You've Been in Japan Too Long If You "Teach" Someone Your Phone Number

You've been in Japan too long if you "teach" someone your phone number. In Japanese, you'd usually use the phrase oshiete kudasai (lit. "please teach me") when asking someone to communicate information to you rather than itte kudasai ("please say"), as we might in English. When learning Japanese, it can be difficult to figure out which words to use for everyday situations, above and beyond learning the words themselves. What's funny is, the rules of your new language can get in the way of your first language, a concept called "interference." In Japanese, the words for "splinter" (a tiny piece of wood) and "thorn" (the sharp protrusions on a rose stem) are the same, toge (toh-gay), which took me a while to get down in Japanese. Once while in the U.S., my daughter got a splinter in her finger, but silly gaijin that I am, I said, "Oh no, you got a thorn!" causing my mother to wonder how her son could make a mistake like that. I've also been temporarily confused by the words "mother-in-law" and "stepmother," which are both represented by the same word, gibo. This is what happens when you go nearly 20 years without recalling certain words.

Even more confusion: cactus needles are also called toge.

Of Train Station Bento and Tokyo Fashions

Over the weekend I took a trip down to Tokyo for a business meeting and to enjoy some quality shochu and yakitori with friends. I was leaving the house around lunchtime when my mother-in-law asked if I wanted some of the curry she was cooking before I left. I told her no thanks -- what I wanted for lunch was ekiben, the famous "train station bento" that you buy to eat on a train. The world of train station bento lunches is great -- each station makes it own unique type, which represents what that part of Japan is known for. If you visit Toyama along the Sea of Japan, buying masu-no-sushi bento (salmon sushi sold in a big wooden frame) is great, and when my son and I made our trip to Hokkaido, we knew we had to try Ikemeshi Bento. The nearby city of Takasaki is famous for daruma dolls, so naturally you can buy Daruma Bento at the train station there. If you are interested in Japan's ekiben, we've got a really nice guidebook about train station bento culture on the site today.

Walking around Tokyo is always fun. In my home prefecture of Gunma, located about 100 km northwest of Tokyo, most people drive their cars when they need to go somewhere, but in Tokyo it's more common to use the the extensive network of trains and subways instead. This means you've always got at least 50-100 people around you whenever you're out and about, which means plenty of opportunity for one of my favorite hobbies, people-watching. Yes, I love checking out out the random people I see on the trains and occasionally posting about what I see on my Twitter feed. As usual, I'm always amazed at the intensity of the fashion culture I see in Japan's capital, with extremely attractive Tokyo girls sporting interesting fashions that can sometimes make my eyes spin in their sockets. By which I mean they are so beautiful that foreigners in Gunma informally talk about to the "Wall of Omiya" (a city between Gunma and Tokyo) as the point where all the pretty, stylish girls get off the train. 

Remember, J-List always has interesting J-fashion items, from magazines to Goth-Loli outfits and accessories to those dreamy "Absolute Zone" over-knee socks, on our Japanese Fashion Page.

Tokyo is a very fashionable place; I'm a big fan of ekiben, Japan's train station bento culture.

2010, the Summer of Evangelion

It's the Summer of Evangelion in Japan this year, and J-List is working hard to find fun Eva-related products for the site. From the UCC Coffee + figures sets to those dreamy Evangelion car sun shades to the gorgeous Evangelion 2.22 movie Blu-Ray and DVD and various prepainted figures, we have something for every fan. Click here to browse all Evangelion related products, or here to see the top Evangelion anime products sorted by popularity.

