Cool Products Wednesday, May 23, 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 Girl's Style June 2012 It's time for a new issue of Girl's Style, the number one magazine for fans of otome games and yaoi / BL games for girls. Comes with tons of cool stuff, like posters, CD jackets, and more! If you're a fujoshi, this is pretty much the magazine you need to be reading now. View products »
	Animage June 2012 You'll also want to check out the new issue of Animage, packed with beautiful art from this season's best anime. Best of all, more free posters!
	Sheryl Nome FINAL ~ Macross F Visual Collection Dozens of beautiful illustrations of your favorite interstellar diva in this amazing artbook. Highly recommended for Sheryl fans.
	Hiragana Times June 2012 NO. 308 Study Japanese while brushing up on current events with a new issue of our favorite magazine for Japanese learners. A great way to learn Japanese!
	A Geek in Japan, Other Books About Japan Immerse yourself in Japanese culture with some of our great guidebooks and study aids, like A Geek in Japan, The Japanese House, plus study books.
	Cool Overhead Headphones We've got some amazing headphones for lovers of music and Bakemonogatari that fold for extra portability.
	Persona 4 Anime Plates? Awesome!  What better way to show off your Persona 4 fan spirit than with a set of decorative plates sporting your favorite characters. Click to see!
	Gothic Lolita Apron Show off your cute body with equally cute apron that can double as cosplay wear.
	Black Open Ribbon Knee High Stockings Becoming one of the top fashion items in Japan, these long stockings will make your legs look slim and beautiful.
	Denim Short Pants ~ size XL Check out these cool short shorts, stylized for that vintage look. Goes well together with out large selection of Japanese stockings.
	Restocked Shimapan, Other Fun Cosplay Items And for all you lovers of Japanese cosplaying and fashion, we've got Shimapan in stock in a variety of colors and sizes, even for men (ahem).
	Several New Figures In Stock Two of the most kawaii girls in anime are coming to you in figure form. Check out this barely-clothed Erio and super-genki Menma, now for preorder.
	Darth Vader Star Wars Ice Cube Trays, More The power of the dark side is strong in this drink, with Sith shaped ice cubes from Japan. Also check out the Star Wars Hanafuda cards restocked, I love these!
	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.
	Rilakkuma Vibrating Personal Massagers? Massage those painful places on your body with a portable personal massager. Great for relaxing tense muscles anywhere you may encounter them.
	Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Book ~ Kyary Born Known for her wacky style and fun music videos, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is a new JPOP sensation rising to the top of the charts.
	Gorgeous Photobooks Restocked Then see fresh stock of some of our favorite photobooks, including random "Oppai" in Tokyo, Iho Hasegawa's Sun Shower, and other glossy photobook goodness.
	Awesome Japanese...Umbrellas? J-List carries the awesome generic clear umbrellas that can be found everywhere in Asia -- an ironic way to keep dry just like the Japanese do.
	New OreImo PSP Game In Stock Enjoy hours of fun with Kirino, Kuroneko, and all the OreImo girls in this awesome game for PSP. How many endings can you get?
	Big Restocking of Popular PSP, PS3 and PSVita Games Also see fresh stock of GALGUN (the pantsu game for PS3), the best dating-sim and ecchi titles for PS Vita, K-On! for PSP and more.
	The Best Pens from Japan Japanese pens are the best in the world, and we've restocked several today, including the Zebra Sarasa (my own favorite) and Tombow AIR PRES.
	Hiragana Practice Notebooks, More In Stock See fun Japanese notebooks that help you learn Japanese, plus that Cutting Edge Business Notebook w/iPhone and Android App for accurate scanning.
	FritoLay Yakitori Corn Snack Two Flavors (Negima & Tare) Enjoy Japan's love for skewered BBQ chicken at home with these fun snacks from Frito-Lay. They're totally fun to eat!
	Tiger & Bunny Wafers (Set of 2) Collectable and edible, this is the perfect treat for fans of the Tiger and Bunny series. You get delicious chocolate wafer cookies plus Tiger & Bunny cards!
	Delicious Food Drops Candies Restocked Learn about Japan with fun traditional food drops. Today we have Osaka-style Kushi Katsu, Okonomiyaki and other flavors for you to try.
	Happy Kitchen Doughnuts, Other Snacks Restocked See Puccho Ball Ramune, Meiji Wata Gum cotton candy gum, awesome Shigekix Super Ramune, FritoLay Izakaya Menu Cheetos and classic Kyoto Candy!
	Pink Rabbit 3D 2 Tier Bento Box w/ Elastic Band ~ Usagi We always enjoy seeing super kawaii bento boxes on display, especially when their insides are as delicious as their outsides.
	Gorgeous Lacquered Bento Boxes I love a well designed bento box, and the Onigiri Style Bento Box, which stores three rice balls for you. Other great bento boxes are restocked today too!
	Restocked Sauce Bottles for Bento We love those cute little bottles for bringing soy sauce, mayonnaise and other condiments, and we also have "anti-bacterial sheets for bento" in stock.
	Kihon no Youshoku ~ Japan-style 'Western' Food So if you want to learn how to make delicious Japanese versions of "Western" foods, here is one of the many great books we have for international chiefs.
	Hats from J-List In addition to a great line of professionally embroidered hats, J-List stocks awesome felt beanies of Domo-kun. Now available at a lower price!
	Restocked Traditional Awesomeness Today we have fresh stock of our elegant lacquered cases for storing your tea leaves and other delicacies, plus traditional Kompeito candy from Japan.
	Kneesocks Figure ~ Panty & Stocking *preorder* Wow! Check out this huge and detailed figure of a smoking hot demon babe. Guaranteed to make your mouth water and your nose bleed.
	T-elos Figma ~ Xenosaga Episode III *Preorder* If you love hot robot girls, then don't miss this sexy and posable figure of T-elos from the Xenosaga RPG series.
	Super Sonico's 'Cast Off' Figure Super Sonico is the headphone-wearing moe idol of Nitroplus, and a revealing figure featuring the character has just been released. Are you moe moe kyun-ing yet?
	New 'Cast Off' Figures for Preorder Plus we've got some excellent NSFW figures for preorder, like Mukai-san, Yuniko and many others, which will get your blood pumping.
	Perfumed Natural Pantyhose of Working Woman Add on a new layer of reality to your toys with this pantyhose set that comes complete with a women's scent.
	Fighting Girl Onahole Toys The Ikki Tousen toys are popular because they're large, realistic, and based on our favorite ecchi characters including Koihime Musou.
	'Shakuhachi' Simulators While a shakuhachi is a traditional Japanese flute, it's also slang for a girl giving a very special gift to a man with her mouth. Fun toys restocked.
	New Air Dutch Dolls In Stock Enjoy your spare time even more when you can share it with an amazing companion like Minami, the stylishly sexy air doll.
	Koihime Musou DX Edition In Stock! The popular eroge is finally in stock in San Diego, so order your copy now. Deluxe packaging w/extras, plus no DRM and full voice restored!
	Dousei LoverAble Move in with a cute girl, no strings attached! Five cute and sexy girls are waiting for you to join them in the romantic life of your dreams.

