Back in Japan and getting ready for New Year's, my respect for hard work, and a great way to get money in 2008!

Hello again from J-List. Once again we've made the hop from San Diego to Japan, traveling the 5443 miles (8759 km) from our American home to our Japanese one. The flight was fine, although bumpier than normal due to the extra turbulence in the skies in winter.

We've returned just in time for our favorite time of year, oshogatsu, or the New Year's Day holidays. Unlike the happy, boisterous fun that is New Year's in the U.S. and elsewhere, Jan. 1 is a very solemn day in Japan. Today is New Year's Eve, and everyone is rushing around doing everything they need to get done before the holidays, like finishing up their o-soji ("big cleaning") so they can face the new year with a clean house, and readying various decorations for the home. It's customary to eat Japanese soba (buckwheat) noodles on the last day of the year, which supposedly helps everyone enjoy long lives, and December 31st is the busiest day for restaurants that serve noodles. But the most important activity that takes place on New Year's Eve is watching Kohaku, the Red and White Song Battle, an annual live show put that's been put on by NHK every year since 1951 in which female singers (the red team) battle male singers (the white team) to see which side can put on the most extravagant performances. The Kohaku show is "the" music event of the year, comparable to the Academy Awards in the U.S., and virtually every top star will be there, from Leah Dizon to Gackt to the singers in Hello! Project and enka greats Saburo Kitajima and Sayuri Ishikawa. After the Kohaku show ends at 11:45 pm, NHK broadcasts Yuku Toshi, Kuru Toshi (Year Going, Year Coming) showing solemn images of people making their way to beautiful Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, Christian churches and Muslim mosques to do hatsu-mode (ha-tsu MOH-day), the first prayer for good luck and happiness of the New Year, overlaid with the sound of a bell that chimes 108 times. Then, the TV display flashes "0:00," letting you know the New Year has silently arrived.

Japan is nothing if not the land of the "boom," and you never know what will become popular next. Right now, thousands of cell phone users are displaying an image of the enigmatic Yoshihiro Miwa as their screen wallpaper, which is rumored to increase a person's luck with regards to money, what with yellow being the feng shui color for wealth and all. A survivor of the Nagasaki atomic bombing who went to Tokyo to become a famous cabaret singer, Miwa was very close to writer Yukio Mishima, the guy who tried to bring about a pro-Emperor coup by the military then committed seppuku when the soldiers laughed at him. Author of 20 books and an accomplished stage performer and director, Miwa-san may be most famous internationally as the voices of the wolf goddess Moro and the Witch of the Waste in Princess Mononoke and Howl's Moving Castle. If you're curious to see if this Japanese superstition is correct, try setting your cell phone's wallpaper to this picture and see if you get more money in 2008!

One thing I really like about the Japanese is the tradition of kinben (KEEN-ben), or diligence and hard work, as an ideal for people to aspire to, essentially the local version of the Protestant Work Ethic. By and large, this diligence is usually measured in terms of time rather than raw effort, and doing an hour or two of overtime each day is probably the norm for most Japanese companies, allowing employees show their hard work to their colleagues in a unit that everyone can easily recognize, time. The highest expression of kinben is the tetsuya, the all-nighter, working so hard that you work all night long to finish your important project. If an employee in Japan works all night on a project, he will probably gain a lot of respect from his boss and coworkers (the term also applies to studying all night for a test). Recently I asked my wife what the "worst" job in Japan was considered to be, the one parents tell their kids they'll end up doing if they don't study hard (when I was a boy it was "ditch digger" but it may have changed since then). She told me that Japanese don't usually speak ill of a profession like that, since someone has to do it after all, and in fact, many of the jobs some might consider to be "bad" such as road construction or the guys that empty the BOT-ton toilets in older homes that don't have pluming yet, are actually good in a way, since they pay much higher due to the fact that few people are willing to do them.

J-List would like to wish everyone a safe, warm and wonderful New Year's holiday tomorrow. Within the month of December, you wish someone a Happy New Year by saying yoi o-toshi o (YO-ee oh-TOH-shi oh), which literally means "[have a] good year." After January 1st arrives, you switch to akemashite omedeto (ah-keh-MASH-tay oh-meh-deh-TOH), literally "congratulations on opening the New Year." It's polite to use this second greeting the first time you see a Japanese person after the new year arrives. Well, until next time, yoi o-toshi o, everyone!

Since we're giving the J-List crew some much-deserved time off, I'm presenting a few of my Most Favorite Things today, some items I think are especially cool to show you. You can view all J-List products updated in the last three days by clicking this link.

