All about Japan's most enigmatic food natto, how reading your Hemingway can help you under modern otaku culture, and a happy day for a town in Japan

The fermented soybeans known as natto (NAT-toh) are one of the most famous foods in Japan, enjoyed throughout the country, although people from Osaka supposedly dislike it. Eaten by a wide swath of Japanese from children to the elderly and everyone in between, the sticky beans are usually mixed with yellow mustard and eaten over white rice. There are many legends about how natto was first discovered, but the most famous seems to be that in the year 1083 the general Yoshiie Minamoto was on campaign with 100,000 troops near a town called Mito, and stopped at an inn to rest. Some soybeans had been steamed and wrapped in straw for the horses to eat, and these fermented naturally while sitting on the floor of the stable. Some of the soldiers tried the beans and liked the taste, so they offered some to their lord, who loved it, which is where the name natto ("offered beans") comes from. Last week a TV show created an instant rush on natto when it broadcast a report that said that, based on hard data from the U.S., eating natto twice a day would lead to losing 2-3 kg per week. Although natto does have various health benefits such as reducing blood clots and lowering cholesterol, the show's fabrication of actual data was another example of the Japanese media's love of yarase (yah-rah-say), or faking on the air to get good ratings. If you're "natto curious" but don't think you can get past the unique smell, we recommend miso soup instead, which possess most of the health benefits and is generally more palatable to gaijin (and we've got it in stock).

"Aficion means passion. An aficionado is one who is passionate about the bull-fights. All the good bull-fighters stayed at Montoya’s hotel; that is, those with aficion stayed there. The commercial bull-fighters stayed once, perhaps, and then did not come back..."

It's always interesting to study how language and the brain interact to create our perceptions. It seems that every once in a while an idea comes along that's so new and unique that it can't be described with an existing word, and the only solution is to import a more fitting one from another language. No word could illustrate Hemingway's views on bullfighting as well as the term aficionado, one who has aficion for the sport, and his use of the term gives an unforgettable flavor to his fiction. In a similar way, the rise of Japanese pop culture in the 1990s brought with it a slew of new words, like otaku (an aficionado of Japanese pop culture), anime (animation from Japan, as separate from animation from other countries) and doujinshi (fan-created comics that pay tribute to popular TV shows), which capture the spirit of new Japan-focused culture better than any English term could. There are many examples of the reverse occurring, too, situations when Japanese are forced to reach into English to find a word that will describe just the idea they want to express, and it's common to hear nihongo peppered with words like innobeeshon, kurietibiti, taagetto, and appiiaru pointo (that's "innovation" "creativity" "target" and "appeal point" in case it wasn't clear). These concepts could be expressed using Japanese words, but the nuance would be totally different.

The city of Tomioka, Gunma Prefecture, just down the road from J-List, is overjoyed right now: the sprawling Tomioka Silk Mill has been officially designated a World Heritage Site by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. One of the first modern factories of its kind in Japan, the silk-reeling mill was a built using French know-how in 1871 during Japan's march towards modernization, and is a symbol of the country's early industrial days. If you know anything about the Japanese, it's that they like to be recognized internationally, and getting the official nod from UNESCO brought great happiness to the people of the city. The television news was filled with images of people dancing in the streets and shooting off fireworks in the middle of the day over their new official status.

Remember that J-List carries a very warm, fuzzy thing from Japan: Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service blankets that are great for curling up with on the sofa. Japan's acrylic blankets are incredibly soft to the touch and will provide your family with years of great service (we use them at my house too). However, our stock of these blankets is very limited and when they're gone they'll be gone for good. Check our J-List's lineup of anime blankets from Japan now.

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 001 Jan 2007. New issue of Sabra, loaded with beautiful women, and a DVD too.
	Ouchi de Wagashiyasan ~ Love Love Sweets. Learn about traditional Japanese sweets with this book.
	Love-Sex Toy - Sei Ai Gangu -- Akane Sasaoka of Joytoy. The newest model in the Joytoy series, which twists communist Russian and Chinese images with super sexy women.
	Very Best of Yu Saotome. Once again I am compelled to ask, what is this girl doing...this for? She's so beautiful she could have any career she chose. Wouldn't it be interesting if there were this much style and grace in Western videos?
	Dream Maid Mansion (region 2). Ten, count 'em, ten lovely maids are all lined up to satisfy your littest wish.
	Gush Jan 2007. Gush is a popular yaoi manga with hundreds of pages, available through our subscription system (but we've got a few issues for you now).
	Asakusa Bag ~ Hokusai. Wow, these are the most beautiful carrying bags I've ever seen! Fantastic imagery, and they're made of thick cloth so they'll provide years of use.
	Too Sensitive ~ Binkansugite. Very nice erotic manga from Yukihiro Asamori, a story about love as well as sex.
	Glico Tsubu Tsubu Strawberry Pocky. The new Strawberry Pocky is in, and the new side-opening package is great!
	Sunshine Buddies -- Strawberry Pink *Valentine Ver.* ~ Nohohon Zoku. Fantastic toys that use solar power to relax you, and never need batteries!
	Nuri-e de Art ~ Hibari Misora. Color pictures of Hibari Misora, one of the most celebrated singers of Japan in the 20th century, with this new book.
	Totoro Wall Pockets -- My Neighbor Totoro. Organize your room with Totoro! These are great for Ghibli fans.
	Jiji Wall Pockets -- Kiki's Delivery Service. We've got one for Jiji the Cat from Kiki's Delivery Service, too.
	Natural Bamboo Tooth Pick Stand w/Tooth Picks. Wow, a cool toothpick holder made of bamboo!
	Nyanko Protect Alarm Keychain -- 120dB Mamotte Buzzer! It protects you from harm and looks cute at the same time.
	Kitty Warming Pad Holder -- Original Type Kitty. Wow, a Hello Kitty Warming Pad that you can use to keep really warm with this winter. These warming pads (which we also sell separately) work great by the way, and keep you toasty for hours.
	Bub Bath Cube Set - 4pcs. Every day when I take a bath, I plop a Bub in and watch it dissolve like a giant Alka Seltzer, massaging me and making my bath feel great.
	I'm Gonna Serve You 4 - Tsukushite Agechau 4. Remember, J-List sells all the popular PC dating-sim games, story-based games in which you must find the keys that unlock the hearts of the beautiful characters in the game. Download versions available too, from just $24.95!
	Sake Ame - Sake candy. Oo, yummy sake candy from Japan!