Dialects in Japanese: Osaka, Kyoto etc.

Dialects are part of the wonderfully complex world of human language, and Japanese has many distinct dialects in use, although only a handful could ever be accurately perceived by us gaijin. While anime series featuring a token character speaking Osaka-ben is a common trope, accents from other parts of the country are more rare. One exception was the character Yozuru from Nisemonogatari, who speaks a version of Kyoto-ben that's very elegant and stylized (to say nothing of sexy)...but which would be quite difficult for non-Japanese to understand if watching without subtitles. I was reminded of how hard unfamiliar accents can be when my wife and I went to Australia. I was fine conversing with random people I met in pubs, but my poor wife (who learned most of her English in the Los Angeles area) had the hardest trouble understanding what people said to her.

Characters speaking Osaka-ben are not uncommon in anime.

All About Japanese Arches (Torii)

One of my favorite images of Japan are Japanese arches, called torii, written with kanji characters that mean "where the birds are" since birds like to perch on them. Unlike most traditional architecture which are based on imported Chinese forms, torii arches are a uniquely Japanese creation. Generally found near Shinto shrines, the arches are essentially "sacred gates" which mark the barrier between the unclean world we inhabit and the purified area around the shrine. Japan loves to come up with formal lists the "the best three" this or that in the country, and if you like Japanese arches you can make plans to visit the Nihon Sandai Torii or Three Great Japanese Arches someday. They are the famous "Floating Arch" at Itsukishima, near Hiroshima, the huge arch at Kasuga Shrine in Nara, and Kehi Jingu Shrine in Fukui Prefecture.

