My Trip to a Japanese Internment Camp

I like living in Japan a lot, but one aspect of my adopted country I'm not a fan of is the way everything is so tightly structured, with concrete and asphalt and traffic lights and social rules locking everyone in place. So while I'm in the U.S. during the summer months, I like to try to do things that are as far from my life in Japan as I can, like randomly heading out for a nice long drive through the desert in my 2002 Miata convertible. This weekend I took a spontaneous trip to Reno, Nevada, since this is my last free weekend before we start the summer anime conventions, and had a nice relaxing time on the road, drinking in the scenery around me as I drove, anime tunes playing on the iPod.

On my drive up route 395, I passed by the Manzanar War Relocation Center, and knew I had to stop for a visit. Manzanar was the most famous of ten internment camps constructed during World War II to inter 120,000 "enemy" Japanese (two-thirds of whom were full U.S. citizens). During the war, the U.S. government issued an order to remove Japanese citizens and Americans of Japanese descent from the Pacific states (though not from Hawaii), which disrupted the lives of countless people. In addition, thousands of Nikkei from South American nations including Peru were brought to the U.S. and put in the camps. Now Manzanar has been transformed into a historical monument with an excellent museum and reconstructed barracks you can walk through to see what it must have been like for the poor people who had lived and worked there, weaving camouflage netting for the U.S. troops to use. It was a sobering experience, and I recommend you visit if you're ever passing through. (Incidentally George Takei, who played Mr. Sulu on Star Trek, spent several years at a similar camp as a boy.)

I took a trip to a Japanese internment camp.

Fun T-Shirts @ J-List

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 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.

Japan vs. the Internet

It was reported last week that the Japanese Diet had passed a new law that outlawed various forms of Internet filesharing as well as ripping of DVD or Blu-ray media. Like all countries, Japan's had a tough time dealing with changes that the Internet has brought, including unauthorized sharing of copyrighted files which impacts industries like the anime and games that we all love so much. Now Japanese lawmakers are attempting to assign jail time to users who knowingly download copyrighted files in order to reign things in if they can. One reason I'm sad that Japan's government has gone this route is, I know how unlikely a reasonable legal challenge to the law by average citizens will be, due to the fact that there are no lawyers in Japan...or more accurately, to the way that lawyers and lawsuits never effect any kind of social change in Japan, as they do in the U.S. I'm not too worried about the proposed law, though, thanks to the grand Japanese tradition of honne and tatemae (hon-NEH and tah-teh-MAH-eh), two words that essentially mean "the way things really are" and "the way we pretend them to be," respectively. In the same way that soaplands (a place where a guy can go to have a woman, er, wash him thoroughly) are illegal, yet there's a famous one located right behind a police station in Shibuya, not much will actually change.

Japan's government attempts to reign in filesharing

Cool Products Monday, June 25, 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.

