The possibility of Japan's first "otaku" Prime Minister, various thoughts on bilingualism, and all about Japanese health drinks (and other potions)

The rush is on to choose a successor to Prime Minister Abe after his sudden resignation on Wednesday. I saw that some of the newspapers in the U.K. were calling for a bolder, more dynamic Japanese leader this time, and I agree, although I know what a challenge it's likely to be. The difference between a Prime Minister and a President is, of course, that the former is chosen by his party and the latter is chosen directly by voters, essentially making a Japanese leader's relationship with the other members in his party more important in a way than that of his own people. In group-oriented Japan, it's difficult for any individual leader to stand out too much without being knocked back in line by his peers, an effect known as deru kui wa utareru or "the standing nail will be hammered down." It seems that any show of real imagination in a politician leads to them immediately being opposed by just about everyone, and Japan has gone through 11 PMs since I've been in Japan, where Britain has had just three. That's why Junichiro Koizumi was such a breath of fresh air in Japanese politics -- a charismatic bachelor who liked rock music, a maverick who had the popularity to chop much of the deadwood out of the Old Guard of Japanese politics and reign in Japan's (largely wasteful) public works projects. He even looked like George Washington. Currently the leading candidate to replace Abe looks to be Taro Aso, who was the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the past two governments. Although everything is still very much up in the air, he is an interesting candidate, having studied at Stanford and in London. He's also a big fan of anime culture, and was the force behind the creation of a "Nobel Prize in Manga" to promote Japan's pop culture around the world. He reads thirty manga volumes a week, and I hear he likes Rozen Maiden. Could we be looking at Japan's first otaku Prime Minister? Or will former Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukada, who happens to be from our prefecture of Gunma (Yasu lives in his district) be able to get more support?

After living in Japan for 15+ years, my language skills are as good as I need them to be. But bilingualism is never absolute, a fact I am reminded of whenever I turn the channel and catch Raw Debate Until Morning, a news discussion program broadcast every couple of months in which politicians and economists debate the issues of the day from midnight all the way til the sun comes up on live television -- that show is hard to follow. When you're learning a foreign language, it's important to get input from a variety of sources. I had a Japanese friend who arrived in the U.S. and taught herself English by watching daytime soap operas, and as a result she was really good at any conversation involving romance or adultery, but not much else. Like many anime fans interested in learning Japanese, I got a lot more exposure to anime and manga than from any other source, and I learned at some cost that people don't really speak like Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star. It's better to broaden your interest, exploring different kinds of media like Japanese music, Japanese dramas or films, and whatever else seems interesting.

Ever heard of Zena, Yunker and Aspara? They're Japanese energy drinks, a major category of product in Japan that promises to improve your health, remove tiredness and give you the energy you need to be successful in business. Although the small single-serving bottles usually provide nothing more than caffeine and vitamins in a sweet syrup, the marketing muscle behind the drinks has turned them into a consumer sub-culture, Japan style, and Japan consumes more energy and sports drinks than any other country. The first health drink was Lipovitan, released in 1962 by Taisho Pharmaceutical, and it's still the industry leader, with a staggering 2 million bottles sold every day. For four decades Lipovitan's TV commercials featuring a pair of burley men who cry out Faito! Ippatsu! ("Fight! One more push!") as they perform some athletic activity have been as famous as Mr. Whipple (er, is he still famous? I've been in Japan too long to know for sure). Back in the 90s another Japanese energy drink, Regain, served as a symbol of the differences between Japan, Inc. and the U.S., and their current commercial showing Japanese businessmen scaling a building in their eagerness to get to work is one of their best ever. In addition to giving you back your "genki" (pep), some of these energy drinks promise to revitalize men (wink wink) with Chinese herbs, cure your cold symptoms, and remove your hangover in record time.

Speaking of energy drinks, all Japan has been buzzing about the Final Fantasy 10th Anniversary Potion, an extremely limited boxed set that includes a gorgeous potion in a glass and metal container and a commemorative art book, which seemed to sell out completely in Tokyo's otaku mecca of Akihabara today. Although supply has been extremely limited, we've been able to get some stock of this item for J-List customers. Featuring the official logo of the Shinra Company, it's a great item that all FF7 fans should be sure and check out. Get yours before they're gone!

