All about bowing, something America has that Japan does not, and a strange buzzing sound

Can you hear that? The buzzing sounds you hear are the murmers of excitement being uttered by everyone who's going to be at the San Diego Comicon this weekend, July 19-23. J-List will be there in a big way, of course, and we sure hope you'll be at the show, too -- come see us in Anime Alley in the 500 aisle (I think that's where we'll be -- anyway, just look for the Domo-kun plush toys). For information on the show, see this page.

You know you've been in Japan too long when you bow while speaking to someone on the telephone. It's just one of those local mannerisms that you can't help but pick up, like doing the swishing "come here" wave (which to Western eyes looks like "get away from me"), or "slasher hand" as you move through a crowded room. The Japanese bow in many formal and "sort of" formal situations, but like the politeness that's built into the language itself, there are many subtle layers. If you were to meet a person you work with on the street, you might slightly lower your head and utter that all-purpose Japanese polite phrase, domo -- a pretty casual greeting. Meeting with a representative from a company you do business with is obviously a more formal affair, and you would show respect by bowing lower and for a longer period of time as you exchange meishi, or business cards. Funerals are extremely solemn, and when the father of J-List's accountant passed away, my wife gave me careful instructions about exactly how to bow when giving my condolences to him and his family.

There are many differences between Japan and the U.S. One of them is that the U.S. has inflation, while Japan does not, or not much, anyway. The accepted wisdom is that "Japan has very low inflation, but the prices are high to begin with," and while this statement seems odd when you hear it, in practice it's proven quite accurate. In the fifteen years I've lived in Japan, prices have changed very little -- it used to cost $16 to take the train from our city into Tokyo, and now it's up to $18.50, and the 350 ml Coke that used to cost $1 is now $1.20. It probably sounds nice to be paying 1995-era prices for many products, but there are downsides, too. First, gas is plenty expensive, the equivalent of $4.50 a gallon, although Japanese drivers don't feel the pinch as much as they otherwise might since they don't put 50 miles on the car just going to the mall like I'm doing now in California. The other downside of the lack of inflation is slow or no growth in salaries, which leads to a general economic malaise since consumer spending can't push the country forward like it does in the States. A major part of the reason why inflation is hard to find in Japan is that land prices have fallen every year since the bursting of the economic bubble back in 1989 -- they've down to half what they were at their height, which is bound to create more than a little economic suckage.

J-List sells our world-famous wacky Japanese T-shirts, with cool slogans in kanji and other original designs that will really make you stand out in a crowd. Our newest shirt is one that customers have requested often, a version of our best-selling "Looking for a Japanese Girlfriend" design, but on a stylish fitted girly tee, rather than our normal men's T-shirts. It's very kinky, looks great, and we're sure that you or someone you know would look super in it! Why not browse all our amazing Japanese T-shirts and hoodies today?

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.

	Sabra Magazine Another gorgeous issue of Sabra Magazine, the most heavenly product in its category.
	Peach Pie -- Hikari Gonoi Hikari-chan is really lookin' good in her new photobook, which we recommend a lot.
	digi KISHIN -- MEGUMI Megumi, Megumi, Megumi... You Blessed Goddess of the Yellow Cab Talent Agency. Far and away our favorite Y.C. girl, she's cool because she's so smart, and can talk up a storm with anyone (it's that Kansai-New Yorker type personality). She's a regular on Spring of Trivia, a show which (I gather from the lack of buzz) didn't exactly distinguish itself on Spike. Oh well...
	Chijo Horse-Riding Hyper Piston -- Noa & Naomi Hirose Enjoy the "chijo" (er, the female version of a "chikan") action of Noa and Naomi-chan in this new "Horse Riding" special DVD.
	Dengeki Layers July 2006 Enjoy cosplay culture in the new Dengeki Layers. Lots of top-quality costumers in here!
	Introducing JAPAN Another book that introduces you to Japan's culture, religeon, art, history and more.
	Kendama -- Wooden Type ~ JKA Official Product *For Competition* This is cool -- a *world class* Kendama, not just any old Kendama. I didn't even know these existed.
	Ayano Kunugi 1/8 Scale Figure -- Welcome to Pia Carrot A really cute figure for collectors, from the Welcome to Pia Carrot anime (and game).
	Maid Tachi no Gohoushi ~ The Service of Maids A nice hentai manga for our "H" customers. Man, this artist really knows his stuff, doesn't he?
	Kaonashi & Bou Nezumi Planter -- Spirited Away A really cool ceramic planter for your garden, featuring No Face and Bou, the baby who was turned into a small pink mouse and who is really, really popular (don't ask us why).
	Tomy Tomica Limited ~ Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (IV / VII) -- 4 Models See the history of the Mitsubishi Lancer series with this great set of Tomica cars.
	Shopping at Supermarket -- Individual Box ~ Re-ment Puchi Sample Series More tiny miniature action from Re-Ment. Always a treat. I can't wait to get my set opened when I get back to Japan.
	Pink Gold Fish Cell Phone Holder w/Flap - A Type Because you can never have enough pink gold fish...
	Soft Sauce Sembei Delicious rice crackers, flavored with "sauce" (which is to say, tonkatsu sauce).
	Hello Kitty Daruma (Lucky Cat) Strap -- Purple Another strap featuring Hello Kitty as a Dauma. Very cute, and lucky, too!
	Key Chain Style Portable Ash Tray -- Dragon Black If you smoke, carry one of these and earn the respect of everyone around you, even as they stare in amazement that such a thing exists.
	Chopsticks & Hashi-Oki (C-4) -- Gold Fish Japanese chopsticks are the best, and these are made of bamboo. Here's a nice set with rest.

We continued up the mountain. Chug chug chug...

One member in our group didn't like the loud noises the train made, although riding in a train built in 1912 was pretty cool, I thought.

At the top was...trees, and more trees. These were some of the most beautiful things I've seen. Roaring Camp and the mountain it sits on is one of very few spots that had never been logged, so the trees were all pristine, from prehistoric times.

It was really amazing, seeing all these trees, which stretched back to 3000 years ago.

Really, if you're in this area you can't not take this trip. It was really fun, a great way to respect nature. I could really see how Indians (and Japanese) revered the kami that lived in these old, beautiful trees.