	School Days Original Strap and other items School Days fans, check out this original cell phone strap featuring cute chibi art of Sekai and Kotonoha. The release of School Days is a really special event for all fans of English eroge, and we want to make sure you can get some of the awesome rare products usually only available to Japanese fans. (And the game is shipping really soon too.) View products »
	Zukai Bicycle Shojo A super cool new moe encyclopedia artbook, this time focusing on bikes! Features cute art from 11 talented illustrators. Over 140 pages.
	Megami Magazine Deluxe vol. 18 We love Megami Deluxe, the moe magazine with nothing but gorgeous full-page illustrations inside for you to drool over. Vol 18 is back in stock today.
	Cure Aug 2012 vol. 107 The new J-Rock and Visual-key culture magazine, Cure vol. 107 is here. Punk and Gothic style fans, don't miss it!
	Fun Cosplau Products Restocked We have lots of top quality cosplay products on the site for you today, including fun school bags just like you see in anime. So stylish and awesome!
	Gorgeous Touhou Manga Posted A great new Touhou illustrated book, beautifully printed on each page. Also enjoy fresh stock of the doujin Touhou games.
	Awesome Pokemon Stationery Items! We've got cute Pokemon stationery items in stock, including an awesome way to carry your pens in Pokemon cuteness, plus a Pocket Monster notebook.
	Rilakkuma Bath Mat A wonderful Rilakkuma Bath Mat for your home, with Rilakkuma's cute face on it. Dedicated to all fans of Rilakkuma. This is so cute.
	Epic Nyanpire Plush Toys Restocked What's cuter than a cat? A cat who's also a cute vampire, as in the Nyanpire anime series. See our popular coffee cup plus several plush toys back on the site.
	Smile Slime Mug Cup Lone Metal We love classic video games, and Dragon Quest will always be near our hearts. Click to see today's new Smile Slime mug cups posted to the site.
	Factory Moe F ~ Kojo Moe F This unique photobook by photographer Tetsu Ishii showcases Japan's most amazing factory complexes and assembly lines. The beauty of industry.
	Julie Samurai Girl Photobooks Restocked A very cool photography and illustration artbook that shows off the Japanese world of wacky otaku and moe sub-culture. All pictures arranged by the nerdy model!
	K-ON! After School Live!! ~ PS3 HD Ver The super-popular K-On rhythm game is now available on your PS3! Join the girls as they power through all your favorite songs from the series.
	Anime Games for PSP and PS3 Then see a large restocking of our most popular anime games for consoles, incl. PapaKiki, Steins;Gate, Mahjong Dream Club, OreImo and more.
	Super Amazing Japanese Pens Posted Why write with a normal pen when you can write with this cool crab pen? We've posted a dozen or more Japanese pens to the site!
	Many Japanese Notebooks Restocked Are Japanese students better at studying because they have the right notebooks, or do they have the right notebooks to improve their studying?
	New and Restocked Totoro & Ghibli Products Enjoy some of our favorite Totoro and Ghibli products, including Jiji no Sanpo plush toys and mascot keychain plus our classic Soot Sprite plush.
	Japanese Skin Care Products Posted If you haven't tried the awesome Japanese skincare products we stock, what are you waiting for? Sake Skin Cream, Charcoal Wash and more.
	Star Wars Silicon Ice Cube Trays Restocked Why drink with boring normal ice cubes when Han Solo in Carbonite can float in your class instead?
	Super Mario Power Up Slippers, More Get that extra boost in your step in the morning, what a power-up for your feet. These mushroom room slippers to super comfy and cool. Selling fast though.
	Nabisco Oreo Soft Cookies Banana Milk, More! Enjoy delicious Oreos in new Japan-exclusive flavors like Banana Milk, plus other tasty cookies, caramels, gummies, and more!
	Restocked Japanese Snacks Enjoy Fujiya Milky Green Tea Candies, plus Kracie Decotte Candy, One Piece Anime Gummy, Pokemon Candy plus authentic Ninja Food.
	Traditional Bento Boxes Restocked When you want to show off your lunch to your co-workers or friends, do it with a box that will awe and impress. Several nice ones restocked today.
	Other Awesome Bento & Kitchen Items Then enjoy some random products for bento and kitchen fans, including the Nori Punch cutters, ABC Bento cutters, Stamp Sandwich Makers and more.
	Lucky Owl Products from Japan Owls are considered lucky because their name fukurou has the sound fuku (good fortune) in it. Here are some awesome traditional owl products from Japan!
	Big Restocking of Traditional Kimonos & More Wow, our popular Japanese yukata for men and women are restocked just in time for summer, plus other traditional items restocked.
	Shiny SAKURA Green Tea Container A wonderful new addition to our traditional dishware catalog, a Shiny Sakura-themed Green Tea container for your Tea service.
	Traditional Boxes, Other Items Restocked Some amazing Japanese products that feature an air of traditional flavor, like bento boxes, jewelry boxes, interior design plus other cool items.
	Dakara Boku wa H ga Dekinai Mini Towel Get in on the hot fanservice action with this sexy towel from upcoming fanservice anime Dakara Boku wa H ga Dekinai.
	RIO:bone Yoh Asakura & Koubaku Fans of awesome shonen manga, check out this action figure of Shaman King protagonist Yoh Asakura and his Oversoul White Swan.
	Ichika Takatsuki 1/7 Figure Swimsuits AnoNatsu You've never seen an alien as sexy as this! Have AnoNatsu's Ichika all to yourself with this beautiful swimsuit figure. This is priority one!
	Kureha Sakamachi Cast-Off Figure Mayo-Chiki! Mayo Chiki fans, here's a cute figure of an only slightly insane-looking Kureha dressed for a day at the beach. Just the thing to inject some spice into your life.
	Sun Shower ~ Riho Hasegawa 1st photobook A deliciously beautiful artbook featuring the silky smooth body of Riho Hasegawa. A remarkably delicious Japanese AV idol!
	Super Awesome Ero Artbooks We stock epic H-artbooks that you should know about, like the legendary Satoshi Urushihara work that will make you feel warm inside.
	TENGA ~ Deep Throat Cup Special Cool Edition The summer limited Cool TENGA series are here, coming with a lubricant lotion including menthol, for a refreshing feel and stress relief!
	Groomin - Stealth Onahole for men Hairwax you say? No. This is a new stealth stress relief toy for men hidden in a small Hairwax container! The very discreet Onahole!
	Black Rock Shooter Parody, Other Onahole Toys We also restocked some of our favorite parody onahole toys, including Black Rock Shooter and the "A Certain Magical Index" and "Railgun" toys.
	Onahole Toys Based on JAV Stars Here's a deluxe meiki style onahole based on the red-hot AV star Chika Eiro. Great for private "anatomy lessons" and lowering your personal stress.
	Secret Wives' Club for NTR? NTR is a slang word meaning netorare or cuckoldry, e.g. the fetish of one's woman being taken by another man. Great game with hot graphics!
	MAGICAL GIRL ISUKA DVD-BOX (Region 2)  Lilith makes some of the juiciest hentai anime around. Here's a 90-minute DVD set starring a sexy magical girl and her tentacled captors.

