The Season of the Sakura in Japan, and all about motorcycling across Japan

It's sakura time in Japan right now, as cherry blossoms around the country explode in beautiful fireworks of pink. This year was very rare: because it was so cold last month, the cherry blossoms were at least two weeks late in opening. A few days ago the weather turned very warm, and the sakura bloomed with a vengeance, attaining zenkai (when the flowers are fully opened) in less than a day. Cherry trees are very common in Japan, and virtually every city has parks and avenues with beautifully landscaped sakura trees. In addition to weather forecasts, the TV news issues "sakura reports" that give information on the state of cherry blossoms in every prefecture, and over the weekend Japan was clogged with happy people doing hanami, or flower-viewing, basically an excuse to spread out a blanket and have a party with friends while enjoying the beauty of the flowers all around you. Although she's just eight, my daughter is a very spiritual person, and she remarked that there are a lot of sakura trees near the small graveyards that dot rural areas in Japan. It was good, she said, that the "hotoke-sama" (a word that describes both Buddha and the spirits of one's dead ancestors) can enjoy the beautiful flowers and be happy. Unfortunately the season of the sakura is all too short: already the flower petals are starting to fall, and in a week they'll be gone. Japan has a lot to offer foreigners who come to live here, with something different for everyone. Some might experience the country through its martial arts, or submerge themselves in the study of its language. Some fall in love with the famous works of Japanese literature by Souseki Natsume or Yasunari Kawabata, while those with an otaku bent can enjoy a dream life here, surrounding themselves with the icons of their compulsions. And then again, there are the foreigners who experience Japan through motorcycles, cruising around the country and exploring the open road, and I have gaijin friends who find great satisfaction in putting thousands of kilometers on their Harleys or their Kawasakis, trekking to the tops of volcanic mountains to find naturally occurring hot springs and attending festivals in the mountains of far-off Hokkaido. If you'd like to see the travels of some free-spirited foreigners I know, check out this page. Japan can be a very strange place when it wants to be, as J-List readers are well aware. Now we've gotten in one of the most bizarre ever: a sexy "Girlfriend Knee Pillow" (hiza makura) made of soft injected foam, a perfect replica of a mini-skirted pair of legs for you to lay your head on when you need some care and understanding. 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.

	My Melody *Otedama* Plush Keychain. This is a plush that has beans inside, so it's basically a bean-bag toy version of My Melody, one of the most popular Sanrio characters in Japan these days. You can juggle them, they're very soft and nice to hold.
	Japanese Sake Brand Cafe Bag. This is another cool item in our Sake Brand series: a Cafe Bag, which is the same thing as a Scissors Bag but wider, with two carabiner hooks to secure itself to your belt loops. Features really cool kanji from the famous brand of sake, Aka-Fuji (Red Fuji).
	*Chun-Li* Microman Action Series. Micronauts, you may know, were sold by Takara in Japan under the name Microman. While Micronauts have faded from our memory (I won't deign to mention the awful Palisades remakes that were so lame), Takara has kept the Microman toys in production without missing a beat. Here is a cool Street Fighter II character that uses the patented Micronaut poseable body design.
	digi + KISHIN girls -- MEGUMI. Megumi (that's her only name) is one of the popular busty idols managed by the Yellow Cab talent agency, which also handles such stars as Eriko Sato. I love her becuase she's smart as hell as well as being so pretty, and can talk circles around any man. If you've seen the Japanese trivia show Hey! Spring of Trivia, she's a regular on there.
	Hidamari no Pooh -- Hidamari no Tami Series. The Hidamari no Tami (aka Sunshine People) are toys by Takara with heads that rock back and forth, thanks to the power of solar energy. This is a cool new variation: a Whinnie the Pooh that will help you to relax.
	A Nest of Lesbian 4 Hours. It's funny how many phases the Japanese adult video world has passed through since we started all this in 1996. Back then there was no "indies" world, and the companies were all fat cats who didn' thave to work hard to sell products. Back in those days, it was odd how little there way in the way of lesbian erotica -- almost nothing, really. Now, it's common to find adult videos that explore girl on girl love.
	Girlfriend Knee Pillow. Last but not least... Looking for something really odd from Japan? Here is is: a soft foam pillow that looks like a pair of legs, so you can rest your tired head on your virtual girlfriend's lap and feel better.