Awesome Anime Magazines from J-List

The Japanese have solved the problem publishers are facing in the 21st century: in order to keep magazines popular with readers, just give away awesome free posters, pencil boards, figures and more with each issue. J-List carries all the best anime, manga, fashion and other magazines from Japan, available as individual issues or as handy revolving subscriptions that are charged month-to-month, so you can cancel any time you want. We're often amazed at the sheer number of awesome posters they manage to cram into magazines like NyanType or Megami Magazine -- 18, 20 or more? Click here to see the most popular anime magazines on J-List right now.

Cool Products Monday, May 7, 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.

	Super Cawaii June 2012 Super Cawaii is a great fashion magazine for anyone interested in the Japanese world of fashion and beauty, which focuses on how you can be not just more kawaii, but "S" kawaii, the letter denoting "super." Great contents, from fashion outfits to accessories and more. View products »
	Nakayoshi June 2012 By customer demand we now carry Nakayoshi, the legendary girl's manga issue which has been published since 1954. But it sells fast.
	Even More Touhou Figures & Keychains And we've even got some new Touhou Keychains that any collector will want to snap up. Nazrin, Ran and more.
	Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko Plate There are a lot of nice Denpa Onna and Seishun Otoko products from japan, like this gorgeous plate that was just released. See all the items now.
	Cool Japanese Fashions Restocked Get your wardrobe into style with this season's hottest fashions from Japan. The popular Layered Parka Top and Kawaii Heel T-Shirt are back in stock.
	Dragon Tabi Socks (Ninja Socks) The power of the dragon rests on your soul soles. Perfect for ninjas and martial artists.
	Railgun Uniforms, Other Cosplay Products Restocked The summer anime cons are coming, and we've been beefing up our cosplay selection. Click to see the new items, including our "Railgun" uniforms.
	Awesome Japanese Swimsuit Restocked Too Whether you're looking for a classic Japanese sukumizu school swimsuit or want an authentic replica of Hatsune Miku's shimapan, we've got them.
	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.
	Anime T-Shirts from J-List Remember, J-List is working hard to bring you great anime T-shirts like our new licensed line of HOTD, Haruhi and other shirts. Click to see now!
	Finger Food Grabbers ~ Apple Bowl (Set of 2) This is so cool: apple-shaped bowls for eating various snacks, which come with special "grabber" clips so your fingers won't get messy.
	Portable Paper Soap Restocked Then there are these sheets of soap you can carry with you, so you can always clean your hands no matter where you find yourself. Back in stock today!
	Touch, Shiyo! ~ Love Application ~ Limited Edition In your hands is the phone of the future -- a phone that can find your perfect romantic match. This is a great PS3 game that's taking Japan's otaku by storm.
	Seinarukana ~ The Spirit of Eternity Sword 2 Then enjoy the all-ages PSP version of Seinarukana, one of the best RPGs ever released in Japan, by the creators of Aselia.
	Getsuei Gakuen -erg 0- The visual novel that as been known as having an action packed battle system and excellent voice acting.
	Big Restocking of Touhou Project Games Touhou is a series of popular shooting games with amazing graphics, sound, music, and of course all the Touhou characters. Several restocked today.
	Matatabi (Asian Catnip) Restocked Today Matatabi is a type of catnip that is popular in Asia, and cats just go crazy when they smell it. (See the Youtube video.) Click to see all our best cat products.
	Super Mario Mushroom Salt and Pepper Shakers Nintendo fans who are also food lovers, you will want to have a set of these neat Super Mushrooms in your kitchen, either power-up or extra-life.
	Innovative Ways to Learn Japanese Not able to visit Japan right now? Then you should play Go! Go! Nippon!, a great all-ages visual novel, plus other Japanese study products.
	Cool Japanese Notepads: Mameshiba, Hello Kitty We stock many kawaii notebooks and other paper and stationery products, and several cute items have been restocked today.
