Learning Kanji Isn't As Hard as it Looks

The Japanese language has three writing systems to communicate the written word: hiragana, the syllable-based system used for expressing basic words and grammatical particles; katakana, a mirror of hiragana that's used for foreign words and place names; and kanji, which expresses more complex meanings. While learning kanji seems like a daunting task to anyone who didn't happen to grow up in a country that uses Chinese characters, it's not nearly as bad as it looks. First, kanji are organized in logical sets called "radicals" that are all related to each other -- for example, words like cloud, snow, fog and lightning/thunder all have the character for "rain" in them. The official list of "general use kanji" contains 2,136 characters, but mastering the first 1000 (which Japanese learn through the 6th grade) will cover 98% of anything you're likely to do -- I managed that in a few months by reading manga and going to Japanese karaoke restaurants evern weekend. Due to the popularity of computers and cell phones, virtually no one writes kanji by hand anymore, and it's permissible for students to focus on reading mainly, which is much easier than writing. Finally, the Japanese are good about keeping their language "clean," and regularly remove unused kanji -- for example, there are archaic characters for every type of bird and fish (all the characters below are names of fish), but these are no longer taught and no one is expected to be able to read them.

Don't worry, kanji isn't as hard as it looks. No, really.

The Japanese Love Towers

It seems that a Japanese city can't be complete until it has a big tower for tourists to visit and take pictures of, and virtually every major Japanese city has one to serve as a destination for visitors and couples out for a romantic late-night drive. Some of the more unique Japanese towers include Kyoto Tower, essentially a clone of Seattle Space needle; Yokohama Marine Tower, the largest lighthouse in the world when it was built in 1961; (ugly) Osaka Tower, built in 1887 but melted down to make tanks during World War II; and of course Tokyo Tower, a 333 meter replica of the Eifel Tower, built because the Japanese secretly wish they were part of Europe rather than Asia. This year construction was finally completed on the grandest tower yet, Tokyo Sky Tree, a sprawling ziggurat that reaches 600 meters into the sky which provides television and radio coverage for the Japanese capital as well as spectacular views for visitors to Tokyo's Asakusa area. Unsurprisingly, there are "tower otakus" in Japan who study every facet of the history of these structures and make frequent visits, and I'm sure they'll be lining to to visit Japan's newest tower when it officially opens in May.

Giantess Miku has finally finished her Tokyo Sky Tree Plamo.

Japanese Convenience Stores

One thing I love about Japan are convenience stores, which are a great place to find hundreds of products when you're in a hurry. Japanese conbini, as they're called, offer a few improvements over their American counterparts, which specialize in frozen burritos, Pop Tarts and hot dogs that have been cooking on those rollers since 1991. In addition to an extensive selection of freshly-delivered bento lunches and any variety of onigiri (rice ball) you might want, Japanese convenience stores offer healthy salads, different types of bread including curry pan and melon pan, plus those heavenly nikuman steamed meat buns. You can find all the usual products (milk, cereal) as well as ice, beer, and 72 varieties of bottled tea, as well as banking services and the ability to pay your phone bill at the cash register. Japan's love affair with convenience stores began in 1973, with the opening of the first 7-Eleven franchise store. It has to have been one of the most successful business ventures in history, since the Japanese licensor grew so large and successful it bought out the parent company in the U.S. Like other convenience store chains, 7-Eleven has been courting anime fans with unique tie-ins with popular anime and game series, since moe is big business in Japan.

Convenience stores offer many products, including moe.

Japanese Study Products from J-List

Whether you're interested in trying to learn Japanese seriously or just want to take on the basic writing systems to better understand the country, J-List can help. We've got hundreds of products for students of nihongo, from the popular Moekana hiragana study cards and sleeves to the outstanding flashcards and kanji poster by White Rabbit, the legendary Genki textbook and workbooks and even a bilingual guide to Japan with Hello Kitty. Click here to browse the most popular Japanese study products!

Cool Products Monday, April 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.

