If You Visit Japan, Try a Capsule Hotel

Back when I was single, I did a fair bit of traveling around Japan, hitchhiking or riding trains on "Youth 18" tickets, which allow you to go anywhere in Japan for around $25 a day, as long as you don't mind taking the slow local trains. (Poor gaijin like me who live in Japan don't get to buy the spiffy Japan Rail tickets that tourists coming in from overseas have access to.) During my travels, I've stayed at various places, including conventional "business" hotels, youth hostels, minshuku (a kind of Japanese bed & breakfast), and "saunas" (a public bath with a sauna and a large central room where you can sleep on the floor for free). But perhaps the most unique overnight experiences I had were staying at capsule hotels, the miniature honeycomb-like hotel rooms found in larger Japanese cities. Inside your capsule you have everything you need: bed, blanket, pillow, a little TV, radio with alarm, and a curtain for privacy. Capsule hotels generally have large communal baths and saunas. They're cheap, too: you can stay in the heart of Tokyo's Shibuya district for around $35 or so. If you visit Japan, be sure and plan at least one night in a capsule hotel!

Capsule hotels, a unique experience you can have in Japan.

Learning About the Japanese Through their Feet

Is it possible to understand the Japanese through the relationship they have to their feet? Let's give it a try. First of all, the Japanese famously remove their shoes before entering a home, and many companies including J-List also have a genkan (recessed foyer for removing shoes) as well, which keeps most of the outside dirt from coming in. Shoes are always considered kitanai (dirty), and if I were to ever wash dirty shoes our family's washing machine I'd be sleeping in the doghouse, and buying my wife a new washing machine. It's interesting to see how Japan's custom of removing shoes sends out cultural signals that might be puzzling to us at first, for example an anime or drama story in which a girl can drop by a boy's apartment and see he's entertaining female company just by looking at the shoes left by the door, or a character like Taiga from Toradora who's personality is demonstrated in the way she discards her shoes wantonly.

You can learn about Japan through...feet?

PS Vita Games, PSN Japan Prepaid Cards from J-List

We're very excited about the Sony PS Vita, the replacement for the PSP, currently the best platform for anime-related gaming and pantsu simulation the world has ever seen. In addition to stocking Japan-only PS Vita games, which are region free and will work fine in units from North America or Europe, J-List has started offering the PlayStation Network prepaid cards. In the same way as our popular iTunes Japan Prepaid Cards, you can use the code we'll send you to sign up for a Japanese PSN account that's compatible with your PS Vita, PSP or PS3 and get access to awesome Japan-only anime games, demos and more.

J-List T-Shirt Sale is Still On

Remember that J-List is having a a really big sale on our close-out Japanese T-shirts since we've got too many shirts that need to go so we have room to print awesome ness ones. We've got our epic Highschool of the Dead shirts up, our "neat" tribute to Hikikomori, our Beware Panty Thieves and more. Lots of shirts for girls and hoodies, too, especially in size S and 2XL. Prices starting at $9.95, with the full 15% discount for 3-or-more shirts in place, too. Thanks in advance for helping us get rid of these close-out items!

Valentine's Day Report, 2012

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, when millions of Japanese males will wake up hoping to receive chocolate from their wives, girlfriends, mothers, daughters, female co-workers and any random girl who may be in a chocolate-giving mood. The story of how February 14 became a day for females to give chocolate to the men in their lives (as opposed to the other way around) is an interesting one. The first Valentine's Day advertisement in Japan appeared in Showa 11 (1936), when a chocolate shop in Kobe called Morozoff promoted its wares as being perfect for lovers to enjoy together. World War II got in the way soon after, and it was a long time before anyone could think of anything as frivolous as chocolate. In 1958, the manager of the Isetan department store in Shinjuku got the idea of having a Western-style Valentine's Day chocolate sale, but it was a total flop (just five boxes of chocolates were sold); however things picked up a few years later when Morinaga started promoting Valentine's Day as a chance to "give chocolate to the people you love." It was around 1975 when the meme of women giving chocolate to men took off, as girls decided to take the initiative and confess their feelings to boys they liked, and also show thanks to the men in their lives who help and support them. There are two kinds of chocolate, honmyo or "real heart" chocolate, received from someone who really cares for you, and giri or "obligation" chocolate, given by female office workers to their bosses or male co-workers because they feel it's expected of them. If you don't score some chocolate this year, remember that J-List will be continuing our Japanese chocolate sale through the end of the month.