	Hello Kitty Miniature Sushi, More Then, Re-Ment is our favorite company when it comes to making extremely detailed miniature toys, and we love their new Hello Kitty miniature sushi toy set.
	Great New Totoro & Ghibli Products In Stock A big update of Totoro and Ghibli items, including my favorite Totoro stamps with kanji messages on them, plus Mononoke towels!
	Smart Alpha Touch Pen for iPhone Keep you phone clean while also keeping a pen at your side -- this dual action pen should be on every student and business person. iPhone app available.
	Karakuri Desk Organizer ~ Genuine Lacquered  Keep all your precious secrets and special goods together in one box, the Japanese traditional karakuri assorted box.
	Lots of Fun Japanese Snacks Today UHA Puccho Ball with fizzing cola action, Poiful jellybeans that are incredibly delicious, and a full array of other amazing snacks and treats that are perfect for all the fans of Japanese snacks and delights. Which new snack posted by J-List will be your favorite? No one can say for sure, who why not try a few? View products »
	Restocked 'DIY' Snacks from Kracie How would you like to make your cakes, treats and even hamburgers. We've restocked several items for you today.
	Other Restocked Japanese Snacks Enjoy the last Almond and Peanut Pocky posted before summer, delicious Meiji Takoyaki and Pizza Making Gummy, Takoyaki Pretz w/sauce you put on, and Ninja Food.
	Fun Traditional Bento Boxes Restocked Flying in from Japan, these bento boxes will save your life from boring lunchtime routines. Fun designers and environment friendly.
	Kawaii Animal Die-cut Bento Sauce Bottle  We love the little soy sauce bottles for bento enthusiasts, and carry any we encounter here in Japan. Vehicle and Animal Type are restocked.
	Microwave Taiyaki & 'American Dogs' Cookers In Japanese, a corn dog is called an "American Dog" because...we have no idea. Make fun American Dogs, doughnuts and Taiyaki with your microwave!
	Kawaii Animal, Pocky Silicon Molds Japan's silicon boom continues, and we have cute animal silicon molds for shaping chocolate, as well as the popular Pocky Decorating Kits.
	Traditional Japanese Card Games, More Several traditional products restocked today, including the GOTEN-MARI Ball Display, card games that have been played for more than 1000 years andmore.
	Great New Anime Songs on iTunes Japan Spotted on iTunes Japan: a super awesome Precure section with hundreds of songs, plus the OP for the popular new Kyoani series Hyouka.
	Macross ~ Do You Remember Love? + Series On Blu-Ray This is it: the ultimate collector's box of the landmark Macross movie, Do You Remember Love? and original Macross (Robotech) series on Blu-ray, destined to be the most epic Macross products ever released for fans. The two boxes sets are bursting with extras, including rare artbooks and other fun items plus a PS3 game that you will not want to miss. (I know I won't miss it...) Let's all Yak Deculture together! View products »
	Marugoto Yasui Riosuku sono 2 This is not a comic magazine for youngsters -- only "H" adults who love Japanese style hentai should be taking home this great tome of erotica.
	Shigeo Hamashima, Shirow Artbooks Restocked If you're a fan of gorgeous 2D artbooks from Japan, we've restocked several of our best ones, including Shigeo Hamashima and Shirow Masamune's best new works.
	Onaho Shoujo ~ Madoka and Homura Versions Oh my, we have new onahole stress toys for fans of certain famous magical girls. Incredible design and a unique feel, be sure and try them both.
	Restocked Personal Massagers, Too The best personal massagers are from Japan, and we've restocked several, including the PLESTO Waterproof Vibrator and classic e-Rotar that every girl should own.
	Our Most Advanced Male Stimulators Science can help relieve stress too, and we've restocked the Shakuhachi Musume Oral Pump (why is this so popular??) and auto powered Greatest Stroker II.
	Restocked Love Dolls, Onahole Toys Got other restocked items too, including the My Girl Yuria doll, the most realistic anime doll we've seen yet, and the Bubble Shake series.
	J-List Recommends: Raidy One of our top yuri eroge, has enough dungeon crawling and erotic monster fighting to make any monster hunter jealous. And it has yuri action!