	Mawaru Penguindrum ~ Perfect Guide Book Own the official guidebook to one of 2011's coolest anime series. Mawaru Penguindrum is the story of two brothers on a quest to save their precious sister's life, seeking out the enigmatic Penguindrum at the command of an extra-terrestrial penguin hat, and now you can relive the entire series with beautiful artwork and behind-the-scenes info that you won't find anywhere else. Click for 190 pages of Penguindrum goodness. View products »
	New Anime 'Noren' Door Curtains (Gegege no Kitaro) Inspired by the very popular Gegege no Kitaro series, try to find the very small reference to in the design. Gorgeous, and very Japanese!
	Anime Interior Decorating We also posted new micro fiber rugs for your room, a very special item for K-On! fans that go well with the new anime noren curtains we stock.
	New Magazines: S Cawaii, Comic Coro Coro Checkout our awesome selection of magazines, like the S Cawaii, all about young women's fashion, and Comic Coro Coro, with great manga titles.
	Panchira Japanese Girl ~ Pink or White Tamatoys brings us even more awesome Japanese pantsu, which are strictly for anime cosplay use. These have the little ribbons on the front, so cute!
	Awesome Cosplay Products Restocked Then enjoy fun male school uniforms for cosplaying at the summer conventions, plus our Gothic Lolita Cat Girl Maid Outfits in several sizes.
	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.
	Ninja Hachimaki ~ Japan Ninja Headband Channel the spirit of Japan or use these to focus your concentration in study or in life -- these headbands will put you in the right frame of mind!
	Restocked iPhone & Android Products We stock outstanding products for iPhone and Android phones, and today we have the Mini Joy Stick and Dr. Ion cases restocked.
	Free Anime-Related iOS Apps from Japan With an iTunes Japan account you can get free anime apps like the Ika Musume Calculator de geso, or Shanghai Musume, a really fun "strip" mahjong game.
	Kutsushita Nyanko, Rilakkuma Restocked Fans of Kutsushita Nyanko (Socks Cat) and Rilakkuma (Relax Bear) will be happy to know that we've restocked many items featuring these adorable characters.
	Random Gift & Anime Snacks J-List has been carrying fun Hello Kitty products for years, and we love to find cool new offerings. Today see our Hello Kitty Gift Bucket of Cookies and more!
	Great Totoro Plush Toys Restocked Some of our favorite Totoro toys are back in stock too, like the wonderful Tree House in two sizes and a wide variety of window mascots. Click to see.
	Gorgeous All-Ages PC Games Restocked Lots of great PC games from Japan in stock, like Remember 11 from the Infinity series (Ever 17), Nasu Kinoko's Mahou Tsukai no Yoru, and dozens more.
	Origami Book w/English Instructions Study Japanese while learning origami with this fantastic bilingual how-to book. Contains 63 pages of amazing origami designs.
	OMOKESHI Sushi ~ Japanese Parody Erasers Set  I've said it before and I'll say it again: Japan has the world's best erasers. Today we've restocked sushi and wagashi, so detailed and fun!
	UHA Puccho Gummy, New Hi-Chew Flavors Delicious fruit flavored Japanese snacks from brands our customs love like Puccho and Hi-Chew, each with a unique assortments of flavors.
	Amazing Japanese Snacks Restocked See today's new snack and gum offerings, incl. Matcha Milk Caramels (yum!), rare FritoLay Japan snacks based on izakaya pub food and Organic Onion Chips.
	Little's World Puppy's Pink Bento Container A fun little pack for carrying around your lunch maybe even a snack, with a cute wan-chan (doggy) design on the lid.
	Kawaii Totoro Bento Boxes Restocked Love Totoro all over again, in a whole new way with these very cute bento boxes and accessories, now newly restocked.
	One Piece, Other Character Bento, Too And check out these cute bento featuring One Piece's Chopper and Kutsushita Nyanko (Socks Cat). Too cute!
	GLIT & BRILLIA Bento Items Restocked And don't forget to pack a lunch. We've got everything a wise chief, onigiri maker or sushi roller would want.
	Food Shapers and Cutters for Bento Make your lunches even more kawaii after you've used our food shapers to make cute animals, sakura, hearts and more.
	Restocked Random Items for your Kitchen We've got love for takoyaki too, and have restocked several fun items for making authentic Osaka-style octopus balls. Yum!
	Pocky Decoration Molds, More Decorate your favorite Japanese stick snack with the silicon chocolate molds we stocked, or browse our Star Wars ice cube trays.
	Traditional Japan Products Unlock Your Inner Samurai See our popular kiseru pipes which are incredibly popular with our customers, plus great new wooden geta sandals for summer.
	Docolla Hatsune Miku Doll Mini Size *Preorder* Miku Hatsune will be landing on your desk like a concert stage as a new posable SD doll. From Pullips this summer.
	Yui Kotegawa Cast off Figure ~ To LOVE-RU *Preorder* Here's a barely work-safe figure of the cute and sexy Yui from To LoveRU. Comes with two interchangeable outfits - school uniform and skimpy bikini.
	Evangelion Reversible Car Sunshade *Preorder* Let the girls of Evangelion protect your car from the heat of the sun. A great OTACOOL product.
	Evangelion x Hello Kitty Bath Towels *Preorder* I'm sure you've often asked yourself why there aren't more Hello Kitty + Evangelion crossover products. The answer is that they're just too cute!
	X bomb bomb ~ HITOMI 1st photobook (3000 limited) Hitomi is now in book format, in this large-book print format, filled with amazing color photography of our favorite J-cup vixen. Expect plenty of fishnet stockings and tight leather as Hitomi strikes poses that will have you standing taller than you can believe. This girl redefines "hot." View products »
	Lily Star Cast-off Figure *Preorder* A deliciously kawaii figure from Apple Tea of Lily Star, with an outfit so revealing she might as well be naked!
	Yuyukana ~ Under the Starlight ~ Visual Fanbook A great visual book just for fans of Yuyukana, the super ero-kawaii "H" game. Over 120 pages of the finest moe art around.
	Gorgeous Artbooks Restocked Browse our fine selection of top-quality artbooks from erotic artists like Toshihide Sano and Urushihara Satoshi, now restocked.
	Air Dutch Dolls & Related Fun Products Enjoy fun "Air Dutch" (apologies to our friends in The Netherlands), with several dolls restocked, along with "Sweat Scent of Virgin Spray" if you like.
	Love Body Aki Products, Too Love Body Aki is a blow-up doll you can dress and accessorize to meet your own personal preferences and wants. Many awesome items restocked.
	More Love Doll Products Bring your fantasies to life with these additional accessories that will make your dakimakura, dolls or toys feel even more realistic.
	Popular Onahole Toys Restocked We've also restocked some of our most popular onahole toys, including the Bubble Shake series plus some unconventional ways of relieving your personal stress.
	Big Restocking of TENGA Products, Too No one blows off steam like the Japanese. That's why we carry quality toys for male stress relief, like the TENGA EGG and the Air Dutch Doll. Click to see.
	Find Love in a 2D Visual Novel Remember, you can find sweet love in a 2D world with the translated eroge J-List brings you. New game combo packs this week!
	Sumaga ~ Star Mine Girl In another great game from Nitroplus, you are flung into a world of magic, wonder, comedy and sex. Buy the JP version and get the English download when ready!