Cool Products Monday, June 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 July 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. Enjoy the new issue!
	AKB48 Election Official Guide Book An awesome item for AKB fans, featuring all members of the popular idol group, with tons of pictures and information. Plus...stickers of all girls you can stick on your phone! Also restocked: Atsuko Maeda and Megumi Yasu photobooks.
	Mojibakeru Basic Set of 6 -- In Stock! The word moje-bake means garbled kanji characters, literally kanji characters that changed into strange shapes. These kanji are cool: they transform into the animals they represent. Now in stock!
	Awesome Revoltech Toys In Stock Naisu, that gorgeous Evangelion Revoltech Beast Type-02 is in stock again, such a great addition to your toy shelf. Also see two Sengoku BASARA figures restocked.
	Ouran High School Host Club Jacket and Tie -- size XXL By request: we've gotten in the XXL size of the Ouran High School host club jackets, great for your summer cosplay. Click to see all items we have in stock.
	World Rhythm Over Knee Border Socks Restocked These "over knee socks" are so popular, the ones we got in recently sold out very quickly. Now we've got fresh stock of all colors, for your "absolute zone" fashion life.
	Tiger x Dragon Men's DX Dragon Kimono The perfect meta item for a Toradora! fan or just an awesome looking men's kimono, you be the judge.
	Japanese Green Tea, Sakura Soap This is something you don't see every day: soap made from real sakura or matcha (green tea powder).
	Magus Tale Eternity for PSP The popular visual novel Magus Tale comes in an all new incarnation to the PSP! You get not only a great adaption of the original game, but the sequel Magnus Tale Infinity, too.
	Awesome PSP Anime Games We have three great games for the PSP restocked today: Queen's Blade, with the sexy "armor damage system," plus Dragon Destiny and that dreamy Macross Ultimate Frontier game I recommend so much.
	Famous Train Station Bento of Japan See all the most famous ekiben or train station bento lunches you can buy at train stations all throughout Japan, a great book to check out before planning a visit here.
	Youkai Encyclopedia ~ Shigeru Mizuki Japan highly stylized world of yokai or "folk monsters" is simply fascinating, and we've restocked the awesome encyclopedia of the most famous of these traditional Japanese ghosts by the creator of GeGeGe no Kitaro. Restocked today.
	Restocked Taiyaki Pan 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. We're thinking sausage filled pancakes?
	Compact Personal Electric Rice Cooker w/Bento Also: that electric rice cooker that makes all the hot and delicious white rice you need for your bento, which is itself a complete bento box, is restocked.
	Awesome New Snacks From Japan More fun things to eat from Japan: Glico's new "Beer Pretz" that are made for eating with beer, in edamame flavor, plus Japan-only Green Apple Mentos and Ramune Cube Gum from Lotte.
	SASHIMI Japanese Food Drops Another bold flavor of Food Drops candies that allows you to sample food from all over Japan -- great! Also see Gyoza Furikake (!), Shirokuma Ice Cream and Yaki Curry Drops, and "Moe Marshmallows" from Akiba.
	Rilakkuma Thermal Bento Box Set Oh, this is nice: a deluxe bento box set for fans of Rilakkuma, which comes with several sections to make a really special lunch for one or two.
	Fun Onigiri Products Onigiri are rice balls which are usually (but not always) triangular in shape, and today we've restocked those Moon and Rabbit Onigiri Bento Boxes, so nice!
	WAJIMA-NURI Colorful Lacquered Non-Slip Chopsticks Set Need some really nice, lightweight chopsticks that are easy to use? Here's a set of five pair for you.
	Sushi Makers, Cooking Shapers We have two items for helping you make the perfect rolled or standard sushi. Also, the heart-shaped cooking shaper set for making anything more "heart-ful" (as the Japanese would say).
	Hello Kitty Waffle Maker Pan I'll bet you didn't expect t see a Hello Kitty waffle maker when you got out of bed this morning, did you? This is awesome, and it can also make "moffles" (waffles made using mochi rice cakes). Restocked today!
	R2-D2 Desktop Trash Can Something that would go rather nicely with the Star Wars Lightsaber Chopsticks we posted last time is this awesome R2-D2 trashcan for your desktop.
	Rilakkuma Deodorizer , Soy Sauce Bottles Make your desk area smell and look more kawaii with the Rilakkuma Deodorizer we have today, plus the Rilakkuma Soy Sauce Bottle for your kitchen.
	Japanese Pens, 'Check Set' Restocked Life is too short to use mediocre pens, hence we carry many great pens from Japan. See the Signo Erasable Ball Pointed Pen Set plus the Zebra "Check Set" study system, great for memorizing anything.
	Black Samurai Sword Ear Cleaner w/Red Strap This is cool: it looks like a miniature samurai sword, but inside is a traditional Japanese mimikaki or ear cleaner. Awesome!
	Fun Traditional Items Restocked Also, got some great authentic omamori good luck charms in red and blue, hanafuda traditional card game with beautiful art, Sakura Bath Set from Kyoto, Sake Cups, "Drop the Daruma" game and a strap representing the bells you see at Buddhist temples.
	Shikinami Asuka Langley 1/6 Figure *Preorder* This amazing figure of Asuka putting hair up with her "head interface" hairpiece is almost painfully beautiful. Large 1/6 scale!
	Tsumugi Kotobuki 1/8 Figure *Preorder* Oh, Tsumugi fans, prepare to be wowed with the upcoming Alter figure of our favorite keyboard-playing yuri princess.
	Hitagi Senjogakara Figyutto *Preorder* Then for fake of Bakemonogatari (which is a pun made from bakemono "monster" and mono-gatari "a tale of"), a super detailed figure for you to display.
	Amaterasu -- Yoko Kumada photobook Oh, a delicious new photobook offering from Yoko Kumada, the long-reigning queen of "gravure," which is what the Japanese call this sort of beautiful bikini idol, don't ask us why.
	Yulia Nova Photobooks Those Yulia Nova photobooks are in stock, and they are gorgeous, so filled with awesome pictures of Russia's wonderful goddess. Click to see the thickness of the books and the free stuff you get inside.
	Kimi Koi Limit ~ Dearest Love We love yuri, or manga and anime about the friction that emerges when girls fall in love with other girls. Here's a sweet new manga with awesome themes.
	AIR ONA BEAT K-On! Parody Hole Take your love of K-On!'s cute characters to a whole new level with the new Ona Beat parody toys, which let you know Mio and Yui in a whole new way. Also, a USB powered massager anyone can use.
	Ecchi Sake Bottles You probably know about our wacky coffee cups and other items that demonstrate the traditional 48 positions. We've restocked this great line, with several sake bottles for you.
	Albatross Koukairoku **Pre-order** A killer upcoming game from Liar Soft that you can preorder now. On our Japan Import Games page.
	Demonbane *preorder* Also: One of the most epic eroge ever is coming out in English, the Cthulhu-mythos title Demonbane. Work is proceeding on this most awesome of games, and we hope to have it out for you soon. Have you preordered your copy yet?