Overview of Japanese Superstitions

The Japanese can be somewhat superstitious compared to Americans. It's common in department stores to see people getting their palms read, and fortune tellers that develop a reputation for issuing accurate predictions become very popular, with lines of people eager to hear their advice. There's a cycle of six "lucky" and "unlucky" Buddhist days, and virtually everyone goes out of their way to get married or take delivery of a new car on Taian, the luckiest day in the cycle, and avoid these activities on Butsumetsu, the unlucky day that means "Buddha's death." Salt is thought to purify (sumo wrestlers throw it in the ring before a bout), and when you arrive home after a Japanese funeral it's important to throw salt all over your body before crossing the threshold in order to keep evil spirits from entering your home. Similarly, when you break ground on a new home, you always call the local Shinto priest who comes to purify the ground and appease the kami with salt, fish and sake -- we did this when we built the J-List office, which no doubt insured our success as a company. The Japanese are also interested in Feng Shui as well as several similar divination systems, and virtually every official building in Japan's capital of Tokyo was constructed so as to be in the perfect location for bringing good fortune to the nation of Japan.

The guy from the Shinto shrine didn't look as good as this.

Do the Japanese Lack Patriotism

As I often write here, each nation has a unique "national character" which the Japanese call kokumin-sei. Part of Japan's national character is to have a very neutral attitude when it comes to patriotism, and many everyday features of life in America -- reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, remembering Veteran's Day or shedding a tear at Arlington National Cemetery -- are totally absent here. There are several reasons why the average Japanese finds it improper to show a reasonable love of their own country, including awareness of Japan's nationalistic past -- current-day North Korea is a stark reminder of what Japan was 70 years ago -- and the sad tendency for the Japanese flag to be associated with silly right-wingers, who drive around in loudspeaker cars playing WWII-era military songs and, somewhat more awesomely, the Space Battleship Yamato theme song. One country that doesn't lack for patriotism is South Korea, whose citizens recently brought the White House website down with petitions asking them to support changing the Sea of Japan to the name they prefer, the East Sea, despite the fact that former name has been in use by the majority of world nations (including China) since 1602.

Flamboyant right-wingers aside, Japanese lack patriotism.

All About Omai and "Arranged Marriages" in Japan

One thing I've known about Japan for a long time is that they have arranged marriages. (I learned this from an episode of Happy Days back in the 70s, don't ask.) While I assumed this meant stern parents who decided who their children would marry based on their own whims, in reality omiai (lit. "looking at one another") is essentially a structured formal meeting between two people (and sometimes their families) to explore the possibility of getting married. While the majority of Japanese couples have adopted the strange Western tradition of renai kekkon or marriage for love, omiai is still surprisingly common -- in fact, before my wife met me she had arranged meetings with two other men, but luckily for me they didn't hit it off. All things must evolve with time, of course, and Japan's arranged marriage meetings have adapted to the 21st century, with companies offering various services to help people meet that special someone, including one from Yahoo Japan. Even J-List has a great way to make friends and more with people in Japan -- click here to find out more.

Yahoo Japan's popular omiai service.

English Eroge Sale on J-List This Month

Remember, we're having a big sale on all English H-games, dating-sims and visual novels this month, including both download purchases or in shrinkwrapped packaged format. Want to pick up Demonbane, the gorgeous Cthulhu-mythos visual novel from Nitroplus, the fun catgirl-themed game Let's Meow Meow, or the very popular My Girlfriend is the President? There's never been a better time to stock up on a few titles now! (To avoid chaos, , the sale is for currently shipping games only and does not apply to preorder game titles.)

Happy Star Wars Day

Today is May the 4th, which as many fans will know is Star Wars Day, since the date sounds like the famous line from the film. J-List is well stocked with awesome Star Wars products from Japan, from silicon ice cube trays (which also serve as chocolate molds) to our R2-D2 soy sauce bottle and the nerd-tastic Han Solo in Carbonite business card holder. Enjoy browsing our awesome Star Wars products, and May the Fourth be With You!

Cool Products Friday, May 4, 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.

