J-List @ San Diego Comicon 2011

Will you be at the San Diego Comicon? We will, and we'd love to see you at our booth (booth 129) to say hello and check out the cool stuff we've brought with you. Hope to see you there! We'll have hundreds of T-shirts and hoodies, awesome eroge and Japanese snacks, Tenga toys and more, manga, oppai mouse pads -- you name it. Come and get your free J-List Anime Glasses, too!

My Trip to Big Bear

I'm up here in Big Bear, about 2-3 hours from the Los Angeles and San Diego areas. It's very similar to the quaint town of Karuizawa, the mountain resort that's popular with Tokyo-ites who need to get away from the concrete-and-asphalt jungle that is Japan's sprawling capital city. (Karuizawa pops up in anime and manga quite a bit, including Please Twins, Kyou kara Ore wa, Ouran High School Host Club and the Genshiken manga.). I'm enjoying it up here, not least because it's at an elevation of 7000 feet, which means it's quite cool, at least compared to the lower areas of Southern California. Last night I took my sister's family out for dinner, and paid for the meal with a credit card. When it came time to sign for the check, the lady at the restaurant handed me a red pen to sign with, which gave me pause. It's really bad luck to write a person's name using red ink in Japan, which is some kind of old cultural holdover from ancient China.

I feel bad for being in a cool and comfortable area, though, since the unrelenting summer of '11 is continuing back in Japan, with temperatures hitting 98 degrees in J-List's hometown of Isesaki, with 74 percent humidity. The problem is made worse by the fact that the 35 nuclear power plants across Japan's islands have been idled in the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and Fukushima crisis, including those that were not directly damaged by the earthquakes. Yesterday a Trade Ministry official named Yoshifumi Ohno -- the last name is pronounced "Oh no!" -- said that the government "couldn't say when" the idled nuclear plants would be restarted, and that the government is reviewing the situation and making plants to test each plant, though there's nothing concrete on the horizon. The reality is that there's a sudden strong distaste for any kind of nuclear power by Japan's voters, and as usual Japan, which should be showing bold leadership (in one direction or another, at least) is unable to decide anything. So things frozen in limbo, with all the nuclear power plants ready to be reactivated or dismantled but no decision is coming either way.

Using a red pen to write someone's name is bad luck.

Congratulations to Japan at the World Cup!

It certainly was an exciting day today, what with Japan's stunning win over the U.S. in the FIFA Women's World Cup. Though I'm in the U.S. right now, I got regular updates from my Twitter followers during the exciting game. One follower said it all: "I love the USA, but I had hoped Japan would win the World Cup, to bring a little sunshine to a country who has had so much hardship." All Japan is rejoicing at the win, with every TV cannel showing footage of the triumphant game as well as interviews with the team members who made it happen, especially MVP Homaru Sawa (I predict crossover Homura Akemi crossover art on Pixiv before long). The impromptu nickname for Japan's victorious soccer team is Nadeshiko Japan, nadeshiko being the classical word for a pure and beautiful Japanese woman. it certainly is a ray of happiness for a country who's had a rough time of things so far this year.

Congratulations to "Nadeshiko Japan"!

The J-List Glasses Photo Contest

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Cool Products Sunday, July 17, 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.

