Fun Things to do in Tokyo

I often get mail from people planning a trip to Tokyo, asking me to recommend some sightseeing spots. While there is a ton of fun stuff to see in and around Tokyo, the reality is that the Kansai Region is the better place to visit, with fabulous destinations like Kyoto and Nara and a thousand more years of history than the Kanto area. If you are Tokyo-bound, though, I'll do my best to offer some suggestions. Of course Akihabara is fun to visit, but if you want to really drink in the totality of otaku culture, try to be there on a Sunday after payday (which is the 25th of the month), when everyone is power-shopping and giddy with excess energy. If you like 8-bit gaming culture, hit a store called Super Potato, which has more classic console game stuff than you can shake a stick at. If you drink, make sure to go pub-crawling in Shinjuku's east side near Kabuki-cho, the only place in Japan that can be considered dangerous (so use good judgment). If you need to get across the bay to Odaiba for any reason, go out of your way to ride Himiko, the "water bus" designed by Space Battleship Yamato creator Leiji Matsumoto. Another fun water-related experience you might try is an evening cruise on a yakata-bune, essentially an old-style Japanese izakaya restaurant-bar on a boat that cruises around Tokyo bay while you eat and drink. Of course one spot you must visit if coming to Tokyo is the famous Hachiko statue in Shibuya, erected by local residents to honor the dog who waited faithfully for his master to return, even after the man died. Incidentally, we've posted a new T-shirt that's a tribute to Faithful Dog Hachiko -- check it out now.

The Himiko looks like it jumped out of a Leiji Matsumoto anime;

Make sure to visit the "Japanese Soul Dog" Hachiko while in Tokyo, too.

More Funny English in Japan

You've been in Japan too long when you see a sign for a "mansion gallery" and know immediately that it's a building built to allow prospective buyers of high-rise condominiums (called "mansions" here) to see what the insides are like before making a purchase. Like every country, the Japanese take words and change them to fit their needs, so that sometimes a native speaker might not know what the original meaning was. One interesting use the Japanese have come up with for the letter "W" is to represent the concept of "double," and advertisers might put a "W" in their product's name to imply that it's twice as effective as the leading brand. With the arrival of the Internet the letter "W" has taken on a new meaning, indicating laughter, since the word for "to laugh" in Japanese is warau but that's too hard to type quickly. Some other versions of words you hear quite frequently in Japan include "morning call" (what a wake-up call is here), "health meter" (what they call a scale to measure your weight) and "freeter" (someone who works part-time jobs but isn't interested in a career).

This Japanese beer is apparenly "Dy-no-mite!" www (and if you get that joke, my hat is off to you)

Gundam is to Star Trek as Macross is to Star Wars

People who study marketing know that competitions often come down to two companies, like Coke and Pepsi for carbonated sugar water or Mac and Windows for consumer operating systems. And for old school anime fans like me, I think Gundam and Macross fill a similar duality. Gundam is the "Star Trek" of the anime world, the groundbreaking franchise without which nothing after could have come, which tells a reasonably realistic story about mankind colonizing space, developing mecha suits called mobile suits and evolving into Newtypes. Macross is the series that throws realism out the window, instead telling a more emotional story with impossible transforming mecha and interstellar wars whose outcomes are invariably determined by a song. Ever since my son was small, we've had fun being Gundam fans together, watching the various series and doing father-and-son stuff like building model kits. When he borrowed my copy of the Macross Ultimate Frontier for the PSP, he played through all the levels then asked to see the show, so now we're having fun viewing the major Macross series together starting with Macross Frontier. And I've borrowed his copy of Gundam Battle Universe, a fabulous game made by the same staff in which you play through every battle from the One Year War to Char's Counterattack. Anime has really brought us together.

About the best live-action Macross we'll ever see, from a pachinko commercial.

Japan Takes Lucky Cat Seriously

J-List carries a huge selection of fun Lucky Cat products, called maneki neko or "inviting cat" in Japanese. He "invites" good luck into your home or business and is a wonderful image of Japan. Some products that are popular with our customers including the basic Lucky Cat coin bank, the awesome Lucky Cat Tea Cups we stock, fun Lucky Cat straps you can attach to your phone, and today, a Christmas Lucky Cat display we're posting. A lot of people talk about Lucky Cat, but J-List is doing something about it!

Cool Products Friday, November 6, 2009

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.