	Young Ace June 2012 For manga adaptations of your favorite anime series, there's no better manga than Young Ace. Pick up this month's edition for new issues of Fate/Zero, Gunbuster, and dozens more top-quality manga for your reading pleasure. As a bonus, you get a figure of Asuka from Evangelion! At this price? It's a bargain that you should certainly not miss out on! View products »
	Dengeki Maoh June 2012 And for the finest in moe, check out a new issue of Dengeki Maoh, with series like Persona 4, Idolm@ster 2, and Shana. Includes cool P4 document folder.
	Nyan Egg NEKO TAMAGO 2 Are you ready for the cutest plush toys you've ever seen? Then check out these furry critters that can only be described as egg-shaped cats. Too cute!
	New Touhou Figures In Stock! Check out these great rubber keychains of your favorite Touhou characters, like Sanae and Murasaki. For the true Touhou collector.
	Touhou Figures, Keychains and More, Too That gorgeous Marisa "Petanko" figure is in stock, along with fresh stock of the Touhou keychains we had last week. Get them quickly though.
	Cross Line mc-1 Metal Case for iPhone 4/4S This is great: a new line of awesome protective cases for iPhone 4 and 4S (all versions) that protects your phone with a meticulously engineered metal cover that screws securely into place with the included tools. You get a handy stylus that works great, but perhaps best of all these cases let you attach any Japanese phone strap! View products »
	Evangelion iPhone Cases Our most popular iPhone case ever is the Evangelion NERV case, now in stock along with the Rei plugsuit, Asuka plugsuit, and other great iPhone cases.
	Yamanote Towels Restocked Anyone who's been to Tokyo has ridden the Yamanote (yama-no-teh) train line which goes through Akihabara. We've restocked the cool towels for you today.
	Cutie May 2012 It's time for another issue of Cutie, the number-one magazine for fans of Japan's vibrant youth fashion culture. Filled with photos of cute Tokyo girls.
	Skull Romantic T-Shirt One Pieces Restocked And speaking of fashion, how about a trendy one piece from gothic designer Skull Romantic. Be the only girl on your block who has one.
	Hatsune Miku Swimsuit, Shimapan Restocked See new stock of our most popular striped underwear products, such as the Hatsune Miku shimabikini and several varieties of shimapan.
	Cosplay for 'Trap' Fans Too We also carry popular cosplay products for larger customers, and have restocked several items in 3L and 5L size. Great for fans of Hideyoshi, if you know what we mean.
	Spats Dream ~ Anime-Style Spats from Japan A lot of anime characters wear "spats," a Japanese word that means spandex pants or bicycle shorts, and we've restocked this popular item today.
	Magical Transforming Towel ~ Moe Chan Wow! A towel with art that transforms when it's wet! Available in three versions, each with a moe girl waiting for you to discover her secrets.
	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?).
	Great All-Ages Visual Novels Great all-ages games from Japan in English, including the Higurashi ~ When They Cry series, Aselia the Eternal, and more. We love them all.
	Ciel Nosurge (For PSVita Dating Game) Win the heart of a beautiful and fragile girl in this fantastic real-time communication game from the makers of Ar Tonelico. Dangerous levels of moe.
	Lots of Anime Pantsu Games for PSP & PS3 Enjoy the pantsu-getting game GALGUN and gorgeous Idolm@ster releases for the PS3, plus several Hatsune Miku Diva games for the PSP with full shimapan action.
	Long Cushion Dakimakuras We have some great dakimakura hug pillows just waiting for you to take them home, starring characters from Phantom, Marriage Royale, Panya, and more.
	How To Draw Manga Books Restocked Whether you want to learn to draw like a professional manga artist or just look at Japanese girls making poses in their underwear, these books can help.
	Rilakkuma Portable Cup Amazingly portable drinking cup and pill case featuring Rilakkuma. Small enough to fit into your pants pocket! Great for when you're on the go.
	Angel Hello Kitty Pink Health Mask ~ 3pcs  Keep the germs away with the cute and lovable charm of Hello Kitty.
	We Love Japanese Pens Japanese pens are the best in the world, and we've restocked several fun ones including the FRIXION Erasable Ballpoint Pen and Highlighter Pens. Fude pens too!
