Japan, Conformity and Thanksgiving

I've written before about how Japan seems to be a very harmonious place, where people are more or less on the same wavelength about most things. While this leads to a happier, more stable society all around, it also creates a certain degree of "tyranny of the masses" in which, say, it becomes difficult to find low-fat milk in stores because the Japanese love to drink the 3.7% milk-fat stuff instead. Sadly for this time of year, the list of foods that are difficult to find in Japan includes turkey, which the Japanese never developed a habit of eating, and this can make trying to have a traditional Thanksgiving difficult for an American in Japan. We'll muddle through however -- I forsee a big bucket of KFC in my family's future.

Another example of Japan appearing perhaps "too" unified is the separation of gomi (trash), which becomes quite important when you have a country with half the population of the U.S. living in 1/25 the area. Depending on your city's local rules, trash must be separated into categories such as burnable -- called moeru, which sounds like an anime term although it's a different word altogether -- cans (steel and aluminum must be separate), plastics, "natural resource" items like PET bottles and newspapers, and "dangerous items" like light bulbs. Trash must be left in the designated place at 7:30 am, and the pick-up day for each kind of trash is different. Everyone will know if you're not careful enough at separating your trash, since people are required to use designated clear trash bags and (depending on local rules) write their names on the side. Not following the proper gomi procedures or trying to -- gasp! -- put your trash out the night before won't earn you a fine by the police or anything, but something much worse: the silent disapproval of your neighbors, which is a very difficult thing to bear.

Do you get this joke? Moeru sounds like a cool moe anime, although the kanji is different. Mr. Yaranaika is moenai gomi or something that I just can't get into, although the real meaning of moenai gomi is "trash that will not burn."

Japanese gomi comformity can be a challenge for anyone.

Get Married in the Georgian House

When you drive in the city of Takasaki, located next to J-List's home of Isesaki and the Gunma prefectural capital of Maebashi, you can tell there's something different about the place. The roads are much more cramped and narrow than normal, enough so that I actually get tired when driving there. The reason Takasaki's roads are much harder to navigate, I've been told, is that the city was never bombed during World War II, which meant that the city center was never redesigned to be more modern and easy to use. Driving in crowded Takasaki, therefore, you might be surprised to see a beautiful old-style manor home right near the train station, which looks like something transported from 18th century England. It's a wedding hall called The Georgian House, one of the most popular places to get married in our prefecture. Couples can choose exactly the kind of traditional British (?) wedding they want, complete with a ride in a Rolls-Royce. For extra realism, you can have your wedding ceremony performed by a gaijin minister, who oddly enough looks just like the guy who teaches English conversation around the corner -- imagine that.

You can get married in a beautiful 18th century British manor in Japan. Is this what British weddings are like?

Lucky Grab Bags, Much More from Japan

J-List is stocked to the brim with awesome products from Japan, which you can order and receive in plenty of time for Christmas. We've got rare toys, charming traditional products from Japan, awesome 2010 calendars, warm hoodies and T-shirts and fun Japanese snacks that'd be fun to give to others. Today we're posting our popular Fuku-bukuro, aka "Lucky Bag" grab-bags filled with random fun products at a great price, which are customers love. And more good news: Through Monday, we'll send you a coupon for $5 for every $100 you spend on the site as a special way of saying thanks to you.

I love using the Internet because it lets us interact with people from all over the world in a way that's very personal. I have embraced Twitter, and use it to throw out thoughts on Japan, anime and also J-List-related site news. You can follow my normal Twitter account, I've added some automated feeds that let you see when new products are added to J-List, including @jlist_anime (anime & toy items), @jlist_bento (bento related), @jlist_HK (Hello Kitty items), @jlist_snack (new snack items), and @jlist_18_books and @jlist_tenga (both NSFW). Just follow these feeds and see products as they pop onto the site.

Cool Products Wednesday, November 25, 2009

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.