Valentine's Day, a day to celebrate chocolate and hopefully love.

Cool Products Monday, February 13, 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.

	NewType Mar 2012 It's that time again! Grab the latest issue of NewType and get tons of art and info from the latest anime, manga, and games. As always, you get awesome omake in the form of two giant double-sided pinups, document protectors, an exclusive Last Exile booklet, and even a DVD full of amazing promos! Copies are limited, so get yours while you can. View products »
	Dragon Age Mar 2012 For fans of awesome manga, we have the latest issue of Dragon Age, with over 800 pages of fun series like High School DxD and Maken-Ki.
	nano A (Ace) vol. 10 Mar 2012 And if you're into hilarious comedy manga, you'll want to grab this issue of nano Ace for the newest issues of Lucky Star, Nichijou, and more.
	PlayStation Network Card (3,000 YEN) Get the most out of your PSP, PS3, or PS Vita with this prepaid PlayStation Network card. Signing up is easy, and there are tons of games to buy!
	Great New Games for the Sony PS Vita Vita owners will be happy to know that J-List is stocking the best new games from Japan, like Blazblue Continuum Shift and the Dream Club dating sim.
	Super Cosplay Magazine This month's issue of COSMODE comes with cosplayers from popular anime and game titles like Final Fantasy, Black Rock Shooter, Ika Musume and more.
	Gothic Bustier Skirt, Other Fashions Restocked Great new anime cosplay and fashion items restocked, including a great frilly gothic skirt plus the shimapan our customers love so well.
	Touhou T-shirt ~ Bad Apple (now in XXL) Our Touhou "Bad Apple" T-shirt is a hit, so we decided to offer it in 2XL so more customers could enjoy it. If you love Reimu, Marisa and Cirno, get it now!
	Close-Out T-Shirts in San Diego from $9.95 Also: we're having a great sale on our close-out T-shirts, and you can help us clear out our inventory. Dozens of shirts on sale from $9.95, browse now.
	Japanese Socks, Socks Glue and More We love the 3-cm space between a girl's over-knee socks and where her skirt begins, and we've restocked Japanese socks, sock glue and more.
	Great New Totoro Products Enjoy fresh stock of the epic Totoro Triple Towel Boxed Gift Set, great for giving or receiving, plus the Totoro Nap Pillow for lazy afternoons.
	Star Wars Silicon Ice Cube Trays Restocked These awesome Star Wars silicon molds are selling fast! Now restocked, so grab a few and start making Han Solo ice cubes (or...chocolate?).
	Sakura Water-in Moist Lip Balm Make your lips moist and as beautiful and sakura (cherry blossoms) with a brand name you can trust, Shiseido.
	Great 'Tatami' Sandals Restocked Your feet will feel like they are walking though Kyoto with these relaxing and comfortable traditional sandals. Large size for gaijin too!
	MIZUNO Z Slim Pen Case Hold yourself together man! Be organized for your studies anywhere you go, with a penci/pen case that is stylish and functional. Stay awesome, Japan.
	More Awesome Pens from Japan Then enjoy the AQUATEC Fadeless & Waterproof Pen Set, Frixion Magical Erasable Pen, plus highlighter pens you can also erase if you want -- wow!
	Tohato Tyrant Spicy Chicken, and More A blast of flavor from every bite, we love these new Tohato Tyrant spicy chicken flavored potato sticks, each one packed with immense flavor that can only come from the crazy snack world of Japan. Plus, check out our other crazy snacks too when you have that urge for something unusually delicious. Click to browse all our fun new snack items. View products »
