$70 for a Captain Santa T-shirt, and parent's day at my son's new English school

You've been in Japan too long when you pay over $70 for a Captain Santa T-shirt and realize a few days later how much you really spent. It's true: despite the "deflation" you might have heard about -- which was mainly companies increasing their efficiency during the recession years and passing the savings on to consumers -- Japan can be an expensive place. Virtually everything, from construction materials to gasoline (which is the equivalent of $4.50 a gallon now), is priceier here then in other parts of the world, and food costs consume a quarter of the average household budget. One problem is that the ways goods are sold in Japan is still too structured, with products coming into the hands of consumers through established routes and multiple levels of distribution, which adds to the prices. But there's something about living in Japan that compels a person to want to own things he wouldn't otherwise bother with, like the above-mentioned T-shirt I bought in 1992 featuring Captain Santa, a line of high-end clothing featuring images of Santa at the beach. It was the best T-shirt I've ever owned in my life, but at $70, I probably should have had my head examined. From toilet seats that wash your butt to the 20+ varieties of massage chairs they sell here, there sure are a lot of ways to spend your money in Japan.

Part of raising kids in Japan means attending sankanbi, or parent's day, a day when mothers and fathers can come see their kids in class. Today was the first parent's day at my son's new school, so I took half a day off to go see what his classes were like. The experimental school, which is taught 70% in English and 30% in Japanese, is a completely new concept in Japan, and there's been a lot of anxiety over whether the city could pull it off. My biggest concern was, how can you make a roomful of Japanese kids learning from an American teacher who understands Japanese actually use English? The answer was the "Japanese mat." If a child wants to say something in his native language, he has to ask "May I speak Japanese?" then after getting permission, go stand on the Japanese mat and say what they need to say. I was very impressed. Like all such school events, most parents were armed with the latest video camera for recording their child for all eternity. Most Japanese parents really go overboard when it comes to their kids -- which is called oya-baka or "parent-fool" if you want to know -- but I am exactly the same way myself.

We've got some happy news: we're finally ready to announce the Friends of J-List Affiliate Program! We receive many requests from J-List fans who want to help evangelize our brand of wacky Japanese pop culture, and after many months, we're finally able to launch the program officially. If you've got an established website and want to help people find J-List, you can receive cash commissions or store credit for every order. We've taken an extra-long time to launch the program because we wanted to make sure everything was done right, and we're very happy with the robust affiliate system we've got in place now. To read more about the Friends of J-List Program or sign up, see this page.

Here are today's "really cool products" that I thought were especially noteworthy. Note: the J-List links below may be for adult products and should probably be considered "not safe for work." To see all the J-List products, check out J-List or the JBOX.com updated products link.

	Relakuma Daradara Plush Keychain -- Relax Bear. Relax Bear (Relakkuma) is a hugely cute bear that's meant to make you relax more -- hey, I'm seeing a trend here. This is a cute little plush keychain.
	100 Recipes from Japanese Cooking. Want to learn how to cook Japanese meals? Want to do it with a book that has the recipes in both English and Japanese? Then this is your book. A very nice cookbook that also helps you master Japanese (or English, if you are already Japanese).
	NAKED -- Hitomi Ito. We love the photobooks that are published in Japan -- they are hardcover and printed on beautiful paper with glossy finish. This is a giri giri nude photobook, meaning she's nekkid in many of the photos but everything is tastefully hidden for a really elegant experience.
	Aroma to Issho -- Pink *Sweet Floral* ~ Hidamari no Tami Series. Another "relaxing" item (see? a trend!) from Japan, this is the latest version of the popular Hidamari no Tami character toys from Tomy. The big guy rocks his head from side to side through the magic of solar power., while the air in your room is freshened.
	Shunga Ukiyoe Guinomi -- Set of 5. This looks like an average set of five sake cups, but it's special: the images on the cups are shunga, or "spring pictures," which means ukiyoe pictures from the Edo Period detailing couples making love. For the Japanophile who has everything.
	SOD Group Twister Game. SOD is the #1 indies studio in Japan because they are bold, and come up with interesting ideas for their customers. This is a naughty concept in which four teams of women in mini-skirts and stockings play "Twister Game" on a plexiglass sheet, while cameras film them from various angles.
	Fujiya Kyoto Green Tea Truffle Chocolate. Remember, chocolate season is coming to an end in Japan, since chocolate melts in Japan's hot summer humidity. Before we get rid of our chocolate items, we wanted to bring out something we thought was amazing: a chocolate triffle with matcha (green tea) "choco" inside. Mmmm...