Peter's Trip to Northern Japan

My son and I had a blast up in northern Japan. Our first stop was the city of Sapporo, the sprawling urban center of Hokkaido that's interesting in part because it was designed by American city planners, featuring straight, wide roads with actual street names (a rarity in most Japanese cities) and a Central Park-style open space in the center. We visited the famous Sapporo Clock Tower (the oldest continually operating clock in Japan), took shots of Sapporo TV Tower while being pelted by snow flurries, and checked out the headquarters of Crypton Future Media, the company behind Hatsune Miku. We knew we had to visit the famous statue of Professor William S. Clark, known universally as "Clark-hakase," one of the most famous foreigners in the history of Japan, though you may not have heard of him. He was a Civil War Colonel for the Union who was sent to Japan by President Ulysses S. Grant to be the first president of Sapporo Agricultural College, the predecessor to Hokkaido University, and he helped teach modern dairy farming techniques and English to his new students. When he left Japan, Professor Clark told his students, "Boys, Be Ambitious!" (in Japanese, shonen yo, taishi o idake), which became the slogan for Sapporo and quite a common phrase in popular culture today.

After Sapporo we took a ferry from the bottom of Hokkaido to Aomori and travelled south to Iwate Prefecture for some serious onsen hot springs action. Our final destination was Sendai, a beautiful city with roads that are wide and straight like Sapporo, though for a different reason -- the city was bombed heavily during World War II and rebuilt with a modern plan. Sendai is interesting because of the famous samurai lord who founded it: Date (dah-tay) Masamune, one of the most enigmatic characters in Japanese history. A brilliant tactician, he was fascinated by Western technology and was an early patron of Christianity. Besides commissioning Japan's first Western-style ship, which sailed to Rome via Mexico on a trade mission, the one-eyed daimyo was a great lover of exotic foods, said to be one reason that Sendai is a gourmet city to this day. Date Masamune is a common fixture in many video games, and also served as the inspiration for none other than Darth Vader.

From Sendai we took a train to Matsushima, a bay filled with oddly-shaped islands with gnarled Japanese pine trees (matsu) on them, said to be one of the three most beautiful places in Japan. (The other two are the floating Japanese arch of Miyajima, which I wrote about a week ago, and the view from Mt. Amanohashidate in Kyoto Prefecture.) This was our first visit to an area that had been devastated by the tsunamis, and there were still signs of damage in the form of block walls torn down, heavily cracked pavement, and in one place, a train platform at a rural train station that had been ripped cleanly in half by the waters. With great solemnness we walked around enjoying the quiet beauty of the ancient pine trees, then we clasped hands and made an offering at the Zuiganji Temple and headed for home.

Sapporo, city of snow, ramen and Hatsune Miku; Date Masamune founded the Empire city of Sendai.

Sale Reminder

J-List is having a sale on all manga and artbooks through the end of March, giving 2x J-List points for these products. We've been posting lots of new and restocked books to tempt you, and today we've got some great new offerings, including new Maken-ki!, Ika Musume, High School of the Dead, plus the smash hit Triage X too. In addition to the sale on manga and artbooks, we're continuing our popular EMS shipping sale for all products. Get $10 back for ordering $100, or $25 for ordering $200, when you ship via EMS from Japan. But hurry, March is almost over!

