Stuff to See in Japan

I'm always happy to offer random advice about what to see when planning a trip to Japan. While the Kansai (Kyoto-Osaka) area is frankly the best place to go for quality sightseeing, there are some nice places to visit in the Kanto (Tokyo) region, too. One of my favorites is Nikko, pretty much the most beautiful complex of temples and Japanese gardens in Eastern Japan, where you can see where Ieyasu Tokugawa's ashes are interred as well as those "see no evil, speak no evil" monkeys. Another place I like to recommend to people is Tobu World Square, conveniently located near Nikko, which is a theme park filled with super detailed miniatures, all recreated at 25:1 scale. Walking through the park you see all the most famous buildings in the U.S., including the World Trade Center standing tall, then stroll past the Pyramids and the great cathedrals of Europe, see the Long Castle of 10,000 Leagues (as the Great Wall is called) and visit all the famous temples in Japan in miniature form. You can even see a replica of the Tokyo Sky Tree, the new broadcasting tower that will stand more than 630 meters when it's completed in 2012.

I'm a fan of Tobu World Square, an amusement park of realistic miniatures.

Dragon Dictation Mad Libs

Like many people, I have an iPhone, and I carry it with me everywhere, stroking it lovingly and calling it my precious in a guttural Gollum-like voice. The other day I downloaded a program called Dragon Dictation, which promises to transcribe spoken text by uploading it to its servers for quick processing. I have to say, the app works great, and I was able to get nearly 100% accuracy almost immediately. My wife asked me to let her try, but due to her Japanese accent, the results were, well, different. The text I'd used as a base was:

Cafe Verona. Rich, romantic and well-balanced, with the dark cocoa texture and roasted sweetness.

But despite her best efforts, pronouncing the words slowly and carefully, the program returned text like this:

LMAO my rates become not romantic and well-balanced come up with tobacco cool exterior and roasting meat.

Of course, the program wasn't designed to parse non-standard accents of English, and it does its job very passably with native speakers. I felt kind of sorry for my wife -- although she can use English without any problem when in the States, the program couldn't transcribe her words properly at all.

The Dragon Dictation system is great, unless you have a strong accent.

The Loving Arms of NHK

"You've been in Japan too long when NHK warnings about landslides, heavy rains, and other disasters make you feel reassured that someone is benevolently watching over you." NHK is Japan's public broadcasting network, essentially a clone of the BBC, and aside from giving us cool things like Domo-kun they provide news, culture, and the best samurai dramas around. They're also at the center of Japan's rather extensive Emergency Warning System, which provides information on earthquakes and other natural disasters. After the tragic earthquake in Chile, there was fear that a large tsunami might strike Japan, and all day long NHK and the other TV stations displayed a large warning graphic telling people to avoid the sea. When the wave finally hit, it was just 30 cm high, which caused anger among Japan's otaku on 2ch who weren't happy about having their favorite anime series "marred" by a large map of Japan taking up half the screen. The television stations weren't the only ones well prepared for disasters. When I got in my car that day, my navi (er, computerized GPS thingey, whatever it's called in proper English) warned me, "An emergency situation has been declared. Please drive your car to a safe location immediately." I felt like I was in an SF story.

During times of trouble, NHK is a calm hand on your shoulder.

Sorry for Server Issues, Here's some Bento

First of all, many apologies for the off-and-on server problems we've been experiencing over the past couple of days. We're hard at work on a permanent fix, and believe the issues will be behind us soon. If the site ever does stop responding for you while you're using it, come back in a few minutes and it should be working again.

J-List carries a huge selection of bento boxes from Japan, for our customers who want to take part in the worldwide explosion of Japanese boxed lunch culture. A lot of the bento boxes we carry are a beautiful blend of traditional and modern Japanese themes, like the Blue Rabbit and Moon bento box, a top seller on the site right now. We also love the bento box offerings from Hakoya, since they really know how to capture the soul of Japan in their lunchboxes. We have more Hello Kitty bento boxes than you can shake a stick at -- heck, we've declared today to be the International Sanrio Bento Day for no particular reason -- and bento boxes that hold onigiri rice balls are another really cool item. Click here to see all our bento items, or here to check out the top 50 bento boxes on the site right now. We also have plenty of fun bento accessories, which you can see see here.