	3D Oppai Mouse Pad. Have you noticed that anime is getting more interactive? Now not only can you play anime games with multiple endings (as in our dating-sim games), but you can even, er, touch your anime in new and interesting ways.
	Cool Traditional Japanese Shoes. J-List carries a huge selection of traditional items, and some of our favorites are the setta (sandals) and geta (traditional wooden shoes) from Japan. See our selection now.
	See Our Most Popular Traditional Items. J-List now has constantly updated category listings which show you the most popular items in a category. Our best-selling traditional items include our awesome Lucky Cat Tea Cups, an incredibly popular series. Click to see the 50 best-selling traditional items!
	Black Goth Style Cat Bento Box Set. Japan's culture of visually-pleasing boxed lunches (bento) is popular all over the world, and J-List offers a huge selection of bento boxes for you to browse. I love our new Goth-Loli Cat style bento box series.
	Top-Selling Study Items. J-List genuinely wants to promote study of the Japanese language and interest in all aspects of Japan. See the top 50 study related items, including "bilingual books" with Japanese and English printed side-by-side.
	Hello Kitty Computer Speakers, USB Mouse, More. We love to bring you kawaii products from Japan, including hard-to-find items like Kitty-chan speakers for your iPod or computer, the Hello Kitty mouse, Hello Kitty vibrating shoulder massager, mayonnaise cups, and so on.
	Japanese T-shirt "Looking for a Japanese Girlfriend". It turns out that more than a few men in the world are interested in the idea of dating girls from Japan, and this wacky T-shirt might just be the conversation starter you need to make it happen. The exact translation is "Now accepting applications for a Japanese girlfriend."
	iTunes Japan Music Card, Elecom Items. J-List carries the popular pre-paid iTunes Japan Music Cards that let you buy Japanese music and play it on PC or Mac with iTunes or any iPod. It even works with the online iTunes store and iPhone / iPod Touch. We also carry dozens of great items from Japan's electronics maker Elecom, with lower prices on the Mogmo Kun flash drive cases.
	2008 Calendars. Of course, J-List still has a good selection of 2008 calendars printed for the domestic market here, a great way to add a little slice of Japan to 2008. Browse are anime, JPOP, sexy idol, men's and other calendars now!
	Preorder Anime Figures. J-List recently began offering anime figures and other toys via preorder, allowing you to make sure you get that ultra-cool Fraulein Revoltech or Bible Black figure before they all sell out. Orders are often shorted by our distributors, and in cases like these we give priority to customers who have preordered figures.
	Studio Ghibli Plush Toys. J-List has carried plush toys and other items for fans of Hayao Miyzaki since we started our humble little company back in 1996, and we love the joy we've brought to many fans by these great items. Manufactured by Sun Arrow, a toy maker with a hundred years of history.
	Top-Selling J-Snacks. Click here to see the most popular 50 snack items on J-List right now. My own favorites include the Melty Kit Kat (with melted center), Tomato Pretz, and Rose Flavored Gum.
	Top-Selling Dating-Sim Games. J-List has been involved with evangelizing Japan's PC dating-sims from the very beginning, and we've got the best selection of English-translated "H" games on the planet. See the top 50 games in order of sales over the past 7 days.
	Cast Off Figures. We just love the recent trend in Japan of "cast off" anime figures, with clothes you can remove either partially or completely. This is Fiitan, the super-cute mascot of an otaku blog in Japan, which can be displayed in several configurations. So sexy!
	Karami Photomagazine Series. We're big fans of beautiful photography from Japan, and you can't get any better than the Karami series, a great collection of photo-magazines with each issue dedicated to a single beautiful model, like Yua Aida, Mitsu Amai, Hitomi Hayasaka, and many more. No ads, either, making for a totally satisfying visual experience.
	Great "H" Manga from Japan. Of course J-List has always been a great place to get Japan's best "ero" manga, and we've got hundreds of volumes in stock right now. Click here to see the top 50 manga items that J-List customers have chosen over the past 7 days.
	Futanari Products. One of the most visually enticing trends in Japan is futanari, which means "the two becoming one," and is a nice way of saying "chicks with..." From amazing doujinshi and CG by Behind Moon to great manga releases to innovative AV DVD productions, J-List has many items for futa lovers.
	Artbooks. We also carry dozens of top artbooks from top illustrators, including artists like Tony Taka, Tetsuya Ishida, Happou Bijin, Katsuya Terada and many more. Also see the School Days artbooks!
	Japanese Condoms, More. From unique Japanese parody condoms to our Hello Kitty massager products to bizarre items like Treasure Taste World Magic Hole and all-natural lotion products, J-List offers amazing novelty products for couples.
	Huge Selection of DVDs from Japan. J-List has hundreds of Japan AV (hint: it doesn't mean audio visual) DVDs featuring Japan's top pro and indy studios, like Soft on Demand, Alice Japan, Moodyz and TMA. Click here to see the top 50 DVD products on the site right now.

Comparing my kids Japanese and American personalities, more on what makes Japanese people tick, and all about sitting on the floor in Japan

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas holiday, wherever you are in the world. We had a great day, complete with turkey, lots of champagne and authentic Yorkshire Pudding.

It's interesting, being in the U.S. with my Japanese family and observing how my kids are taken over by their "American personalities" the longer they stay here. The Japanese have a saying to the effect that boys will take after their mother and girls will be like their father, an idea which I'd poo-poo'ed as a superstition until our kids were born. Our son is very Japanese, and although he has a lot of knowledge of English to draw on, he's often so shy about making mistakes that he'll refuse to open his mouth at all, a lot like his Japanese mother. My daughter takes after me, though: she seems very American in all that she does, and she's never shy about opening her mouth to speak English. While my son gets along quite well in Japan, my daughter's "American-ness" sometimes causes minor problems for her in her school, with the many meaningless rules she has to follow getting her down at times. All of these problems go out the window here in America, where (as seen from our Japanese life, at least), anything goes -- a person can do anything and be anything they want, and our daughter is positively glowing here in the States. One of the biggest rules in Japan is "act your age" (ii toshi shite), and generally speaking, people do what's expected of them according to their age group, which usually doesn't involve collecting Star Wars toys into their thirties. When my mother bought me a cool remote controlled R2-D2 toy for Christmas, my wife commented that it'd be very rare to find a Japanese man my age receiving a gift like that.