	Young Ace Aug 2011 Young Ace heads your way this month, with Hozuki-san Chi no Aneki and Evangelion themed gifts, plus all the manga you already love. It's one of the most legendary manga monthlies we carry, and each issue sells out quickly -- so order yours now! View products »
	Cure Magazine Keep on the bleeding edge of Gothic Lolita & alternative music and fashion from the streets and concert halls of Harajuku and Shibuya.
	Authentic Cosplay Goods from Japan See restocked anime cosplay items, including the Japanese Eye Patch, Gothic Lolita armcovers and "Socks Glue" to hole your awesome Japanese socks up.
	Axis Powers Hetalia 4 ~ Special Edition Get your hands on your choice of the special edition with bonus material or the regular edition of the 4th volume of the hit manga Hetalia.
	Comic Yuri Hime ~ July 2011 A great issue of Yuri Hime, which is 500 pages of awesomeness featuring anime girls falling in love with girls. Please see it on the J-List side.
	Rewrite ~ Special Edition Great news for fans of visual novels: the smash hit game Rewrite (the Deluxe Edition) is back in stock. It will sell out again now, so order soon...
	Other Visual Novels Restocked Click to see the other awesome dating-sim games we restocked, too, including Clannad and many other favorites.
	Queen's Blade ~ Spiral Chaos (PSP the Best) Then: the epic Queen's Blade ecchi fighting game for PSP is back, at a new lower price. Enjoy the "armor damage system" and awesome pantsu.
	Demonbane 2 illustration Puzzle If you're a fan of the Cthulhu Mythos eroge Demonbane, we've got an awesome puzzle for you. A fun item for fans of the series...
	Kaomoji Portable Fan Uchiwa These cute Kaomoji fans fold up to fit in your pocket, but can pop-out to fan yourself off or show your excitement. They feature random ASCII messages just like nerdy Japanese BBS users use online. Kitaaa!!! View products »
	Revoltech Figures For You Yotsuba, the unofficial official mascot of 4chan, and Z.O.E. figures are finally here and ready to take home. So nice to have them back!
	Totoro and Many Great Ghibli Items In celebration for the newly released Ghibli film, Kokuriko-zaka Kara, we've updated our stock of Ghibli and Totoro items.
	iTunes Japan Prepaid Cards You can get more than anime and JPOP songs from the iTunes Japan store, you can get Japan-only apps, too. Like the free Official K-On! Phone app!
	Otsumami Snacks There's a class of Japanese snacks called otsumami, which means snacks (often salty) that go great when drinking beer or sake with friends. Enjoy Garlic Toast Snack from Meiji, Edamame Pretz from Glico and many items today. View products »
	Felix Gum Box ~ Tsubu Tsubu Strawberry The classic Felix gum that is so popular with many of our J-List friends is now available in a special strawberry flavor.
	Restocked Candies and Snacks From traditional candies like Sakuma Drops (seen in Grave of the Fireflies) and Kompeito, to modern favorites like Puccho Ball.
	Plate Style Bento Box This unique bento box isn't really so much a box as it is a plate with a sealable lid that fits in bags or backpacks. Love the UFO look!
	Rilakkuma 4P Stacking Bento Box Rilakkuma fans will love this stackable bento box set that is just so kawaii! The popular item is restocked today.
	Traditional-Modern Bento Boxes Big restocking of several bento boxes today, including the WAON Traditional + Modern and Kerria Ellipsoidal Genuine Lacquered bentos boxes.
	Random Bento Products We've got several popular bento products restocked, from awesome Hello Kitty onigiri rice ball makers to takoyaki picks. Fun!
	Kuru-Kuru Face Expression Picks  These kawaii food picks hold your food together while at you with very funny Japanese kaomoji (emoticons).
	Cute and Useful Bento Cups Decorate your bentos to give that unique authentic flair with these great bento cups, from funny to pragmatic, we've got every kind imaginable.
	Traditional and Modern Dishware  We've got wonderful dishware back in stock, like this awesome set of miso soup bowls with matching chopsticks. So nice to see.
	Sushi Making Tools & Bamboo Rollers Step into the world of sushi making. It's not as hard as it seems, especially when you have the right tools, like these great items we've posted.
	Basic Kanji Drill, Hiragana Practice Notebooks Whether you're just starting Japanese writing study or need to brush up on penmanship, these books are just what you need to get ahead.
	New and Restocked Slippers We love Tatami slippers in the summer, but we've also got great regular slippers and wacky slippers too that you can take home and wear.
	Kanji Name Stamps w/Your Name in Kanji We gaijin are fascinated by kanji, and nothing is cooler than having our name written in kanji characters. We sell authentic Japanese hanko name stamps that let you see your name in kanji, and they're really inexpensive to make. Because the kanji are chosen by our native Japanese staff, you won't end up with characters with embarrassing meanings. View products »
	Homura Akemi Figma Action Figure *Preorder* Speaking of Homura Akemi, one of the baddest-ass magical girls ever to transform, we've got the Figma up. Should you preorder immediately? Yes.
	Other Preorder Figures Also: see the epic new Natsume Rin from Little Busters figure, and Henrietta from Gunslinger Girl -- nice!
	The Best Magazine Special The Best Magazine is one of the best JAV mags in Japan, but when they release a special magazine set like this they truly live up to their name.
	Juicy Moon ~ Risa Tsukino (3000 limited) Cute baby-faced and uber popular AV Idol Risa Tsukino finally gets her own hard cover photobook. Limited to 3000 prints only!
	Ero Tes ~ Baka to Test Parody Anthology Filled with super ero-kawaii characters that parody the series Baka to Test. It's a great hentai manga that won't disappoint.
	Seki-Lala Bishoujo Featuring 11 short stories of romantic and odd situations with beautifully drawn characters that are eroi yet totally realistic and believable.
	Katsura Taizen BOX Explore the world of Katsura Taizen, including may of his early works plus recent designs for hits like Tiger & Bunny. NOT to be missed.
	Awesome Ecchi Artbooks See other great ero artbooks restocked, including the legendary Bible Black Visual Artworks, plus many other delicious items.
	Parody Stress Toys for Anime Fans If you are looking for something more unique, take a look at our anime parody adult items. They're all so cool, bet you'll enjoy them.
	Amazing Stress Toys for Guys Also: Check the popular Sexy Twins Perfect Body series we restocked, offering double the pleasure, if you know what we mean.
	Anzu Nyan Pero Pero Lotion K-On! fans will appreciate this cool Azunyan themed personal lotion to help you relax with a good massage after a hard day at work. Restocked today!
	New Eroge 'Ore wa Sonzai Shinai no de...' If there were no consequences to your actions, what would you do? This excellent eroge, from ALL-TIME, is very cool.
	Restocked Eroge Titles, Too Check out world of Japanese ero-gaming with our recommended titles from the BALDR saga, School Mate, and more! You will love playing these awesome eroge.
	New English Eroge Posted for Preorder School Days and the Song of Saya/Hanachirasu combo game are posted for preorder. How can you resist ordering both now?
	Masaki Mizuhara Collection Reira 1/12 *Preorder* A gorgeous new "cast off" figure that lets you enjoy it in two ways: with full clothing or else with everything removed. Muhahaha!

