Good and bad foods from Japan, three Japanese words for you, and lack of "DIY Culture" in Japan

My diet has certainly changed since I came to Japan back in 1991. Like some Americans I wasn't too keen on fish back then, but in the last decade and a half I've really come to appreciate all manner of things from the sea. In addition to many broiled fish I know the names of in Japanese but not in English, I love all types of sushi and sashimi. Other dishes I dig on are donburi ("big bowl of rice") items like Oyakodon ("parent and child bowl" with chicken and egg cooked together over rice) or Tekkadon (slices of maguro on rice with soy sauce mixed with wasabi poured on); gyoza (Chinese dumplings, known as Pot Stickers in the U.S.); and udon and soba noodles. There are plenty of Japanese foods that I can do without, of course, including the infamous natto (fermented soybeans), shirasu (little tiny white fish with big black eyes, my wife loves them), nankotsu (a variety of chicken-on-a-stick made with chicken cartilage), ikizukuri (raw fish that's prepared while it's still alive), and cho (fried up beef intestines, popular in Kyushu). Lately I've been eating a lot of saki ika, which is basically dried, shredded squid you eat like beef jerky. It goes great with beer, and is very low in fat and calories. Maybe there's a squid jerky boom in America's future? (We have some cool cookbooks and saki ika on the site if you're interested.)

I'll teach you three words of Japanese that are fun to know, and which pop up in anime or our PC dating-sim games rather often. First is yappari (やっぱり, ya- PAH-ree, with a small pause where the double consonant is), a word that can be translated as "just as I thought" "as I suspected" or "now that I think about it." If you were to discover that a suspicion you had about someone was true, you'd shout out Yappari! Next is osana najimi (幼なじみ) or childhood friend, a close friend you've played with since before you can remember. In anime it's common for there to be a girl who grew up with the main character, who knows everything about him and who sometimes beats him to a pulp for comic relief. Third is the famous Japanese word gambaru (頑張る), which can be translated as "to work hard" or "try one's best." Japan has a country has great respect for hard work, and they gambaru to pass their college entrance exams, gambaru for the success of their companies -- cute girls will even gambaru to win the hearts of the boys they like. It often appears as a request, gambatte kudasai (gahm-BAT-tay koo-da-sai-ee, "please do your best") or as a command, gambare! (gahm-BAH-ray, "give it your all!").

Each country is different, and the way people buy goods in each country is different, too. One thing I've noticed is a lack of "DIY culture" in Japan, a tendency to take the comfortable route and rely on the services of established companies rather than doing things for yourself. If you're a college student needing an apartment in the U.S., there are probably a lot of places where you can go and read ads for people looking for tenants -- just call them up and make the arrangements. In Japan, though, you'd usually go through a real estate agent or other company who will take one month's rent as a fee. Want to sell a car? In most cities there are areas where people park their cars along the street with a price and a phone number posted, but when Yasu saw this in Philadelphia he experienced culture shock, since you always sell your old car to a professional dealer in Japan.

We've got two big announcements on the J-Snack front today, our first being a welcome one to Japan Kit Kat fans: the availability of the new Green Tea Kit Kat for 2006! This year's Green Tea Kit Kat is better than ever, with a delicious mild taste made with real Uji Matcha, grown near Kyoto. We've got limited stock of what was our single most popular snack item last year, a deluxe package containing 17 individually wrapped Kit Kat bars. We weren't able to get as many of these Kit Kat packages as we wanted to this year and are worried that we might sell out, so if you're a fan of Kit Kat, order yours now!

Then, by massive customer request, we've got another cool item for you: the Final Fantasy XII "Potion" Premium Bottle from Suntory, which are health drinks containing royal jelly, vitamins, herbs and caffeine, made into the shape of health potions. It's really a great concept: you get a one of six beautifully designed large bottles of hit point-healing health potion in a special box, great for displaying or drinking when out doing battle. Each box also has a cool foil-wrapped card, too. Please hurry though, as they are probably not going to last the weekend. If we do sell out, we'll be taking backorders and filling them on a first-come, first-serve basis as we try to get more stock.

Looking for something really unique to wear? J-List has dozens of our original "wacky Japanese T-shirts" featuring unique designs and funny messages, from the bizarre ("Looking for a Japanese Girlfriend") to the aesthetically beautiful. All shirts are full U.S. sizes, printed with loving care by our staff in San Diego. We've updated the photos of our T-shirts with larger images that hopefully make it easier for you to choose which designs might be right for you. Why not browse our wacky T-shirt page 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.