	Fuku-Bukuro (Japanese Lucky Bags) Available Now! Fukubukuro (lit. "lucky bag") are the fun traditional grab bags Japanese stores sell around the end of the year. We've posted awesome Lucky Bags to the site today, with different groupings of random products. They'll be popular so browse now!
	Lucky Cat Yura Tama w/Sound What's cooler than a Lucky Cat? An egg-shaped Lucky Cat who weebles and wobbles but doesn't fall down. It also makes the cutest meowing electronic noise when you play with them. Three types to choose from.
	Ultra Jump Nov. 2009 A super issue of Ultra Jump, this is the 10th anniversary of the popular monthly manga comic, and features a special illustration by non other than Range Murata. 540 pages of awesome manga to enjoy, plus free stuff inside.
	Moe Moe Encyclopedia ~ Fairies, Magic The popular book series that educates you about various topics while it presents gorgeous moe moe characters continues, with information on the traditional fairies and other folk magical beings from around the world, plus all forms of magic. Megami (goddess) has also been restocked.
	Big Stocking of 2010 Calendars See the last stock of some of our most popular 2010 calendars, including Fullmetal Alchemist, Space Battleship Yamato, Valkyria Chronicles, Spice and Wolf, and Gackt. If you miss out on these you'll kick yourself, so browse now.
	Miku Hatsune Diva Miku T-shirts, More See fresh stock of the awesome official Miku Hatsune T-shirts from COSPA, unique shirts with beautiful designs. Also restocked are the Miku Hatsune official "wave" and "speaker" glasses.
	Pink High School Sailor Uniform See a fun new cosplay item on the J-List site: a kawaii pink colored sailor uniform that's great for any cosplay use, including your next anime convention. This complete costume set is very affordable, too.
	More Cosplay Items Restocked Then feast your eyes on the "skirt type" classic anime school swimsuit replica worn by Konata from Lucky Star, which just drips with awesomeness. Also, you can transform into your favorite K-On! character with our complete school uniforms, also restocked.
	J-List Supports Your Knee High Socks Life J-List loves the trend in "over knee socks" and short mini-skirts, and today we've restocked thighhighs plus several other fun items. If you find your socks fall down you can do what Japanese girls do and glue them in place with "socks glue."
	Fruits No. 148 Nov 2009 J-List customers know that we love to carry fashion magazines that capture the real street fashion of Harajuku. Click to see the new issue of FRUiTs along with other cool fashion magazines we stock.
	MP9 Digital Pocket Video Recorder 4GB Our popular pen that hides a video camera for recording full-frame movies has been upgraded, and now packs a hefty 4 GB of onboard memory. To access the video you recorded, just plug the pen into your computer's USB port.
	Hello Kitty Bangle Round Pink Face Wrist Watch We added some really elegant Hello Kitty watches to the site, which are beautifully designed and would look great with any outfits. Three different types, and they come in nice gift boxes.
	Lucky Mini DECO Scotch Tape This is cool: Lucky Cat tape that thanks you and wishes you good luck. Two different traditional types of Japanese tape, good for wrapping gifts.
	Electric Takoyaki Maker Our electric takoyaki maker sure was a hit with J-List customers, and today we've restocked it, hopefully with enough units for Christmas gifts. You can make traditional Osaka-style octopus balls, as well as "castella" cakes and other good things.
	Amazing New Snacks from Japan J-List loves to surprise our customers with fun snacks they don't expect to see. Today we've got Japan Kit Kat in Royal Milk Tea flavor (!), plus delicious DARS chocolate and Puccho Balls candies with ramune gummy inside.
	Kibidango (Okayama Limited) ~ Japanese Food Drops In the classic Japanese story, Momotaro befriends a dog, a monkey and a pheasant by giving them kibidango, a traditional dumpling served on a stick. Enjoy this unique taste in candy form now! Also see fresh stock of Okonomiyaki and Shochu food drops.
	Our Most Popular Bento Boxes The #1 selling bento box is the Hello Kitty "Wagara" Japanese Style Bento, which blends traditional awesomeness with Sanrio's iconic character. It's been restocked today, just in time for gift giving.
	Cute Bento Picks, Boiled Egg Shapers J-List customers love to make their bento lunches more fun with bento picks, which are both functional (you can eat with them) and beautiful. See fresh stock of some of our most popular bento picks, plus the Winnie the Pooh Boiled Egg Shaper.
	Bento Books, Bilingual Books Then, ekiben or bento lunches sold in train stations is one of my favorite things about Japan, and we've restocked the ultimate guide to train station bento. Also see the Doraemon bilingual comic and Japanese study books.
	Awesome Star Wars Products from Japan J-List has tons of Star Wars items from Japan, from traditional Star Wars items to the R2-D2 gum bottle to our Light Saber chopsticks. NOTE: the Star Wars chopsticks come in Dec 8, so we recommend EMS shipping.
	Ibuki 1/8 Scale Figure Excellent Model The word for "female ninja" is kunoichi or "nine-of-one" since hiragana "ku" and the number one "ichi" combine nicely to form the kanji for "woman." Click to see the awesome female ninja Ibuki and other ninja items.
	Unlock Your Inner Samurai Also: see fresh stock of authentic wooden geta sandals that we've restocked today -- great for anime cosplay or just being different as you walk down the street. See them on our Japanese Footwear page now.
	Lucky Cat Items from Japan We love Lucky Cat around here, and today we're posting a "Floating Lucky Cat" phone strap you can attach to your phone, camera, keys etc. Also see fresh stock of our awesome Lucky Cat Smile Family coin bank.
	JUZU Buddhist Prayer Beads, Omamori, More Japanese prayer beads are called juzu, and you can use them either for meditating your way to nirvana or as a cool fashion item. Also see the Red Dragon Omamori good luck charm.
	Authentic School Briefcase Don't look now, but we've restocked the Japanese school bag that's used by thousands of real high school students in Japan every day. Carry it to your Japanese class, or use it for some awesome cosplay. Since it's shipped by EMS, there's no problem getting it to you by Christmas.
	Alfin 1/8 Figure Designed by Noiji Ito *Preorder* This is a great figure of Alfin from an RPG called Shining Force Feather. The character is extra cool because she was designed by Noizi Ito, creator of Haruhi and Shana.
	Kasumi 1/6 Figure DOAXV2 *Preorder* Then, a positively gorgeous figure of Kasumi from the "Dead or Alive" beach volleyball games. Awesome detail, plus a large 1/6 size.
	COPIC Brush Pens & More Serious artists know that COPIC is the premier maker of high quality paper and pens. Today we're restocking the fude (brush type) Comic Liner pens, the A4 Marker Pad for quality writing or drawing, finger grips for working with documents, and more.
	TSUBASA -- Tsubasa Amami We love the high quality hardcover photobooks Japan is famous for, and this new offering from Futaba-sha featuring the smooth curves of up and coming AV Idol Tsubasa Amami. A startlingly beautiful woman.
	Amazing Japanese Nude Calendars Of course, J-List is loaded with great 2010 calendars, including many popular AV and photo idols who whose incredible photographs will delight you all year long. Click to view the stock of outstanding photographic calendars we have now.
	WV-5 -- Wireless Remote Control 5 Mode Vibrator A fantastic item from Japan's Toy's Heart maker, this is a wireless massager for women that's controlled via a separate keychain controller, allowing for all kinds of mischief. Strong motor, easily replacable batteries and excellent sense of design.
	Cat Girl Alliance *Preorder* Remember, our great PC dating-sim game Cat Girl Alliance is in beta testing and will ship soon. Best described as "cat girls with futanari" and other fun fetishes including anal. Preorder your copy now!