We've gotten another volley of 25+ new 2008 Japanese calendars posted for you, with some of this year's best offerings now up for order. For Studio Ghibli fans, there are two outstanding calendars for featuring Totoro with the famous bus stop (great design!) and Jiji the Cat that you can hang on your wall. Want to explore some of the anime popular in Japan right now? Check out Code Geass or Hayate the Combat Butler. Love beautiful Japanese women? Check out the 2008 glossy calendars for Waka Inoue, or the gorgeous Hitomi Aizawa or Saki Aibu. How about the cool Shinkansen calendar this year, showing Japan's bullet trains all year long? For the steamier side to Japan's calendar world, we recommend Yuma Asami's amazing large-format calendar, or the fabulous new release from Mihiro. Preorder the calendars you want 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" (a yes/no verification screen will be displayed to filter products from our mature site). To see all the J-List products, check out J-List or the JBOX.com updated products link. We also recommend watching our "new products" RSS feed

	Sukusui vol. 14 Dec 2006. I approve of these attractive women in really sexy swimsuits.
	Suntory Final Fantasy Premium Potion　Set ~ Shinra Company version.. By massive customer request, we've secured limited stock of the Final Fantasy Premium Potion Set, which comes with a gorgeous glass & metal potion that you can really drink, and a cool book. The potion bottle is refillable!
	Akiba Idol AV Debut -- Emi Midorikawa. Very attractive woman, in her debut release.
	Hand Made ~ Tsutomu Nishitsuki Collection. I am bowled over by the realism in the "furry" girls in this great illustration book.
	Haruhi Suzumiya 1/6 Figure High School Uniform ver. with Guiter *Preorder*. We have a Haruhi figure you can preorder. Very nice detail in this 1:8 scale figure.
	2008 Calendar -- Mihiro. I am thrilled with the sexy new Mihiro 2008 calendar.
	In Case of Emergency, Commit Seppuku Here (Girl's Fitted). We've gotten in a girl's fitted version of our popular "In case of emergency, commit cut here" shirt.
	2008 Calendar -- My Neighbor Totoro (No Tube). Every year there's a great Totoro desktop calendar sold, and this year's is great -- the Totoro bus stop! Amazing!
	2008 Calendar -- Kiki's Delivery Service (No Tube). There's a nice Kiki's Delivery Service calendar made every year too, and this one's is great -- a 3-D Jiji the Cat you can hang on your wall.
	Japanese Mug -- Take a Breath & Relax. Love the message on this coffee cup.
	KERO-PYON ~ Lucky Frog Pair Netsuke. Cute frogs for your cell phone.
	Clamp in 3D Land Trading Figure vol.3 -- Full Set of 5. I am a CLAMP fan, although I've gotten behind in the series I watch. This is the ultimate CLAMP figure collection.
	Powder Instant Green Tea (Matcha). Instant tea ceremony, wherever you are!
	Revoltech No.029 -- Toro. Incredibly cute character from a line of Playstation games. He will look great on your desk.
	Glico Pachi-Pero -- Pop Rocks in Chocolate. This is amazing -- chocolate with pop rocks inside!
	Glico Original Pocky -- New Package Debut!! The new Original Pocky for 2007 is here!
	Room Deodorizer ~ RAMAUNE Scent. Like Ramune? Why not breath it every time you go into your bathroom?
	2008 Calendar -- Code Geass. This is the show to watch in Japan right now, and this is the new calendar for it.
	DORAEMON Mini Schedule Book 2008 version . I don't know why but I love the way this Doraemon diary is put together.
	Easy Training Chopsticks --- Brown . More training chopsticks for you.
	2008 Calendar -- Waka Inoue. There are many great sexy idol calendars up on the site.
	2008 Calendar -- Hitomi Aizawa. Enjoy 2008 with the lovely Hitomi-chan on your wall.
	2008 Calendar -- The Dog All Star. We get signal! Main screen turn on! Some one has set us up The Dog!
	2008 Calendar -- Super Express. All Japanese boys like trains, and in honor of that I present the 2008 Shinkansen calendar.

Just some random pics I had in my camera. Does Starbuck's sell a scoop of ice cream in their ice coffee? They're missing out here...

This is from our favorite Kyoto style ramen restaurant. They specialize in matcha stuff, and the matcha ice (meaning matcha ice cream) is just delicious.

In Karuizawa there's this little cafe that (oddly) serves great yakiniku (Korean BBQ) inside. Cooked over actual coals!

In commemoration of the release of the iPod Touch, I thought I'd give you my favorite wallpaper. I love this Haruhi pic.

Or if you're a Heroes fan, this works too...