Cool Products Monday, March 26, 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 and Megami Magazine One product category we like a lot are the anime magazines that are loaded with free posters, like NyanType and Megami Magazine. Great for collectors.
	Dengeki G's, Other Moe Magazines We have other fun anime and "moe" magazines, like the epic Dengeki G's Magazine, Dengeki Festival, Dengeki Moeoh other magazines that will make you moe moe kyun.
	Popular Anime Magazine Subscriptions We sell great revolving magazine subscriptions to the best anime magazines, like the new E2 (Etsu), the gorgeous Newtype and more.
	Hiragana Times, Other Magazines by Subscription Enjoy other popular magazines from Japan via monthly subscription, w/great offerings like Hiragana Times. Subscriptions can be canceled or changed at any time.
	Fun 'Shimapan' from Japan Some of the best things in life are striped, and come in green, blue, pink, or orange. Enjoy authentic shimapan striped panties for cosplay or other uses.
	Products For 'Trap' Fans Too We've also got various cosplay products -- from shimapan sizes for larger fans to full cosplay outfits and more. If you love Hideyoshi and Yukimura, click!
	Awesome Kanji T-Shirts at J-List J-List's original kanji T-shirts are an otaku tradition, and we've got dozens for you, starting with our epic "Looking for a Japanese Girlfriend" classic design.
	Fun Anime T-Shirts Then enjoy fun anime shirts too, like the smash hit "Evachu" shirt that combines Evangelion and Pikachu, such fun designs to wear.
	All-Ages Anime Games for PC We've got some legendary games for Windows in stock, from Aselia the Eternal (the best RPG we've ever played) to Steins;Gate to all the Touhou games.
	Our Most Popular PSP, PS3 and Vita Anime Games The most popular PSP games we've ever carried is the Hatsune Miku pantsu simulator rhythm game Project Diva. Click to see it and more.
	iTunes Japan Prepaid Cards Remember, you can get any anime, JPOP, KPOP or even enka songs from iTunes Japan with our prepaid cards. Also Japan-only iOS apps, many of which are free.
	Anime iPhone Cases, Headphones, More We love to carry awesome products like iPhone cases, anime-themed headphones and more. Click to see our selection of products right now.
	Gorgeous Touhou Figures  Man, when they make nice prepainted figures for Touhou fans, they do a nice job. Remember, these awesome figures sell fast and won't stick around for long.
	Touhou T-Shirts, Too If you're a Touhou fan, you can let the world know with our awesome Touhou T-shirts, including the new Bad Apple design.
	Totoro Plush Toys, Bento & More We've been selling Totoro and Ghibli products ever since we launched J-List back in 1996. Click to see the most popular products, as ranked by our customers.
	Fun Hello Kitty Products from Japan We also love Hello Kitty, and have a great lineup of random products from Japan. Remember, the Hello Kitty, ah, "shoulder massagers" will be selling out soon.
	Hardware Girls, Other Gorgeous Photobooks One aspect of loving Japan is digging the awesome girls here, and we've got some great photobooks for you to browse, like Hardware Girls.
	Staple-less Paper Stitchers, Pens and more Enjoy fun stationery products, including the Paper StitchLock which never needs staple, plus the most random and interesting pens from Japan.
	Driving Beginner's Mark Japanese drivers are required to have these marks on their car for the first year of driving. Put one on your car to troll random Japanese people who see you!
	Let's Make Eraser with Microwave, Other Fun Crafts We also have many fun crafts in stock, including mold toys that let you create your own erasers, jewelry, phone straps and more. So many fun products to browse!
	Fun Japanese Snacks from Japan We are huge fans of interesting snacks from Japan, and carry all the best snacks for you to explore, like Tyrant Habanero, a popular seller.
	Green Tea Kit Kat, Other Chocolate Products Chocolate products like Kit Kat, Pocky and Fran are hugely popular. Remember though: all chocolate will be removed in May, due to summer.
	Anime Snacks are Fun We also carry fun anime-themed snacks, from Kompeito to Sakuma Drops to those One Piece Tony Chopper gummy candies. Tons of fun.
	San Diego-based Snacks & Drinks J-List carries Japanese snacks and drinks from San Diego, and we've restocked Super Mario Mushroom Candy, Ramune Soda and...Tentacle Grape?
	We [Heart] Anime Bento We've got a special section on our site devoted to kawaii character and anime bento, with many popular bento boxes. Click to see them now.
	Awesome Traditional Bento Boxes, Too Traditional bento boxes from excellent companies like Hakoya are among our favorite products. Click to see the current top products.
	Why are Hello Kitty Mayonnaise Cups So Popular? Why do our customers love these Hello Kitty Mayonnaise Cups for bento so much? I have no idea, but I love selling them.
	Beautiful Seasonal Products from Japan J-List is more than just an anime store, and we've always carried traditional products like these gorgeous seasonal kokeshi wooden dolls.
	Smoking Hot 'Cast Off' Figures Everyone knows Japan excels at creating extremely detailed prepainted anime figures that can make the hearts of fans soar. Sometimes they go even further, creating "cast off" figures with clothing that can be, ah, "reconfigured" in interesting nosebleed-inducing ways. Click to see the top "ecchi" figures today, as rated by our (somewhat perverted) customers. View products »
	Great Restocked Photobooks We also have gorgeous photobooks in stock, including JAV actresses like Tsubasa Amami, who make us feel all warm inside. Click to view more.
	Our Favorite 'H' Artbooks from Japan We stock dozens of great sexy artbooks, including books featuring the sexy works of Nitroplus and more. All artbooks are on sale this month, too!
	Anime-Themed Onahole Toys Bring your love of 2D anime girls into the 3D world all of us unfortunately inhabit with these fun parody onahole toys. There's a huge selection for you on the site, from the gorgeous girls of Oreimo (Kirino, Kuroneko and Ayase), to all the K-On! girls, tsundere girls with their cute angry expressions, the strong girls of Ikki Tousen, and even Love Plus parody products with pantsu. All are 100% Kirino-approved. View products »
	Onahole Toys From That Other Place There are also toys that let guys explore...alternative ways to achieve stress relief while enjoying moe anime fantasy. Like these.
	Japanese Personal Lotion, the Best in the World Whether you want the meticulously designed official Tenga lotion or fun anime-themed personal lubricant, we've got many items in stock.
	Quality Stress Toys from Tenga Then there's Tenga, the company with onahole products so well designed, you might expect to see them sold in an Apple store.
	Epic Massagers for our Female Customers We also carry fun personal massagers from Japan which are well designed and made with care in Japan. Many fun products to browse!
	Great Eroge In Stock: 'Girlfriend' And More We stock great eroge in English, with titles available right now. Click to see products ranked according to customer popularity.
	Preorder Eroge Titles, Too We have many titles we're hard at work on, too, and you can show your support for English eroge publishing (as indy as you can get) by preordering.
	We Love Import Eroge Too We carry many fun Japanese eroge titles including the popular CG based games like Sexy Beach ZERO, and other titles by Illusion.