Macross Frontier Movie Report

It's not every day a Macross movie comes out, so my son and I headed down to our local theatre to check it out. It was the theatrical release of the Macross Frontier series, which tells the story of the 25th colonial fleet to depart after the final Zentraedi battle of 2009. The movie was great, with new animation , many changes to the story and characters, all the requisite "fan service" scenes, and since it's Macross, lots of new songs. (If it had been Star Trek, there'd be lots of new space anomalies.) As usual, it was fun to compare movie theatres in Japan with the ones back home. The theatre we were at was new and clean, and they offered little extras like lap blankets for customers who got cold in the theatre, and Yebisu beer at the concession stand, bless them. Japanese movies are expensive, however, costing $20 for an adult ticket at the current exchange rates, and the last showing is usually around 9:00 pm, since Japanese never got the habit of going to movies late at night. If you're the kind of person to laugh heartily at jokes, you might find yourself laughing alone, since Japanese are generally very quiet while viewing a movie.

The new Macross Frontier movie is great, with 90% all new animation compared to the series.

Seeing Japan Through One's Media of Choice

When I came to Japan in 1991, I brought with me a large body of knowledge of Japan's popular culture, from anime to manga to Ultraman. While it was nice to have this information handy, the reality was that the "true" Japan I encountered was -- of course -- not the same as the stylized world I'd seen. Many things I encountered here, like narrow streets or bankrupt pachinko parlors or shouting deranged men on trains were nowhere to be seen in the anime or manga that I'd consumed while learning Japanese. It's analogous to Japanese who learn English by watching Hollywood movies then wonder why Bruce Willis isn't hanging out on every street corner waiting to bust some bad guys. While there's probably no way to avoid this tendency to see Japan through your media of choice, my advice is to mix things up as much as you can by sampling different kinds of popular culture. Japan's dramas, while still presenting a stylized subset of the "real" Japan, might be a good place to start.

I'll bet you've never seen one of these babies in your favorite moe anime.

