All About Japanese TV Commercials

While not nearly as lavish as the Hollywood-level TV commercials created for the Superbowl, Japanese "CMs" are a lot of fun to watch. My impression of American commercials is that they're often very talky ("and if you act now, get $1000 cash back or 2.5% APR on a 60-month loan, some restrictions apply..."), overtly stating features and benefits. Japanese ads are likely to be simpler in concept, for example a sporty car driving through a desert while a beautiful woman flies overhead in a helicopter, or a Japanese family that has a cow living in their refrigerator which gives them fresh milk whenever they want it. Sometimes Japanese commercials can get quite deep, like the long-running Boss Canned Coffee series in which Tommy Lee Jones plays a space alien here to observe Earth culture, or a series of ads about a "magic elevator" that stops at different floors, where a writer, a musician, a kabuki actor and other persons of interest are waiting to discuss philosophical questions ("What does it mean to be alive? Learning not to be afraid of making a fool of yourself every once in a while") over a cold glass of Asahi Super Dry.

A few more thoughts on Japanese TV commercials. First, they're more honest. If a given brand of toothpaste will only remove 98% of plaque from your teeth on average, the animation in the commercial will always make sure to leave a tiny bit of CG dirt on the teeth, to avoid making a claim the product can't back up. Like many countries, Japanese companies in Japan are forbidden from directly comparing themselves to other company's products, which changes the way the benefits of different products is presented to viewers and removes some of the negativeness. And in the super-connected Internet era we live in, nearly every commercial ends with a web search box showing related search terms being entered through a computer keyboard. This is a "call to action" to get the viewer to get off his butt and proactively start to seek information about a product or service, and it's the most over-used device in Japanese advertising today.

Japanese TV commercials are fun, and sometimes confusing.

Moe Moe Superbowl!

I hope everyone in the States enjoyed the Superbowl. Unfortunately Sunday in the U.S. is Monday morning here in Japan thanks to the time zone differences, which kind of makes it hard for expat gaijin to get into the spirit of things properly. Although the Japanese are generally open to importing just about any aspect of contemporary culture from the U.S., the rules of Ame-Futo (as American Football is usually abbreviated here) are confusing to most people, and the sport doesn't have a lot of critical mass here. Surprisingly, there is a small professional American Football league in Japan with team names like the Asahi Soft Drink Challengers, Panasonic Impulse, the NEC Falcons -- even our favorite computer peripheral company Elecom has a team, the Elecom Kobe Finies. The national championship for the league is the "Rice Bowl," and I went to watch a game just for the lulz once, because how often do you get to go to an American football game in Japan? I noticed that the Lingerie Football League had started broadcasting games late at night on Japanese television -- this seems right up Japan's alley, and I'm sure it can only increase the popularity of the sport in the future.

"American Football" is not huge here, though there are fans.

Cool Products Monday, February 6, 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.

