Scissors Bag or Man-Purse?

Humans are strange creatures. It's okay for a man to carry a laptop bag or "messenger bag" or a backpack, but if the shape of this bag strays just a little from certain norms he'll be derided by his friends for carrying a "man-purse," which is frankly ridiculous, since guys need to carry stuff, just like girls do. But I'm going to come out of the closet and admit to carrying one of these wherever I go in Japan. It's called a "scissors bag," a name which comes from barbers who use them to hold their tools when cutting hair, and I keep my wallet, camera, keys and other important stuff in to I don't lose it -- plus it's got kanji printed on the outside, which is cool. One of the good things about living in Japan is the different set of social norms in place here, which allows me to pick and choose which I'll follow.

So what do you think? Is it okay for a man to carry a "scissors bag"?

Spring is Boso-Zoku Season in Japan

I know winter is finally over when the boso-zoku biker gangs start making their annoying evening rides past my house, revving their engines to make as much noise as possible. An odd exception to Japan's harmonious society, boso-zoku (lit. "violent running tribe") are gangs that dress in clothes with right-wing slogans on them while they ride on motorcycles modified to be extra loud, revelling in their rebellion-without-a-cause. These biker gangs are also known as yankii, similar to the English word "yankee," a name which came about from the tendency of these individuals to frequent the entertainment district of Osaka known as "America-mura" (America Village) back in the 1970s. The motorcycle gangs from the Katsuhiro Otomo film Akira are based on the boso-zoku, but the real bike gangs are about 1000% less interesting, since they're mostly bored delinquents who have nothing better to do but make noise. You could call them "yakuza scouts" because Japan's mafia usually uses boso-zoku members to run errands for them. While it's probably dangerous to get on the wrong side of these loud kids, they're usually nothing more than an annoyance, especially when you're driving somewhere and get caught in a traffic jam caused by a group of them. Often I'll see a group of them at a summer festival, trying to look scary with their puffed up hair, but going up to them and speaking English really defangs them in a hurry.

Japan's biker gangs are way less cool than in Akira.

Japanese "Aizuchi" Agreement Words and Anime

If you've ever spoken with a Japanese person at length, you may have noticed them making strange "agreeing noises" while you were talking. It's an interesting aspect of the Japanese language called aizuchi, basically verbal sounds that a person will make to show they're listening attentively and affirming their agreement with what the other person is saying. In Japanese, I could be explaining something that happened to me, and the person I'm speaking to would say things like eeh (yes), mah (well), so (that's true), and ne (a general word of agreement). It sounds quite strange to native English speakers, but in Japanese these words are necessary for communication to flow smoothly, and if you don't make them properly the other person is likely to stop and ask you what's wrong. When I heard the sad news of the passing of Carl Macek, I decided to hit YouTube for some old Robotech episodes just for old time's sake. (Happily, speaking Japanese means I don't need to watch English-dubbed anime that much.) I was surprised to notice that the English dubbed dialogue, which often includes strange gasps and exclamations that are absent from Japanese original (perhaps the American voice actors get paid per verbal utterance?), sounded very much like the social "agreeing sounds" used in spoken Japanese.

Wha? English-dubbed anime contains some strange sounds, uh-huh!

Awesome Totoro Products at J-List

It brings us great pride to have sold do many awesome Totoro products over the years. We have over 100 fun Totoro and Ghibli items in stock now, from our line of T-shirts, hats and hoodies to the gorgeous plush toys from Sun Arrow, and even those Kompeito candies from Spirited Away and Morinaga caramels that the Cat Bus loves so much. We also carry Totoro music boxes, which are great fun to have in your room. You can browse all our Totoro and Studio Ghibli products, or view the top 50 Totoro products on the site now.

Cool Products Friday, May 7, 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.