Urban Legends and Totoro

As with any culture, the Japanese are susceptible to urban legends, the (usually mistaken) beliefs that people seem to accept because everyone else believes them. For example, there's a persistent conviction in Japan that the "Lucky Strike" cigarette logo is supposed to represent the mushroom cloud over Hiroshima as seen from above, although the logo has actually been in use for a quarter century. Then there's the odd urban legend, still hotly debated on Japanese websites, that there's a dark tale hidden inside the classic My Neighbor Totoro. It's almost certainly wrong, but may nevertheless be interesting if for no other reason than as a study of how ideas like this spring into being. It might be disturbing to some Totoro fans, so I'm hiding the paragraph. Highlight if you want to read.

According to the theory, Totoro (whose name may have come from a child's mistaken attempt at pronouncing the English word "troll" from the classic Billy Goats Gruff story) is really a shinigami (god of death) who has come to collect Mei. When Mei goes missing she actually dies by falling into a ride paddy and drowning, and when Satsuki asks Totoro, "Please take me to where Mei is!" she too, is brought to the land of death. (Some say that after this scene no shadows are drawn under the girls, though it's hard to tell for sure.) There are similarities to an event called the Sayama Incident on which a girl was tragically murdered on May 1, 1963. The names of Mei ("May") and Satsuki (the old name for the month of May, before Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar) both seem to mirror this. There's also a scene where the old lady is drinking tea with "Sayama Tea" written on it, which seems like a definite reference. Finally, in the last scene of the film, if the girls are not dead, why don't they go to talk to their mother?

Where Totoros really come from.

Japanese Love English Grammar

The Japanese, of course, spend a lot of energy learning English, with most taking six years of the language, or up to ten if they take it at university. While Japanese generally aren't the most effective speakers of English, most of them have a cerebral knowledge of the grammar of the language, quite possibly surpassing many of us. Depending on your background, you probably aren't up on what the difference between infinitive and gerunds is linguistically, and never consciously wonder if you should use a "past perfect continuous" verb when speaking or if you can get away with a "conditional progressive" form instead, but many Japanese people do. They're so analytical when it comes to English grammar that I was banned from helping my son when he was studying for his high school entrance exam, being told my natural, living English had no place on a Japanese style test. I have a Japanese friend who's an English teacher, and he always hits me up with questions like, what are the quantitative differences between "should" and "ought to." I tell him they both sound about the same to my ear, but this drives him crazy.

Japanese have extensive knowledge of English grammar.

Communal Cups and Japan

I've done my best to understand the Japanese in the 20 years I've lived in the country, and while I've made progress, there are still some questions that nag at me. Why do they think that hot dogs are the perfect breakfast food? They're a popular morning item at McDonald's, and whenever I get a pack from the Costco that opened near J-List, my wife serves them to me for breakfast every morning. Why does pizza with corn, squid and mayonnaise exist? (It really does.) Why do Japanese think traffic lights turn "blue"? Finally, how can the Japanese be the cleanest and most hygienic people in the world, yet be okay with drinking from communal water cups at Shinto shrines? It's something every foreigner who visits Japan encounters: beautiful long-handled cups of metal or bamboo...which hundreds of people use to drink from each hour. The communal drinking cup thing isn't limited to picturesque shrines: most public restrooms will have an old plastic cup caked with calcium deposits that's supposedly for everyone to use when they want to have a drink of water. At the gym I go to, they raise the "what?" bar even higher by providing a box of communal towels for wiping the sweat off your body if you want to work out but somehow forgot to bring your own towel. They're laundered each day, but still, I could never bring myself to use one.