	LED Light Umbrella (Blade Runner Style) Walk the rainy night streets with a saber of light, like those seen in popular sci-fi movies about the near future, possibly involving runaway androids and/or flying cars. We love bringing wacky product from Japan to our customers, and we're sure this new LED umbrella will be a hit! View products »
	Great Anime Figures In Stock Check out our newest bishoujo figures, featuring Homura from Madoka Magica, OreImo's Kirino, and Strike Witches' Lynette Bishop!
	RoboCop, Michael Jackson Figmas Restocked Too We also have new stock of the awesome RoboCop and Michael Jackson action figures, for when you need a shot of nostalgia.
	Kawaii Japan Fashion Items Restocked See the gorgeous "Lazy Sexy Mood" one piece dress and top set, the Bear Ear Parka (since all hoodies need bear ears on them), and other cute items.
	Knee-High Striped Stocking Socks Restocked Some very stylish new stockings are now at J-List, from cute pastel colors to anime inspired striped stockings, these are so uber cool.
	Restocked Artbooks, Moe Encyclopedia Browse our diverse selection of encyclopedias full of moe illustrations, like the Moe Moe Ghost, mythical swords and more.
	Touhou Project Buddhist Prayer Beads Restocked Guard against evil with these Touhou-themed prayer beads. Beads come in Reimu and Marisa versions. Almost sold out!
	Steins;Gate, Super Sonico and More! We love to carry fun games for PC from Japan, and we've got Steins;Gate, the Super Sonico photography game and more for you.
	Awesome Totoro Blankets Restocked Every year, our super-soft Totoro blankets drive customers to say things like, "I can't believe how warm it is. Thanks J-List!" All sizes restocked today!
	Totoro Plush Toys w/Suction Cups Make your car or room more awesome with the Totoro plush toys w/ suction cups we've restocked. The Catbus one is anatomically correct!!
	New Origami In Stock Learn the traditional art of paper folding with these deluxe versions, making it even easier to create amazing paper creations. Made in Japan.
	OMOKESHI Sushi ~ Japanese Parody Erasers Set  Get ready for your next Japanese test by whipping out your lucky sushi eraser. Comes with six different styles, perfect for sharing.
	Kawaii Hiragana Towel Teaches you Japanese! Teach yourself Japanese while you wash your face! The perfect subconscious tool teach yourself hiragana!
	Awesome Bilingual Books from Japan We are fans of the travel guides and study books from JTB, and today we've restocked Eating in Japan, great bilingual guide to food in Japan.
	Zebra Check Set Memorization System Restocked The best way to memorize Japanese, or any information really, is the Zebra Check Set, which we've restocked today along with awesome Zebra pens.
	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.
	More Amazing Hello Kitty Products Today we've got a large assortment of Hello Kitty Valentine's Day treats waiting for you, like candies, chocolates, cookies and cakes. Some even come with cool gifts, like Hello Kitty tins or Hello Kitty keychain donuts, and the Hello Kitty trash . Kawaii!, a great for giving this February 14th, or any time! We liked the Hello Kitty trash can a lot especially, and you can hold your stuff in it after you've eaten the cookies. View products »
	Other Fun Hello Kitty Items Also see other Hello Kitty items that come with chocolate: a Louis Vuitton style mini pouch and awesome coffee cup, so cute.
	Gift Wrapped Hello Kitty Chitose Ame And these cute individually wrapped traditional candies have Hello Kitty's face on every piece, making this a very fun treat to share with friends.
	Delicious Snacks from Okinawa Don't forget our great selection of candies and snacks, like these wonderful boxes of sweet treats from the island of Okinawa.
	Other Restocked Japanese Snacks Enjoy Sushi Candy, Morinaga Coffee Caramels, the popular new Pocky Salty flavor, Morinaga Dars chocolates and coffee gum.
	TEPPAN Lunch Box ~ Healthy Okonomiyaki Lunch Set This is neat: a bento designed to let you cook with it! It can heat delicious takoyaki balls, okonomiyaki and just about anything else. Love the design.
	Zojirushi Dot Thermal Bento Box Set If you love modern bento from Japan, we've got some nice styles restocked today, including the Zojirushi Thermal Bento and some fun "starter" bento sets.
	Chopper Tight Bento Box ~ ONE PIECE Wow, so cool! A great little bento box featuring the always lovable Tony Chopper from the series One Piece, what could be better?
	Restocked Traditional Bento Boxes We have some interesting traditional bento boxes restocked too, since nothing touches the soul of Japan like a handmade wooden lacquered bento box.
	Rabbit Red Square Jubako Container A bento box that looks like it came from a time-slip, but is actually dishwasher safe and a great way to carry your lunch. Also, cute rabbits on the top.
	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!
	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!
	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!
	Maya the Bee Fairy Tale Figure *Preorder* Japan has done it again. This time, they've moefied German fairy tale heroine Maya the Bee. Now she's one of the hottest figures on this site!
	Kanon, Rewrite Pins *Preorder* Fans of Key games like Clannad and Air will want to check out these four sets of pins featuring characters from Kanon and Rewrite. Very moe.
	Otokonoko 'Trap' Comic Anthologies For our joso (aka "trap") fans, we have this great two-part comic anthology focusing entirely on cute crossdressing boys. Whether you like your traps reluctant and embarrassed or proud and seductive, you're sure to find what you're looking for in this labyrinth of forbidden lacy delights. As someone on Twitter said about our shimapan for men, "because why the hell not?" View products »
	Epic Ecchi Artbooks Restocked Enjoy the gorgeous ero ero art of Tony Taka in his most famous artbook, and we also have the dreamy art of Shigeo Hamashima for you.
	Saori Cast-off Figure - Hishoka Drop *Preorder* One of our favorite themes is hadaka apron or a beautiful Japanese woman wearing nothing but an apron. This figure is delicious.
	Twin Purple ~ Excellent Versatile Hole A truly awesome personal toy for our stressed out male customers, with two levels of pleasure pressure to change with your mood.
	'My First Hole' The easy kit with everything you need to enjoy your first experience with a onahole. Ready right out of the box with simple picture instructions.
	Amagami Parody Onahole Toys We love the Amagami anime, with its great cast of moe girls, and we've got the gorgeous Ai, Rihoko and Tsubasa in stock again today.
	Fighting Girl Onaholes, Too We all love strong girls, and here are some stress toys featuring some of the best female fighters from Ikki Tousen. So much win.
	Binyuu Kiss Nee Rimi This eroge is packed full of sexy women with enormous oppai who want to give you the ride of your life. A must-have for all fans.
	English Eroge with 'Futanari' Themes One of our most popular games ever, Yin Yang! combines the sex change story of X-Change with great art, futanari and more! DVD-ROM or download!