Gaijin CEOs of Japanese Companies

I happened to see a news article that said the president of Nippon Sheet Glass, an American, was leaving the company due to fundamental disagreements with the Japanese board of directors, and this was being compared to the exits of other foreign CEOs including Michael Woodford of Olympus and Howard Stringer of Sony. I wondered for a moment what it'd be like to be the president of a Japanese company, before sheepishly remembering that I am one. While I happily don't have to deal with a sprawling organization that resists me at every step, I sometimes wonder what it's like for Japanese employees who come to work at J-List and suddenly find themselves with a "foreign barbarian" for a boss. There are, of course, potential communication issues, since all foreigners are bound to be a little KY, Japanese for kuuki yomenai or "cannot read the air," e.g. someone who's on a different wavelength or who isn't good at understanding social nuances. One challenge for our Japanese employees is learning to see Japan through the eyes of foreigners so they can buy the products our customers will be interested in, so I work with each employee to help them see Japan as I see it. I remember my staff being surprised that anyone would be interested in buying such boring products as an Evangelion-style Japanese eye patch or traditional dagashi candy that's been around since the Showa Period, since they take these products for granted. Eventually they come to appreciate what aspects of Japan we foreigners find kakko ii (cool) and are able to find cool products for the site. (Image credit.)

I'm much happier being the president of J-List than of Sony.

Nudity in Anime

One of the more unique aspects of Japanese animation has always been the tendency for certain series to feature nudity, whether it's an occasional bit of skin visible in a "hot springs" episode, the silhouetted transformation scene in most any "magical girl" series or a deeper level of fan service in shows that exist for that purpose. Back in the early 80s, when anime wasn't part of our national cultural awareness as it is now, it was big surprise to see the "Zero-G Love" shower scene in Macross: Do You Remember Love, though of course such scenes exist in anime for the same reason they do in Hollywood films: for entertainment and to tell a certain kind of story. Fans of my era responded to Japanese animation in part because it was a "free" medium in which any story could be told by the animators, including ones involving dramatic death and love, violence and planetary destruction, and yes, maybe a tasteful scene of females talking in the bath, if it improves the story. In a way, the presence of nudity in anime series signaled to fans of the day that the stories and characters wouldn't be dumbed-down like most other forms of popular culture, which immediately made it seem more authentic -- trust me when I say that young people in the West have really benefited from the fresh ideas they've been exposed to thanks to the popularity of anime. Of course nudity and fan service can easily be carried too far, but I for one am glad animators are free to include it if they want. So, what's your opinion on nudity in anime?