	Kera Oct 2009 KERA is a fresh and fun fashion magazine from the streets of Tokyo. Covering a variety of themes, from punk to Harajuku grunge to Goth-Loli, with lots of current and up-to-date fashion information from Shibuya.
	Japanese T-Shirt - Japanese Soul Dog ~ Khaki Speaking of Shibuya, J-List has a new T-shirt for you: the official T-shirt of Hachiko, the "faithful dog" who waited for his master to return outside Shibuya Station. The shirt, which is available in khaki or white, shows Japan's most beloved canine with the words, "Japanese Soul Dog."
	2010 Kyoani Calendars *Preorder* J-List has hundreds of awesome 2010 calendars for you, and today we've got a treat" very limited stock of the Kyoani calendars are posted for preorder. If you're a fan of Haruhi, Clannad, K-On! Or Lucky Star, then run, don't walk to preorder yours.
	Gorgeous 2010 Idol, JPOP and Other Calendars We've recently restocked some really amazing 2010 calendars featuring the most popular Japanese idols and actresses, including the charming Maki Horikita, the button-cute Nozomi Sasaki, and popular idol Yuko Ogura. Click to browse now.
	Gundam Battle Universe I've been having fun playing the Macross Ultimate Frontier game on PSP, and decided we should stop this title, too, made by the same staff. It's simply the best Gundam game ever made, and there's nothing like playing the One Year War missions with decked-out mechs from the Char's Counterattack era.
	Haro Alarm Clock ~ Gundam Speaking of Gundam the Haro alarm clock has come in, and it's mighty awesome. Haro flaps his ears and talks to you when it's time to get up. You even can shout Ikimasu! as you get out of bed if yo like.
	Klan Klang DX Figure ~ Macross F Then for Macross fans, we've got Klan, the Zentraedi warrior who, due to a quirk of her DNA, turns into a cute girl when she's micronized. Yak deculture!
	Anime 4 GB USB Memory USB memory sticks are more fun when they're shaped like anime characters, and we've got some awesome high-speed USB flash drives shaped like Konata from Lucky Star, Ranka Lee and more.
	Afternoon Sep 2009 Then, I'm a huge fan of Afternoon, the elegant and super thick monthly magazine that is so cool, Oguie from Genshiken wants to draw manga for it. Super 20th Anniversary of Ah My Goddess.
	Awesome Anime Artbooks See a bunch of restocked anime artbooks on the site, including the Louise "photobook" from Zero no Tsukaima, the great Otome Hime/Mai Hime photobook, En Ciel RENA and the Polyphonica Fan Book.
	Cute Japanese Hand Warmers -- Rabbit and Panda Japan has these really cool hand warmers which keep you toasty for hours, called kairo, which opens the door for bad jokes about, "Why is it so warm in Egypt?" We're stocking two incredibly cute hand warmers in the shape of a rabbit and panda.
	Hello Kitty Kinchaku Snack Set Or check out this Hello Kitty Snack Set, which is a drawstring (kinchaku)) bag that's really cute. It is filled with Hello Kitty snacks, but you can use the bag long after the snacks are eaten.
	Lucky Cat & Tree Happy Christmas Display Here's something special: a ceramic Lucky Cat display that will become a treasure in your family. A wonderful creation that's made in Japan.
	Japan iTunes Cards, iTunes/iPod/iPhone Compatible It's fun to browse the iTunes Japan store and see what fun and wacky music you can discover, like the Exit Trance Presents with dance-able music made popular by Japan's Nico Video community, the latest songs by Miku Hatsune, or browse the top singles charts to see what's popular in Japan this week.
	Awesome Chocolate from Japan It's the best time to browse J-List for rare and delicious new chocolate snacks from Japan. Today we're posting Morinaga's Choco Ball in Caramel and Milk Pudding flavor, plus Glico's chocolate covered almonds and macadamia -- yum.
	Cherry Boy, Sapporo Beer, Akihabara Drops Then see fresh stock of the wildly popular Traditional Japanese Food Drops candy with the strange name, Cherry Boy, plus Sapporo Beer and Akihabara Limited Drops candies.
	DX Men's Bento Set ~ Stainless Rice Container Looking for a really special bento box that provides a professional-looking style plus large containers for rice and the rest of your lunch? I am amazed how awesome this new bento set is.
	J-List's Most Popular Bento Boxes Restocked Then see fresh stock of what has to be one of the best bargains in the bento world. The "TENMARI" blue and red bento set, which give you everything you need for a fun Japanese boxed lunch.
	J-List [hearts] Totoro Bento J-List carries hundreds of Totoro and bento products, so it's natural that Totoro bento boxes would be a popular item with our customers. The deluxe Totoro Theral Bento Box Set is back in stock, ready for you to take it into the forest for a great adventure.
	Kawaii Onigiri Kitchen Sponge We never know what will become popular at J-List, but our customers can't get enough of our cute onigiri-shaped sponge with a happy faces in them. Fresh stock uploaded today.
	R2-D2 Soy Sauce Bottle, Pepper Mill For fans of J-List cool soy sauce bottle subculture, or for people who just like Star Wars, we've restocked the R2-D2 soy sauce bottle, as well as the matching fresh pepper mill. These will be popular this Christmas so get your order in soon.
	Lucky DAIBUTSU Key Met Japan is having a "Buddha boom" right now, and we're adding some funky products to our lineup. This is a key cover that will turn a normal key into a cool Buddha key. Based on the Daibutsu statue in Nara.
	More DS Study Items There are only 31 days until the Japanese Language Proficiency Test -- are you getting enough studying in? Today we've posted stock of the DS Kanji Dictionary (the best electronic dictionary solution, hands down), plus Let's Play in Japanese and Japanese Literature 100 Works.
	Nihongo Journal One tool I used to help myself study Japanese effectively was Nihongo Journal, a monthly magazine with various lessons at different levels, allowing you to back to previous issues and do new lessons that might have been too hard the first time through. Click to view J-List's stock of this useful tool now -- with reduced prices, too!
	Super Sonico Oppai 3D Mouse Pad *Preorder* J-List is happy to be working with Nitroplus, one of the most awesome companies on the planet, with the upcoming game Demonbane. See a fabulous Oppai Mousepad featuring their headphones-clad character Sonico -- kawaii!
	Restocked Japanese Snacks Finally, some great restocked J-snacks just in time for the weekend. We have Lotte Fusen no Mi gum (which means "fruit of the bubble" and you're supposed to think of bubblegum growing on trees), UHA Puccho World, traditional Barley Sugar candy, Van Houten Dear Cacao chocolates, plus the all-time favorite Pocari Sweat sports drink (note, contains no sweat).
	Princess Waltz on DVD-ROM or Download It's one of the best games ever brought out into English, and one we recommend a lot. Princess Waltz is the story of a normal Japanese youth who is thrown into a world of beautiful women who fight with huge swords. To win, you must join with one of the girls, which is my favorite part of the game.