One aspect of living in Japan every foreigner must come to terms with is sitting on the floor. The Japanese do a lot of floor sitting, and even the most modern Western-style house will probably have at least one traditional Japanese-style room with tatami mats. One of my favorite things in Japan is the kotatsu, a low table with a heater inside and a blanket between the frame and the tabletop, which lets you get warm by sticking your legs inside. Since Japanese homes lack central heating, and it'd be far too expensive to heat the whole house anyway, kotatsu are very economical, as you're only heating a small space used by several people at once. They're also great for improving family life, since everyone will jam their legs inside and have a conversation rather than scattering around the house to do their own thing. The only negative to kotatsu? When Jiichan (grandfather) has flatulence inside the blanket part, causing a huge problem for everyone.

Each country in the world has what the Japanese call kokumin-sei, a kind of "national personality" or a list of traits that most people from that country tend to share. For example, Americans are seen by the Japanese as being optimistic almost to fault, believing that virtually any problem can be solved. We're also extremely friendly, even with people we don't know well, which can be hard for them to understand. The Japanese kokumin-sei is quite unique, too. In general, Japanese tend to be very peaceful, and go out of their way to avoid conflict with others. They're concerned with the image Japan presents to the world, and some major construction projects such as Japan's first bullet trains were done partially to make foreigners oo and ah when they came for the 1968 Tokyo Olympics. Also, most Japanese tend to be extremely modest, and it can be surprising when Westerners compliment a Japanese on their English ability, only to have them vehemently deny the remark. In my single days, I traveled all around Japan, hitchhiking or riding trains (there's a cool ticket called "Youth 18" which lets you ride as far as you want for $24, a bargain as long as you don't mind riding the slow local trains for 16 hours a day). Once, I encountered a boy and his mother while traveling near Hiroshima, and as we talked, the boy was going on and on about how baka (stupid) he was, so stupid that he'd never amount to anything at all. It surprised me to hear anyone talk like this about himself, much less an educated youth from one of the world's richest countries, but I realized later it was a kind of polite self-effacing that didn't mean much.

J-List is loaded to the gills with amazing anime, JPOP, sexy bikini idol, traditional photograph, and other fun calendars like sushi and bento. These calendars are printed for the Japanse domestic market and are hard to find outside of Japan, but we've got an incredible selection for you still. And starting right now, all calendars come with free mailing tubes, making it an even better reason to buy. Check out our Japanese calendars now!

Here are today's "really cool products" that I've picked out for you, out of the 30+ new items we've added to the J-List and JBOX.com sites today. Note that some products may be "not safe for work" but that all links will allow you to redirect yourself either to the J-List or JBOX.com websites. To see all the J-List products, check out J-List or the JBOX.com updated products link.

	HEAVEN -- Leah Dizon. Leah Dizon is a huge star in Japan, famous for her beautiful face and body. This is a great photobook with included DVD, a rare item for her fans issued only in Japan.
	Delicious New Snacks. We've got great new Japanese snacks for you too, including Princess Soft Chocolate from Lotte, delicious Mont Blanc cakes, and a fabulous item, Meiji Green Tea Macadamia Chocolate, a super item for matcha fans.
	The Tokyo Look Book: Stylish to Spectacular, Goth to Gyaru, Sidewalk to Catwalk. Here's an interesting book that introduces you to the world of Japanese popular culture and fashion as seen through many eyes. Loaded with great images of Japan's cool under-culture.
	Ultimate Action Evangelion DX Trading Figures. Eva fans, here's a set of really cool figures from the coolest and most influential anime of the past decade. A great set of five different detailed figures, EVA units and Angels for them to fight.
	Fraulein Revoltech #003 Soryu Asuka Langley ~ Neon Genesis Evangelion *Preorder*. The excellent Fraulein Revoltech series continues, featuring Asuka from Evangelion, rendered in a beautiful and extremely flexible form that can be bent into any shape.
	Edge II ~ Samurai in the Future. Here's a memorable artbook loaded with color images of samurai culture at its best, with vibrant and beautiful images of Japan's famous warriors from 30 different artists, including Katsuya Terada, Satoi Yuiga, and Mobius (!).
	Gunnm Another Stories Limited Edition ~ Gally Original Action Figure. Here's a really special item, a thick manga volume of Battle Angel Alita (aka "Gunnm") with side stories for you to enjoy. It comes with the beautiful figure of Alita rendered in a fully posable body.
	Gundam Soundrop Aoi Kyosei ver. -- Full Set of 8. Gundam is to the Japanese as Star Wars is to the rest of the world, and no one male child born between 1968 and 2007 grows up without loving the original series. Here's a new Soundrop voice keychain that plays the most popular lines from the series when you press the buttons.
	Poop Bath Light ~ Dr. Slump Unchi-kun. The Japanese are big fans of "unchi" (poop) as a bringer of good luck. Here's a light-up poop that you can put in the bath, or just about anywhere else you like. This is the strangest item we've carried in a long time -- enjoy!
	Kitty Aroma Ball -- Pink with Polka Dot Bow ~ Premium Scent. We just love the Kitty Aroma Ball series of scented Hello Kitty objets d'art, and this is a great new item, with a new bow color and a premium new scent. Put it in your car, bathroom or cubicle.
	Natsukashii Winter Figure Display ~ Lucky Cat & KOTATSU - Nostalgic Shop. A "kotatsu" is a small Japanese table with a blanket in between the frame and the tabletop, and you put your legs inside to keep toasty warm. As you can imagine, cats really love these things. Here's a great display item featuring a cute Lucky Cat with a Kotatsu table.
	Haikyo Hyoryu - Images of Destruction in Japan. There are many fans of "modern ruins" in Japan, enjoying he special eeriness of recently abandoned buildings which are riddled with their own unique ghosts. This book is an awesome new addition to this category.
	New Year's Decoration ~ SHIMENAWA & SHISHIMAI. New Year's is coming soon, and you can decorate your home with these great traditional New Year's decorations. Hang them on your door for good luck in the new year!
	Preorder Figures Ready For Shipping. Some great anime figures we'd had posted for preorder have come in, including the awesome Aya Red Bikini and Aya Black Bikini (that cowboy hat and samurai sword!) and Louise from Zero no Tsukaima.
	Study Items. Got some good study items back in stock for you, including the comprehensive bilingual guide to Eating in Japan, and another multi-language book, Japanese Nuance in Plain English.
	"Nikyoro" Bento Boxes, Chopsticks, Bento fans know that J-List has the best selection anywhere. Today we're restocking the fun Nikyoro (from "niko niko" meaning smiling, and "kyoro kyoro" meaning looking around from left to right) bento boxes as well as the Modern Chopsticks and Aluminum Sliding Case.
	DVD MAX special 2005. An outstanding photo magazine from Japan that's jammed full of the best JAV stars for you to drool over. Also comes with a super DVD for you, with 130 minutes of fantastic performances by these superstars.
	Ura SAYAKA -- Sayaka Uchida / Sayaka Numajiri. See the "other side" or two lovely girls named Sayaka, Sayaka Uchida and Sayaka Numajiri, two great tastes that taste great together in this dynamite photobook release.
	New Manga Volumes. Today's new "H" include some really nice ones, with A Flower Blooms in the Darkness, a story with sci-fi / Fantasy "ero" themes you will love, and the lip-licking Pearl Rose from Megastore Comics and artist Tokie.
	Big Oppai Zoom Up -- Ai Sayama. Ai-chan wants you to look at her, and with her fantastic "H" cup (heh) that's what you will be doing plenty of in her new release from Alice Japan.