	Natsu Jun -- Jun Natsukawa. Jun Natsukawa has somehow gone from being just another one of those idols in a bikini to being a top-notch gravure star. Go, Jun-chan!
	Figure Maniacs 18. New Figure Maniacs, loaded with picture after gorgeous picture of pre-painted anime figures.
	Damning with faint praise -- Mitsu Amai (region 2). Mitsu Amai, whose name means "sweet honey" in Japanese word order, has the most amazing eyes, doncha think?
	The Game of Life Board Game 4. Another fun "female employee" release from SOD, another Game of Life game in which girls roll large dice and must perform various acts on each square.
	Super Body Bus Tour -- Azusa Ayano. Is 2006 the year of the Bus Girl AV or what? Apparently it's cool to film these things inside moving busses.
	Past Princess. Top notch art in this hentai manga by Maki Shinonome. Excellent fantasy artwork.
	Totoro Music Box -- Sanpo *Large* ~ Scene Collection. Another Totoro music box, this is our largest one ever: a giant item featuring all three Totoros and Mei-chan.
	Castle Tote Bag -- Howl's Moving Castle. Another neat item, this is a canvas bag featuring Howl's Moving Castle.
	Unazukin -- Congratulations ~ Gift For You. New "Gift For You" Unazukin, this one featuring the happy message of Congratulations. Give it to anyone who needs to be congratulated!
	Suntory Final Fantasy XII "Potion" Premium Bottle. This is it, the most searched-for product of the past week. We've gotten in a very, very limited number, but will be seeking more. If you want one -- and they are very cool, very cool indeed -- I'd hurry!
	Green Tea Kit Kat (17 Packs). Another major product for J-List, this is the 2006 Green Tea Kit Kat, an outstanding blend of green tea from Uji (a town in between Kyoto and Nara, I went there last year). This year's edition comes only in a limited edition large package (with 17 Kit Kats inside).
	INSPIRE. So, this is a really smart move on the part of Toy's Heart to my mind: tie a well designed personal, er, device like this with a super cute anime girl face. This features "Bumpy Inner," if you don't know what that is.
	Natori Saki Ika (Soft Shredded Squid Strips).
	Kitty Heart Mini Case -- Poodle. This year's Hello Kitty design features Kitty with a cute little (would would say sickenly cute little) poodle.
	Sushi Choro Q -- Full Set *Set of 6* ~ Racing Sushi. Fun "racing sushi" with wheels that you pull back to make them go. Each box features two individual sushi and a plate -- the place really makes this item cool!
	Bubblicious X-Burst . Japanese Bubblicious in unique Japanese flavors.
	Five Finger Socks -- Light Brown, Black and White Border. Socks with five separate toes are all the rage in Japan this year. Now we've got some for you, although they're not recommended for people with really big feet.
	Bull-Dog Sauce Large. Heh, this is just somethng I've always loved, and so we carry it so our customers can try some too. Really good in a fried egg sandwich.

Try living in a country with no real peanut butter and no guacamole chips. You'll beg to buy it when you find some. Note: I didn't eat them together.

Picture of a Really Big PC at Yamada Denki. This is like a 32 inch monitor with TV function. It was not actually terrible as far as these things go, but it was being closed out so I guess it didn't take off with customers.

DS Lite is making such a splash right now. I've got one on order for my wife, since she wants to try one out.

A boat of sashimi. This is the best thing in the world. Good with lots of wasabi.

Image of the pathetically small cereal aisle in a Japanese supermarket, not really something you could call an aisle at all. Special K has been on sale here for a few months, but it's just not the same thing as the real stuff back home.

Being a Champion of Justice, thoughts on "Image English" in advertising, and the perfect gifts for White Day

I remain convinced that the foreigners who live in Japan furnish an important service to the country, by providing a voice of criticism and pointing out things that need to be changed. Time and time again I've noticed the power the opinions of gaijin have to effect change in Japan, whether it's asking to have a non-smoking section added to a restaurant or pointing out that the restroom was not as clean as it could be (things Japanese would say "it can't be helped" about). Just today, while going to lunch, we spotted a young woman driving with her 4-year-old daughter who was standing up in the front seat. The idea of child carseats are still somewhat alien to Japan, a country that only passed its first carseat law in 1999, and children playing inside moving cars is something I've seen all to often. When we stopped at a light I went into seigi no mikata ("champion of justice") mode, got out of the car, and publicly reprimanded the mother, telling to put her damn child in a seat belt, at the very least. She immediately complied, embarrassed at being lectured while people in the surrounding cars looked on. Because it was an American doing the admonishing rather than a Japanese person, I'm sure that it's an event she won't soon forget, and hopefully she'll change her ways.