Handing Gifts in Japan

An American friend came to visit me over the weekend, and I drove to the train station to pick him up. Like me, he'd lived in Japan for quite a long time, and had unconsciously internalized the various customs all around him. He did what many Japanese do when visiting someone, bringing a gift (senbei crackers from his home prefecture), since going to see someone without a gift in hand is considered rude. When he gave the gift to me, I received it from him with both hands, inadvertently making a little bow of thanks, and this caused a few amused smiles by Japanese walking by, since seeing two gaijin doing a proper gift-handing isn't something you see everyday. Later, we went up to the mountains for some relaxing onsen bathing and talked. We spoke English, but switched to Japanese when a certain nihongo word or phrase fit the situation better. This proved irresistible to the Japanese bathers around us, who cranked their ears to listen in on our interesting conversation.

When you hand someone a gift (or business card) in Japan, always use both hands.

More Gift Ideas from J-List

J-List is receiving tons of orders as our customers all around the world scour our site for the perfect gift ideas. J-List is a really great place to find that special gift you're looking for because we've got such a range of fun "random" items from Japan, it's not hard to find something that will surprise and delight your receipient. Like cool Domo-kun figures, T-shirts and hats, our always-awesome selection of Totoro related products, fun and wacky Star Wars items from Japan, or one of the fun Japanese Snack Gift Sets we have on the site. Another way to find ideas is to scan the "top 50" rankings, which show you the top-selling anime toy, figure, 2010 calendar, T-shirt and hoody, bento, traditional and other items for the current week -- it's quite cool to see what other J-List customers are buying. What can J-List do for you right now?

