Dialects in Japanese: Osaka, Kyoto etc.

Dialects are part of the wonderfully complex world of human language, and Japanese has many distinct dialects in use, although only a handful could ever be accurately perceived by us gaijin. While anime series featuring a token character speaking Osaka-ben is a common trope, accents from other parts of the country are more rare. One exception was the character Yozuru from Nisemonogatari, who speaks a version of Kyoto-ben that's very elegant and stylized (to say nothing of sexy)...but which would be quite difficult for non-Japanese to understand if watching without subtitles. I was reminded of how hard unfamiliar accents can be when my wife and I went to Australia. I was fine conversing with random people I met in pubs, but my poor wife (who learned most of her English in the Los Angeles area) had the hardest trouble understanding what people said to her.

Characters speaking Osaka-ben are not uncommon in anime.

All About Japanese Arches (Torii)

One of my favorite images of Japan are Japanese arches, called torii, written with kanji characters that mean "where the birds are" since birds like to perch on them. Unlike most traditional architecture which are based on imported Chinese forms, torii arches are a uniquely Japanese creation. Generally found near Shinto shrines, the arches are essentially "sacred gates" which mark the barrier between the unclean world we inhabit and the purified area around the shrine. Japan loves to come up with formal lists the "the best three" this or that in the country, and if you like Japanese arches you can make plans to visit the Nihon Sandai Torii or Three Great Japanese Arches someday. They are the famous "Floating Arch" at Itsukishima, near Hiroshima, the huge arch at Kasuga Shrine in Nara, and Kehi Jingu Shrine in Fukui Prefecture.

I love torii (Japanese arches). Shrine Maidens aren't too bad either.

Unknown Japanese Foods that are Awesome

I think it'd be impossible for a person to live in a foreign country if they didn't like the food there, and I'm happy to report my satifaction with this aspect of Japan. While Japanese foods like sushi, tempura, ramen and onigiri rice balls are quite well known around the world, there are other dishes I like a lot which you may not be so familiar with, as they're not "food memes" like Taiyaki or Takoyaki. One is soboro, which is a bowl of white rice with teriyaki flavored ground chicken and scrambled egg on top -- such a simple and honest dish, I could eat it all day. Next is chirashi-zushi, essentially a "tossed salad" of sushi pieces arranged over vinagered rice, traditionally served to celebrate daughters on Hinamatsuri (March 3), though I eat it whenever I can. Finally, there's masu no sushi, a delicious round disc of rice with trout sushi on top that's pressed into a bamboo frame, and you cut the sushi into wedges making it "sushi pizza." It's a delicacy of Toyama Prefecture on the Sea of Japan side of the country -- not the most accessible place in the world -- but if you ever find yourself at Haneda Airport in Tokyo they sell it there, too. If you're keen on making some of these dishes yourself, we've got a nice lineup of cookbooks and related books you might want to browse.

Some of my favorite Japanese foods are not well known outside Japan.

School Days is Coming, Did You Preorder?

Last time we posted the School Days Deluxe Collector's Edition, a gorgeous Japan-style game release with cool stuff inside for fans including an original oppai mouse pad by School Days artist Junji Goto and more. School Days is one of the most famous eroge ever made, for a couple different reasons. First, it's fully animated, with every bit of the 12GB game game fluidly moving as you make choices that affect the lives of the game characters. The fully translated game is also 100% uncensored, and includes all the new material from the "HQ" Japanese release. If you already preordered the normal edition and want to change your order to the DX version, use the handy form we've set up here.

Cool Products Monday, May 21, 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.

