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!