've got great manga volumes that everyone can enjoy plus manga that's a bit steamier, with everything from futanari to "trap" and more. What great manga or artbooks will you pick up this month?

Cool Products Monday, March 5, 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.

	Dengeki Daioh April 2012 Dengeki Daioh is here, with over 900 pages of great manga like Muv-Luv Alternative, Gunslinger Girl, AnoNatsu, Gurren Lagann, Toradora, and Yotsubato! You also get some great omake, plus news and previews of upcoming titles, and more than 800 pages of great content. Don't miss this issue! View products »
	Figure King No. 169 Check out the hottest new figures and toys with the latest issue of Figure King, the ultimate resource for hobbyists and collectors.
	Cutie Mar 2012 For the cutest fashions in Tokyo today, there's no better resource than Cutie. Each issue is packed with photos of only the trendiest Tokyo girls.
	Kawaii Japan Fashion Items Restocked And speaking of trendy, take a look at our extensive selection of kawaii fashion items from Japan, like panda-style ponchos, parkas, and more.
	SALA Hair Styling Wax, Japanese Sunscreen Treat your hair and skin right with the best sunscreen and styling wax from Japan. Plus, see other great products for a beautiful body.
	MINI JOY STICK for iPhone or Android Take your portable gaming to the next level with this miniature gamepad. Works great with your iPhone or Android.
	PS Vita, PSP Anime Games Restocked Enjoy several popular new games including Dream Club Zero, Tales of Innocence and BlazBlue for the Vita, plus Oreimo and Haganai PSP games.
	Mobile Suit Gunda, Car Cup Holders Turn your boring normal car into a cool Gundam car with the Gelgoog and Hyakushiki cup holders we restocked. Unlock your Newtype potential while driving to work!
	Restocked Totoro Products Enjoy restocked Totoro and Cat Bus plush toys, plus the awesome Totoro stamps with fun messages in Japanese, or our favorite Totoro wooden alarm clocks.
	Hello Kitty Clip ~ 2pcs Easy to use and fun to see, these Hello Kitty clips keep your food fresh with the style of a pretty red bow. Great for school lunches.
	Traditional Hello Kitty Bento Restocked And we've got some wonderful Hello Kitty items back in stock, like the traditional stacking bento from Japan, such a nice Sanrio product.
	Japanese Study Books Restocked Today we're restocking Catchy Japanese Phrases, which present a "situational" way to learn the language that's something, which I recommend a lot.
	Amazing Japanese Pens, Erasers Restocked The Japanese have the best erasers in the world,and we've restocked several. Also several Japanese pens, since writing with lame pens sucks.
	Meiji Pokemon Big Gum Set of 3 Always a fail-safe way to make a Pokemon fan happy -- giving them something that is rare and delicious, like these packs of Pokemon gum.
	Sushi and other Food Drops Restocked Also see fantastic traditional "Food Drops" candies restocked, with flavors like Sushi, Strawberry Milk. Green Tea and Tochigi Strawberry.
	Japanese Shine Donation Box w/ Chocolate Interested in Shinto shrines? We love these products, a replica of a donation box you can save coins in, plus a omikuji box that dispenses chocolate fortunes.
	Other Fun Restocked Snacks See several flavors of Kracie's Neru neru Nerune, plus Okinawa Limited snacks, Sushi Candy, Gift wrapped Green Tea Chocolate & Cookies, plus Hello Kitty Caramels.
	LEGO-Style Stackable Bento Boxes Cool. There stackable blocks can be used for bento, snacks or whatever. Built for being toted around, but great for display too.
	Cute Bento Boxes Restocked And don't forget that we have a large selection of kawaii bento boxes that make everything feel great, plus accessories restocked too.
	PANDA Slim 2-Tier Bento Box, Kawaii Chopsticks Pandas are incredibly cute and panda bento boxes are even cuter. See our popular Slim 2-Tier Bento w/ Chopsticks restocked today.
	Kawaii Panda Products, Too Another item that panda fans will like is our line of Red Cheek Panda Chopstick Rests, which hold your chopsticks while you eat. So cute!
	Amazing Chopsticks from Japan See fresh stock of some great chopsticks from Japan including training chopsticks for anyone who needs a little practice, plus portable chopsticks you can take anywhere.