Thoughts on Christmas in Japan vs. America, my surprising first Christmas in Japan, and Japanese food for poor single men

Well, the stockings are hung by the chimney with care, and we're all getting ready for a wonderful Christmas around here. My family got in from Japan a few days ago, and the kids are fully into "American Christmas mode," shaking all the presents to try to guess what's inside. The holiday is a relatively recent cultural import to Japan, and Christmas there can be a little different from what you may be used to. To the Japanese, Christmas is usually more of an excuse to have a fun party than a solemn time for family, or more recently, an extra reason for parents and grandparents to spoil the kids by getting them something from Toys "R" Us. Christmas Eve is also a day for lovers to go on that special date, generally considered more important than Valentine's Day, and if you want to take your sweetheart out to a nice restaurant you might have to plan ahead a few months.

I'll never forget my first Christmas in Japan. I'd not expected the Japanese to be very religious, so after arriving in my city I was surprised to find myself surrounded by a kind community of Japanese Baptists who ran a friendly church complete with a kindergarten for the local children. I enjoyed observing my new friends and seeing how similar they were to folks in the U.S. -- there seemed to be no differences at all, other than the language. In the grand tradition of Americans living in Japan, I was asked to play "Santa-san" for the kids, and I had great fun ho-ho-ho'ing as I handed out presents, as always being careful to speak only English, since that's what language Santa Claus presumably speaks. (I've since donned Santa suits dozens of times -- there must be something especially Christmassy about my personality as seen from the Japanese point of view.) I was of course surprised to find that Dec. 25th wasn't even a holiday in Japan, and driving in a traffic jam on that particular day takes some getting used to, I can tell you. One unfortunate aspect of Christmas for foreigners who haven't been "in country" too long is homesickness, since Dec. 25th is always a hard day to be away from family, no matter where you are in the world. Bottom line, Japan is a nice place, but the best place to enjoy Christmas is home with the people you love. All of us at J-List sincerely wish you and your loved ones a wonderful and warm Christmas holiday this year!

Merry Christmas from J-List and illustrator Shikei (creator of Snow Drop)

I'll never forget my single days back in college, surviving on foods like frozen waffles, Campbell's soup, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and that great friend to the pool college student, Top Ramen, which could be had for 3 for $1 back in the day. Japan has its own varieties of "bachelor food" too, so easy to make that even a single guy could handle it. First and foremost is the category known as "cup ramen," which seems to be as close to the hearts of Japanese consumers as cold cereal is to Americans. There are hundreds of varieties, from cheap noodles in a styrofoam bowl to the high-end "nama type" noodles which are fresh, not dehydrated, for a more authentic ramen experience. Next comes Bon Curry, boil-in-bag curry that allows you single men who can't prepare Japan's staple dish from scratch to enjoy it nonetheless. Poor men living alone love to eat "sea chicken" (tuna fish) mixed with mayonnaise spread over rice with a dollop of soy sauce, too. Japan is a country that puts great store in doing things the "proper" way, and when it comes to a single man (or woman) living alone, this is defined by cooking rice using a rice cooker on a daily basis. When I was living alone, everyone I knew would ask me "Are you cooking rice for yourself everyday, as you should?" almost as a greeting, not unlike "How are you?" They were invariably amazed that a foreigner could wash and prepare rice for himself without help.