	Sushi and other Food Drops Restocked Also see fantastic traditional "Food Drops" candies restocked, with flavors like Sushi, Shirokuma Ice Cream, Sapporo Beer and Kobe Cheese Cake.
	Japanese Kit Kat, Other Products Restocked Enjoy awesome Japan-only Kit Kat flavors like Red & White and Green Tea, plus Pokemon Chocolate Hearts, Green Tea Cookies & Chocolates, Pocky, and more.
	2-Tier Bento Box w/ Elastic Band & Chopsticks Marked with style and cuteness, this wonderful two-tier bento box shows off adorable usagi (bunnies) dancing around a backdrop of sakura.
	Traditional-Modern Bento Boxes Restocked Big restocking of several bento boxes today, including the WAON Traditional + Modern plus the Ouran Sakura Bento sets. So nice!
	Mama's Assist Silicon Vegetable Okazu Cup  Add some cute, reusable containers to your bento that promote healthy eating, with these fruit and vegetable shaped mini containers.
	Niko Nori Punch, Other Amazing Items Restocked A fun way to decorate your lunch is to use one of our nori punches to cut sheet seaweed into cute and funny shapes. Very popular with our customers.
	Taiyaki Maker for Making Anime Treats More fun items restocked: the electric Taiyaki maker, for making delicious fish-shaped pancake-like snacks (uguu), so popular in anime.
	Silicon Cooking Mini Spoon & Fork Chopsticks Sometimes you need a fork, a spoon, or chopsticks. We like these new products that combine all three, plus we have "normal" utensils too.
	Nobody Makes Cute Sandwiches Like Japan There's no sandwich like a Japanese sandwich, and we've restocked our sandwich makers which make your lunch kawaii. Highly recommended.
	GANBARE NIPPON Lucky Cat, Others Restocked Fun Lucky Cat products restocked today, including the awesome cat that tells Japan to ganbare! ("don't give up, do your best!") plus bowing Lucky Cat.
	Reimu & Marisa Petanko Figures ~ Touhou The Touhou games have the cutest characters! Check out these adorable chibi figures of Reimu and Marisa. Also: a Hine Kagiyama figure too!
	Princess Shirahoshi - One Piece *Preorder* Don't miss this truly outstanding figure of Mermaid princess Shirahoshi from One Piece. So beautiful, you'll stare at her for hours.
	Great Restocked Photobooks We have some outstanding photobooks, including Tsubasa Amami's popular release plus that we restocked for you, great for JAV fans.
	Queen's Blade Artbooks Restocked See fantastic artbooks from Japan, including several Queen's Blade Bitoshi Gaiden (outside story) books. Quite ecchi and awesome.
	DX 4 Holes ~ Elly Akira ~ Amazing! Why spend the weekend alone when you can bring home a date that is willing to go all the way, with 4 different "ways" to experience.
	Restocked Tenga Flip Hole The most popular Tenga stress toys have been restocked, including the Tenga Flip Hole, one of the most advanced products ever.
	Other Amazing Dolphin Polishers Restocked We've restocked the great "female announcer" and Azunyan parody stress toys, plus other great holes to give you the moe moe feeling you crave.
	Kanu Cast-off Figure ~ Ikki Tousen *Preorder* Check out this ultra-sexy figure of the smoking hot Kanu Uncho. Wow! You can tell she wants it bad. Features cast-off top for enhanced eroticism.
	More Import Eroge Restocked, Too Enjoy the gorgeous Sexy Beach Zero, Dies Iriae, Appare! Tenka Gomen, The Devil on G-String plus La Fruit de la Grisaia, so nice to play!
	J-List Recommends: Raidy One of our top yuri eroge, has enough dungeon crawling and erotic monster fighting to make any monster hunter jealous. It's a great series.