Japan's New Prime Minister is Laughing at the Super Intellect

As expected, the next Prime Minister of Japan has been chosen, and it's former Finance Minister Naoto Kan (warning, link contains sound). I've been a fan of Mr. Kan's ever since he did the right thing during a terrible scandal involving hemophilia patients who'd received tainted blood due to inept government policies, and I'm sure he's as well equipped as anyone to handle the changes Japan is facing. Hailing from Yamaguchi Prefecture on the westernmost tip of the main Japanese island of Honshu -- it's famous for fugu, the blowfish that almost killed Homer Simpson -- Mr. Kan is the first Japanese leader in a while that isn't a "thoroughbred," the term the Japanese media uses to describe blue-blooded politicians whose fathers and grandfathers also served as Prime Ministers. Incredibly, Mr. Kan is the 14th Japanese leader to hold office since I came to Japan in 1991, a period that saw only four leaders each in the U.S. and U.K. In fact, Japan has had twice as many leaders as the U.S. despite having half our history. What does this say about Japan? It's hard to know for sure, but one idea might be deru kui wa utareru, or "the standing nail is driven." According to this theory, the long-standing tradition of Japanese disliking anyone who stands out or rises above everyone else causes people to fail to support their leaders after they've taken office.

Naoto Kan is the 94th Prime Minister of Japan, and he's laughing at the superior intellect

I Live in the Detroit of Pachinko

Near our house, we can see the Sphinx, the Statue of Liberty, and many other interesting wonders of world. These are pachinko parlors, a major source of entertainment for many Japanese men and women in Japan. An odd game which I don't pretend to understand, you basically buy a bucket of balls for $50, then sit for hours trying to hold a controller in just the right position to make most of the balls go into certain holes in the pachinko machine. Since "gambling" is illegal in Japan, except for certain events like horse, boat and bicycle racing, you don't win money if you get more balls than you started out with -- you get valuable prizes which you redeem for cash at a shady building next to the pachinko parlor. For whatever reason, J-List's home prefecture of Gunma is the "Detroit" of the pachinko world, with several of the largest manufacturers located here.

 

There's a lot of crossover between anime and pachinko these days.

The Anime Brain

Learning a foreign language like Japanese is fun because it makes you more aware of how your own brain works. Like the "mystery of translation" I've written about before, the way the actual act of translating, say, a line from a dating-sim game we've licensed is not done by my conscious mind, but instead by a deeper place inside my brain. I mentally place a word or sentence that I want to translate into a special place in my mind and -- ding! -- a few seconds later I have the translation I need, just like cooking something in the microwave. I'm also amazed at the way the human brain can identify the subtleties of different human voices. I'm currently watching A Certain Scientific Railgun, enjoying the antics of the strong yuri character Kuroko. The first time I heard her character speak I knew instantly that she was voiced by talented seiyu Satomi Arai, who also played the kind-hearted ninja-maid from Code Geass. What a piece of work is the human brain!