Looking for a special last-minute gift for someone on your list? Then look no further than a J-List Gift Certificate, which lets you send a great personalized gift in any amount to the person of your choice. The PDF-based gift card is fully customizable with a message from you, and it can be sent by email either to you or directly to your recipient. We also think the Japan iTunes Prepaid Music Cards are an awfully great gift to get someone who digs Japanese music, and since they can be sent via email too, there's no time delay. The J-List staff are working extra hours to process these orders as they come in, for extra fast processing, so order now!

Here are today's "really cool products" that I've picked out for you, out of the 30+ new items we've added to the J-List and JBOX.com sites today. Note that some products may be "not safe for work" but that all links will allow you to redirect yourself either to the J-List or JBOX.com websites. To see all the J-List products, check out J-List or the JBOX.com updated products link.

	New Japanese Snacks. We've got some really great J-Snacks for you, including Mushroom Mountain in Caramel and Macadamia flavor, Meiji Chelsea candies (Hokkaido Milk), and a delicious item, Morinaga Koeda in Kiman Tea Flavor.
	Re-ment "Let's Go! Panda Class". Re-Ment is the company that makes really cute miniature toys, and the new series features something really cute: panda bears who are going to school. And baby pandas are definitely the cute thing for Christmas 2007.
	Cinnamoroll Shaped Lunch Box. We've got a cool new item for bento fans: a Japanese lunch box shaped like Cinnamoroll, the cute new character from Sanrio who makes you think of delicious cinnamon rolls. Comes with dual compartments for separating your food nicely.
	My Melody Curry & Stew Plate. Then, we've gotten in these super-cute Curry & Stew Plates featuring My Melody. These are deep plates especially made for enjoying foods like curry and stew, two treats the Japanese love to eat.
	Some Cool Traditional Items. Another nice item: phone straps featuring Ninja Swords on the ends, which you can attach to your cell phone, keys, Nintendo DS, PSP, or just about anything.
	Restocked Chocobo Plush -- White Mage ver. Chocobo is the super-cute character from the Final Fantasy games, and we've restocked our cute White Mage versions. A very huggable item from Japan!
	Progressive Knife Replica *Preorder*. Here's a rare item for the Evangelion fan: a replica of the weapons the EVAs used for close combat, rendered in safe PVC and plastic materials. Available for preorder now.
	Totoro *Jumbo* Playing Cards. My kids and I like playing card games (called "trump" in Japanese, using the British term), and these extra large Totoro playing cards are really great for large or small hands. I recommend them.
	Various Stationery Items. See some stationery items back in stock, including authentic origami paper (150 sheets included!) as well as tape that helps you learn hiragana -- fun!
	Finally, Restocked Snacks. Lots of snacks back in stock today, including the hugely popular "Melty" Kit Kat in Apple flavor as well as Vanilla Beans Kit Kat, Almond Crush Pocky, and Pretz in Tomato and Green Tea flavor!
	Sola Aoi in Doll House. How cool would it be to have the gorgeous Sola Aoi (aka Sora Aoi) trapped in a miniature doll house, going about her daily routine of bathing, getting dressed while you watched in through the windows? That's a question we'll leave up to the philosophers.
	New Manga Volumes. Today's new works include Ero Wife Communication, featuring plenty of experienced married women being naughty, and Love Affair, featuring eleven individual stories of extremely satisfying "H."
	Idol Forever -- Kyoko Ayana, Monbu Ran, Mai Sakashita. Next, enjoy three of the hottest JAV idols of the past, re-mastered to bring you the most detail possible. Big "oppai" queen Kyoka Ayana, delicious Ran Monbu (whose name sounds like the French dessert Mont Blanc) and the fabulous Mai Sakashita, are all waiting for you.

Some thoughts on the series "Lost," how to brighten a Japanese salaryman's day, and how learning Japanese can get you fewer dates

I've caught the "Lost" bug, and am enjoying watching the series on DVD here in San Diego. One interesting aspect of the show are the sub-plots involving Jin and Sun, a Korean couple who are marooned on the island. Since the husband doesn't speak English, there are large swaths of dialogue in Koran, which makes me think I'm back in Japan with my wife watching Hanryu Dorama or the South Korean soap operas that are so popular these days. Although Japanese and Korean have a similar grammatical structure, with "particles" that mark the subject and object of a sentence, and similar word order, the two languages are quite different. The only words I can pick out of Korean are Chinese-derived words, like "promise" "goal" "air current" and so on -- not nearly the level of ability to read Chinese that I get for "free" by leaning Japanese (about 20%).

When I came to Japan in 1991, I was extremely motivated to learn Japanese, which was a good thing since the idea that you can learn a language through osmosis just by living in that country is flat wrong. I took advantage of every opportunity to advance my studies, listening to JPOP music and watching anime and Japanese dramas, which helped me get lots of vocabulary input. When I encountered a Japanese person, I'd engage in a brief "language battle" with them to determine which of us had the higher language skills, and thus which language I'd speak with that person -- and I hated to lose. Then one day I was in Tokyo, looking for a coin locker to put my bags in, and a middle-aged salaryman who was clearing his out said "Please use this one" to me in English. I thanked him in fluent Japanese, but after that I realized that I'd done him a real disservice. This man would probably have only have a few chances to use his English each year, and yet I had stubbornly refused to oblige him. Since that day, I've resolved to speak English to Japanese people more, which usually causes their face to brighten just a little. And if you really want to make a Japanese person's day? Compliment them on their English and ask if they've studied in the U.S. or England. It's usually pure B.S., but they'll be happy all day long.