Cool Products Monday, November 23, 2009

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 Magazine Dec 2009 New issue of Dengeki G's, the square-backed anime magazine that's filled with awesomeness if you love anime and bishoujo games. This magazine comes with a fabulous pencil case for Idol Master fans!
	Coro Coro Comic Oct 2009 J-List provides access to Japan in interesting ways, whether it's the latest wacky bento or magazines like Coro Coro, the official home of Pokemon and Doraemon. Enjoy the new issue, and free stuff! Two free manga, cards and other stuff inslde.
	Mameshiba Plush -- Green Pea There's nothing cuter than Mameshiba, the cute little character that are beans that look like shiba inu dogs, and which know a lot of odd trivia like, "a flamingo's mother's milk is pink." See cute plush toys in stock now.
	Kawaii Dot Room Shoes Then, one of the cutest pairs of slippers we've ever seen, these awesome "room shoes" (as the Japanese call them) are guaranteed to keep your feet toasty all winter long. May also be worn outside if you like.
	NINTENDO DSi LL ~ White ***Pre-Order*** Enjoy all your favorite Nintendo DS games on the new larger DSi LL, "LL" being Japanese for "extra large," which just came in stock. It's frankly the best DS ever, and you can order right away.
	Licca chan DS ~ Let's Study Girls' Lesson A fun fashion game similar to Poupeegirl in which you help Licca create the perfect wardrobe of fashionable clothes, accessories and more. Fun mini-games, the ability to create complex outfits and even hair styles make this game a great one.
	More Hello Kitty Porcelain Kimono Dolls The Hello Kitty kimono dolls we posted on Friday have been selling like hotcakes for the Holidays, and it's not hard to see why, as these are just about the coolest Hello Kitty items we've ever carried. See additional items in stock, including the dolls that come with protective cases.
	Solar Powered Sunshine Buddies Toys in San Diego Want to order some great gifts for the holidays but are in a hurry? We've added stock of some fabulous solar-powered "Hidamari no Tami" (aka Sunshine Buddies) toys from Tomy. In stock in San Diego, so no waiting.
	Transformers Encore 17 Cassette Toys For old school Transformers fans, we've got a treat: awesome transforming "cassette" Autobots and Decepticons, which you can display on your desk, or make them fight. In stock now, but as most stock sold to preorder customers, you should hurry on these.
	Evangelion Gothic Night Figures This is a set of two awesome "goth-loli" costumed figures from Evangelion, which both look great. Limited stock is available, so grab them before someone else does.
	Macross Frontier Calendar, Artbooks, Figures If you're a fan of the most awesome Macross series to come along in years, J-List has some cool items to show you, from the large glossy 2010 calendar to prepainted figures to the gorgeous artbooks we've got in stock now. We also recommend you consider the Macross Ultimate Frontier PSP game, simply the best anime game I've ever played.
	Amazing New Japanese Snacks Enjoy the Meiji Rich Strawberry chocolate, an incredible creation made with 70% fresh strawberries -- wow! -- plus two new varieties of Cho-Pan! and Pupurun deluxe gummy snacks.
	J-List Best Seller Snack Set for Stocking Stuffer Then, J-List has a treat for you for the Holidays: a new Best-Seller Snack Set that's just perfect for using as a stocking stuffer, bringing the joyful gift of the best snacks from Japan to someone special. Also great for office gifts!
	Jimami Tofu (Okinawa) ~ Japanese Food Drops Experience Japanese culture through its food with our Food Drops traditional candies. See the famous Okinawan "Jimami Tofu" added to the site today, plus fresh stock of Tokyo Noodle and Monjya-Yaki Drops from Tokyo and Salt Noodle and Seafood Drops from Hokkaido.
	Pocky Chocolate Parody Chopsticks Next, one of the most awesome products to come along in a while, these are high quality chopsticks that happen to look just like long Pocky snacks -- a fabulous idea! Choose from classic chocolate or strawberry.
	Zojirushi Warming Bento Box Designer Set If Louis Vuitton made a bento box, surely this is what it would look like. A high quality designer bento bag in pink or black which holds three separate containers for your white rice and other bento ingredients, this is the coolest and most stylish bento set we've ever carried.
	CANDIDE Slim Style Tight Bento Also for fans of sleek, beautiful bento boxes from Japan, see fresh stock of the Slim Style Bento, which has two tiers for your rice and the rest of your lunch, and features built-in chopsticks.
	Stand Style SHAMOJI / Rice Scoop When scooping rice, you need to use a rice scoop, called shamoji in Japanese. But where do you put the rice-covered scoop to keep it from getting dirty? Solve this problem with this handy stand-style rice scoop, which you can stand up vertically.
	Ghost in the Shell Bilingual Manga One of our most popular and long-selling products is back in stock. Features a brand new translation of the manga classic in both English and Japanese, and all altered pages from the English version corrected (all other versions cut or edit the pages in some way).
	Happy Earthen Bell ~ 2010 New Year Tiger Celebrate the Year of the Tiger with this cute ceramic bell that's super to display, or even consider hanging him on your Christmas tree as an ornament. Also: we've posted a cute new Solar Powered Chirimen Dog for good luck.
	Mini Lucky Cat Strap with Shoufuku Bag Phone straps from Japan are getting more and more popular, since we started selling iPhone cases that accept Japanese phone straps. This is a great Lucky Cat strap for bringing good luck.
	Fresh Stock of BUB Fizzing Bath Tablet One thing I love about Japan: no matter how busy I am, I spend 60-90 minutes in a hot bath. One way to make a bath special are the BUB fizzing tablets, essentially a giant Alka-Seltzer which makes your bath a Japanese onsen hot springs.
	Restocked Brush Calligraphy Sets, More Another fun gift idea from J-List. We've restocked both the complete shodo brush calligraphy sets, which give you everything you need to try your hand at Japanese/Chinese brush writing. They're perfect for giving to others.
	Restocked Traditional Items Then enjoy some awesome restocked Japanese items, including several Daruma dolls for good luck, the fabulous Sleeping Lucky Cat Chopstick Rest deluxe set, plus an awesome item, Lucky Cat Origami, which you make out of folded paper (and they come with English instructions).
	'I Like What I Like' - Girl's Fitted We love the unique kanji-themed T-shirts we sell, which feature fun and esoteric messages in Japanese. One of our most popular shirts for girls says, "I Like What I Like, so Get Off My Back" (it's taken from the title of a BL game). If you have any hobbies others might not understand, this shirt is for you! Printed in San Diego.
	Drossel Chou-Goukin Figure ~ Fire Ball *Preorder* Wow -- I already loved the Drossel figures we'd carried in the past, but this new version, a cho-goukin line offering, is made of metal. That's too cool for me to pass up -- how about you?
	Piyo Piyo Chick Chocobo *Preorder* Next a fun item for Final Fantasy fantasy fans: a toy version of Chocobo when he was a baby chick. Aww, that's kawaii! Preorder him now.
	Ryomou Shimei 1/6 Shunya Yamashita *Preorder* Master illustrator Shunya Yamashita has been busy again, redefining one of our favorite characters. This new Ryomou version is really amazing, sexy in a way that only a 3D prepainted figure of a 2D illustration can be. Big 1/6 scale, too!
	Fate Testarossa Figma Uniform ver. *Preorder* A super new version of Fate Testarossa in Figma form, this time she's wearing her school uniform. A really delightful figure that you can preorder now.
	Syo-Kei -- Haruna Hana 1st photobook Here's another gorgeous photobook from Japan, with a firm hardcover binding and fabulous glossy printed pages that are dedicated to communicating the beauty of Hana-chan. Click through and see the cover of this book -- is that a melon-skin bikini?
	Cast Off Figures in San Diego Got another present for you in San Diego: local stock of gorgeous anime figures you can order with no waiting for international shipping. Fabulous detail on these figures, which feature clothes that can be "reconfigured." Also see random stock of the choko figure today.
	Snow Sakura, a Great Game for Winter Want to visit Hokkaido and find love? Then enjoy Snow Sakura, the touching English-translated eroge that's great for this particular season. Includes beautiful characters to, ah, interact with, plus a sakura tree that blooms even in the cold of winter, and a great game story.