J-List's February Sale on Chocolate and Personal Stress Toys

Remember, J-List is having a fun February Sale this month, giving you 2x J-List points on all awesome chocolate products all month long, including Pocky, Kit Kat, Meltykiss, as well as TENGA, Hello Kitty Shoulder Massagers and other stress toys. Best of all: get an $10 store credit when ordering $100, or $25 store credit for ordering $200 or more via EMS shipping. That gives you a great reason to add another case of Green tea Kit Kat or Pikachu Chocolate Hearts to your shopping cart!

English "Gairaigo" Loan Words in Japanese

Japanese sentences are peppered with a variety of colorful English phrases, since adding foreign words to one's speech gives it a certain je ne sais quoi. Of course, every linguistic group on Earth changes language to suit its own needs, and often the "English" words used in Japan might not be recognizable to you or me. One rule is, the stranger a foreign loan word sounds, the longer it's probably been in use, and I can tell almost instinctively that orai, koohii and ramune have been around for a century or more based on how far they've drifted from "alright," "coffee" and "lemonade." Then there are words that somehow got mapped incorrectly, like "cunning" (which means to cheat on a test in Japanese, which sort of makes sense, I guess), "rouge" (which means lipstick), "manicure" (what nail polish is called), or "mansion" (the upscale Japanese word for a condominium). One of the strangest words is "hormone," which is used in its normal meaning (the chemicals that are inside all of us), but it also refers to cuisine involving fried pork intestines, a delicacy of Osaka.

Hassha orai! (permission to start a train in motion) has been around since the 1880s.

Reminder about our Chocolate, TENGA and EMS Sale This Month

Remember that J-List is having a great February Sale this month, giving you 2x J-List points on all awesome chocolate products all month long, including Pocky, Kit Kat, Meltykiss. In case you don't have anyone to exchange chocolate with, we're also giving double points on all TENGA, Hello Kitty Shoulder Massagers and other stress toys. Best of all: get an $10 store credit when ordering $100, or $25 store credit for ordering $200 or more via EMS shipping. What awesome stuff will you get during the sale?

Crowded Trains in Tokyo

One thing about living in Japan is having many more people around you than you may be used to, especially in Tokyo, where the population density is 5500 people per square kilometer. Just about everything in Japan's capital is more semai (narrow, cramped), with the average width of tables in restaurants being about half what you'd expect to find when eating out. Riding trains during the morning or evening commutes is the worst -- being entombed inside a train, completely unable to move, can really take getting used to. (I quickly learned to wait for the rush to subside before taking the train.) Many Tokyo residents tire of living in such a densely populated area and dream of moving back to their more rural home prefectures (called a "U-turn" in Japanese), escaping the daily grind of life as a salaried employee in a large company (which is called datsu-sara or "escape from salaryman prison") and running a rural bed-and-breakfast instead.

Rriding a crowded train in Japan (artist's concept).