The Joy of Japanese Bread

For a country that eats as much rice as Japan, they have some pretty interesting kinds of bread, too. Introduced by the Portuguese in the 16th century, pan has been made in Japan long enough for it to morph into some unique shapes, including a few that Westerners might have trouble identifying. The most basic type of bread, of course, is the normal sliced variety, which can be purchased in standard sized loaves cut into eight, six or four slices, depending on how thick you like your sandwiches to be (if you're thinking Japanese bread makes awesome French Toast, you're right). Many types of bread are sweet, so that we'd think of them more as doughnuts, such as anpan (a traditional round bread with sweet anko beans inside) or melon-pan (vaguely melon-shaped) bread beloved of a certain tsundere girl. Another unique Japanese bread is Curry Pan, is a ball-shaped piece of fried bread that contains spicy curry inside -- yummy. Whenever I'm passing through a train station and get hungry, I pick up yakisoba pan, essentially a long piece of bead with chow mein-style noodles stuffed inside, about as simple a snack as you can ask for.

Two my favorite kinds of pan: Melon Pan and shimapan.

The Challenge of Transliterating from Japanese to English

Transliteration is the act of transcribing words from one writing system to another, and it's a very complex and imprecise process. The problem is that there are different sets of rules you can use when going from one written language to another, and there's no absolutely "correct" way to do it, which is why there are 112 perfectly accurate ways to spell Muammar Gaddafi in English (really). Sometimes alternate spellings of foreign names pop up because of a change in politics -- as when China switched from the Wade-Giles romanization method to Pinyin, which is why Mao Tse-Tung suddenly changed to Mao Zedong -- and other times it's just fans being silly, like the Minmei-Minmay Spelling Wars that spanned 1980s anime fandom. When Madoka Magika came along, people wondered how to spell the name of everyone's least favorite magical girl-creating Incubator. Was it Kyubey, which has good balance, or possibly Kyubeh, which creates a pronunciation that's closer to the Japanese version, or Kyuubey, to represent the long first vowel? Or perhaps QB for brevity's sake, or Qbey, which appears once in the show? It can be quite difficult, but for our part we generally treat whatever Wikipedia ends up using as "official" (quick is Kyubey in this case). Incidentally if you like, or hate, Kyubey, we have a T-shirt you should see...

Ttransliterating written words is difficult.

Pretty Girls in the Men's Room

There are certain unique things about Japan. They have cars with names like Perky, Sunny and Mitsubishi Thanks Chariot. Taxi doors open automatically when you approach, and the cars are cleaner than hospital operating rooms. Also, it's not uncommon to find Japanese women cleaning men's rooms or men's public baths despite the presence of men there, a unique cultural oddity about Japan that certainly doesn't work in reverse. This happened to me last month while I was passing thorough Narita Airport: I went into the men's room to take care of the usual business and was surprised to see a female airport employee diligently cleaning the toilets, walls and floors while the male airport patrons tried their best to ignore her. She was far from an obasan (middle-aged woman), too, being in her mid 20s and rather attractive, and it made it rather hard to concentrate on what I'd gone in there to do.

Females clean the men's room with the men still there in Japan.

New Eroge Posted for Preorder!

We're very happy to announce that we're posting the super-mega-awesome English-translated visual novels for preorder on the J-List site now. First up is School Days, the legendary game that's fully animated, with dozens of yandere-icious paths for you to explore. Get your preorder in now and be one of the first to play it when it's released in 2012! Next we're posting the gorgeous horror eroge from Nitroplus, Saya no Uta ~ Song of Saya, which will be released with the visual novel Hanachirasu as a set. Both stories are written by Urobuchi Gen, who also created Madoka Magika, so you know they're amazing. So get your preorders in now!