Do You Know "Child of Sushi"?

Do you know "child of sushi?" Yesterday my wife had me go to the store to buy some so she could make my favorite dish ever, tuna-maki sushi rolls, and at the risk of taking the sushi motif too far, this gave me a neta (lit. the top part of a piece of sushi, but in this case it means an idea) for today's J-List update. One of the first kanji characters anime fans or students of Japanese become familiar with is ko, which means child. Ko is commonly used with girl's names, e.g. Keiko or Hanako, and it sounds very cute to people here, although fewer babies are being named with ko names these days. A lot of food names use the ko character, too, such as kinoko (lit. "child of tree," meaning mushrooms), takenoko ("child of bamboo," or bamboo shoots), tarako ("child of cod," or cod roe), and the powder you use to make vinagered rice for sushi, sushinoko (which we conveniently have in stock today). The character has other uses, too. Place ko in front of any animal and you have the word for the young version of that animal, e.g. koneko (kitten), koinu (puppy), etc. It's used in slang, too, for example Hamakko, a person from Yokohama.

My favorite meal is tuna-maki made with "child of sushi."

High School Clubs and Japan

If you've watched more than a few anime series, you'll know that clubs are an important part of life in Japanese schools. Clubs are more than just a fun thing for students to do, they're tools of society building, and in junior high school (also known as "a machine for turning open-minded, creative kids into straitlaced Japanese adults who conform to everyone else") it's required that students join a club to build character. Since Japanese students study only with students of their same grade, clubs are the only setting in which students will interact with their senpai and kohai, or upperclassmen and underclassmen, in social settings. In high school (which is not part of compulsory education, and is usually more flexible than junior high), clubs are not required, and students can opt to join the kikaku-bu, or the "going home after school club" if they want. I recently visited my son's high school, and the posters advertising the various clubs (light music club, etc.) made me smile. In my own high school life, there were almost no clubs, unless you were on the football team or the cheerleading squad or in brass band. I wish I could go back in time and re-live high school over again -- I'd create an awesome Genshiken (Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture) club that would rock.

If I could do high school or university over again, this would be my life. Oh wait, it is.

Not All "Engrish" Is From Japan

Japan is famous as the home of hilarious "Engrish," the mistaken English signs or T-shirts you often see on the Internet. The Japanese can be a very creative people, and this extends to the use of English for expressing ideas, like the shop near J-List which proclaims, "Splush! Is not only the problem of age," which I've come to believe means something like, you can make a splash in life no matter how old you are. The other day I was contemplating Japan's issues with using correct English while soaking in the bath after working out at the gym. I started to read the little signs that were posted all around me, which were in Japanese and English, and I was pleased to see that all of them had perfectly formed English with no errors at all. Then I realized that the few dozen times I'd encountered amusing Engrish online, it was generally with Chinese or sometimes Korean text in the frame rather than Japanese. The most famous Engrish phrase of our age ("Do Not Want") is another example of this -- it comes from a badly subtitled pirated copy of Star Wars Episode III from China, not from Japan. So the next time you see some amusing Engrish on the Internet, don't automatically assume it comes from Japan -- Engrish can happen anytime, anywhere.

A lot of bad Engrish is from China, not Japan. My Japanese staff asked me to pass this on.