Going To Hokkaido and Tohoku, BRB

For the past few months I've been seeing those awesomely-designed advertisements promoting tourism in Japan's northern Tohoku region, damaged so terribly by Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent tsunamis. A year on and the area is still struggling to recover, with much left to be done, including deciding where to put the mountains of debris left over from the destroyed cities. One important aspect of rebuilding is getting tourists to return, including overseas visitors, who have dropped off sharply compared with previous years. Starting today I'm taking one of my random trips with my son to Hokkaido and Tohoku, where we'll go sightseeing in some of Japan's most beautiful areas and spend money on omiyage (oh-mee-YAH-gay), gifts and souvenirs for the J-List staff, to help the region economically. We'll be taking the Cassiopeia, a famous sleeping-car train I've always wanted to ride, visiting Sapporo, Hakodate, Aomori, Iwate and Sendai. We both love onsen, Japan's volcanic hot springs, and will be taking more than a few baths during our trip. If you want to follow my adventure, follow me on Twitter, Facebook or Tumblr.

There are eight defined regions in Japan: southernmost island of Kyushu; Shikoku, Japan's 4th largest island; Chugoku, where Hiroshima is located, confusing since it's written with characters that also mean China; the amusingly named Kinki Region, home of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe; Chubu (Nagoya), where Toyotas are built; Kanto (Tokyo, Yokoyama and J-List's home prefecture of Gunma); cold, windswept Tohoku; and Hokkaido, where most fresh dairy products come from. While Tohoku hasn't exactly been at the center of Japan's history, being far from the political centers of Nara, Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo), it has contributed much to Japan's development. The city of Aizu, in Fukushima, saw one of the most interesting battles of the war between the Tokugawa Shogun's forces and the new pro-Emperor Meiji government, during which 19 young samurai fighting on the shogun's side committed ritual suicide rather than submit to change. Tohoku is where the Ainu -- Japan's aboriginal inhabitants -- lived, and they left their mark in the form of strange place-names that no one from outside the region can read.

I'm making a trip to Tohoku for tourism and hot springs.

Magazine Subscriptions from Japan

J-List loves to carry fun products from Japan, and we have a popular "Reserve Subscription" service that makes it easy for you to get the newest issues of Japan's best anime, manga, JPOP, fashion and "ecchi" magazines sent to you every month. We've got tons of magazines available, from anime magazines with free posters to epic moe magazines to magazines that help you learn Japanese. Best of all, the subscriptions are month-to-month, so there's no need to pre-pay, and you can cancel or change magazines at any time. Click to see the top Japanese magazine subscriptions on the site today.