Raising Bilingual Kids

My Japanese wife and I have given a special gift to our children, making sure they grew up bilingual in both English and Japanese so they didn't have to suffer through the verb conjugations and kanji memorization that we both had endure. Of course, a child's language acquisition is made somewhat more complex by the fact that they must separate the two languages in their brains as they learn. When my son was very small, he would engage in wordplay with me, telling me the cold-water bath at the hot springs we'd just visited was "cold-katta," attaching the Japanese past tense ending to the English adjective, which was a lot of fun. Things could get confusing, too, like when my son asked me why Americans put "chopsticks" on their lips (he meant Chapstick), or the time I asked him to pick up his clothes so he promptly closed the door ("close" and "clothes" are the bane of ESL learners). Once he asked me why Nicholas Cage only made detective movies -- it turns out that "Cage" has the same pronunciation as keiji, Japanese for police detective, and he thought every movie the actor had done was part of a series of police films.

My son was confused by the words "chopsticks" and "Chapstick."

Ghosts and Japan

I often write about the kokumin-sei or "national character" of the Japanese. By and large they're a harmonious people, preferring to get along without unpleasant confrontations in their daily lives, and they're especially good at gaman, that is, stoically enduring unpleasant situations without complaint. The Japanese can also be quite superstitious, and many believe actively in ghosts and related supernatural phenomena. Every few weeks it seems there's a TV special exampling photographs with strange flares in them, or videos sent in by viewers of children talking with mysterious reflections in the TV screen, or shows in which popular male idols like Arashi are asked to sleep in a haunted house while viewers watch through hidden cameras. I'm not sure why the Japanese are so open to believing in the occult. Maybe it has to do with the tradition of youkai, a pantheon of Japanese "folk ghosts" like Hanako of the Toilet, the ghost of a girl who inhabits the fourth stall on the fourth floor of the girl's bathroom, or Akaname, a spirit who comes into homes with dirty bathtubs, used by parents to get their children to clean the tubs more diligently. (And if you like a good scare, I recommend the new horror anime-and-manga Another.)

The Japanese are big fans of ghost lore.

The History of Naughty Tentacles and Harem Anime

Because of the popularity of anime and manga, certain aspects of Japan's popular culture have spread across the globe, and I could travel to countries like Russia or South Africa or Peru and find like-minded fans with whom I could discuss my favorite character designers or doujinshi artists. However, it might surprise you to learn that many of the themes and memes in anime aren't new at all. Due to the popularity of certain hentai videos in the 1990s more than a few people might think of Tentacle Grape style "naughty tentacles" when they think of modern Japan, but this particular fantasy is much older, being based on an illustration called The Dream of the Fishman's Wife by Hokusai, pretty much the most famous ukiyoe artist ever, created in 1814. The next time you hear an anime fan complain that every show these days is a "harem" anime, with a lucky male main character surrounded by multiple cute girls fawning over him, you can smile. It turns out that the "harem" tradition goes way back, to the 1000-year-old Tale of Genji, the story of a playboy prince during the Heian Period who has more romantic encounters than Makoto from School Days.

Harem anime series are part of a 1000 year old tradition.

J-List Close-out T-shirt Sale

J-List loves to make unique kanji and anime T-shirts, like the new Touhou "Bad Apple" shirt we've just released. But there's one problem: since we have so many shirts and hoodies, we can't make new ones until we close out some of our existing designs. So we decided to have a really big sale on our close-out Japanese T-shirts to give everyone a reason to take some off our hands. We've got our epic Highschool of the Dead shirts up, our "neat" tribute to Hikikomori, our Beware Panty Thieves and more. Lots of shirts for girls and hoodies, too, especially in size S and 2XL. Prices starting at $9.95, with the full 15% discount for 3-or-more shirts in place, too. Thanks in advance for helping us get rid of these close-out items!