Deconstructing the "Moe" of Amagami

I'm currently enjoying the second season of Amagami, an anime based on a popular PS2 game in which you get to experience romance with six different main female characters. One of the fundamental problems with converting a multi-scenario eroge or visual novel into a mainstream anime series is what to do about the different paths -- choosing just one "main route" to show viewers removes much of the story depth that these games are known for and leads to dissatisfied fans. Happily, Amagami solves this problem by giving separate story arcs to each girl, which seems to be a pretty good compromise. The six main girls aren't just random cute faces: they're meticulously constructed moe archetypes, designed to appeal to different kinds of fans. There's Haruka-senpai, the ditzy upperclassman who's confident and experienced, a challenge for Junichi to woo since he lacks self-confidence; classmate Kaoru, who attended the same junior high school as him; shy underclassman Sae, who Junichi naturally takes a leading role with; the smart Ai Nanasaki, who likes to troll Junichi by wearing a swimsuit under her uniform at random times; Rihoko, an osana-najimi or childhood friend who has known Junichi all her life; plus Tsukasa, the super-organized class representative. Whenever two Amagami fans get together, they will have fervent debates about the merits of each girl.

Deconstructing the moe girls of Amagami.

Cool Products Friday, February 3, 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.

	NyanType Mar 2012 A new issue of NyanType is here, and that means another 18 huge pinup posters of your favorite moe girls from shows like K-On!, Nanoha, and Lagrange. This magazine gives Megami a run for its money! All posters are limited edition, so don't miss out! View products »
	Dengeki G's Magazine Mar 2012 Dengeki G's is the best magazine for fans of bishoujo games on any system. Grab this month's issue for great info, art, and an oppai cellphone strap!
	S Cawaii Feb 2012 Enjoy a new issue of S Cawaii, an awesome magazine full of fashion tips and photos of gorgeous and trendy Japanese women. Shibuya rules!
	Fun Health & Skin Care Products from Japan Keep your skin looking young and smooth with our great lotions and face washes containing Japanese sake and rejuvenating charcoal.
	Kawaii Nyanpire Products Restocked Great news for all our Nyanpire fans! We've restocked several fun products including the cute plush hat, and cases for PSP and 3DS.
	Azarashi-kun & Dinosaur Bath Balls Not only do these balls help you relax with the soothing scent of orange or lavender, they even turn into cute toys to add some fun to your bath time.
	Gorgeous Photobooks Restocked Japan is famous for awesome photography, and we've recently restocked the gorgeous Self-Photographed Cosplayer, with some seriously sexy anime cosplay.
	BLAZBLUE CONTINUUM SHIFT EXTEND Blazblue is one of the best fighting games around, with both hardcore gameplay and an epic story. Get the complete saga today!
	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!
	Poddities iPhone4 Strap Adapters, Cases We restocked the Poddities phone strap adapters which let you add great Japanese phone straps and carabiner clips to your iPhone 4 or 4S!
	Moe Moe iOS Apps from Japan I like to see what fun things I can find on the iTunes Japan store to recommend here. Here's a kawaii DreamClub Clock with an anime maid, free with iTJ account.
	Kawaii Anime Bento from J-List One of our favorite bento boxes is back in stock, the Kiki's Delivery Service Thermal Bento, for Jiji the Cat fans. Enjoy!
	Fun Totoro, Jiji and Ponyo Products Restocked We love Hayao Miyazaki around here, and today we've restocked our Totoro and Jiji Baby Rattles, plush fun Ponyo plush toys.
	Genki Plus: Kanji Look and Learn Series The Genki Plus series is publish by the some people who make the Japan Times, the Japanese newspaper that knows what foreigners want.
	AQUATEC Fadeless & Waterproof Pens A great new set of colorful Japanese pens which are extra-cool because you can wrote on anything with these. The pens look great, and are dual-tipped.
	Origami Sushi & More Fun traditional items from Japan restocked, including the origami folded sets that let you create sushi, delicious cakes and more.
	NanoBlock Toys from Japan  Building LEGO style versions of your favorite places in Japan, that's awfully nerdy and fun, and we've restocked several kits for you.