"You know you've been in Japan too long when you are jealous of your friend because the camera strap that came with his new Minolta camera says 'With you for the best scenes of your life' and yours doesn't." Japanese people do have a special relationship with the English language, since nearly all of them study six years, or up to ten years if they go to college. While most don't become fluent in the language, the fact that people are familiar with it is not lost on companies, who have gotten quite good at creating poetic "Image English" for their products. Just as the creators of the Swatch brand came up with that name because they didn't realize it sounded kind of silly in English, Japanese creators of English slogans can be quite creative, and the slogans can make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Some examples of Image English I like are:

For Beautiful Human Life (make-up company Iona)
A happy present from the earth (printed on stationery)
Fashionable Picture Magazine (on magazine masthead)
Urban Contemporary Wave (slogan of hair gel maker Mandom)
Inspire the Next! (slogan of Hitachi)
Drive Your Dreams (Toyota)
Feel Wood (Sumitomo Forestry)
For Precious Life (toilet maker Inax)
Young and Clean (political slogan for the LDP some years ago)

Are you ready for White Day, on March 14th? This is the day when men who received a gift of chocolate on Valentine's Day give some sort of return gift -- okaeshi in Japanese -- to the wives, girlfriends, daughters and female co-workers who gave them something. It's pure marketing fluff, of course, but kind of fun, and companies are happy to take advantage of the event by thinking of ways to sell products. Even Apple gets into the spirit of White Day their Japan store page, by suggesting that men buy engraved iPods for their better halves as a way of saying "Thanks for the chocolate!"

One of the most popular new products to come along recently has been Unazukin (oo-NA-zu-keen), a line of stylish electronic toys that look like a cross between Russian nesting dolls, Weebles and Easter Eggs. These electronic toys interact with you, by nodding (unazuku in Japanese, where the toys get their name from) or shaking their heads from side to side when you talk to them. Bandai has a great new idea for the toy line: Unazukin Gift For You, made specially for giving as gifts, with messages printed right on the toys and a place for you to write a personal note on the box. Today we've got Happy Birthday, Anniversary, and Thank You in stock (the last one might be good for White Day...?). Since they're quite inexpensive, why not buy several to keep in your desk at work for when you need a gift on short notice?

To be a foreigner in Japan is to be at peace with standing out in a crowd, since more often than not you're going to be the only non-Japanese around. Sometimes the best way to manage this is to embrace your differences openly, and show off your uniqueness for all to see. In this spirit, we used our wacky shirt-making minds to create Kiss Me, I'm Gaijin, a really cool design that that shows a stereotypical foreigner holding a cup of coffee, with a message that makes use of the blocky, uniquely Japanese style of the katakana writing system. A great potential conversation starter with cute Japanese exchange students on campus!