	Random Kitchen Products Restocked J-List is dedicated to making your meals fun the Japanese way. Try our tools for cutting sandwiches and nori seaweed into cute shapes, now restocked.
	Restocked Miso Soup Bowls Enjoy a bowl of steaming hot miso soup in the mornings before you head out for work. Several awesome miso soup bowls restocked!
	Microwave Taiyaki & Takoyaki Makers Enjoy delicious Japanese snacks like cute taiyaki and takoyaki octopus balls with these great cooking tools. It's easy!
	Japanese School Bags Restocked If I were in high school or university I would totally carry my books in this official Japanese book bag, which is seen in just about every anime series.
	'No Normal Humans' T-Shirt If you're tired of hanging out with all those "normals," then try this original Haruhi T-shirt. Who knows? Maybe an alien will read it and say hi.
	Lucky Cat Tea Cups, Tea Pot Increase your fortune by at least 9,000 with the addition of these adorable Lucky Cat (manekineko) tea pot and cups!
	Other Fun Traditional Items You can never have too much luck, so stock-up on some omamori (luck charms, like this gold one money luck.
	Kenshin and UtaPri Phone Straps - *Preorder* Decorate your accessories with these adorable rubber straps featuring cool characters from Rurouni Kenshin and Uta no Prince-sama. 10 each!
	Puella Magi Madoka Magica Ticket Wallet Magical girls protect your valuable ticket stubs with this stylish Madoka Magica wallet. See what else you can fit inside!
	Chichinoe +3 YOUNG HIP Figure *Preorder* Sexy figure collectors will love Orchid Seed's latest design. This girl's body is beyond dynamite, with curves that will take your breath away.
	Shobon Onanie Hole ~ 2ch ASCII Face Toys Topped with a cute Japanese emoticon, this may be the funniest stress toy ever made. Laughing is therapeutic too, so buy one and try it out!
	Parody Onaholes Restocked Relieve stress with our excellent parody onaholes based on your favorite anime girls, like the Index and Mikoto Misaka versions, now restocked.
	New Air Dutch Dolls for Perfect Fantasy You'll also want to browse our selection of full-size love dolls for the ultimate stress relief. Each comes with built-in onahole and a tube of lotion.
	Popular JAV Onahole Toys Restocked Amazing toys based on your favorite JAV stars, including the Elly Akira DX toy with *4* ways to polish the proverbial dolphin.
	Restocked Vibrators for Everyone See fresh stock of excellent personal massages that everyone can use, including Totsugeki Max and the T-Back Panty w/ Rotor hidden inside. Wow!
	Dating-sim Games with Shrine Maidens We have English-translated eroge, including Come See Me Tonight 2, with kawaii Miko girls for you to take for a "test drive."
	Awesome Games from Manga Gamer, Too Remember that we carry the great games from MangaGamer in physical package form, with no DRM on the games. Click to see today's top sellers.

The End of an Era: the Subaru Factory Stops Producing "K" Cars

J-List is based in Gunma, a prefecture said to be shaped like a crane in flight, located in the exact center of Japan's main island of Honshu. We're about as far as you can get from the sea in Japan, which is a bad thing if you're a fan of fresh sushi, but we weren't sorry to be far from the tsunamis last March. Besides being famous for some of Japan's most beautiful mountains -- which are the most convenient place to dump a body when there's a murder in Tokyo, hence a lot of bodies turn up here -- Gunma has been an important manufacturing hub for Japan over the years and is the home of the Subaru Motor Corp. One of the most important cars in the history of postwar Japan was the Subaru 360, the first kei-class lightweight vehicle to gain a following inside Japan, and one of Japan's first successful export vehicles. Now an era is ending, as production of this class of vehicles ends after half a century, moving to plants operated by the affiliated companies of Toyota and Daihatsu.

("K" cars, from 軽自動車, are the lightest type of vehicle licensed to drive on the streets. They're very light and easy to drive, though most wouldn't be street legal in the U.S.)

Fun fact: the Fuji Heavy Industries factory near J-List is where the "Zero" fighters were built during WWII.