What do you think of nudity in anime?

J-List Makes Great T-Shirts

Ever since our first "Looking for a Japanese Girlfriend" kanji T-shirt, J-List has loved making fun and interesting T-shirts for anime fans as well as people who love the aesthetic beauty of kanji characters. We've been on a roll lately, bringing you awesome designs from our Pikachu x Evangelion crossover, our popular Touhou shirts, a very special tribute to Shimapan, as well as our new line of licensed HOTD shirts. The anime convention season is right around the corner, do you need any shirts today? See the top J-List T-shirts here.

Japanese Noren Curtains

It's funny, the things about Japan that delight foreigners who come here. The unique sound of a Japanese train crossing, sitting on tatami mats, zooming along in a Shinkansen train and receiving excellent service in shops 99% of the time. I've also been a fan of the unique Japanese door curtains called noren which hang above most businesses, and which are also commonly used to create privacy in doorways in Japanese homes. Since the Edo Period, noren curtains have been used to advertise that businesses are open to receive customers, and you know a yakitori shop is closed when the Master (the proprietor of a small restaurant or bar is always called this for some reason) takes his noren curtain down for the night. We've been posting some excellent anime-themed noren curtains to the site lately, if you want to make your home more Japanese and awesome.

Like tatami mats, noren curtains are a fun part of Japan.