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 004 Mar. 2006. New issue of Sabra, Really elegant photography in every issue.
	One Story -- Mako Serizawa. Mako Serizawa's lovely hardcover photobook. She's a former member of the Mini-Suka Police which really takes us back.
	Veintitres -- Takako Uehara. Another dynamite photobook, this time featuring Takako Uehara, former singer of Speed.
	Japan Underground 2. Another fantabulous photobook showing unseen scenes from Tokyo's underbelly.
	New Virgin Hunter -- Monbu Ran. This is an established theme in Japanese AV -- super-experienced woman goes after late-blooming men. Somehow Monbu Ran (whose name sounds like Mont Blanc, the French dessert, since she was scouted into AV while working in a cake shop) has managed to become a really huge star.
	A Queendom of the Eros ~ Final (region 2). The final chapter to the most expensive adult video ever made in Japan, this is Queendom of the Eros - Final. Kind of like the Japanese version of Caligula, with a harem of drop-dead gorgeous girls who wait on your every whim.
	Japanese T-shirt - Kiss Me I'm Gaijin.We're happy with the way this shirt game out. Good design, good message that will amuse Japanese people who see it, and nice color balance.
	Maid En Maiden ~ Maiden Maiden. Maids are a big source of fetishes in Japanese manga and otaku culture in general. Here's a book dedicated to the subject.
	Ero Chara Sama ~ Erotic Character Masters. Back in the day (1998 or so), one of the biggest categories of manga were "doujinshi anthgologies" similar to this excellent collection of ecchi manga. I was fond of the Aim for the Top 2 story myself.
	Totoro Music Box -- Gaoooo! ~ On the Koma. Today we've got even more music boxes. I liked this one the best, featuring Totoro with the umbrella doing hiw famous "Gaooo!" yell.
	Convenience Store Shelf -- Puchi Sample Series ~ Re-ment. What could be cooler than having a little convenience store shelf loaded with miniature food items from Japan. A great idea for Re-Ment collectors.
	Jiji Otedama -- Kiki's Delivery Service. Jiji the black cat is the hugely popular character from Kiki's Delivery Service. This is a cute bean bag plush toy.
	Unazukin -- Thank You ~ Gift For You. The newest series of Unazukin are the "Gift For You" toy line, which come in gift-able boxes with messages like Thank You, Happy Birthday or Anniversary.
	Morinaga Petit Cheese Cake Chocolate Snack. A killer app if ever I saw one -- little bites of cheesecake!
	Morinaga Hi-Chew -- American Cherry. Doesn't the idea of American Cherry Hi-Chew sound good? This is a limited flavor.
	Well-fitting Mask (pack of 7). These are those cotton masks you see in anime, worn by people who are sign (so you don't give your germs to others) and to keep pollen out.
	Keroppi Trio Set -- Kero Kero Keroppi. Kero Kero Keroppi is the super cute frog from Sanrio's lineup of characters. We've got new bento ittems in stock for collectors.

I snapped some pictures of the chick in the car before I got out and told her what for. She was very pretty, and appeared to spend a lot of time on her face and make-up. Doesn't she know that the Japanese are dying as a race, and each and every one of them is important? Jeez, stupid mothers...

Over the weekend we took a "Sayonara Bongo Friendee" trip to Numata, our favorite onsen spot. The car's sha-ken is up in a week or so so we have to give the car back to Mazda while we wait for our MPV to be delivered.

Although predictably we seldom opened the top (mainly because the kids would eat up there and spill food), we sure enjoyed this car. If you're in the U.K. and like the looks of this car, maybe you can find one for sale. I'd think they'd be popular in Australia/New Zealand, too.

Japanese city in respoe.

I'm surprised to say I've actually been using my iPod with Video to watch videos. I'm up to episode 13 in Mai Hime. I walk carefully holding the iPod and watching my vids. It works surprisingly well.

A new electronics law in Japan, fun with hi-tech toilets, and some words to live by

Japan is declaring war on used electronics with the upcoming "PSE law" that will take effect next month. Basically, it's a requirement that electronic devices such as televisions, computers or stereos have a special "safety sticker" on it, and since no products sold before 2002 have the sticker, their sale would presumably be illegal. It's a problem for stores that sell vintage video game systems, musical instruments and amplifiers, and other kinds of older electronic devices. Many older Japanese housewives prefer the old 2-tub washing machines to today's newfangled automatics -- you have one tub for washing/soaking and another for rinsing, which some say gets clothes cleaner. Since they're not made anymore, those who prefer the old way have to buy used, which would be hard to do under the new law. Happily, there seem to be quite a few loopholes, for example retailers may perform some inspections themselves, so maybe the effect of the new law won't be that big.

Japan is nothing if not technologically advanced, and living here is a lot of fun if you like gadgets. From phones with eye-poppingly advanced features to those dreamy chairs that massage away your daily stress, a trip to an electronics store in Japan is never boring. When I first came to Japan I was fascinated by those toilets that wash and dry your butt for you, which Japanese toilet maker Toto has named the washlet. In addition to providing a warm seat to sit on, so welcome on cold winter nights, the unit sends a stream of warm water to clean your nether regions, with options like a bidet (for ladies, although being a guy I'm rather fuzzy on all the bidet stuff), a water massage feature, and an air dryer for paperless operation. These washlet units are extremely popular here, with 60% of Japanese homes owning them -- the fact that they help constipated people get through their business is probably a major selling point, as all Japanese women seem to suffer from this problem. They're starting to appear in the U.S., too, although I don't imagine most homes come with convenient electric plugs installed behind their toilets as they do in Japan.