The Junior High School Student who Stands Out Will Be Hammered Down

Last time I mentioned the words uchi and soto, meaning in-group and out-group, which is a favorite topic of Japan bloggers since there are so many examples of it at work in daily life in Japan. Another well-known Japan-related concept which I'm required by the Japan Blogger's Treaty of San Francisco to bring up at least once a year is deru kui wa utareru, which means "the standing nail is driven" and which describes the tendency for Japanese society to identify unique individuals -- the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels and all that -- and "hammer" them into shape until they're the same as everyone else. While all societies must strike a balance between individuality vs conforming to the larger group (we all want to live our lives in a unique way, yet we must all wear pants in public), Japan has historically had real issues with people who didn't fit in with the majority, to the point that parents of savant children will often leave Japan and live in the West, where rare gifts can be appreciated more. No place is the "standing nail" proverb more apt than junior high school, which is more than just the final three years of compulsory education -- it's a machine for turning bright, creative children into straight-laced, confirming Japanese adults. My daughter is half Japanese and half American, with her American side being quite strong, and she's encountered more than a little stress trying to being a round peg in a square hole in Japanese junior high school...I'm really glad it's all behind her.

Junior high flattens Japanese "standing nails."

Cool Products Friday, March 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.

	Megami Magazine Deluxe vol. 18 Starved for moe moe art? Don't worry! Megami Deluxe is here with hundreds of beautiful illustrations to make your heart soar. This issue's theme is swimsuits, so you can expect tons of cute girls in bikinis having a great time at the beach. You'll also get two huge posters starring characters from Nanoha and Horizon. Excellent! View products »
	Animage April 2012 A new issue of Animage magazine, featuring Tiger & Bunny, awesome 2D art, latest anime news and 3 clear files included for free!
	Comic Coro Coro, Famitsu DS Another great monthly comic, Coro Coro. The official home of Pokemon, Doraemon and many other classics, plus free stuff for collectors!
	Nyanpire Coffin Tissue Case The cat who is also a vampire, is not scary at all. We think this new product, a coffin shaped tissue holder, is super kawaii.
	Queen's Gate ~ Pyrrha (Soul Calibur V) Speaking of sexy girls, fans of Queen's Gate and bishoujo artwork will want to browse our catalogue of collectables and artbooks.
	Kera May 2012 Enjoy a new issue of this wonderful fashion magazine, showcasing the latest in gothic and punk lolita fashions. Great for fans of Tokyo youth culture.
	KARA Idol Notebook  Fans of Asian Idols will know the name Kara, the extremely famous group that is famous even in Japan.
	Restocked 'Shimapan' Striped Panties We sure to love the striped panty crazy, because they look so, so... moe-tastic! Available in "Mio blue," "Miku green" and in 5L size for "trap" fans.
	Star Wars Light Saber Umbrellas Keep a young padawan's head dry on a rainy day with one of these official Star Wars umbrellas from Japan. Your choice of red, green, or blue.
	Gorgeous Anime Figures In Stock Fighting witches and keeping your office safe, this excellent figure is a magnificent display of fandom for all Madoka Magica fans.
	Cute Panda Products Try Pandadarake, the game where you stack tiny panda figures and try to keep them from falling over, plus many other wonderful panda products.
	Electric Takoyaki Cooker Restocked You can't go to a Japanese festival without eating at least one takoyaki, and we've restocked our favorite octopus ball cooker today, plus other fun items.
	Fun Chocolate Molds Restocked The fun deluxe Sweet Chocolatier mold set is restocked (for now), along with other fun ways of shaping chocolate in interesting ways.
	Totoro Bento Cloth ~ Vegetable Take this wonderful Totoro themed lunchtime cloth with you to make every meal special. Totoro makes everything better.
	Other Restocked Totoro Products High-quality bath towels and washcloths based on your favorite Studio Ghibli characters are now back in stock. So warm and soft, just like Totoro.