Cool Products Friday, March 5, 2010

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.

	Animage Original vol. 6 Here's a special issue of Animage, the legendary magazine that actually gave us the term "anime" which focuses on awesome works like Bakemonogatari and Eve no Jikan.
	Dengeki Maoh Apr 2010 It's time for yet another thick and satisfying manga from Japan, in the form of Dengeki Maoh, which gives you 640 pages of a manga awesomeness like Persona 4, Toradora!, Spice and Wolf and more.
	Mameshiba iPod Nano Case Then, this Mameshiba iPod case for the current generation of iPod nano is just too cute for words. Considering what most boring iPod cases sell for, the price is reasonable, too.
	Mameshiba Earphone But wait, what if you want even MOAR cuteness? Then feast your eyes on these little gems, high quality Mameshiba earphones that fit in your ear snugly and are compatible with all iPod/iPhone/whatever.
	Ein Figma Action Figure An excellent figure based on the gorgeous Requiem for the Phantom anime, which was based on the eroge that made Nitroplus famous. Restocked today.
	Fabulous Macross Revoltech Toys Restocked Also restocked: really outstanding Revoltech Macross toys, including the 1984 limited edition of the Super Valkyrie plus Battle Pod.
	Restocked Ouran High School Uniforms, Ninja Mask The Ouran High School uniforms were so popular, we had to get more of them for our customers, which we did today. Also restocked, the really cool Naruto/Kakashi ninja mask.
	Restocked Striped Panties, Swimsuits Today we've restocked the popular shimapan striped panties, worn by so many cute anime characters from Mio of K-On! to Lucchini of Strike Witches. Also restocked: the actual swimsuit worn by Izumi from Lucky Star.
	Moe Moe Encyclopedia ~ Real Weapons Collection Another gorgeous artbook that teaches you useful information with illustrations of cute moe girls. See the new book illustration famous weapons from history, plus fresh stock of War Girls and Satoshi Urushihara's illustrations.
	A Certain Magical Index Manga Restocked The official manga serialization of the popular anime Toaru Majutsu no Index, or if you prefer the title in Latin, Index Librorum Prohibitorum, which is pretty coo). Features furigana for easy kanji reading.
	Moonlight Cradle ~ Yoake mae yori ruri iro na This is a tale of the time when the earth and the moon were much, much closer, and there was a magical kingdom on the moon. What would you do if a princess of that country came to "homestay" with you?
	CARMINE -- Yoshiyuki Sadamoto Illustrations *Preorder* Here's a special artbook that's being posted for preorder: the finest ever artbook collection of artwork by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, the talented artist who brought us such Gainax favorites as Evangelion, Aim for the Top 2, FLCL and more. Preorder the normal version of this awesomeness now!
	Sakura Green Tea Kit Kat! Today is a fun day for Japanese snack fans, because the Sakura Green Tea is in!Our customers have been buying this by the case, so get yours ASAP. Other new snacks include Cheese Rice Crackers and a new flavor of Ottoto!
	Chocolate Banana Crepe Food Drops (Harajuku) One of the best tastes in Japan is a Choco Banana Crepe, so delicious to eat on a Sunday afternoon in Harajuku. Now you can taste this in the newest flavor of traditional Food Drops candies!
	Akiba Moe Marshmallow ~ Moe chan no Hoppe Then, enjoy another outstanding Akiba gift item, fun "moe marshmallows" with cute girls on them. Usually only available in Akihabara's gift shops.
	Hello Kitty Ningyo Yaki Maker Another fun item we're posting today is a Hello Kitty ningyo yaki maker for making the fun cakes that are famous in Asakusa, Tokyo. Make them in a microwave!
	Today is International Sanrio Bento Day Actually, we just made that up, but it sounds pretty cool, doesn't it? Got *three* amazing bento boxes for you, including Hello Kitty, My Melody and Little Twin Star.
	Awesome Bento Boxes for Men We've restocked several of our stylish bento boxes that are suitable for guys, too, like the DX Men's Stainless Bento Set, frankly one of the most awesome products J-List has ever carried.