	Gift Wrapped Rilakkuma. Hello Kitty Chocolates & Cookies Valentine's Day isn't far off, and we're stocking J-List with some of the most awesome Japanese chocolates we've ever seen, in beautiful decorated boxes. See kawaii chocolates and cookies featuring Hello Kitty and Rilakkuma. View products »
	Delicious Green Tea Chocolates & Cookies On Valentine's Day, why settle for regular chocolates when you can give your darling a taste of Japan with these delicious green tea snacks.
	Other Fun Japanese Foods Restocked Make traditional Japanese egg custard pudding (aka flan), and also the dark and delicious black sesame pudding. Also, pancake mix made with rice flour?
	Nestle Kit Kat Sakura Matcha Latte *Preorder* We restocked the eternally popular Sakura Green Tea Kit Kat today, a super item from Japan. Remember that this is a limited item that won't be around forever.
	Excellent Restocked Snacks Rice Crackers w/peanuts, Kompeito traditional star-shaped candy, Meiji Fran, Wata Gum cotton candy gum, plus the official Crayon Shin Chan snacks!
	Kutsushita Nyanko Stackable Bento, Chopsticks We love the cute new kitty Kutsushita, so we're very happy to have even more goodies features this delightful nekko, like bentos and plushies.
	PANDA Slim 2-Tier Bento Box, Kawaii Chopsticks And we've also got an wide assortment of Japanese lunch boxes available for everyone, from the smallest of tummies to the largest of stomachs.
	FUTAKKURU Food Clip Spout Need a way to make saving money easier? Buy in bulk and add a spout for easy access to cereals, rice, dog food and more.
	J-List's Most Kawaii Bento Accessories Restocked Make your lunch extra cute with our restocked bento accessories, including Mama's Assist sauce bottles, Panda bento picks, and animal food cutters.
	Awesome 'Daruma' Products Restocked Check out our awesome collection of Japanese traditional goods, like the luck-giving daruma, ninja swords and more.
	Revoltech Takeya No.003 Ashura *Preorder* The latest in Revoltech's line of cool and unique Buddhist action figures. Let this fearsome Ashura take the van when you storm the gates of Heaven.
	Beautiful and Sexy Moe Figures for Preorder We have a beautiful Hatsune Miku figure, who looks truly hot with her hair down, and a 100-percent original figure of a sexy bike messenger girl.
	Type-Moon, Bakemonogatari Cups *Preorder* Some great new drinking mugs coming your way. Each features moe art of the characters from Fate/stay night, Tsukihime, or Bakemonogatari. Too cute!
	Momoyo Nendoroid - Majikoi *Preorder* Check out this cute chibi Nendoroid of one of the strongest girls in anime. Optional parts include beam effects and kawaii expressions. It's MOMOYO!
	Princess of the Crystal Figma *Preorder* Fans of Mawaru Penguindrum will definitely want to check out this upcoming figma, which is gorgeous. Let's initiate the Survival Strategy!
	Gorgeous Ero Photobooks from Japan Browse J-List's hand-picked selection of adult photobooks featuring only the most beautiful Japanese girls. There's a girl waiting just for you.
	ONA BEAT DX K-On! Parody Stress Toys If you love the cute girls of K-On!, you can express that love in fun new ways thanks to the New OnaBeat DX series, vol. 3, which features Mio, Yui and Azunyan, ready to make your fantasies come true. Sold as a novelty only. View products »
	Female Announcer, Shakuhachi Musume Restocked Two of our most popular recent products are restocked, the super-realistic female announcer stress toy plus Shakuhachi Musume Oral Pump. Nice!
	Restocked Love Dolls, Onahole Toys Other fun toys are restocked, including the Airi Himekawa Air Doll, Onatsuyu Female Nectar Lotion plus the innovative Greatest Stroke II.
	Super Awesome Ero Artbooks See some great artbooks for ecchi-minded people, like the amazing new Satoshi Urushihara offering, Shirow Masamune and more.
	Bazooka Cafe, a Great Game for Valentine's Day A superb game for February 14th, Bazooka Cafe features gorgeous buxom maids who work at your coffee shop. Includes the bonus "Valentine Special" game free!
	Corona the Dragon Maiden Enjoy the latest challenging, in-depth RPG experience from the developers of Aselia the Eternal. Full of cute girls to add to your party and romance.
	Nice Restocking of Import Eroge Enjoy some great games from Japan, too, including Houkago Custom Time, Rance Quest, Artificial Academy and Fate/stay night.