Cool Products Friday, February 10, 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.

	Ane Ageha vol. 7 With another amazing issue of Ane Ageha, learn Japanese secrets to looking and feeling young, even if you are a mother or wife. (IAne mans 'older sister' and also refers to any woman aged 23 or older). Every month has great tips on make-up and fashion, and this month is no different. We have subscriptions available too so you can always on top of Japanese fashion. View products »
	Akimando ~ Akira Yasuda Artworks Famed character designer Akira Yasuda (Street Fighter 2) presents his unique take on 45 video game characters, including Saber, Zelda, and Samus Aran.
	Other Anime Artbooks See fresh stock of gorgeous anime artbooks, including CLAMP's gorgeous Blood C, OreImo, the Tiger and Bunny Roman Album and more. We love art.
	Rilakkuma Lying Glasses Stand Let the lovable Rilakkuma keep your glasses ready for use with this kawaii glasses stand from San-X. Could not be cuter!
	Mami Tomoe Nendoroid Figure Now In Stock! The adorable Nendoroid of Mami from Madoka Magica is now in stock. Comes with tea set, Charlotte head, and plenty of guns! Click to see our Madoka products.
	Japanese School Bags Restocked Our customers keep buying them so we keep restocking them. This Japanese school bookbag can be seen in just about ever anime made in the past decade.
	Popular Cosplay Products Restocked See other fun cosplay products restocked, including the classic anime eyepatch, as seen in Evangelion, Ikki Tousen and Another.
	Totoro Mini Towel Lets Eat Strawberry Our latest super-cute Totoro product is this soft face towel covered with beautiful flowers, kawaii spirits, and a Totoro eating a ripe strawberry.
	Restocked Ghibli Products, Too The Neko Bus House w/ little plush Totoros that can ride inside is restocked, plus our popular soft Totoro Cushions, great for your living room.
	Restocked Japanese Pencil Cases, More Life's too short for lame pencil cases, so we've restocked some fun items from Japan, incl. One Piece, Hello Kitty, and Tyrant Habanero cases, plus more pens.
	Study Japanese with your Nintendo DS It's never been handier or more comprehensive to study Japanese than with our lineup of software for your Nintendo DS. Highly recommended!
	Bath King Japanese Fizzing Bath Tablets The best way to take a bath: put one of these fizzing tablets under you and angle your back so the bubbles travel up your body. It's great!
	Restocked Nichijou, Hetalia, Hello Kitty We've also restocked some of our most popular books, like Nichijou, Panty & Stocking, and the awesome Hetalia study guides. Great fun for all.
	Gift Wrapped DX Sakura Sweets, Hello Kitty  Make a smile on someone's face when they receive something they will never find in a local store, Sakura Sweets from Japan, also Hello Kitty treats too.
	Traditional 'Food Drops' Candies See fresh stock of the amazing "Food Drops" candies that capture the taste of Japan! Sake, Osaka Takoyaki and "First Kiss" flavors posted today.
	Japanese Chocolate, Other Snacks Restocked See fun chocolate products restocked, including the Chocolate Medicine for Love Sick, Crunky Chocolate, Meltykiss. Black Black Caffeine Gum and more.
	San Diego-based Snacks & Drinks J-List carries Japanese snacks and drinks from San Diego now, and we've restocked Super Mario Mushroom Candy, Ramune Soda and Tentacle Grape!
	Evangelion, Nyanpire Anime Bento Check out our anime-themed bento boxes, great for carrying your lunch while showing your love for your favorite series, like Eva, Nyanpire, and more.
	Brighten Your Day with Hello Kitty Bento And don't forget we've also got some great Hello Kitty Bento items, ready for you to take home, in all sizes for all types of hungry tummies.