Heisei Dates

The other day my wife asked me, "Is it 2008? Or 2009? I forget." This would probably be difficult to do outside of Japan, but here it's possible here due to the Japanese calendar system, which marks years by the current Emperor. The current year is Heisei 21, the 21st year of the reign of Emperor Akihito -- although don't expect any Japanese to know that name, as he's always called "Emperor Heisei" in Japanese -- and any kind of official document will always refer to this year as Heisei 21 rather than 2009. Having two systems to remember important dates in can be a challenge -- for example, I came to Japan in Heisei 3 (1991), my kids were born in Heisei 7 and 8 (1995 and 1996), and my car's sha-ken (a maintenance check-up you have to get every 2 years) is due in March of Heisei 23 (2011).

Former PM stud-muffin Obuchi was the one to announce the Heisei era name.

The Three Historical Unifiers of Japan

The three most important names in Japanese history are the "three unifiers" who brought the country out of its chaotic "warring states" period, and today these three men are so popular that you can find self-help books on how to pattern your life after theirs. First was Nobunaga, who nearly unified the country before his death. He was famous for being calculating in everything he did, and if you manage yourself using the Nobunaga Method you divorce yourself from emotion in single-minded pursuit of your goal. Nobunaga's lieutenant Hideyoshi was a peasant who managed the unlikely feat of becoming the most powerful man in Japan. He excelled at forming social bonds with others, so if you live your life by the Hideyoshi Principle you should maintain close relationships with those around you. Finally there was Ieyasu Tokugawa, who defeated his enemies at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, becoming the Shogun ushering in 250 years of peace known as the Edo Period. He was famous for boldness tempered with caution, and also for working to build a "big tent," as he did when he allowed his former enemies to keep their fiefs after he defeated them. These famous names from Japan's history show up in popular culture in interesting places, for example re-imagined as characters in video games.

Japan's unifiers show up in popular culture in interesting places like video games.

Yakii-zuwari, or Squatting like a Yankee

Although I've been in Japan for 18 years, there are some things I've never really mastered, like eating nattou, the famous fermented soybeans that my kids love to have for breakfast. I can't read "air kanji" that a Japanese person will write with their finger, and I have trouble perceiving the secret messages Japanese see in numbers, like November 22nd being the official Happy Married Couples Day, since 11/22 can be read ii fuufu, meaning a married couple that's very close. I was also never able to master the Japanese art of yankii-zuwari, or "squatting like a yankee." In Japan there's a class of semi-delinquint young people who like to show their rebellious nature by dyeing their hair blonde (which usually comes out orange), and these people came to be called yankii, no doubt because they looked like Americans with their interestingly colored hair. There's a certain squatting pose these tough boys are famous for which is especially difficult for foreigners to pull off without rolling over like a daruma. The reason the Japanese can sit comfortably in this pose for hours is that Japanese-style toilets lack seats, and are basically flat recipticles you squat over to use, so these squatting muscles are well developed from a young age.

Can you "squat like a yankee"? It's hard to do without lifting your feet, which is cheating.

Gift Ideas for Christmas, Convention Announcement

There's almost an unlimited number of gift ideas at J-List. One good place to start looking might be ourextensive selection of Totoro and Ghibli products, or our new Hello Kitty & Sanrio page. In addition to our printable PDF J-List gift certificates, you can now give iTunes Japan Music Store credit as a gift to someone. Sometimes the best gifts are ones they don't expect, like wacky snacks or kawaii traditional items. You might help someone get started studying Japanese with our Japanese in Mangaland or our White Rabbit kanji flashcards -- it will certainly be a gift they remember for a long time. Of course, adding the J-List Wishlist Addition RSS feed to your RSS reader of choice is a great way to get a constant stream of random and fun items.

Will you be at Anime USA, the anime convention held in Arlington, vir---ia this weekend? If so, please come by the J-List booth and see our friends, who have tons of T-shirts, games, manga and more. Tell them Peter sent you and get free Japanese pocket tissue!