	Dengeki Daioh May 2010 You know, this is just about the best manga in the world -- it's got it all, from Gunslinger Girl to Shana to Yotsubato, Toradora to Gurren Lagann and more. Free omake stuff, too.
	GeMaga ~ Game Magazine June 2010 Another issue of GeMaga, the game magazine that's become the new favorite of a lot of J-List customers. It covers all the best games on all platforms in Japan.
	New Zack Island Tour Guide ~ Dead or Alive Paradise Here's a fun item for DoA fans: a "travel guide" to the beautiful New Zack Island which lets you enjoy the beautiful CG beach, and of course the beautiful CG girls as well. Artbook and DVD included.
	Low Rider Magazine NO. 97 Everyone loves fast cars, and Low Rider magazine has been getting very popular with fans around the world who want to see Japan's take on cars and beautiful girls.
	Buden Hip Pouch 'Scissors Bag' This is a cool kanji-themed "scissors bag" (so-named because barbers use them to hold their scissors and other tools), which I use as my general life organizer. I love the retro kanji design.
	MAMESHIBA Products, Japanese Pens! Mameshima is a cute little bean character that will teach you lots of useless trivia, and we've restocked cute die-cut mini stickers and that kawaii plush pen. Also see the "Real" Origami Cake Shop and Pentel Fude Roman Brush Pen.
	Chopper Man Mesh Speaker -- One Piece *Preorder* Also very cool: cool speakers featuring Chopper Man from One Piece, which you can use to listen to music through any standard device, including iPods. They've just come in stock.
	Chouzou Queen's Blade Collection Figure vol.3 We love the Queen's Blade series of gorgeous artbooks and figures because the characters are so darned hot. See three "2P" (alternate color) figures in stock today.
	Vocaloid, Death Note Nendoroid Toys Then, it's a good day to be a Nendoroid fan today, as we've gotten in individual Vocaloid figures that are so cute. Also, the Death Note Nendoroid series is in, though most sold to preorder customers -- so get your set fast if you want one.
	Hitagi Senjogahara 1/8 ~ Bakemonogatari You have to respect a girl who fights with staplers, pens, and other stationery items, and Hitagi certain does have our respect. Own her in 1/8 scale now!
	Ribbon Lace Up Goth-Loli One Piece, Other Cosplay A new "gothic" outfit is posted to the site, which includes everything you need for awesome cosplay, even the pantsu. Also, we have restocked several other popular items including the Akihabara Maid outfit.
	Yandere, Obey Anime T-Shirts in 2XL Size We're happy with the popularity of our new anime T-shirts, which our customers have been snapping up left and right -- thank you! By request, we've posted 2XL sizes for both shirts, if you need that size.
	Awesome Restocked Artbooks We think the high-quality artbooks published in Japan are just awesome, and we've restocked several today, including the Pixiv Girls Collection 2010, such a lovely collection of beautiful girls for you.
	More Manga from Japan We have the rest of the awesome Evangelion manga volumes posted for fans who want to own the series, in easy-to-buy sets. The books feature furigana to make them easy to read, too.
	KAWAII Train Mascot Bath Ball ~ Green Apple Scent This is fun: a ball of bath salt that melts in the bath to reveal a toy for your child (or you), in this case a cute little Japanese train.
	Lucky Cat, Ninja Solar Powered Toys Enjoy some good luck from Japan's most famous icon of good fortune. Our popular Mini Lucky Cat will wave good luck and peacefulness into your life through the miracle of solar power. The Ninja version is also restocked.
	Takoyaki Making Mix Powder Want to make delicious takoyaki, the balls of batter with a piece of octopus meat inside? We have the cookers in stock, and now we have the mix.
	Restocked Taiyaki, Rice Burger Makers We've restocked the popular taiyaki makers we carry, which make it easy to create the cute fish-shaped treats filled with any filling you like. Also: that wacky Rice Burger Maker and Microwave Rice Cooker.