	COSnap! vol. 03 Be amazed when you open the pages of COSnap magazine -- made for the serious cosplayer and casual admirer alike. Over 100 pages of top-quality photographs featuring the best cosplayers in Japan. Whether you're looking for concrete ideas for this year's cosplay season or just love browsing the top-quality cosplay photos, you need this issue! View products »
	Animedia June 2012 Great new issue of Animedia, full of art of your favorite anime characters. Comes with awesome Nanoha and Hakuoki poster omake.
	Kawaii Nyanpire Wall Scrolls / Noren Super kawaii Nyanpire wall scrolls that can convert into door frame noren, giving an awesome look to any room.
	Restocked Anime Curtains, Too We also restocked other awesome anime curtains, which can be used anywhere in your house...even your shower, since they're waterproof.
	Navy Striped JINBEI / Summer Relax Wear Set Get into the spirit of summer when you put on a pair of Japanese Jinbei, a short summer kimono that makes awesome pajamas in the summer.
	Kamakura Genuine Laquered Men's Geta Sandals And add another level of authenticity to your summer attire with these stylish wooden Japanese geta sandals. So epic!
	Teens Ever Micro Mini Spats, Restocked Our customers love the authentic "spats" (tight bicycle shorts) seen in anime so much we keep selling out, but we restocked them again today.
	Vocaloid Bikini Swimsuits, OL Pantsu & More Our Vocaloid-inspired striped bikini swimsuits are back in stock, along with the popular "Pantsu of OL" that are perfect for cosplay or other uses.
	Gothic Socks, Other Cosplay Products Restocked A big update of Japanese cosplay products, incl. the Maiden Lace Over Knee Socks, Kawaii Rabbit Ears + Tail, Striped Socks and Cat Girl Maid outfit.
	false Elegant model Mana Okada is very cute and sexy, and she shows us in this new photobook of glossy full-color offerings.
	Totoro Ceramic Wind Chimes for Summer Let the sound of summer enter your home with these cute wind chimes that are perfect for capturing the summer breeze. Summer with Totoro!
	Kawaii Nendoroid Figures In Stock And we always love new Nendoroid figures to add to our collection, like these delightful ones that just came in stock and are ready for display.
	Japanese Grammar, Other Books Posted Many books to help you learn Japanese, including the new Basic Japanese Grammar and JLPT N5 guides + a Handbook for Living in Japan.
	Japanese Flashcards, Other Study Products See more Japanese study items restocked, including flashcards plus the excellent Zebra Check Set for memorizing any information.
	Mechanical Pencils & Pens Restocked We've restocked our fun Japanese pens and mechanical pencils, including the Automatic Spinning Mechanical Pencil for Smooth Writing. They work great!
	Fun Bath-Related Products from Japan Our favorite fizzing bath tablets are back -- put one under you in the bath and let the bubbles travel up your back! Also, amazing soap for couples?
	Tiger & Bunny Stereo Headphones Style that even non-otaku types will like, these Tiger and Bunny headphones are in stock now.
	New Anime Songs on iTunes Japan Some great music for anime fans on the iTunes Japan store, including the New Single Release of Aya Hirano plus the awesome ED from AnoNatsu.
	FritoLay Rilakkuma Corn Snack Honey Butter Flavor Delicious new treats from Japan! Try the Honey Butter Corn snacks featuring the adorable Rilakkuma, or some tasty Strawberry Caramels. Plus more!
	Great Sushi Products Want to make your own sushi? We've got dozens of fun products to help you do it, including sushi no ko for making sushi rice.
	Restocked J-Snacks Too We have Japan-made Oreos, Takoyaki Gummy, Cheeza crackers, Charcoal Roasted Coffee Candy + Okinawa "Black Sugar" candy plus Mystery Neri Ame!
	Sushi Mini Cookbook J-List stocks dozens of fun cookbooks, and today we've got a new book that helps you make sushi for the first time. Browse them all now.
	Our Most Popular Traditional Bento Boxes Great news! Out of stock for several weeks, we've been able to restocked the popular bento boxes by Hakoya, incl. the Sakura Picnic Bento, one of our favorites.
	Evangelion 2-Tier Slim Bento Boxes Slim but large enough to satisfy the deepest hunger, the ultimate NERD NERV bento item. You won't die of hunger...this bento will protect you!
	Kawaii Japanese Soy Sauce Bottles Make your lunch extra cute with our restocked bento accessories, including those insanely cute little bottles for carrying soy sauce in your bento.
	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.
	Kawaii Bento Picks, Too Decorate your bento or lunch with these super cool, super fun accessories with wacky character picks, which are great for eating with too.
	Microwave Takoyaki Maker Now you can make your own Japanese Takoyaki at home using the tools you already own, namely a microwave. Delicious and convenient.
	Restocked Yukata, Other Traditional Products Wow, our popular Japanese yukata for men and women are restocked just in time for summer, plus other traditional items restocked.
	Yozora Mikazuki 1/7 Figure Swimsuit Ver. And for our fans of cute Haganai figures, here is another great preorder item that is soon be become available.
	Black Rock Shooter, Oreimo Pen Cases *Preorder* Enjoy study time even more with these super cool pen and pencil cases featuring the girls of OreImo, Black Rock Shooter, and more.
	Bath Posters, Anime Plates & More Plus other great anime goodies are now back in stock and available to be had by everyone, including Oreimo posters, anime plates and more!
	Cattleya 1/7 Cast off Figure Suke Suke ver. *Preorder* Check out this blazing hot and busty new Queen's Blade Cattleya figure, with her unforgettable body and detailing.
	New Ikki Tousen Cast Off Figure, More Then feast your eyes on this smoking figure of Ikkitousen's Chou'un Shiryuu, which is in stock right now. Such amazing "cast off" detail!
	Men's Shimapan + Onahole (5L) Made for men with a passion for shimapan, this is an advanced onahole to for fans of Hideyoshi or his twin sister Yuko.
	Fap-tastic Onahole Toys from Japan We love Japan for being so innovative when it comes to the ero products they invent. See our most popular oppai related toys restocked today.
	Amazing Japanese Personal Lotion, More Restocked From the Sweat Scent of Japanese Girl to amazing personal lotion products from Japan, we've restocked several awesome items for you today.
	Can a Sake Cup be NSFW? Shunga (lit. "spring pictures") are the traditional ecchi art of the Edo Period, and we have some awesome sake glasses restocked.
	School Days HQ ~ Collector's Edition *Preorder* We've posted the upcoming School Days HQ Collector's Edition, and fans have been preordering like wild. Once the first printing sells out, that's it - so order fast!
	Koihime Musou DX Edition *Preorder* Plus, more good news! Koihime Musou is schedule to come in stock in San Diego very soon. With fully restored voices + no DRM!