Cool Products Friday, November 20, 2009

Here are today's "really cool products" that I've picked out for you, out of the 30+ new items we've added to the J-List and JBOX.com sites today. Note that some products may be "not safe for work" but that all links will allow you to redirect yourself either to the J-List or JBOX.com websites. To see all the J-List products, check out J-List or the JBOX.com updated products link.

	Megami Magazine Dec 2009 Oh, glorious new issue of Megami, how much do we love you? As usual, the new issue is loaded with giant color posters for you to drool over and hang on your wall. Take note: because Megami is a popular monthly subscription magazine, most issues already sold, so we don't have that much stock left over.
	Japanese T-Shirt - Afterschool Tea Time When it comes to creating awesome anime T-shirts like our popular tsundere offering, please don't say we are lazy! Today we have a new shirt just for K-On! fans, complete with a cool Beatles-esque font.
	Momotaro Moehon White -- KEI Then, see a classic Japanese story illustrated by non other than KEI, the creator of Miku Hatsune. It's the tale of Momotaro, or Peach Boy, and it's a great hardcover artbook for you to collect.
	More Training with Hinako Training with Hinako is the ultimate exercise video for us otaku types, featuring the hard workouts of Hinako, the cute and sexy girl who seems ready to fall out of her workout clothes at any moment, The official artbook of the video has just come in stock!
	Youkai Daizukan ~ Shigeru Mizuki Japan highly stylized world of yokai or "folk monsters" is simply fascinating, and this is a new book featuring all the scary creations of Ge Ge Ge Kitaro creator Shigeru Mizuki, complete with cross-sections of the demons and spirits.
	Gift Certificates, iTunes We've officially turned on the "Santa Megumi" picture for our J-List Gift Certificates, since the Holidays are getting closer. This year we've got a new option for you: the ability to send a printable and emailable iTunes Japan gift certificate to that special person!
	Little Devil Ageha ~ Koakuma Ageha Nov 2009 Super new issue of the perfect-bound Little Devil Ageha, for fans of the super-glitzy fashionable girls of Shibuya, which grew out of Tokyo's "cabaret club" fashion culture.
	GATSBY ~ Men's Hair Wax / Spiky Edge The most popular product for guys in Japan is the Men's Hair Wax from Gatsby, which we've restocked today. Several awesome colors and varieties to try!
	Blazer High School Uniform Here's another item for your cosplay collection, a standard "blazer type" school uniform that's great for anyone who wants to transform themselves into a real Japanese high school girl but want a more affordable option than our Matsukameya of Nagoya offerings.
	HANTEN ~ Warm Winter Kimono ~ Blue I beat the cold in the winter by wearing a hanten just like this. It's basically a warm short kimono that's worn over your cloths or pajamas, and it's really toasty and warm. See the LL-sized hanten we've posted to the site today.
	Hello Kitty Kimono Dolls Also, I'm overjoyed to announce that the Hello Kitty Japanese Dolls, high quality ceramic kimono dolls for displaying, are back in stock after a long absence. A superb item for your Holiday list.
	Kimono Hello Kitty x TAIKO Display Mirror Also, here are some fabulous mirrors for displaying which feature etched traditional images of Hello Kitty on the backs. They come in beautiful boxes and are great for giving as gifts, too.
	Lotte Koala no March Hand Warmer This is a cute item, a kairo Japanese hand warmer that provides heat for hours and hours. It's shaped like the delicious Koala no Match chocolate cookies from Lotte.
	Pretty Cure All Stars DX An excellent color comic for fans of Precure (Pretty Cure), this gorgeous 190 page book creates a great manga experience from the popular anime series.
	New Snacks From Japan I'm sure you've often thought to yourself, "Why doesn't Kit Kat come in ginger ale flavor?" Well, we've got you covered today with the new Kit Kat we're posting, plus teriyaki chicken Jagarico potato snacks and a new Fuwarinka soft collagen candy.
	Ningyo Yaki (Tokyo Limited) ~ Japanese Food Drops Ningyo-yaki is a kind of traditional Japanese molded cake, a popular food sold in Asakusa, Tokyo. Also, see Sapporo Beer Drops, Baked Corn and Soy Sauce, Hokkaido Jyaga Butter and Tonkotsu Noodle flavors restocked.
	Happy Animal Blue 2 Tier Bento Boxes Looking for a fun starter bento? We've gotten in two cute "Happy Animal" bento boxes that have two tiers and which have many features.
	Bento Elastic Bands, Bento Bags Also: J-List stocks many bento accessories like bento bags, bento belts to keep your lunch securely shut and more. Browse the new items on our newly reorganized Bento Accessories page.
	Various Bento Items Restocked See some fun items restocked bento related accessories, including the Sand de Panda and Panda Sandwich Case for eating Japanese-style sandwiches, plus the elegant "Mottainai" bento box and Waku Waku! Character no Bento book.
	Hello Kitty Special BENTO Making Set See fresh stock of one of the most excellent Hello Kitty bento items ever, a collection of all the best accessories for making the most awesome and kawaii boxed lunch ever. Freshly restocked today.
	Studio Ghibli Ceramic Music Boxes Got another treat for you just in time for Christmas: a big restocking of the ceramic Totoro and Ghibli music boxes, which are fabulous for any fan of the works of Hayao Miyazaki.
	Crystal Pantograph USB Keyboard -- Black ~ Elecom From Elecom, a really gorgeous USB keyboard with "black crystal" keys that make it one of the most awesome we've ever seen.
	Unazukin Toys & More in San Diego Then: some awesome "surprise stock" of the Unazukin interactive toys which nod yes or shake their heads no when you talk to them, in stock in San Diego. Also, the last-ever stock of the Miku Hatsune soft leeks. Don't let them get away...
	Updated Images for 2010 Calendars We've got a huge stock of awesome calendars from Japan, and to help you pick the one(s) you want, we've been updating the calendar pictures. See the newest calendars here, but make sure you get yours before the ones you want sell out.
	Lucky Cat Tea Cups See many restocked traditional items, including many that would be great for giving as gifts. We've got the Lucky Cat Tea Cups, Sushi Non-slip Chopstick Set, 5 Ukiyoe Chopsticks with Gift Box, and the Japanese Paper Doll Omamori with 5 Yen Coin for good luck.
	Nero 1/10 Figure ~ Devil May Cry 4 *Preorder* Friggin' cool gothic figure of Nero from Devil May Cry, which has been posted to the site for your consideration today.
	Revoltech Full Metal Panic Toys *Preorder* Revoltech is fast becoming my favorite figure company because they have the most awesome highly posable toys. See two mechs from Full Metal Panic today.
	Yuko no Arienai Nichijo -- Yuko Oshima AKB48 Next, popular idol group AKB48's start continues to rise, and today we're posting the first photobook of Yuko Oshima, one of the most charming girls we've seen. Naturally, the printing quality of this is book is incredibly high.
	Moero Downhill Night on CD-ROM or Download What's better than fast-paced mountain racing, turn scream of rubber on the road as you move to take the lead against your opponent at the next S-curve? The knowledge that you'll win the heart of a beautiful girl when you reach the finish line.
	Sora Izumi Cast off Swimsuit Figure *Preorder* What's better than "cast off" anime figures with clothes you can remove? Having those clothes look and feel just like real clothes, like the soft rubber school swimsuit that this figure wears.