I love torii (Japanese arches). Shrine Maidens aren't too bad either.

Unknown Japanese Foods that are Awesome

I think it'd be impossible for a person to live in a foreign country if they didn't like the food there, and I'm happy to report my satifaction with this aspect of Japan. While Japanese foods like sushi, tempura, ramen and onigiri rice balls are quite well known around the world, there are other dishes I like a lot which you may not be so familiar with, as they're not "food memes" like Taiyaki or Takoyaki. One is soboro, which is a bowl of white rice with teriyaki flavored ground chicken and scrambled egg on top -- such a simple and honest dish, I could eat it all day. Next is chirashi-zushi, essentially a "tossed salad" of sushi pieces arranged over vinagered rice, traditionally served to celebrate daughters on Hinamatsuri (March 3), though I eat it whenever I can. Finally, there's masu no sushi, a delicious round disc of rice with trout sushi on top that's pressed into a bamboo frame, and you cut the sushi into wedges making it "sushi pizza." It's a delicacy of Toyama Prefecture on the Sea of Japan side of the country -- not the most accessible place in the world -- but if you ever find yourself at Haneda Airport in Tokyo they sell it there, too. If you're keen on making some of these dishes yourself, we've got a nice lineup of cookbooks and related books you might want to browse.

Some of my favorite Japanese foods are not well known outside Japan.

School Days is Coming, Did You Preorder?

Last time we posted the School Days Deluxe Collector's Edition, a gorgeous Japan-style game release with cool stuff inside for fans including an original oppai mouse pad by School Days artist Junji Goto and more. School Days is one of the most famous eroge ever made, for a couple different reasons. First, it's fully animated, with every bit of the 12GB game game fluidly moving as you make choices that affect the lives of the game characters. The fully translated game is also 100% uncensored, and includes all the new material from the "HQ" Japanese release. If you already preordered the normal edition and want to change your order to the DX version, use the handy form we've set up here.

Cool Products Monday, May 21, 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.