Japan and Bilingualism

My daughter invited a friend from her school over last weekend, and I got pressed into service as driver. ("Whatever you do, don't say any of your bad dajare puns around her," my daughter pleaded beforehand.) When we arrived at the station to pick her friend up, I made sure to speak only English to my daughter, since I know how Japanese view anyone who is pera pera (fluent) in a foreign language with awe. Sure enough, her friend's eyes got wide at the site of my daughter speaking English casually, which made me happy as a father. The Japanese know they're not the best when it comes to learning foreign languages, and anyone who can speak other languages is quite kakko ii (cool). When soccer player Hidetoshi Nakata went to Rome to play professionally, Japanese fans were stunned by video of him speaking Italian fluently, and his popularity soared. (You could probably calculate in money terms what his learning Italian was worth to him, since many licensing deals followed worth millions.) Another star to receive a boost from his linguistic ability is Okinawan-Taiwanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro, fluent in Mandarin as well as English, and whenever he's in a movie speaking either language, his fans go wild.

When Nakata spoke Italian on camera, his fans squealed with glee.

Japan's Paper Doors

Japanese homes are different from homes in the West. For example, there's a low area by the front door called a genkan where you remove your shoes before entering, a Buddhist Altar for letting family members who have passed away that they're not forgotten, and those dreamy tatami mats that I love sitting on, although they're honestly not the best thing for people with dust allergies. Another unique feature of Japanese homes: shoji, the famous paper doors which are used to separate rooms. The doors slide sideways on wooden rails, so they don't take up any space in cramped houses, and they bring a welcome Japanese touch to any room. Shoji have a tendency to turn yellow when they get old, so every few years you should replace the paper. Tearing the paper off the doors is just about the funniest thing in the world, and when my kids were small we'd make quite a game of it, punching through the paper and ripping it all off. The shoji paper market is quite large, with many different companies competing to sell you the best shoji paper. Variations include paper that's hard to tear thanks to cotton fibers inside, and shoji you can hang by just running a hot iron over the paper.