The Japanese Emperor Goes to England

The Emperor of Japan and his wife are currently in the UK, making an official state visit to take part in the 60th anniversary celebration of Queen Elizabeth. The Emperor gave a speech thanking the British people for the warm assistance they rendered in the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunamis last year. Emperor Akihito -- oddly, many Japanese people don't know this name, as he's referred to by various formal labels in Japanese -- is 125th in an unbroken line of emperors dating back 2000 years. Each Emperor's reign is marked by an "era" name, like the Showa Period (1926-1989), when the current Emperor's father Hirohito reigned, and when you live in Japan you become quite adept at converting important dates to the Japanese system (for example, I was born in Showa 43, which translates to 1968). This year is Heisei 24, the 24th year of the reign of the current Emperor, but he recently underwent coronary bypass surgery, and it's becoming apparently that the Heisei Period might not go on for too many more years.

The Emperor, while kind of cool, cannot shoot lightning out of his hands.

Announcing the School Days HQ Collector's Edition

We've got an exciting announcement for you: we're finally ready to take the wraps off of the School Days Deluxe Collector's Edition, an awesome Japanese-style large boxed edition of the game with extra stuff inside, including an original oppai mouse pad by School Days artist Junji Goto, a keychain of Makoto and the game itself. This is really a special event in the history of English visual novels and eroge, and we're really happy to be bringing you such an awesome game in English with no changes from the original. If you already preordered the normal edition and want to change your order to the DX version, use the handy form we've set up here.

The Japanese Love of Ghosts

One surprising aspect of the Japanese is how superstitious they are, and there's a long list of "traditional folk beliefs" many Japanese subscribe to, some of which are quite colorful. Don't cut your fingernails at night, or you won't be able to be with your parents when they die. If you sneeze, it means someone is gossiping about you. Don't sleep with your head pointing north (kita-makura) or you will die, and so on. The world of ghosts is also quite popular, judging from the programs on Japanese TV which present shocking "proof" of the existence of these spirits all around us, or from the recent boom in ghost-related anime series. A person's sensitivity to these invisible apparitions is called reikan, and the Japanese believe that some people have the ability to sense these spirits while others don't. In the new anime Tasogare Otome x Amnesia (Dusk Maiden of Amnesia) there's a girl named Momoe who joins the school's Paranormal Investigation Club, but because she has no reikan (and is generally thick-headed), she can't see that the president of the club is the school's ghost, Yuko-san, despite the apparition sitting right in front of her. In my family my daughter is thought to have this ability to see ghosts -- she says she once saw a man dressed in a nice suit nod to her as she walked past a house one day, and we learned later that a man had died in the house the day before -- while I am blissfully ignorant of all paranormal activity around me.