Kuroko (left) is one of the more interesting characters in anime these days.

iTunes Japan Cards, For Your Anime Song Listening Pleasure

J-List offers the iTunes Japan prepaid cards, which are very popular with our customers as a way of plugging into Japan digitally. Looking for all the awesome music to the Railgun/Index anime series? It's available on iTunes Japan. How about the soundtrack to the new Evangelion 2.22 movie, or Hikaru Utada's eerily beautiful ending theme/remix? Got that too. Or see the full lineup of Miku Hatsue songs that are available. Of course the iTunes Japan cards also enable you to buy Japan-only applications for iPhone/iPad. Why not order a card or three now? (Note: these links are iTunes store links. If they don't come up for you, log out of your current account and try again.)

Cool Products Friday, June 4, 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.

	NyanType vol. 8 Why do we love NyanType, the primary competitor to Megami Magazine? Why, because of all the awesome omake (free stuff), in the form of many awesome original posters plus (in this issue) a moving Kiss x Sis animation board.
	Student Council P.E. Limited BOX ~ Seitokai no Ichizon The popular anime Seitokai no Ichizon goes 3D now, with these cute Nendoroid-like figures packaged in this special boxed set, with an artbook. What an awesome idea.
	Girls Girls Girls! 5 ~ Pure Girl Collection A really gorgeous artbook filled with super bishoujo ("beautiful girl") artwork by Japan's top artists. Click to see, it's a really nice book.
	More 'Moe Moe Encyclopedia' Books See some Moe Moe Encyclopedia books restocked, too, including the book that teaches us about the most famous swords in history and literature, with moe art.
	Rei & Asuka Premium Figures vol.2 New Movie ver Oo, another pair of really nice Evangelion figures. These are not only very large and very beautiful, they're "UFO catcher" figures which are hard to find.
	Shimapan-themed Rhine Stone MP3 Player Like shimapan, those cute striped pantsu that are featured in almost every anime these days? Want a great MP3 music player? We've got them for you -- yeah, we're pretty amazed, too.
	New Japanese Sailor Uniform Cosplay set We have a new sailor uniform costume that comes with everything you need and allows you to transform into a Japanese student. Also see fresh stock of Goth-Loli outfits and our Stripe Panty and Half Top set.
	Glitter Stripe Over Knee Rib Socks Then, the hottest fashion trend in Japan is these over-knee socks, which allows you to create the perfect "absolute zone" look. New "gritter" [sic] long socks, plus "socks glue" to hole them up!
	egg June 2010 Nice! Another issue of Egg is in, or rather "egg" (in lower case), the popular Tokyo street fashion magazine.
	Buden Hip Pouch 'Scissors Bags' Restocked The kanji carabiner pouches called "scissors bags" were so popular, we sold them all. Fortunately we've gotten more in for you. These are the perfect way to carry all your important stuff -- I attach my keys to mine and never lose anything.
	Kyou no Hayakawa San 3 A super funny mini manga series, in full color that follows the daily life of Ryouko Hayakawa and her friends. Great art and jokes.
	OTACOOL 3 ~ Worldwide Workspaces *preorder* You've seen the awesome OTACOOL vol. 1 & 2, which introduce you to the amazing world of otaku rooms and cosplay. Now you can preorder the upcoming vol. 3!
	Rilakkuma Microwave Rice Cooker Rilakkuma is taking over your kitchen with three awesome new products! Make steamed white rice, spaghetti or ramen in no time at all with these fun gadgets!
	Itazura Cat Coin Bank Restocked The most popular kawaii item on J-List these days is the Itazura Cat Coin Bank, featuring a little cat who comes out of a mikan box to steal your money. Both models restocked today.
	Electric Takoyaki Maker & Accessories Also: good news for fans of takoyaki, the traditional batter ball that contains a piece of cooked octopus meat inside: we've restocked the electric takoyaki makers today, plush the special takoyaki brushes.
	Fun New Snacks from Japan Today's delicious new Japanese snacks include Morinaga's yummy BAKE baked chocolate pieces, plus authentic okonomiyaki sauce for making many Japanese treats.