	Beef Jerky Doritos and More Hot on the heels of Wednesday's Yakitori Cheetos is Tengu Brand Beef Jerky flavored Doritos, which looked so delicious my hands slipped, causing the bag to accidentally open. Also posted: Puccho cola and Okinawan "Black Sugar" snacks.
	Japanese Miso Soup, Soup Bowls Nothing tastes as good as a bowl of steaming miso soup in the morning. Today we're restocking both the miso soup and the traditional soup bowls, which are fun to eat out of.
	Hello Kitty Bento Items Sanrio and bento go together like peanut butter and jelly, and we love bringing you fun products. We've restocked the classic Hello Kitty and Cinnamoroll "face" bento boxes.
	Pan Pita ~ Square Push Style Sandwich Maker Stop making boring square sandwiches and move on to Japanese-style "sealed" sandwiches which make your sandwich fun to eat. A beautiful heart shape.
	Kawaii Animal Mascot ECO Bento Cup ~ Dog & Bear Here are two new silicon "eco" cups which separate the foods inside your bento lunch. They have cute little animal faces!
	Make Onigiri for the One in Your Heart Show that special person in your life you love them with the fun heart-shaped onigiri shaper we're restocking today. Other fun shapes also restocked.
	Fun Bento Accessories Other bento accessories we've restocked include our Banana Carrying Case for bento, which makes sure your fruit is never bruised, plus the Sakura Bento Carrying Case, such a great offering.
	Relasta ~ Special Face Beauty Massage Bar Ball Pen Can a pen make you more beautiful? This is a pen with a special soft roller on the end that you use to massage your face, which rolls out wrinkles and helps you stay young.
	Rilakkuma and more Cute Character's Amigurumi Another J-List update, another kawaii Rilakkuma item for you. This is a book filled with beautiful crafts that you can make yourself. I feel more relaxed just looking at it.
	DS Study Tools What's the best place to start learning to read Japanese? Hiragana and katakana, and our AIUEO Study with Anpanman is one product we recommend a lot. Restocked today, along with Let's Play in Japanese and Kanji Practice for Adult.
	Restocked Japan-Related Books See fresh stock of some of the most popular Japan-related books J-List sells, including A Guide to Reading and Writing Japanese, Japanese Historical Portraits, the Pocket Japanese Dictionary and the useful Bilingual Subway Guide to Tokyo.
	Mizuho Kazami Hug Pillow Case *Preorder* If you love Kazami-sensei from Please Teacher, here is the perfect product for you: a full sized dakimakura hug pillow for your room.
	Al Azif 1/7 Figure by Beat ~ Demonbane *Preorder* JAST USA will be releasing Demonbane, the fabulous Cthulhu-themed H-game in English soon, and you can play it while looking at this gorgeous prepainted anime figure. Do want!
	Nendoroid Petit Touhou Project Set Part 1 *Preorder* Wow, these Touhou figures are so awesome, I'm getting a nosebleed. Three fabulous Nendoroid figures for your collection!
	yumi 360 -- Yumi Sugimoto Yumi-chan is a super cute Japanese model, actress and seiyu (voice actress) who has many fans in Japan. Enjoy her sweet new photobook offering!
	Champion RED June 2010 A fun monthly manga that's filled with the most delightful ecchi artwork and themes, which will entertain any fan of cute anime and manga girls and bishoujo style characters. Comes with a free Seikon no Qwaser calendar.
	Restocked TENGA, ToysHeart Toys We have some awesome "stress relief" products for you too, including the OMEGA Super Deluxe Massager from ToysHeart, Tenga Deep Cup Hard Edition and lotion, plus the amazing Tenga Egg.
	New H-Game: Beat Blades Haruka From veteran eroge maker Alice Soft comes the long-awaited spiritual successor to Beat Angel Escalayer, Beat Blades Haruka!, posted for order now.
	Peter Recommends: Little My Maid One game I recommend often is Little My Maid, which combines a super story involving three very sweet maids, a magical place called Ryugu. Only $14.95 as an Internet Download Edition game!