Some people (like me) have zero sensitivity to ghosts.

Chopsticks and Japan

It's well known that the Japanese eat with chopsticks, and any dish featuring rice, noodles, fish etc. will generally be eaten with them. (Certain foods like curry rice or steak require Western silverware). Chopsticks are very easy to use: you just hold one stick between your middle finger and thumb, then hold the second with your forefinger and thumb so that you can create a "scissor" action that allows you to pick up food. The use of chopsticks is taught to children at around the age of three, and it's common for parents to want to make sure their kids learn to use them properly before they start preschool, making chopstick use one of the first forms of peer pressure children are subjected to in Japanese society. In Japan there's exactly "one" correct way to do things, a concept that extends to the holding of chopsticks as well, and it's common for conversations over beers at an izakaya restaurant to turn to how one of the members at the table is holding their chopsticks in a non-standard way. Incidentally, J-List stocks many kinds of chopsticks from Japan, including bamboo chopsticks with rough patches at the ends to make them easier to eat with and awesome training chopsticks. We also posted the most awesome Kitten Balancing Game, a game where you place cute little cat figures on furniture with chopsticks, being careful to avoid knocking them down.

Chopsticks are a big part of life in Japan.

Cool Products Friday, May 18, 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.

	Gorgeous Anime 'Noren' Door Curtains Restocked When we posted the Japanese anime noren curtains, which provide a great way to add a little privacy between rooms in your home, we had no idea how popular they'd be. It turns out that our customers love these Japanese door curtains, and bought our entire stock out. We've got many items back in stock today, including the stylish "string curtains" too. View products »
	Schick Hydro 5 ~ Five Bladed Shaver Evangelion The Eva girls love a clean-shaven man, so set their hearts ablaze with the an official Evangelion razor from Schick. Comes with a cute Rei or Asuka figure!
	UCC Canned Coffee w/ Figures Restocked Great news: we've gotten our hands on an additional shipment of the awesome UCC canned coffee + Evangelion figure, and at a special price.
	New 'I Have Few Friends' Prize Figures Cute figures of Yozora and Yukimura from I Have Few Friends are now in stock! Check out these gorgeous new figures which are ready to display.
	Kyoko Sakura Nendoroid Figure *Preorder* I am seriously loving the new Kyoko Sakura Nendoroid that just came in. So did our customers, since all but a few of our stock sold out to preorder customers.
	Revoltech Buddhist God Figures Komokuten  I have so much respect for Revoltech for making this awesome line of statues modeled after Buddhist statues. They're fully posable figures!
	Konekodarake Cat Balance Game This is great: like the popular Pandadarake Panda Balancing Game, but with cute kittens. Can you balance these cats with chopsticks?
	Kera June 2012 vol. 166 Get to know all about the world of Japanese Goth/Alternative fashion in this great monthly magazine, Kera. It's the voice of the Harajuku generation.
	Awesome Japanese Fashions Restocked Also in our fashion lineup, see restock of Gothic Lolita fashions, and cute, stylish tops from Y's Enterprise. Great for summer!
	Awesome 'Spats,' Other Cosplay Items A lot of anime characters wear "spats," a Japanese word that means spandex pants or bicycle shorts. See these and other cosplay items restocked.
	The SASS Wear ~ Cyclops A Japanese T-shirt designer in J-List's home prefecture has new design for you to browse, a really bold one. All profits are donated to rebuilding Tohoku.
	Quarterly Pixiv vol. 08 (Hatsune Miku Special) Great news for Hatsune Miku fans: we were able to get additional copies of the popular Pixiv artbook which comes with a limited figure. K- Kawaii!
	My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute PSP Limited On your PSP, play through the continuation of the story of Kirino and her secret otaku lifestyle.
	Cool Tiger & Bunny Products In Stock Amazing preorder products from the Tiger and Bunny franchise, like these figures and toys.