The Japanese spend a lot of time worrying about the welfare and education of their children, perhaps because there are so few of them being born. If you drive around our city you can see these metal signs put up by the local PTA, with thoughtful slogans like "those who don't show respect their parents won't receive it from their children" and "think of ways to make your household a bright and cheerful place for your child to come home to after school." I heard of a new slogan that adults teach to kids to protect them from some of the more unsavory elements of society: ika no osushi (ee-KA no oh-SOO-she, meaning squid sushi). The word breaks down into the following parts: ikanai ("don't go" e.g. don't go anywhere with a stranger), noranai ("don't ride," e.g. don't get into a stranger's car), okii koe wo dasu (yell for help if you need it), and sugu ni shiraseru (tell a grown-up right away if you have a problem). This feel-good Japanese message has been brought to you by the Sunday night "anime golden time" of Chibi Maruko-chan and Sazae-san, which are part of the end-of-weekend ritual at our house.

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.

	Urecco Gal Nov. 2005. New issue of Urecco Gal, the magazine that stresses style in the photography (something that I don't see enough of in nude magazines).
	Your Eyes Only ~ Yun Kouga Illustrations. A nice collection of the works of Yun Kouga, a female artist who draws with a unique style. One of the pics on our site shows Camille from Zeta Gundam as if he were a shonen-ai character. Fascinating.
	Kera Maniax vol. 4. New issue of Kera Maniax, the magazine that gives FRUiTs a run for its money, but only barely. Loads of photos, great fashons, great gothic lifestyle images.
	Scrap Heaven Special Photobook. Anything with Chiaki Kuriyama in it is okay with me. She looks so pretty in this photobook.
	Comic AG Super Erotic Manga Anthology vol. 29. Nifty new issue of Comic AG, which is of course loaded with exciting English-translated "H" manga.
	Propose -- Mai Harada. An up-and-coming swimsuit idol in her hardcover photobook.
	Nakadashi Onsen Bus Tour -- Ai Momosaki. Japan's penchant for "bus tour ecchi" continues, with Ai Momosaki being your personal bus guide. That uniform of hers so rather cute.
	Super Model Queen Reina's Classroom. This girl looks weird, I'll admit it -- but it's that kind of too-tall, eerie weird that we could all use some of every once in a while. This is one of Wanz Factory's new region free DVDs.
	Ghibli Music Box -- Porco Rosso *Public Phone*. New music box for Ghibli fans, this is from one of my favorite films, Porco Rosso, the Crimson Pig. This is one of those things that probably won't be available for very long, so if you're a fan, get it now.
	Inju Seisen Anthology Comic ~ Twin Angels / Twin Dolls Anthology. Do you remember the old "H" anime Inju Seisen, aka Twin Angels? This is so old school: a collection of updated manga stories about this universe.
	Soryu Asuka School Swimsuit Figure Ver.2 -- Evangelion. Another nice Eva figure, this time showing Asuka preparing for a swim, kickboard and everything. She seems to have a bandage on her knee for that "battle damaged" look that makes Rei so popular.
	Ayanami Rei School Swimsuit Figure Ver.2 -- Evangelion. And this is the Rei figure to match it. Note the careful use of bandages, so cool.
	Kitty Bento Box -- Uguisu. What's cuter than Hello Kitty? Hello Kitty with a nightengale in her hair! Now that's cute!
	Calcifur Tote Bag -- Howl's Moving Castle. Another cool item for Howl fans. Calcifur is really the most interesting character in a long time, as fun as Kao-nashi (No Face) but he actually talks.
	Doraemon Bilingual Comic vol. 6. For those interested in our bilingual manga, we've got the new Doraemon bilingual books on the site.
	Pen Case -- Swallow on Cable. This is wonky enough to be really cool. It's just a pencil case, but it shows a chromed metal bird (a swallow) sitting on some power lines.
	Back Massaging Stick. Hit yourself on the back with this massaging stick, which are really used in Japan when your back gets sore from working too hard. It's quite nice to have around, really.

My wife is a collector of Licca-chan, the cute fashion doll made by Takara that's been sold in Japan since 1967. This is a rare item, a Hina doll set made using Licca as a base.

This was a limited edition item, with just 200 made in the whole country. My wife really wanted the version with Licca sitting down, but had to settle for this one instead.

Licca is half Japanese, half French, which is kind of the risou (ideal) for Japanese doll fantasy building. She's the daughter of a Japanese fashion designer and a French musician, about as cool as you can get.

My wife kept insisting that Licca's boyfriend was named Ken, then she remembered his name is Takeru.