	Potechi no Te Nano ~ The Potato Chip Hand Woah! Japanese innovation never ceases to amaze us, especially with their potato chip grabbing technology.
	Delicious New Japanese Snacks In Stock Try a new taste sensation this summer with one of our weird but delicious Japanese snacks that you can't find anywhere else. Today we've added barbecue pork flavor furikake mix, which is a great way to spice up your meals, plus rich cherry-flavored caramels that are sure to delight your friends when you whip out a pack and share them around. Click for these and more great snacks! View products »
	Coris Koma Battle Set of 3  Make your snack time fun with this make-your-own candy game. Kids love it. Spin your bowls of rice and try to humiliate your opponents.
	Great Snacks Restocked Wow, a big update of J-Snacks, including Green Tea Oreo Cookies (!), Puccho Ball Ramune, Glico Cheeza Camembert Cheese snacks, and "Hot" Yakisoba!
	Wagokoro Sakura Bento Box Set And if you were looking to find a nice way to carry your lunch, you won't find a container more stylish than this Japanese bento box.
	Kiki's Delivery Service, Totoro Bento Restocked Plus, for all the Ghibli fans out there, we have this beautiful set of containers for picnicking and family fun, plus plushies, toys and more.
	Kawaii Bento Bags for Carrying Your Lunch Change any bento into a cat bento with this cute bag that is easy to use and clean. We like the kawaii ears. Other items restocked, too.
	Outstanding Chopsticks Restocked See our popular Pocky Chopsticks which look good enough to eat, yet are well made chopsticks that are easy to hold. Also, portable chopsticks for bento!
	KINCHO Katori Senko Mosquito Coils This is a great way to kill mosquitoes, a "mosquito killing incense" that kills them by blocking their air ducts. A famous brand since 1890!
	Restocked Traditional Items from Japan Plus, you'll want to bring along some extra luck with you when you are battling the demons of the academic finals. These charms are more are now restocked.
	Cute Monster Hunter Ponchos *Preorder* Cat lovers and Monster Hunter fans, check out these cute ponchos that come complete with cat-ear hoods. Cats may even mistake you for one of their own!
	Super Sonico iPhone4/4S Stickers *Preorder* These decorative stickers are the perfect way to add some sexy flair to your iPhone 4 or 4S. Featuring the talents of world-class idol Super Sonico.
	Pet Robot Lilly vol 1 & 2 ~ Full Color! If you like your manga in vibrant color, then we have a treat for you! This erotic manga series tells the story of a beautiful sex robot who gets into all kinds of juicy situations, from hardcore paizuri to girl-on-girl and threesome action. Put together, these two volumes boast over 250 pages of nonstop sex, and all of it in full color! Buy the set today. View products »
	Rias Cast-off Figure ~ High School DxD *Preorder* Gentlemen, behold this sexy figure of Rias Gremory. Not only is her pose designed to stoke a man's lust, but you can even remove her clothing.
	Tony Taka's Epic Artbook, More Restocked Enjoy the gorgeous ero ero art of Tony Taka in his most famous artbook, plus the popular "Moe Bondage" artbook.
	Lesson Vibe ~ Squirting Type (for Beginners) Sex toys lead to improved health and happiness for everyone, and here's a great new toy from Toy's Heart designed for women learning about their G-spot.
	Popular Parody Onahole Toys J-List customers love the new Madoka Magica parody onaholes. Empty your grief seed into these convenient receptacles from Tamatoys, now restocked.
	Amazing Personal Lotion from Japan Spice up your private time with our selection of personal lotions, including varieties specially formulated to increase your moe moe kyun.
	SENA PLUS ~ Haganai Parody Doujin Software Animated sex scenes and full voicing are just some of the features in this top-quality doujin game for fans of Haganai's Sena.
	Soukoku no Arterial - Arterial of Origins A war is raging between demons and angels, and you're caught right in the middle. Seize your destiny in this card-battling erotic RPG from Eushully.
	Outstanding Visual Novels from Japan We're having a great sale on all currently shipping English eroge this month, meaning it's an awesome chance to pick up one, two or eight titles!