One thing gaijin who attain fluency in Japanese can attest to, though, is that the more you learn Japanese, the more some doors close. Japanese often think of foreigners as fun to be around, and part of that fun flows from both sides not being able to understand each other perfectly, which somehow makes us more "exotic." If you go out to karaoke with Japanese, they'll enjoy themselves more if you sing a ridiculous version of "September" by Earth, Wind and Fire than if you're able to belt out the latest enka hit by Daisuke Kitagawa. At bars and clubs, too, foreigners who don't speak much Japanese can find themselves more popular with Japanese girls than gaijin who can read all 1945 characters of the joyo kanji (the characters designated for "general use" by Japan's Ministry of Education, which defines what it is to be literate in the language). Foreigners who learn too much Japanese might find the dating scene to be somewhat different, too, as some girls who might be interested in the exotic feel of a "real" gaijin might be turned off by our extensive knowledge of the late Edo and Meiji Restoration Periods (stuff that the average Japanese never cares about). Of course, I wouldn't want to go out with a girl who was turned off by me having too much interest in her country and language, and all people are different -- my wife was interested in me specifically because of my fondness for memorizing odd Japanese proverbs.

Christmas is fast approaching, but J-List is still humming to get orders out the door in a timely fashion in both our Japan and San Diego orders. We've got thousands of great items in stock right now, from plush toys to 2008 anime calendars to our delicious wacky T-shirts and hoodies, let us know what we can do for you. If you're in a hurry, we highly recommend our ultra-convenient J-List Gift Certificates, which can be sent via email to you or to your recipient as a high-quality PDF for instant printing. Or, if they like music from Japan, consider giving them an iTunes Japan Prepaid Card, which let you buy all the best music from Japan for 150 or 200 yen per song, and they work great with your iPod and even the iTunes stores in your iPhone / iPod Touch!

Here are today's "really cool products" that I've picked out for you, out of the 30+ new items we've added to the J-List and JBOX.com sites today. Note that some products may be "not safe for work" but that all links will allow you to redirect yourself either to the J-List or JBOX.com websites. To see all the J-List products, check out J-List or the JBOX.com updated products link.

	Evangelion Police Costume Figures. Okay, these are just too cool -- a re-mix of the Evangelion girls Rei and Asuka dressed as police girls, or specifically, "Mini-Skirt Police" (it's kind of a Japanese fixation, don't ask us).
	Brand New Snack Items. Today's new snack items include delicious Aero Cocoa in Green Tea flavor, yummy Meiji Chopan Chocolate Millefeuille, and something delicious-looking called Zackl in Caramel Flavor.
	COSMODE 019 - Super Cosplay Magazine. This is the #1 magazine for fans of cosplay is COSmode, and this is another great issue filled with pictures of top Japanese cosplayers. You also get a pattern included in the book, too, as well as stickers.
	SHODO Calligraphy Brush. Shodo ("the way of writing") is the art calligraphy brush writing, and J-List has many products for people interested in this art. Here's a nice deluxe brush for calligraphy writing that goes well with other products we stock.
	CHO-CHIN Old Style Lantern ~ DARUMA. Here's a cool item: a traditional Japanese lantern shaped like a Daruma (aka Dharma, if you're a "Lost" fan). Decorate any room with this cool item.
	Totoro Scenery Music Box --Totoro Bus Stop. Studio Ghibli is the studio founded by Hayao Miyazaki to make his fabulous movies, and we've gotten in a great new ceramic music box of Totoro, Satsuki and Mei waiting at the bus stop in the famous scene from the movie.
	Restocked Hello Kitty Fluffy Hood. Keep warm this winter with the ultimate Sanrio item, a warm and fuzzy Hello Kitty Fluffy Hood that ties around your chin and protects your ears and head from non-cute coldness. Back in stock!
	Restocked Tattoo Girls Design Book vol. 2. Tattoos are cool, and very popular in Japan. Here's a book that shows you great pictures of what kinds of tattoos are being done in Japan, with large color photos in case you want to copy some of the work. Best of all, you get tattoos designed by the likes of Junko Mizuno. Back in stock!
	Detective CONAN Nurie Coloring Book. This is a very popular anime from Japan about a boy who solves mysteries. Now available in a fun "nurie" (nuri-e) coloring book for all ages.
	3D Oppai Mouse Pad -- Alice Parade ~ Lingerie version. We just love these 3D mouse pads, which really bring anime girls alive in, er, three dimensions. A fabulous item from Japan that's slightly "ecchi."
	Restocked Seven Days in Japan. Now you can visit Japan for under $10, with this great documentary made by student film director and anime fan Joe Doughrity, who fulfilled his lifelong dream of coming to Japan and made a DVD of it. Back in stock!
	More Interesting Pens from Japan. J-List has a great selection of unique pens from Japan, from easy-to-hold pens to meticulously crafted pens with tiny tips to pens for sushi fans. Today we're posting the Pentel New Stylish Gel Ink SLICCI pen set, a gorgeous set of multi-colored pens from Japan.
	Restocked Stationery Items, Too. See the StitchLock paper stitcher (which never needs staples), great restocked pens from Pentel and Signo, and more, too.
	Fresh Stock of Bento Boxes. Today we're restocking several bento items, including the Uneri Bento Box sets (both colors), elegant chopsticks, and other items.
	Ero-Kame ~ erokame. Super "H" magazine from the publishers of Urecco featuring some of the hottest JAV stars in Japan. Really great photography as only Japan could produce.
	Overflowing Love -- Ai Arakawa. Ah, here's a lovely photobook item for fans of beautiful Japanese women. You'll surely love Ai-chan's gorgeous "ecchi" pictures here.
	New Manga Volumes. Our new manga include New Equal Bloomers (aka Inner Bloomer), a great "ero" work from Toshiaki Kaneko and Megastore, and Girls Garden, featuring a collection of "H" game stories from the most popular games of today.
	Osana Najimi to Amaku H ni Sugosu Houhou Official Fanbook. Then here's a cool artbook for fans of the "H" game Osana Najimi, featuring art and character info from the game, with lots of glossy pages to drool over.
	Yulia 100-Shiki Cast-Off Figure. Here's a really amazing cast off figure, with clothes that you can remove (HEEHEEHEE). This is figure of Yulia 100 from the manga series by the same name. Top quality figure, available for preorder now.
	Outdoor Whale Shower -- Rio. Tina Yuzuki, the lovely half-Japanese, half-Portuguese AV star, has changed her name to "Rio" now, supposedly because she wants to make a change -- she wants to be less of an "AV idol" and more of an "AV actress" is what we're told by her management company. Either way, here's a bold new release from our favorite honey!
	Sports Acky! -- Akiho Yoshizawa (region 2). Get ready for more fun with Acky, aka Akiho Yoshizawa, in a wacky sports release from Moodyz. She does it all -- extreme volleyball, swimming, track and field, even traditional Japanese archery. Great for fans of Zenra Sports!