Shoji doors maybe be beautiful, but they're a challenge to maintain.

Anime 2.0: You Can (Not) Avoid Product Placement

An interesting thing has happened to anime over the past few years: it's become quite common to see well-known products being plugged on-screen. Of course, animators have always had fun with "unofficial" versions of famous brands, like "Pochy" and "Prech" in Please Teacher/Please Twins or the missile that explodes while flashing a Budweiser logo for a split-second in the Macross 1984 movie. Recently, though, the relationship between advertisers and animators has been changing as studios adjust to the realities of the 21st century. Some anime series now have famous product tie-ins built into them, like the running Pizza Hut gags and cross-promotions in Code Geass and A Certain Scientific Railgun, or the Katsuhiro Otome sci-fi series Freedom, which is loaded with humorous Cup Noodle imagery. In the new Evangelion movies, the characters shop at the Lawson convenience store, drink Yebisu beer and UCC Coffee and munch on Doritos. Tying certain products to anime certainly seems to be an effective strategy, judging from the sales of Grave of the Fireflies Sakuma Drops, traditional Kompeito candy and Totoro Milk Caramels at J-List, and clearly people like the idea of eating snacks that Hayao Miyazaki's pencil has animated. But is the recent increase in anime product placement crossing a line that should remain uncrossed? Ask me later, I've got a major craving for Pizza Hut right now.

Once again, I am giving myself major hunger pangs by blogging about food...

Rose Essence Gum, And Other Good Thigns

J-List stocks lots of fun products from Japan, and one of our favorites is Fuwarinka, an advanced kind of chewing gum developed by Kanebo (yes, that Kanebo) that contains rose essence, which is supposed to actually make your body smell rosy from the inside out. A similar product is Otoko Kaoru, special aromatic gum designed for men who want to smell nicer. Japan's recent "rose boom" extended into a surprising area: Kit Kat chocolates, and you can enjoy delicious aromatic chocolate cookies, at least until our stock runs out. Finally, something I positively love in the winter are the BUB fizzing bath tablets, which are a super way to take away the day's stress using "aroma therapy" (as the Japanese call it).

Cool Products Wednesday, November 4, 2009

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.