	NORIO Onigiri Bento Case We love carrying bento boxes that have lots of character, and this super-cute onigiri style small bento box is so darned cute. Restocked today.
	Pocky Chopsticks Also back in stock: the cool Pocky chopsticks, which come in chocolate or strawberry versions. These are also very durable, made out of hard lacquered bamboo and easy for us gaijin to grip food with.
	Hello Kitty Cooking Ring & Powder Stencil Then: another product I was born to sell, this is a ring for making the most awesome Hello Kitty shaped pancakes, or fried eggs. Use the included stencil to draw Kitty-chan's face and whiskers with cocoa powder. Restocked today.
	New Totoro Rubber Stamps, Other Ghibli Items One of my favorite Totoro products are these wood-and-rubber stamps, which feature images of Totoro and messages in Japanese. See new stamps, plus fresh stock of awesome plush toys!
	Hiragana Times No. 277 Read about world events or local Japanese culture in both English and Japanese with Hiragana Times, a fantastic study tool. A great new issue is in stock.
	New & Restocked Japanese Pens Next, we have an awesome new pen, the Uni 0.7 Power Tank Pen, plus the popular Supplio Aroma Healing mechanical pencil, the most advanced eraser in the world and more.
	Restocked Japanese Books from Tuttle Studying Japanese? Then J-List has your back, with great books to help you learn. Today we've restocked the Guide to Reading and Writing Japanese, the Complete Japanese Verb Guide, and Japanese for Beginners.
	Japanese Study Books Also, today we're restocking Catchy Japanese Phrases, which present a "situational" way to learn the language that's something I'd have loved to have back in the day. Both volumes are in stock.
	SAKURA Pouch with Chirimen Rabbit Mascot Usagi (rabbits) are a famous symbol of Japan, and we've gotten in two all-purpose pouches made of chirimen (kimono fabric) and featuring cute rabbit mascots. I love selling stuff like this.
	Soft Rubber Shuriken, Other Items Restocked They look awesomely realistic, but these ninja shuriken are made of soft rubber. Also restocked, the Ukiyoe Chopsticks Gift Box, Kokeshi Dolls of Four Seasons, a miniature randoseru backpack and the Paper Globe Peach Balloon.
	DECOLE Kawaii Fragrant Car Window Sign Plate This is cute: cute Japanese signs that warn other drivers that you have a baby or child in the car with you. Stay safe and be kawaii at the same time.
	One Piece T-Shirts from COSPA *Preorder* It's shaping up to be the Year of One Piece, and COSPA is bringing out even more awesome T-shirts for you. Click to view the new offerings.
	Other Preorder Items Other preorder items: this fabulous 1/6 "cast off" figure of Tamaki from ToHeart, plus the "Flying Pantsu" kit that you can make and really fly.
	Tons of Restocked Snack Goodness Finally, we've gotten the incredibly popular Kit Kat "Gokaku" (Pass the Test) coffee cup sets in again, plus Sake Chocolate w/ Sake Cup, traditional Pure Mist Candy, Lotte Winter Pie no Mi, Hi-Chew and a favorite of mine, Bull-Dog Sauce!
	Fiesta -- Rio photobook 5000 limited Edition Then, the superb half-Japanese, half-Portuguese AV actress Rio -- also known as Tina Yuzuki -- appears in a limited edition photobook that we've just gotten in stock. This woman is amazing!
	Love Flag Girls J-List carries yuri manga, which are fabulous for all fans of girls who love other girls. Got a nice new steamy manga for fans here today.
	Japanese Eroge In Stock J-List now carries Japanese import games, and we've restocked that awesome Real Kanojo virtual CG dating-simulator, plus Zettai Maou.
	Asahi Beer Parody Onahole These look like cans of beer and chuhai, but they're really funny joke products for stress relief for guys. Innovative and fun products abound at J-List.
	Other Restocked Toys Can an onehole also quality as art? Looking at the lay/D Body Torsos we restocked today, I have to think yes. Also see the WX10 Wireless Remote Control Vibrator and fresh stock of the Flog Pillow.