Drinking from communal cups in Japan.

Join us on Facebook or Twitter

We love services like Twitter and Facebook which let us reach out and connect with our fans, and if you're on either service, be sure and follow and/or "like" us. In addition to posting about new J-List site updates, I post random pictures which people seem to find interesting, ask what Japan-related questions people would like to see me write about, and post my "random nihongo" observations as I think of them.

Cool Products Friday, June 22, 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.

	Hiragana Times July 2012 NO. 309 The new issue of Hiragana Times is here, as always combining great culture articles with Japanese language exercises. As usual we recommend this great magazine to anyone who wants to learn Japanese (either seriously or more casually), as well as people who want to read bilingual articles about current events in Japan. View products »
	Pokemon Pikachu 3D Kumu Kumu Puzzle This is a 3D Pikachu Puzzle that will stand as a great Pikachu figure once assembled. 35 pieces. official Pokemon product.
	Let's be a Toilet Man/Woman A totally awesome wacky item like J-List loves to carry. This is crazy toilet hat! Complete with the lid and fake poop!
	Kotonoha Katsura T-Shirt School Days fans, check out this awesome T-shirt featuring Kotonoha in an adorable maid costume! A rare limited item from Japan.
	School Days Sports Towel Then we have a fun official School Days towel, an awesome item for all your favorite aerobic activities. Features the School Days logo.
	Reimu Hakurei and Patchouli Knowledge Beautiful new figures for Touhou fans are now available for preorder. These Reimu and Patchouli figures will take your breath away.
	Nendoroid Complete File For fans of all things kawaii, we have a Nendoroid photobook (Saber Nendoroid included) which is to die for. Click to see the fun items.
	Nyanpire Plush Pukuramu An awesome waterproof Nyanpire plush that inflates as you put it in water! Get one of these cool transforming plushes today.
	Other Nyanpire Products Restocked We have restocked Nyanpire products too, including the Nyanpire Face Kinchaku Bag, plus our most popular bento and chopstocks!
	Angel Nurse ~ Pink Here's a great nurse outfit for performing all kinds of fun and sexy cosplay. Includes everything you need to look kawaii. Twintails sold separately.
	Tsunagi One-Piece ~ Gray Another elegant Japan fashion item from J-List, a one-piece outfit that's totally cool. Casual and fashionable!
	Kawaii 'Loose Socks' from Japan Great for cosplay, but also great fun just to wear -- these are the socks Japanese school girls wear to get that unique baggy sock look.
	Shimapan, Other Cosplay Items Restocked Next we've restocked some interesting shimapan and sukumizu (school swimsuits) in all sizes, including 5L for "trap" fans because, why not?
	Japanese School Bags, Cosplay Items Our popular high school bookbags are back in stock, great for creating that special cosplay outfit or carrying your books.
	Restocked Science Kits for Adults Build a working planetarium in your bedroom, an awesome real Theremin musical instrument, plus the most amazing Theo Jansen Mini Rhinoceros moving work of art.
	Fun Items for Summer from Japan! Get into the spirit of summer when you put on a pair of Japanese Jinbei summer kimono-pajamas, plus authentic Katori-Senko for killing mosquitoes.
	Samurai Sword Toy & More A traditional souvenir from Japan, this is an imitation of a short Samurai katana! Also, a really awesome chirimen box from Kyoto to hold your stuff.
	AKIBA'S TRIP PLUS Enjoy a fusion of 3D battles, adventure interaction and AKIBAtic exploration in this innovative new game for the PSP!
	Jewelry Making Sticker Pens Restocked We carry a lot of fun crafts on J-List, and the popular pens that allow you to make your own stickers for decorating stuff are back in stock.
	Wacky Pens from Japan Just when you thought J-List had run out of interesting pens from Japan to post to our site...we go and restocked the injection needle & crab leg pens!
	Frog Fuwa Fuwa Pouch Nice, this is a really cute all-purpose pouch with zipper for anyone who loves kawaii frogs from Japan.