	Rilakkuma Face Mug Cup, Other Products Posted Enjoy your hot mug of coffee or hot chocolate with a bear who knows how to relax, Rilakkuma. Very cute, and in two varieties.
	Transformer Encore 22 Twin Cast Relive the epic Transformers series with this awesome figure of transforming boom box Twin Cast and his two cassette tape friends. Autobots, roll out!
	Star Wars Karuta & More In the "Gosh That's Cool" department we stock many Japanese Star Wars products. The new Star Wars Quote Karuta game rocks!
	Awesome Japanese Study Products Restocked If you really love Japanese culture and anime, then you'll want to improve your Japanese skill and one day live in Japan.
	Great Japan Books Posted Or you can learn about Japan in English with these great books about Japanese culture. Drinking in Japan, Tokyo on Foot and more.
	Today's New Japanese Snacks Every new J-List update is a great chance to meet up with some fun new Japanese treats, and today we've got extra nice items for you, including Fujiya Country Ma'am Green Tea soft cookies, Yubari Melon Caramels, plus many other products to sample. Try sorting the page by "most wishlisted" order to see what other customers are buying. View products »
	Takoyaki Traditional Food Drops & More We restocked Japanese "Food Drops" today, including Takoyaki from Osaka, Shirokuma Ice Cream from Kagoshima and Kobe Cheese Cake.
	Other Restocked J-Snacks Today's restocked snacks include spicy Tyrant Habanero snacks, UHA Puccho and Shigekix goodness, Hi-Chew x Fanta and the amazing "Fresh" Ramune candy.
	Anime Bento Boxes & More Restocked We love it when anime and bento come together, and we love the Pokemon Bento Box (ball...?) a lot. Restocked today!
	Pikachu Silicon Cake Mold, Bento Cup Mold And speaking of fun lunches, these silicon molds will let you shape your favorite snacks into cute Pikachu heads. Restocked today.
	Rilakkuma Bento Reusable Pick We've got more Rilakkuma bento goodness, this time in the form of kawaii bento picks that you can eat your meal with.
	Cute Sponge Overload Then see fresh stock of our Irresistibly Cute Japanese Sponges, and other kawaii items for your kitchen.
	ZEROHARI Paper Stitcher, Secure Stamper We always have fun stationery products from Japan. See the ZeroHari magic stapler, Secure Stamper for hiding personal info, and Japanese pens.
	Katori-Buta, Transforming Towels Restocked Wee great traditional items, incl. the Katori Buta mosquito coil-holding pig plus the "Magic Transforming Towel" that gives you a surprise when it gets wet.
	Haruhi 'No Normal Humans' T-Shirt If you're tired of hanging out with all those "normals," then try this original Haruhi T-shirt. Who knows? Maybe an alien will read it and say hi.
	Menma 1/8 Figure at Secret Base *Preorder* This is one of the most epic Menma figures released yet, showing our favorite moe ghost relaxing at the secret base with her diary.
	Rika & Yukimura Figure Twin Pack *Preorder* We're big fans of the "I Have Few Friends" (aka Haganai) anime, and love these new figures of ecchi science girl Rika and "trap" Yukimura.
	Kyoko Sakura, AnoNatsu Figures *Preorder* See other figures too, including the most gorgeous Kyoko figure I've seen and something special for fans of "Waiting in the Summer" (AnoNatsu).
	Glam ~ Urara Inoue This is a glossy photobook for fans of nude photography, Japan style, which means very high quality. The model is hot, and the photography is on the job.
	Twinkle Crusaders Passion Star Stream visual fanbook A gorgeous official artbook based on the popular eroge, this book is filled with amazing ecchi art for you to browse. Keep a tissue handy.
	Stress Relief for Tired Otakus J-List has restocked our popular parody onahole toys, based on cute moe characters from your favorite shows, like Haganai, Madoka and more.
	School Days HQ ~ Collector's Edition *Preorder* School Days is one of the best eroge titles ever created, an epic story of the complex love relationship between Makoto, the shy Kotonoha and the cheerful Sekai. Fully animated, the game is like no other, offering a complex gaming system with hundreds of choices. The game includes all the new "HQ" content and additional endings, and is fully uncensored. Preorder the standard edition or this DX one now! (Note, if you already preordered the game, you can switch to the Collector's Edition using this handy web form we've set up.) View products »