The Far East Network: The Voice of America in Japan

You've been in Japan too long when you air-drum in your car while listening to the U.S. Military radio news opening, which goes "here's what happening...around the Kanto Plain." The primary source of English-language radio in the Tokyo area is the Far East Network (now known as American Forces Network-Japan), the AM radio station that serves the U.S. military forces stationed in Japan, and it's a staple of civilian gaijin who want to listen to the radio in English, too. In addition to NPR news and various other programming, FEN serves up top forty and country music countdowns on the weekend which I'd listen to when I got homesick. Because it's a non-profit station, in place of radio commercials they play short pieces on "our proud military heritage" which give interesting tidbits of military history from the past. The U.S. maintains dozens of military bases in Japan, especially in the Yokosuka area near Yokohama, on Okinawa and also in Sasebo, Nagasaki, where those delicious hamburgers come from.

The Far East Network has been the voice of America in Japan since the Occupation.

Mixing Japanese and English Grammer

Because the Japanese generally study six years of English during junior high and high school, there's a tendency for English vocabulary and grammar to "leak" into the Japanese language, resulting in some interesting new creations. In my last update I wrote that my wife is a shikaku getter or a person who loves to "get" random qualifications, like her forklift operator's license. The word "getter" (one who gets something) doesn't exist in English, yet it's quite a logical idea once you get around the mental lock your brain tries to impose on nonsensical words. Often the English-er suffix added to Japanese words to imply "a person who likes something," like mayoler meaning a person who likes mayonnaise a lot, or tsunderer, which would be a word for a person who loves tsundere anime characters. The Japanese will often take the "tic" ending of words like "romantic" and attach it to new words, resulting in new slang creations like manga-chikku (as "tic" is pronounced in Japanese, for phonetic reasons), meaning "just like something out of a manga story."

The Japanese word for someone who loves mayonnaise is mayoler.