The interesting status of voice actors in Japan, shortening foreign words in English and Japanese, and ways that the Japanese aren't so polite

Anime has really gotten big in the U.S. in recent years, changing the face of popular culture as people are more in sync with the anime world. This isn't a new phenomenon in Japan, of course, where animation has been a part of everyone's lives since the old days of Mighty Atom, Giants no Hoshi and the original Gegege no Kitaro. One thing I've often noticed is that the voice actors -- seiyu in Japanese -- in anime are often extremely famous in Japan, with many of the top stars essentially becoming household names. When legendary voice actor Yasuo Yamada, who provided the voice of Lupin III, died in 1995, it was a national tragedy, and everyone grieved to lose the original voice of Lupin. (He was replaced by a comedian who did Lupin III impersonations on variety shows.) Some other voice actors who are well-known to the average Japanese person include Akira Kamiya, voice of Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star, the muscular Kinniku Man, and Ryo from City Hunter, and of course Tohru Furuya, who's played Amuro Rei from the iconic Mobile Suit Gundam along with a host of other roles. Perhaps the most famous voice actor of all is Nobuyo Oyama, the voice of the lovable robot cat from the future, Doraemon. When she retired in 2005, my kids stopped watching the show entirely, since they couldn't accept Doraemon with any voice other than the original. My wife watches lots of American TV dubbed into Japanese, and it's quite fun to play "pick the anime voice actor" while watching an episode of CSI: Miami with her. Oh, that's Inspector Zenigata!

One thing I've noticed is that people from all countries will reduce complex words into smaller chunks to make them easier to work with. In Japanese, it's common for various words to be abbreviated and reduced, to make them easier to say, especially English words which can be cumbersome when rendered into the Japanese phonetic system. For example, the Nintendo Entertainment System was sold here as the Famicom, short for Family Computer; similarly, if you want to go out to eat at a restaurant like Denny's or Coco's, just ask for the nearest famires (family restaurant). Words that are hip with young people tend to get abbreviated the most -- such as diji-kame (digital camera), ge-sen (game center) and sutaba (Starbuck's). Often companies will go out of their way to get people to think of their products in these abbreviated versions, advertising names as Pure-ste (Playstation) or Dora-Kue (Dragon Quest) to make them more familiar to customers.

The Japanese are famous for being polite, even when visiting Presidents throw up in the lap of the country's Prime Minister, as Bush I did on a visit here. It's quite silly, but when I first game to Japan, one small bit of culture shock for me was feeling that stop signs were "rude," because they used the informal command verb tomare ("Stop!") rather than some longer, more polite form. Although the Japanese generally are considerate, there are times when foreigners like me might consider what they do to be rude. First of all, the Japanese love to read over a person's shoulder, and if you're typing something in Japanese on a laptop, well, don't be surprise if a crowd gathers behind you. My mother taught me not to reach over people's plates when eating dinner together, but to ask for someone to pass the item to me; apparently the Japanese didn't get that memo, as it's common here to reach across the table to get what you need while eating. Similarly, Americans don't usually drink soup out of bowls, however it's almost a requirement that you do so here, since there are no spoons. Oh, and while eating any noodle dish like ramen or soba (not spaghetti!), you're expected to slurp your noodles as loudly as possible, and not doing so will likely elicit comments about how quietly you eat.