Cool Products Friday, April 20, 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 G's Festival! vol. 26 June 2012 A new issue of Dengeki G's Festival is here, and it's devoted to the upcoming visual novel Da Capo III. Expect tons of beautiful art and exclusive info that will sate your appetite for moe as you await the game's release. Da Capo fans won't want to miss the great omake, like a huge dakimakura cover of one of the game's cutest girls. These issues sell fast, so don't wait! View products »
	Animage May 2012 Animage magazine has been bringing you latest anime news for over 30 years. Grab a new issue for more art and posters of your favorite anime characters.
	Moekana ~ Learn Hiragana with Mirai-chan Learn Japanese the moe way with this new study tool starring Danny Choo's popular mascot character Mirai-chan. Now in stock!
	Even More Gorgeous 'Noren' Anime Curtains Last time, we posted some beautiful noren Japanese curtains with art of your favorite anime girls. We've added some great new noren cortains to the site today, including A Certain Magical Index and Railgun, Heaven's Memo Pad, Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko and Hanasaku Iroha. They are easy to hang over any door and add a cool Japanese element to any room! View products »
	Erio Towa, Blue Exorcist Figures Cute new figures in stock. Check out moe "alien" Erio Towa from Denpa Onna, or a set of 5 chibi figures from Ao no Exorcist. Plus lots more!
	Madoka Magica Witch Figures Set of 8 Enjoy these miniature figures of the most memorable witches from Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Is it just us, or does Charlotte have her mouth full?
	Azathoth D ~ Demonbane Parody Game The girls of Demonbane take to the streets in this fun Mario Kart-style racing game. Choose from 8 cute characters and 16 otherworldly stages.
	Study Japanese with your Nintendo DS It's never been easier to study Japanese than with our comprehensive lineup of software for your Nintendo DS. Highly recommended!
	Super Awesome Stationery from Japan "Fude" brush pens for calligraphy in all sizes and widths, plus awesome PenType Scissors and other awesome Japanese pens. Very nice!
	AIN Triangle Knock Style Eraser ~ Purple Get rid of those nasty mistakes quickly, before anyone notices, with this super fast, super reliable Japanese eraser.
	Dream Shima Bikini (Vocaloid Bikini Swimsuit) ~ size M or 5L We love striped panties (shimapan) at J-List, which is why we provide a large selection of shimapan products for cosplay and entertainment. Try these new striped bikini swimsuits, recommended for fans of shimapan-wearing characters like Vocaloid idol Hatsune Miku. Available in standard size (M) as well as a larger size (5L) for larger female customers as well as "trap" fans. View products »
	Skull Long Sleeve Tops Restocked Our popular Harajuku fashion items, like our skull tops, are now back in stock and ready for you. Click to see the restocked items now.
	Amazing Diablock 'LEGO' Shoes for Kids Let your kids take the joy of LEGO everywhere they go with these colorful Velcro sneakers from Diablock, Japan's premier building block manufacturer.
	Popular Hair Products from Japan See a nice restocking of Japanese hair was, plus ICHIKAMI Hair Treatment Essence with Sakura Scent (wow), and SALA Hair Styling Wax for girls.
	Non Woven Cloth Health Mask ~ 20pcs Protect your face from the harmful environment, keep your friends from catching your cold, or go cosplaying as a Japanese gang member.
	Excellent Japanese Snacks Today Mmm, delicious Wata Pachi, the fluffy gum. Plus awesome Cratz Chicken Mustard and DIY Pizza Gummies.
	Green Tea Gumballs Savor the luxurious taste of ancient Japanese tea, in easy to carry gumball form! Now if only they made a sushi version...
	Kracie Happy Kitchen Hamburger Set, More We love Kracie's products, like the Happy Kitchen Hamburger Set that lets you make your own tiny burgers and the Neru Neru Nerune gummies. Restocked today.
	Restocked Snacks & Gum, Too Enjoy the "official" milk caramels of the Totoro universe, plus Wata Gum cotton candy gum, Choco Ball, Kompeito, Tyrant Habanero, various Pocky and more!
	Kawaii Jiji 2-tier Slim Bento Jiji from the Ghibli film Kiki's Delivery Service is now on a very cute and portable bento box. So cool!
	Awesome Modern Bento Restocked If you'd rather have a more awesome look to your lunch, check out the sleek and stylish modern and traditional Japanese boxes, back in stock.
	Evangelion Bento, Logos Metal Cups & More From the great series Evangelion comes this collection of dishware and accessories we're very happy to be carrying. Designed for NERV officers.
	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.
	Ramen Microwave Bowl, Miso Soup Bowls Make ramen fast with our popular Ramen Microwave Bowl, so excellent for university students. Also, Seaweed Punch for bento, miso soup bowls and more.
	White & Black Lucky Cat Display  These adorable kitties are the perfect way to invite some luck into your home. Enjoy this traditional Japanese decoration.
	Restocked Traditional Items from Japan You can rely on J-List to bring you excellent traditional products from Japan, like the Daruma dolls and split-toe tabi socks, aka "ninja socks," restocked today.
	Haiyore! Nyarko-san SAN=0 T-shirt *Preorder* The stars are right, the Crawling Chaos comes! Wear your madness proudly with this fantastic Nyarko-san T-shirt. Lovecraftian horrors have never been cuter.
	Gurren Lagann Revoltech, Tekkaman Figma *Preorder* Revoltech is coming out with another awesome action figure of Gurren Lagann, with all the parts you need to reenact any scene from the series. Tekkaman too!
	Fate/Zero Car Sunshades *Preorder* Keep your car protected with awesomeness, with these super OTACOOL Fate/Zero sunshades. Available in two great designs.
	Mirai Suenaga Card Sleeves *Preorder* Your valuable cards need protection too, and that's just what these moe sleeves provide! Great for fans of Culture Japan's mascot Mirai Suenaga.
	Strike Witches Rations, Astraea Figure *Preorder* Who knew wartime could be so delicious? Try some real Strike Witches military rations, then check out a figure of sexy battle gynoid Astraea from SoraOto.
	Alisa Amiella, Maid Aegis *Preorder* We also have these great bishoujo figures of God Eater's Alisa and Aegis from Persona 3, each in a cute and sexy costume.
	Menma, Madoka Beach Figures *Preorder* Two cute swimsuit figures to spice up your summer. First is the cute and innocent Menma from AnoHana, and then we have Lagrange's super-energetic Madoka.
	Ero-Cheki!? Onahole series Restocked Our customers sure love the new Mayo Chiki themed parody stress toys, which are great for taking the edge off after at hard day at work.
	Koihime Musou, Cat Girl Onahole Toys Plus a restocking of our newest parody onahole for male stress relief, based on the popular Koihime Musou series of eroge. That makes this a parody of a parody!
	OTOKONOKO? ~ Futanari Stress Toy This body-shaped stress relief toy is one of a kind, being the first futanari onahole toy we've ever seen. Why not?
	Phantom INTEGRATION It all started here, with the very first game by Urobuchi Gen and Nitro+. Buy the ultimate 18+ version of this dark and gritty thriller today.
	My Girlfriend is the President is In Stock! Wouldn't it be great if the world ran on cuteness? In President, it does! Pick up a copy of this hilarious H-game today. Translated and uncensored.