Common Euphemisms Used in Japan

As a general rule, Japan is very "about" -- an English word the Japanese use to mean subtle, vague or imprecise -- and a lot of information is not overtly stated. This can be a challenge to foreigners who aren't used to having conversations in which the subjects of sentences are silently assumed by all parties. The Japanese also make use of euphemisms to stand for concepts they don't want to talk about directly, like the famous word ecchi, the letter "H" said with a Japanese accent, which works as a general stand-in for anything sexual. If a guy thinks about girls too much, he is ecchi, and the most common way to refer to that particular human act is ecchi suru, lit. "to do H." (If you watch the Japanese version of CSI: Miami, Horatio's nickname of "H" is changed to "chief" for this reason.) Female menstruation is another subject that's never talked about directly, and the usual way to refer to the subject is seiri, which just means "biology." This word is so pervasive that I never learned the proper word in Japanese...until I discovered it by putting my foot in my mouth. I'd been talking with some friends about a brand of sake called Gekkei-kan but I mispronounced it, so that it came out gekkei, which just happened to be the Japanese word for "menstruation" (insert facepalm).

"That explains why Japanese tourists... *glasses* ...always look at me funny."

American Animation vs. Japan: Which Is Better?

The other day I came across a site asking in all seriousness which country's animation was better, the U.S. or Japan. I posted the question to my Twitter feed, and there was a spirited discussion about the benefits of each, with the general consensus that the two are so different that trying to compare them is useless. One thing I especially love about the animation from Japan is the huge range of creativity you find, like the closing credits of Sora no Otoshimono which shows a flock of girl's panties flying through the sky as if they were birds. (We even have a pair you can fly yourself.) Last week I watched a gorgeous series called Eve no Jikan, or the Time of Eve, about a future in which humans are served by advanced androids. But even robots want to feel like people, and there's a special coffee shop where humans and androids can interact without barriers. My favorite androids at Eve no Jikan are Rina and Koji, a couple who are always fawning over each other. Although they're both androids, each believes the other to be human, an idea which caused my head to explode.

So what do you think? Obviously you have to qualify the question -- are we comparing Pixar to Ghibli, CG based 3D animation to quality 2D? Or only 2D to 2D? I sometimes think that anime is fresher than, say, Disney animated films which closely follow an established pattern, but then I realize that Dragonball Z has its own pattern its following, too. Any thoughts?

"Are you enjoying the time of EVE?"

The Rolling Fields of Green Tea

If kimchee embodies the soul of Korea, then green tea serves the same role here. Green tea has been a part of Japan's culture ever since it was introduced from China in the 9th century A.D., and like many other words that represent especially important concepts to the Japanese, the honorific prefix o is bestowed on it (o-cha). There are, of course, more types of "green" tea than encompassed by the English word, including ryoku-cha for the traditional light green drink that's most familiar to everyone, the darker matcha made from tea powder, plus other varieties such as roasted hoji-cha or genmai-cha with toasted rice in it. One thing I love about Japan are green tea vending machines which dispense green tea for free, often found at hot springs or "parking areas" (rest stops) along the freeway. Green tea is very healthy, and studies suggest it can improve cognitive function, reduce cavities and keep more serious diseases away, and rightly or wrongly, the Japanese attribute much of their famous longevity to the drink. Incidentally, J-List has some awesome green tea related products for you, if you want to check them out.

A beautiful image of green tea groves in Shizuoka, with Mt. Fuji in the background.

Green Tea Goodness from J-List

J-List always strives to bring a slice of Japan to you, wherever you are in the world. The most popular flavor of Kit Kat on our site right now is the upcoming Sakura Matcha Kit Kat, which combines two of our favorite tastes in one awesome package. You can preorder it here, and may we remind everyone that chocolate products will be removed next month as things start to warm up in Japan. Other fun foods that feature green tea are the Matcha Food Drops or that wacky Green Tea Bread in a Can from Akihabara -- oh Japan, never stop being so wacky. Finally, if you want to transform your body into a giant bottle of green tea, we've got a T-shirt for that.