	Driving Beginner's Mark Show everyone you're into Japan with this cool Beginner's Mark, a magnetic sticker you stick to your car's metal surface or window.
	Lots of New Snacks from Japan Made with 100% fruit juice and no artificial colorings or ingredients, you'll enjoy these tropical fruits and lemon gummies from Japan. Also new Furikake!
	Morinaga Salt Butter Caramel Another wonderful treat from Japan, the famous Morinaga Salt Butter Carmel, a delicious sweet caramel with over 100 years of history.
	Restocked J-Snacks Too We've got Japan-made Oreo cookies, traditional Pure Mist candy, UHA Puccho Ball Ramune, Glico Takoyaki and Pudding Pretz w/sauce, and more.
	Ball Series Colored Aluminum Foil for Rice Ball A collection of aluminum foil sheets for wrapping onigiri rice balls that turns them into fun baseballs, soccer balls, and basketballs.
	Lucky Owl Yellow Wood 2 Tier Bento A superb wood lacquered 2 Tier Bento box with a gold lucky owl print on top of it, a smart and stylish way to carry your lunch at school or work.
	Beautiful Bento Boxes & Chopsticks from Hakoya We also found some other fun traditional bento boxes to restock, including large sized elegant bentos for men to eat with.
	Fruits Measuring Spoon & Beans Container Add some colorful fun to your kitchen with these measuring spoons shaped like delicious fruit. Also, we restocked some random cute bento boxes.
	Face Masks, Skin Products from Japan From great health masks from Japan to the best skin and hair products from Gatsby, we've got plenty of great items restocked.
	Tiger & Bunny Preorder Figures and More If you're a fan of Tiger and Bunny, we recommend you click the link because we have those delightful figures in stock for you today.
	Ohana Matsumae 1/8 Figure *Preorder* Top figure designer Alter presents a beautiful rendition of Nao Matsumae, the cute heroine of Hanasaku Iroha.
	Shaomei 1/7 Figure ~ Shining Hearts *Preorder* From Sega's hit RPG Shining Hearts comes an exquisite figure of adorable catgirl Shaomei. So sexy, in a Tony Taka sort of way.
	Finally, Even More Preorder Figures Then see many other items posted, including Pleades Subaru, DC Comics Power Girl, Spirited Away Hanafuda and re-issues of other epic figures.
	Toro Toro vol. 9, New Bachelor If you're into Mature Japanese women, young wives and hot MILFs, this issue of Toro Toro will melt you. Also the new Bachelor for hot gaijin girls!
	Takamichi Summer Works Popular illustrator Takamichi presents a 180-page compilation of beautiful artwork starring cute girls in an idyllic summer setting.
	Gush July 2012 It's time for another extra thick issue of the Boy's Love Manga Magazine GUSH, for a Sweet and Happy Boy's Love Life.
	Tamaki Kousaka Figure Vacation Toheart2 always captures our attention, with the very sexy character designs. This figure is just candy like candy for your eyes, in now in stock!
	Magical Girl & 'I Have Few Friends' Parody Toys Enjoy premium healing with the Madoka Magika DX onahole toys, plus a really outstanding item for fans of Sena from Haganai. Click to see them now.
	Restocked Onahole + Pantsu Toys I happen to be re-playing Love Plus on the Nintendo 3DS, and seeing this great item made me smile. Nene can be yours tonight.
	Awesome Japanese Lotions Too Personal lotion from Japan is the best in the world, and we've restocked several kinds, including the official (?) lotion of Kuroneko from Oreimo.
	Restocked Import Eroge Too We have Sora to Kumo to Kimi to Koi, the limited edition, Happy Family Club, Draculus, Futari wa My Angel, Record of Hero's War plus the awesome Shiny Days (School Days sequel).
	Great H-Games by Internet Download, Package J-List has tons of English-language eroge too, like the famous Sagara Family, one of the most beloved English titles ever. Choose CD-ROM or Internet download!
	Super Idol 8 Hours Haruki Sato Hot AV idol Haruki Sato is one of the hottest things in the industry, time to discover her talents in this 8 hours original Blu-ray production.
	Pretty Shimapan Girls Best 4 Hours Japanese AV studio TMA presents 8 hours of the best Shimapan (stripe panty) in this superb HD Blu-ray edition, coming with a stripe panty!