We've got some good news for fans of PC dating-sim games: the newest title from G-Collections, Snow Sakura, is in stock and shipping now. A super game that will appeal to a wide range of gamers, Snow Sakura puts you into the role of Yuuji, an average Japanese youth surrounded by a circle of beautiful girls (lucky guy). Although you grew up with your energetic cousin Saki, why Kozue, enigmatic senpai Rei, ditzy Misaki and your clumsy teacher Misato, for some reason you can't remember much about those days, only that you made a promise to one of the girls under the magical Snow Sakura tree, which somehow blooms year-round, even in the dead of winter. A great game in the tradition of the best interactive visual novels from Japan (*cough* Kanon *cough*), that we recommend for its great story and characters. Best of all, we've decided to give everyone a little present, and have lopped $5 off the price of the game for all new orders as well as existing preorders. This super game is now it's in stock -- make your order now!

Here are today's "really cool products" that I've picked out for you, out of the 30+ new items we've added to the J-List and JBOX.com sites today. Note that some products may be "not safe for work" but that all links will allow you to redirect yourself either to the J-List or JBOX.com websites. To see all the J-List products, check out J-List or the JBOX.com updated products link.

	Transformer Encore 03 Soundwave. First, we've gotten in some more fun Transformers toys in stock for you, with cool retro styling and (of course) full Transformability. This is Soundwave, the 80s style ghetto blaster that was so cool back in the day, and still is.
	Sunshine Buddies Handy Eco Bag. The Sunshine Buddies series is all about being kind to the Earth, since they run forever via the magic a solar power. Here's a cool related item: a cloth "Eco Bag" that you can carry easily.
	New Japanese Snacks. Got some delicious Japanese snacks for you today, including Toppo in Coffee Mousse & Milk Cake flavor, delicious chewing gum called Purumi, and new Hi-Chew soft candies in (wait for it, wait for it...) Aloe Yogurt flavor!
	Dengeki Maoh Dec 2007. This is a great magazine published each month featuring a fabulous phone book 'o manga, with 500+ pages of top stories like, Tales of Symphonia, Basara and more, as well as lots of free stuff for you.
	Restocked 2008 Calendars We've gotten in a bunch of great new 2008 calendars for anime fans, including the fabulous Studio Ghibli calendar (loaded with *all new* Studio Ghibli illustrations, which often provide insights for fans), Bleach, Death Note and many more. But this will likely be the last stock of many of these items, so don't delay.
	Various Anime Figures Ready to Ship. We've gotten several of the preorder figures on the site now, including the amazing "Girl with No Name" with awesome cowboy hat and old west gun, the coolest Tachikoma you'll see in a long time, and more.
	Hello Kitty KAIUN Chirimen Magnet with Lucky Charm. A cute item for Sanrio fans, this is a kimono fabric Hello Kitty plush toy with a magnet inside, that you can put it on your fridge, the white board at work, etc. Also brings good luck!
	Restocked Hello Kitty Merchandise. We've gotten in lots of fun Sanrio items today, including the Hello Kitty eye mask, the Hello Kitty Tight 2-Tier Bento Box, and a favorite item of mine, the Hello Kitty Onigiri Maker, which makes Kitty-shaped rice balls!
	Kanji de Manga Vol. 5. A useful book for learning to read kanji in the best way possible, through the visual medium of manga. A popular series that we recommend a lot.
	Otoko Moe Soundrop -- Full Set of 6. "Moe" (mo-EH) is the primary concept in otaku culture today, describable as the warm, fuzzy feeling you get when contemplating your favorite anime character. This is a great Soundrop series featuring the most excellent yaoi / BL / bishounen archetypes.
	Miku Hatsune Nendoroid Figure *Preorder*. Miku Hatsune is the amazing computer generated idol, a popular CG character who sings in a voice that's completely artificial, thanks to an incredible software program from Hitachi. Now you can have this amazing character on your desk. Yes, she has the stupid onion in her hand.
	Restocked Kitchen and Bento Goods. Various back-in-stock bento and kitchen items today, including the cute Panda-shaped bento boxes, our popular Cup Noodle Mug Cup, and authentic chopsticks from Japan.
	Even More Delicious Snacks from Japan. Finally, see some great restocked Japanese snacks, including Meiji Wata-Pachi cotton candy w/ pop rocks inside, Hi-Chew Peach Soft Candy, Black Black Caffeine Candy, and Toppo in French Style Caramel Mousse. Yum.
	Snow Sakura is Shipping. As mentioned above, Snow Sakura is in stock and shipping now! Best of all, we've decided to give everyone a cool Christmas gift by lowering the price by $5, to say thank to our fans for their support.
	The Top DVD Magazine No. 109 Sep 2007. The Top DVD Magazine tracks the top JAV actresses and DVD releases, and is a great way to stay on top of the always-changing video world in Japan. Comes with a great 200 minute DVD, too.
	New "H" Manga from Japan. Two great "H" comics from Japan for you, with great themes for fans of ropes and tying. First there's Lustful Glance with eight chapters of nonstop action, then Inbaku Byoto with stories centering around obsession, futanari and more.
	Restocked Manga, Too. Today's restocked manga volumes include the amazing Voluptuous Woman by Grifon, You must be a Incredible "M," Doubles, futanari super work Hatsu-Inu, It's Okay to Look, and the oddly named visual treat Alignment You! You! Click to view these items now.
	Shizuka 1/8 Cast-Off Figure ~ Queens Blade *Preorder*. A super "cast off" figure from Queens Blade, with clothes that can be, er, cast off. Fabulous detail, great for displaying in your home or office.