	Dengeki Maoh Oct 2009 Don't look now, but it's another gorgeous issue of Dengeki Maoh ("Electric Shock Magic King"), with 750+ pages of the best manga for you, incliding Death Edge, Persona 4, Tanuki de Pon, Basara and more.
	Cosmode 030 Nov 2009 Then, a gorgeous new issue of Cosmode, the magazine of cosplay culture from Japan. Featuring a metric ton of high quality cosplay, this issue focuses on the best K-On! costumes you are likely to ever see.
	Hatsukoi Limited 1-4 A popular manga by Ichigo 100% creator Mizuki Kawashita that focuses on the intense love between boys and girls. The story is about five main girls and the boys who fall in love with them. Great for studying Japanese, since all kanji have furigana beside them.
	Otokonoko wa Maid Fuku ga Osuki visual book vol. 1 The excellent official artbook to the dating-sim game Boys Like Maid Uniforms, about a boy who dresses as a female maid.
	Masamune Shirow 2010 Calendar *Preorder* The smash hit calendar of 2009 was the Shirow Masamune offering, and we're happy to let you know that the new Shirow calendar has been posted for preorder. Absolutely amazing new artwork for this amazing creator.
	More Anime, Idol and Other Calendars Also, we continue to refresh photos of our 2010 anime calendars, now that they're in stock. Click to browse sample images of Toradora, Totoro, Evangelion, and many more. Gorgeous images like this one of Minori or this Asuka pic will help you decide which calendars you want to spend the year with!
	NIPPON DX Japanese Embroidery Style Caps Two gorgeous embroidered caps for Japan aficionados, of the kind you can only find at high end gift shops in Asakusa. I love the way the designs leap out at you. The hats are fully adjustable and will fit any head.
	Cool Trans Reserve subscription J-List offers dozens of outstanding revolving magazine subscriptions from Japan, including the best anime, manga, toy, and fashion magazines. This is Cool Trans, a men's fashion magazine that shows you what's cool in Japan today. Best of all, you get free stuff, like the men's boxers in the Dec. issue.
	Lucky Solar Owl J-List carries many fun solar powered relaxation toys which magically get their energy from the sun, or from the florescent lights in your office. This is the large Lucky Solar Owl which will bring you good fortune and make you feel relaxed.
	Mini Yutanpo ~ Eco Panda Rather than use an electric blanket or heater to keep warm during the winter, consider using a yutanpo, or hot water bottle, which keeps you toasty for hours. If it's a really cute plush panda, then even better!
	Roxanne Designed by Shunya Yamashita Then, Shunya Yamashita is one of the most highly respected Japanese illustrators, and his figures are prized by collectors. His newest figure is in stock now, but don't take too long to get yours, as most of our stock sold to preorder customers.
	Miku Hatsune, K-On! Big Towel We have those gorgeous *large sized* printed anime towels from COSPA that should be in the home of every super otaku. Imagine wrapping your body around Miku and Mio -- oo, it makes me all tingly.
	PERSONA3 for Sony PSP Persona3 for PSP has dropped, and we've got it in stock now. Imagine playing this great game on that wide Sony PSP's gorgeous screen. Fully compatible with PSP units all over the world.
	Wonderful New Snacks from Japan Enjoy some really awesome new seasonal snacks from Japan, including the Glico Kiss of Winter Almond Chocolate, made with real cocoa powder, plus Japan Kit Kat in traditional Kinako flavor and Gumauve, square gummy marshmallows.
	Restocked Japanese Food Drops Then, see fresh stock of some of our most popular traditional Japanese Food Drops candies, including Gyoza from Tochigi Prefecture, Okinomiyaki from Osaka and Teriyaki Pork Bowl from Hokkaido.
	Amazing FUWARINKA Japanese Rose Gum Today we've restocked the immensely popular Fuwarinka gum that's made with rose essence, so it makes your body smell better form the inside. Otoko Kaoru (Men's Aroma), too!
	HANAMARUKI Special Assorted Miso Soup Mix Enjoy authentic miso soup with this delicious assortment of three different varieties of Japan's most famous soup. I personally love tofu, how about you? Fun furikake (food that's sprinkled over white rice), too.
	Cute Disney Bento Boxes J-List carries more than 100 different bento boxes, from the traditional to the functional to the kawaii. These Disney-themed bento boxes feature two tiers to separate your food and chopsticks under the lid.
	Colorful Bento Picks, Soy Sauce Bottles See brand-new soy sauce bottles shaped like cute animals, and matching bento picks for eating your lunch or making it look more beautiful.
	Banana Carrying Case, Sushi Maker, More Got fresh stock of the thoroughly wacky Banana Carrying Case from Nikyoro, which always has a smile for you. Also see a handy item for making temaki rolled sushi and more of those popular fish-shaped bottles for bento.
	Hello Kitty Photo Album Life is short, so take lots of pictures. And put them in this cute Hello Kitty photo album, which holds twenty of them securely for you. Accepted inkjet-printed photos too.
	Restocked Studio Ghibli Products See other restocked products, too, including our Totoro Stamps Soot Sprite stamps, which are so organic and awesome, you can feel Hayao Miyazaki's hand making them almost.
	Awesome Japanese Study Tools for DS There are many ways to learn Japanese more effectively, and we think the Nintendo DS can offer students of the language a lot. See fresh stock of the Kakitori Kun kanji-writing games (both volumes).
	Lucky Cat Coin Bank ~ Smile Family This is frankly one of the coolest Lucky Cat items I've seen, and I've seen more than just about anyone. It's a giant cat smiling, and inside his mouth is his Lucky Cat family, also smiling.
	WAGASHI / Japanese Sweets Phone Straps Then, a cool item: realistic-looking wagashi (traditional sweets of Japan) but made into a phone strap, so you can take awesome unique Japanese treats on your camera, keys, portable gaming machine or iPhone case.
	Revoltech Queen's Blade Figures 2P Color Preorder Queen's Blade fans know the Revoltech line of highly posable toys are awesome. Today we're posting preorders for the "2P color" versions, alternate colors of figures that are enigmatic to look at, and surprisingly ecchi.
	Natsume Sorayama Cast off Figures vol.1 *Preorder* Wow, is all I can say about his pair of highly ecchi figures from SoraMizu, a cast-off figure that seems to offer more in, ah, functionality than most.
	Affordable H-Games by Download J-List sells dozens of English-translated PC dating-sims, also known as eroge, including many that are extremely affordable in price. I recommend Little My Maid, a superb game about three maids and a mansion that's a dream to play.