	Macross Frontier Wafers w/Trading Card Also, a fun item for Macross Frontier fans: a delicious chocolate wafer cookie with original trading cards in stock on our Anime Snacks page.
	J-List [hearts] Totoro Bento That awesome Totoro Thermal bento box set is in stock again, pretty much the best Totoro bento we've ever carried. Comes with several sections to hold your rice, meat, vegetables and everything else you need.
	Enjoy the Spring of Bento Also: we love jubako or "stacking box" style bento boxes, since the joy of opening the next section to see what's inside is great fun. See both colors of sakura bento box restocked.
	Hello Kitty Bento Accessories We've always got fun Hello Kitty bento products, from full-blown bento box sets to fun bento accessories. Here's fresh stock of our Hello Kitty Vegetable Cutters for making "DECO" (which means decorated) bento creations.
	Awesome Onigiri & Sandwich Makers Make perfectly shaped onigiri every time with these rice ball shapers we have restocked for you today. Also: the heart-shaped "sealed" sandwich maker is restocked as well.
	Happy Frog Family Wall Display J-List's customers love our Happy Frog and Lucky Cat products, and today we've got a new frog item you can hang on your wall. Kawaii!
	Awesome Star Wars Products from Japan J-List has tons of Star Wars items from Japan, from traditional Star Wars items to the R2-D2 gum bottle to our Light Saber chopsticks. See fresh stock of those traditionally themed tenugui towels, so cool!
	The Handbook of Japanese Adjectives and Adverbs See a great new Japanese study book that helps you get a handle on those pesky adverbs and adjectives in Japanese. Also, restocked books like The Otaku Encyclopedia and Beyond Polite Japanese.
	Restocked Kana, Kanji Flashcards Also, the best place to start learning Japanese is with hiragana and katakana, and one of the best study methods we know of are the flashcards from White Rabbit. Newly restocked in San Diego!
	Awesome Japanese Study Tools for DS Also, Perfect Kanji Kakitori Kun 1 & 2 and the excellent Kanji Test for 2.5 Millions, a great tool for quizzing all levels of Japanese, including beginner.
	Yotsubato! Manga Restocked Yotsubato&! is one of the most popular comics in the manga universe, and we love it to death. See fresh stock of the series, which is great for students of Japanese as it's got furigana by the kanji.
	Shin Kenki Samurai Sword Collection *Preorder* These are so cool -- realistic samurai swords that come with complete displays. The swords can be removed from their sheaths and they're made of frigging metal, baby.
	Mari Illustrious Makinami figma *Preorder* Oh baby! This Mari Figma from Evangelion 2.22 not only kicks major angel butt, she comes with her little Eva chair to sit in. Plus she smells like LCL. (It's a joke from the movie.)
	Other Preorder Figures See some other prepainted figures you can reserve now, including Kagura from GR-REI-ZERO, Xecty from Shining Wind, Tia Grantz from Tales of Abyss plus a new Tsukasa Bullet figure by Shunya Yamashita. Nice!
	Shinkansen Chopsticks SAKURA *Preorder* J-List is the place to visit if you want interesting chopsticks, that's for sure. Today we're posting...Shinkansen chopsticks, made in the image of Japan's most famous bullet trains!
	Restocked Japanese Snacks are Restocked Finally, enjoy restocked Calorie Mate (all flavors), Meiji Mango Pudding Soft Candy, Peko-chan Milky Candy in classic and "green tea" flavors, Morinaga Hi-Chew in Ramune and Cola flavors, Glico Pretz Sesame, plus Sushi Gummy!
	S.M.G Sub-Machine Gun Mana Figure *Preorder* Beautiful anime girls with costumes that can be "cast off," check. Huge machine gun, check. I'm happy about this new product!
	Uncho Kanu 1/6 'Taking Bath' Figure **Preorder** I've always wanted a gorgeous prepainted figure of Uncho Kanu from Ikki Tousen rendered in a bathtub in 1/6 scale.
	Japanese Games In Stock We've got limited stock (read: one copy each) of some classic eroge from Japan, which fans will want to snap up. Browse the newly stock titles now.
	Downloadable 'H' Games J-List sells awesome Japanese dating-sim games in English, also known as eroge (eh-roh-gei). Click to see the top 50 download games, including one of our favorites, Gibo.