	Restocked PS3 & PSP Anime Games The One Piece brand is strong as ever, pressing forth some amazing games, like these available for the PS3 and PSP.
	Reduced Prices on iTunes Japan, PSN Cards Our customers love the iTunes Japan and Sony PSN Japan prepaid cards we sell, and today we're lowering the prices on both.
	Glico Pocky x Mart, Other New Snacks Another new flavor of Pocky to try. Grab these winter-exclusive sticks that have a very delicious taste to them. Also: Hokkaido Condensed Milk Caramels!
	New Snacks from San Diego For our US customers we have some amazing and easily accessible Japanese snacks, shipping speedily to your door.
	Neru Neru Nerune, Kracie Snacks Restocked A big restocking of Neru Neru Nerune, Gummy Fishing and other fun "interactive" snacks by Kracie, our favorite company ever.
	Other Fun Food Items from Japan A product we're proud to evangelize is Bull-Dog Sauce, the amazing Japanese sauce that tastes great on any fried food, and heavenly in a fried egg sandwich.
	Umehanabi Fireworks Bento Boxes While your co-workers are eating sad sandwiches wrapped in plastic, you'll be enjoying your delicious, luxurious Japanese bento.
	Kawaii Panda Bento & More Restocked  Kawaii bento items, like these featuring panda bears, are made in Japan and safe for those young and old alike to enjoy.
	New and Restocked Chopsticks from Japan Plus, you wouldn't want to have a bento without the proper accessories to make the experience even more delightful, like personal chopsticks.
	Fun Bread Shapers for Making Kawaii Sandwiches Make your lunch items in fanciful and cute shapes with these durable molded cutters, great for cutting dough, bread, meat, cheese, or anything else.
	The Best Pens in the World Restocked Also see more Japanese pens, which are the most advanced in the world. See the Uni 0.18 Signo, PILOT Hi-Tec Gel Ink, and Surari Emulsion Smooth Ink pens.
	Popular Traditional Items Restocked Enjoy the official seal of the Tokugawa Shogun case, natural flint stone "Magatama" talisman, plus awesome authentic Daruma dolls for bringing good luck.
	Black Rock Shooter Figma *Preorder* Figma action figures rule, so we're stoked to offer this cool rendition of raven-haired beauty Black Rock Shooter.
	Alvis & Lavie 1/8 Figure ~ Last Exile *Preorder* This super kawaii figure from Last Exile shows off Alter's high quality and design sense. Enjoy two cute girls based on Range Murata's moe designs.
	Yashiro Hoshimiya 1/7 Figures *Preorder* Check out this fantastic rendition of self-proclaimed alien Yashiro from the Denpa Onna series. Comes in regular and deluxe cast-off versions!
	Persona 4 Can Pen Cases *Preorder* Wow your friends with a super-cool pencil case sporting art from the hit Persona 4 anime. Comes in two awesome flavors!
	How To Draw (Ecchi) Manga Learn to draw sexy warrior schoolgirls with the aid of three gravure idols who pose in revealing costumes and in the nude, with lots to offer both fans of ero phootgraphy as well as budding artists! A great resource for the aspiring artist, and also a fantastic photobook for anyone who likes gorgeous Japanese girls in cool poses. View products »
	Great Photobooks for your collection! J-List has a great selection of photobooks featuring various themes, from Fashion to Nude, Artsy to Erotic Fetishes and more! Check them out!
	A Certain Nipple Pure Oil Lotion A cool nipple lotion, that will light up the fire between you and your partner. For girls, boys or traps!
	Fap-tastic Onahole Toys from Japan We love Japan for being so innovative when it comes to the ero products they invent. This oppai onahole might be all you need for the rest of your days.
	OL Pantsu, Products for Traps Restocked Lots of great ecchi cosplay items back in stock, like sailor uniforms, swimsuits, panties, shimapan, pantyhose, kneesocks, and more!
	Maji de Watashi ni Koishinasai! S - Majikoi S The sequel to hit eroge Maji de Watashi ni Koishinasai is back in stock, so if you missed this awesome game, now's your chance.
	Material Brave No one mixes story and gameplay like visual novel developer Giga. Pick up their newest title today!
	Recommended Eroge: Cosplay Academy People ask me to recommend eroge in English a lot, and one I like is this super cosplay game by the artist of the Raidy series.