How Do You Eat Your Coffee Jelly?

The other day I was having lunch with my family and my wife gave me a cup of "coffee jelly." Coffee jelly -- which is a sweet gelatin dessert made with coffee, just like it sounds -- is one of those Japanese foods that sounds weird when you first hear about it, but it's really good. When I went to eat my coffee jelly, I turned the cup upside down and broke the little plastic piece there that lets air into the cup, so that the gelatin would fall down onto the plate, but my family looked at me when I did this. "Dad, I didn't know you were pucchin-ha," my son said, a word formed from pucchin which is the sound of the little plastic tab braking, and ha which means "faction." My son explained to me that he was mazemaze-ha (mah-zay mah-zay-hah) or "mixing in the cup faction" while my daughter adheres to the principles of thesonomama-ha or "just eat it normally in the cup faction." Many other foods get organized along similar lines. For example, when I eat fried eggs, I dabble a bit of soy sauce over them, making me shoyu-ha or "soy sauce faction," but everyone else in my family is sauce-ha (tonkatsu sauce faction), preferring that heavenly Bull-Dog sauce instead. Which one are you?

How a person eats their "coffee jelly" can be quite complex.

Getting Food Ideas From Japan

If I managed a restaurant chain in the U.S., I'd look to Japan to see what interesting ideas I could import. I personally think that yakitori, the delicious teriyaki chicken cooked on bamboo skewers, would be a great addition to the menus of restaurants wanting to differentiate their offerings, and I could see patrons happily munching on chicken over beers as an appetizer before the main course arrived. I'd also be sure and adopt the awesome Japanese practice of handing customers a steaming hot towel when they sit down to order -- it's a great way to make them feel special. Finally, I'm a fan of chu-hi or drinks made with shochu and fresh-squeezed fruit juice, like Lemon or Grapefruit Sours. When you order these drinks, the server hands you a glass containing the shochu and a lemon or grapefruit which you squeeze yourself with the included juicer. It's great fun, and I'm sure that any restaurant chain that adopted it would have many takers.

I'd love to see yakitori become as famous as sushi around the world -- yum!

Late Night Otaku TV in Japan

Late-night TV in Japan is always fun to watch, and I like to flip through the channels to see what's showing. There are usually a couple Japanese-dubbed "infomercials" from the U.S. on, one of the more unfortunate recent cultural imports, as well as talk shows with up-and-coming musicians plus plenty of random anime to watch. (Oddly, 2 am is "Golden Time" when it comes to anime, with nearly all "major" series like Clannad and Haruhi shown in this time slot, don't ask me why.) The other night I caught an odd variety show that featured three middle-aged otaku men showing off their knowledge of anime, doing impromptu sentai performances in which they had to save actress Misako Uno from a monster in a rubber suit, and performing their favorite anime songs on a stage. My wife laughed to see the men making fools of themselves on TV, but I cautioned her to take what she was seeing with a grain of salt. First of all, Japanese television is famous for yarase or faked TV shows, and even the most natural-looking situations are usually scripted. Also, the men weren't appearing on TV because they were otaku, but because they wanted to be on TV, which is worth keeping in mind. When a Japanese gamer officially married Nene from Love Plus in a church in Guam, he wasn't actually marrying a video game character, but doing something silly to get famous on the Internet. The same can be said for the South Korean man who married his dakimakura anime hug pillow and those wacky fans who hold birthday parties for 2D game characters and post pictures on the Internet -- their desire to see people react is part of their motivation, and thus we shouldn't always take what they do at face value.

Like everyone, sometimes anime fans do things just to get attention.

We Love To Surprise You

At J-List, we love to find products that not only capture the awesomeness of Japan in general, but which may not be known to everyone before they see them on our site. Many Japanese hate to eat bread crusts, and they have these fantastic "sandwich shapers" which remove the crusts and also seal the contents of your sandwich shut, which is great fun for everyone -- there's even a Hello Kitty Sandwich Shaper on the site. There's nothing like hold an umbrellas that's designed to look like a samurai sword, and the samurai sword umbrellas we have on the site now are extremely popular with our customers. Finally, we have an affordable custom hanko name stamp service allowing you go get your own name in kanji -- the stamps are even legal for use in Japan.