	Evangelion Nerv Chopsticks & Case Show that you are a member of the elite fighting force that is saving the earth, as you eat with these official NERV chopsticks. Very cool.
	Hello Kitty & Other Bento Accessories Nothing can make us smile like a really kawaii Hello Kitty bento box, and we've restocked some fun items today!
	Mama's Assist Animal Friend & Leaf Picks Decorate your lunch with these colorful plastic picks that come in a variety of cute animal and bright leaf shapes. A fun and easy way to eat!
	Food Pencil for Bento, Egg & Sandwich Shapers A big restocking of bento & kitchen items, incl. Food Pencil for Bento, our sandwich cutters and Dream Land Egg Shaper, so wonderful!
	Chocolate Grater, Other Fun Kitchen Items Also, enjoy our Heart Design Chocolate Grater, plus Frog Patterned Aluminum Foil and "deco" cookie cutters for making 3D objects of art. Nice!
	Microwave Waffle Maker, Other Fun Products Or try making waffles in your microwave with the fun cooker we restocked today. We sell dozens of wacky Japanese microwave products.
	JLPT N4, N5 Textbook with CD For those just starting out on the quest to master Japanese, these books will help you pass the first two levels of the JLPT. Fully updated for the new test levels!
	More Great Books on Japan Posted Long readers of J-List know that J-List carries some great books about Japan. Enjoy Japan's Cultural Code Words, Tea Ceremony and The Samurai Sword.
	Other Traditional Items Restocked See some of our most beloved traditional Japanese items, including yokobue flutes that our customers love, plus other fun items.
	Traditional 'Juzu' Buddhist Prayer Beads We restocked some fun traditional Buddhist Prayer Beads called juzu, a great way to seek enlightenment and ward off evil spirits.
	Gorgeous Anime Figures for Preorder Some beautiful figures are on the horizon. Check out the Mahiru Nendoroid, Iori from Idolm@ster, Beach Queen Ruri Alba, and Fate/Extra's Saber.
	Yotsubato Danbo Kit, Stocking Figure We've also gotten the cute Yotsubato Danbo posable figure, and Stocking from Panty and Stocking, looking amazing as always, plus many more.
	Dengeki Hime Mar 2012 A new issue of the ultimate magazine for eroge fans is here. This issue of Dengeki Hime brings you the latest information on upcoming titles like Gakuoh and Grisaia no Meikyuu. You also get what is perhaps the most amazing omake we've ever seen - a pair of underwear with two cute girls waiting to lick your penis. Superb! View products »
	Emeraude ~ Miku Hasegawa Miku Hasegawa has the perfect body, that looks too elegant to be true. She takes us on an erotic journey to France in her first photobook.
	Shunga ~ 48 Artists in Edo period  Many of you have already seen The Fisherman's Wife. Now enjoy hundreds more beautiful erotic paintings from Japan in this shunga artbook.
	Eririka's Pussy Perfect Replica Experience ultimate pleasure with this parody stress toy based on the body of popular JAV idol Eririka Katagiri. Comes with a free bottle of lube.
	USB ONACON & 3D CUSTOM GIRL By popular demand, we've restocked the awesome Onacon stress toy. Live out your 2D fantasies or discover a new way to enjoy your favorite rhythm game!
	ONA BEAT DX K-On! Parody Stress Toys The K-ON! parody stress toys we sell are a fun way to get to know your favorite Light Music Club member on a new level. Mio, Yui and Azunyan restocked.
	Futanari Stress Toy, Bokkin Boy Beast Restocked A stress toy for Hideyoshi fans, and two Dragonball Z-inspired rings that can help a guy last longer. Pretty darned awesome.
	Bible Black, The Game If you want to have a really outstanding eroge experience in English, you can't do much better than the legendary Bible Black. Restocked today.
	Visual Novels from Japan We also carry Fate/stay night, Venus Blood - DESIRE, Sengoku Rance, Little Busters, and many other top-quality visual novels from Japan.