	COSnap! vol. 03 Be amazed when you open the pages of COSnap magazine -- made for the serious cosplayer and casual admirer alike. Over 100 pages of top-quality photographs featuring the best cosplayers in Japan. Whether you're looking for concrete ideas for this year's cosplay season or just love browsing the top-quality cosplay photos, you need this issue! View products »
	Animedia June 2012 Great new issue of Animedia, full of art of your favorite anime characters. Comes with awesome Nanoha and Hakuoki poster omake.
	Kawaii Nyanpire Wall Scrolls / Noren Super kawaii Nyanpire wall scrolls that can convert into door frame noren, giving an awesome look to any room.
	Restocked Anime Curtains, Too We also restocked other awesome anime curtains, which can be used anywhere in your house...even your shower, since they're waterproof.
	Navy Striped JINBEI / Summer Relax Wear Set Get into the spirit of summer when you put on a pair of Japanese Jinbei, a short summer kimono that makes awesome pajamas in the summer.
	Kamakura Genuine Laquered Men's Geta Sandals And add another level of authenticity to your summer attire with these stylish wooden Japanese geta sandals. So epic!
	Teens Ever Micro Mini Spats, Restocked Our customers love the authentic "spats" (tight bicycle shorts) seen in anime so much we keep selling out, but we restocked them again today.
	Vocaloid Bikini Swimsuits, OL Pantsu & More Our Vocaloid-inspired striped bikini swimsuits are back in stock, along with the popular "Pantsu of OL" that are perfect for cosplay or other uses.
	Gothic Socks, Other Cosplay Products Restocked A big update of Japanese cosplay products, incl. the Maiden Lace Over Knee Socks, Kawaii Rabbit Ears + Tail, Striped Socks and Cat Girl Maid outfit.
	false Elegant model Mana Okada is very cute and sexy, and she shows us in this new photobook of glossy full-color offerings.
	Totoro Ceramic Wind Chimes for Summer Let the sound of summer enter your home with these cute wind chimes that are perfect for capturing the summer breeze. Summer with Totoro!
	Kawaii Nendoroid Figures In Stock And we always love new Nendoroid figures to add to our collection, like these delightful ones that just came in stock and are ready for display.
	Japanese Grammar, Other Books Posted Many books to help you learn Japanese, including the new Basic Japanese Grammar and JLPT N5 guides + a Handbook for Living in Japan.
	Japanese Flashcards, Other Study Products See more Japanese study items restocked, including flashcards plus the excellent Zebra Check Set for memorizing any information.
	Mechanical Pencils & Pens Restocked We've restocked our fun Japanese pens and mechanical pencils, including the Automatic Spinning Mechanical Pencil for Smooth Writing. They work great!
	Fun Bath-Related Products from Japan Our favorite fizzing bath tablets are back -- put one under you in the bath and let the bubbles travel up your back! Also, amazing soap for couples?
	Tiger & Bunny Stereo Headphones Style that even non-otaku types will like, these Tiger and Bunny headphones are in stock now.
	New Anime Songs on iTunes Japan Some great music for anime fans on the iTunes Japan store, including the New Single Release of Aya Hirano plus the awesome ED from AnoNatsu.
	FritoLay Rilakkuma Corn Snack Honey Butter Flavor Delicious new treats from Japan! Try the Honey Butter Corn snacks featuring the adorable Rilakkuma, or some tasty Strawberry Caramels. Plus more!
	Great Sushi Products Want to make your own sushi? We've got dozens of fun products to help you do it, including sushi no ko for making sushi rice.
	Restocked J-Snacks Too We have Japan-made Oreos, Takoyaki Gummy, Cheeza crackers, Charcoal Roasted Coffee Candy + Okinawa "Black Sugar" candy plus Mystery Neri Ame!
	Sushi Mini Cookbook J-List stocks dozens of fun cookbooks, and today we've got a new book that helps you make sushi for the first time. Browse them all now.
	Our Most Popular Traditional Bento Boxes Great news! Out of stock for several weeks, we've been able to restocked the popular bento boxes by Hakoya, incl. the Sakura Picnic Bento, one of our favorites.
	Evangelion 2-Tier Slim Bento Boxes Slim but large enough to satisfy the deepest hunger, the ultimate NERD NERV bento item. You won't die of hunger...this bento will protect you!
	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.
	Fun 3D Cookie Cutters, Other Cute Kitchen Items Great for preparing cute snacks for lunches, parties and picnics, these Japanese cooking accessories will increase the cuteness of your cooking.
	Kawaii Bento Picks, Too Decorate your bento or lunch with these super cool, super fun accessories with wacky character picks, which are great for eating with too.
	Microwave Takoyaki Maker Now you can make your own Japanese Takoyaki at home using the tools you already own, namely a microwave. Delicious and convenient.
	Restocked Yukata, Other Traditional Products Wow, our popular Japanese yukata for men and women are restocked just in time for summer, plus other traditional items restocked.
	Yozora Mikazuki 1/7 Figure Swimsuit Ver. And for our fans of cute Haganai figures, here is another great preorder item that is soon be become available.
	Black Rock Shooter, Oreimo Pen Cases *Preorder* Enjoy study time even more with these super cool pen and pencil cases featuring the girls of OreImo, Black Rock Shooter, and more.
	Bath Posters, Anime Plates & More Plus other great anime goodies are now back in stock and available to be had by everyone, including Oreimo posters, anime plates and more!
	Cattleya 1/7 Cast off Figure Suke Suke ver. *Preorder* Check out this blazing hot and busty new Queen's Blade Cattleya figure, with her unforgettable body and detailing.
	New Ikki Tousen Cast Off Figure, More Then feast your eyes on this smoking figure of Ikkitousen's Chou'un Shiryuu, which is in stock right now. Such amazing "cast off" detail!
	Men's Shimapan + Onahole (5L) Made for men with a passion for shimapan, this is an advanced onahole to for fans of Hideyoshi or his twin sister Yuko.
	Fap-tastic Onahole Toys from Japan We love Japan for being so innovative when it comes to the ero products they invent. See our most popular oppai related toys restocked today.
	Amazing Japanese Personal Lotion, More Restocked From the Sweat Scent of Japanese Girl to amazing personal lotion products from Japan, we've restocked several awesome items for you today.
	Can a Sake Cup be NSFW? Shunga (lit. "spring pictures") are the traditional ecchi art of the Edo Period, and we have some awesome sake glasses restocked.
	School Days HQ ~ Collector's Edition *Preorder* We've posted the upcoming School Days HQ Collector's Edition, and fans have been preordering like wild. Once the first printing sells out, that's it - so order fast!
	Koihime Musou DX Edition *Preorder* Plus, more good news! Koihime Musou is schedule to come in stock in San Diego very soon. With fully restored voices + no DRM!