Cool Products Monday, June 6, 2011

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 July 2011 The latest issue of NyanType is packed with fold-out extra large A3 size bishoujo anime posters that you'll love! Featuring all your favorite shows from the current anime season, you also get a free Strike Witches pillow cover! View products »
	Comic Alive July 2011 Next, see the newest issue of the magazine that includes Zero no Tsukaima, Maria Holic, Infinite Stratos, plus Hidan no Aria!
	Shonen Ace July 2011 Shonen Ace is one of the most famous manga magazines in the world, with Evangelion, Haruhi Keroro Gunsou, and more. It will sell out fast!
	High School Uniform Encyclopedia Karuta (Cards) Here's a cool item: a traditional "Karuta" card game, used for learning the hiragana writing system as well as memorizing information. Great art!
	Metropolitan Area Girls School Uniform Book Also: an informational book detailing the actual high school uniforms of the major high schools in Tokyo. Great for cosplay fans.
	Preorder Figures by Shunya Yamashita Yamashita Shunya is known for his famous character designs and takes on American comic book heroes. Several in stock today!
	Awesome Artbooks Restocked Speaking of Shunya Yamashita, we've got his drool-worthy artbook restocked today, filled with outstanding art. Also Oyari Ashito!
	Mirai Suenaga figma In Stock! We love Danny Choo's great website, and are happy to carry the Mirai Suenaga Figma that just came in. Goes great with the J-List + Danny Choo charity T-shirt.
	iTunes Japan Prepaid Cards Buying at least one iTunes Japan card gives you an account that lets you get tons of free stuff, like the AnoHana character book for iPhone/iPad.
	Men's Japanese Yukatas We always carry cool traditional apparel, and today we've got some awesome new yukata kimonos for summer. Awesome kanji designs, too.
	Authentic School Briefcase Our most popular Japanese school bag is restocked today, if you want to get one for cosplay or to carry your books in. We have other styles in stock, too.
	Restocked DS Anime Games The legendary Love Plus and its sequel are restocked, plus the popular Kimi ni Todoke game that expands on the one the best anime love stories ever.
	More 'Haikyo' Photobooks We like to surprise you with awesome photobooks, and today see Battleship Island haikyo (modern ruins), Tokyo Nobody plus Unexplored Train Station.
	Fun Ponyo, Ghibli Products Restocked More fun Ghibli products today, including great Ponyo items plus our Jiji the Cat soft cushion that's great for napping on. Click if you love Hayao Miyazaki.
	Hello Kitty Products Restocked Japan's most famous feline is back with great restocked products. See Hipster Kitty Glasses Holder, plus Hello Kitty Lunch Tray and fun cell phone toy!
	Nail Tip Set ~ Clear Nail & Adhesive Tape Get long and amazing fingernails like the kyabajo (cabaret girls) do Shibuya. These are fun to experiment with.
	Fun Japanese Faces Stamps The rubber stamps you can change with the push of a thumb from a happy face to a frowning one. Back in stock!
	Meiji 100% Juice Gummy ~ Green Apple It's fun to explore Japan through its snack culture, and today we've got Meiji 100% Juice Gummy in Green Apple flavor (yum), plus a curry flavored potato snack we think you'll love, an Ju-C snacks to keep the blues away. View products »
	Today's New Japanese Snacks A large restocking of some of our best snacks, too, incl. Glico Gheeza snacks, Giant Tomato Pretz (nice!), Plus X Frutio gum, Chocolate Caramels and more.
	Restocked 'Food Drops' Even more fun flavors of "Food Drops" from Japan, including Sapporo Beer plus "moe" melon flavor, also from Hokkaido.
	CUSTOM MODE Volume Bento Set A great bento box for men, designed with a sleek modern shape and plenty of storage for those with a hefty appetite. Two different colors restocked today.
	AZUMA Bento Kinchaku Bag Then check out this awesome chirimen bag for taking most any bento lunch in. Holds your lunch securely, and looks great.
	New Hello Kitty 'Wagara' Face Bento Boxes Enjoy the "Wagara" traditional Hello Kitty Face Bento Box, an elegant yet kawaii lunch box for Kitty-chan's fans.
	Other Traditional Hello Kitty Also see the totally cool traditional Hello Kitty tea pots w/ matching cups, a great design that our customers love.
	Kawaii Boiled Egg Shapers Are you still eating boring oval-shaped eggs? Why, when we've got these Cinnomoroll & Disney egg shapers that make eggs much more fun.
	Pan De Pack Mini Japanese Sandwich Maker The Japanese hate crusts on bread, and they love making interesting sandwiches like these. Great sandwich shapers restocked today.
	Restocked Study Books, Too Learn kanji 15 minutes a day with the popular book we've restocked today. Also, we've got restocked textbooks that are great for studying for the JLPT.
	Bamboo Wind Chime / Beautiful Sound A great wind chime made of bamboo which captures the spirit of summer beautifully. Enjoy the calming sound every time the wind blows.
	Restocked Traditional Stuff Finally, enjoy restocked items from Japan like the authentic Natural Flint Stone w/Magatama in Wooden Box, Calligraphy Pen Writing Set and more.
	Restocked Japanese Pencil Cases, More See the popular HABANERO and Natchan! "Water-in" pencil cases, plus Natchan Pencil Case and some of our favorite Japanese pens.
	Working! Mug Cups Show your boss you're Working! with these awesome anime coffee cups from the restaurant Wagnaria. Preorder both styles now.
	Range Murata Figure, Ika Musume *Preorder* Then see this gorgeous Range Murata "headphones girl" figure, plus the cutest squid girl we've ever seen. Preorders posted now.
	New Madoka Magika Figures! Finally, we've got...new Madoka figures! Enjoy the super awesome Madoka figma that's sure to be popular, plus a beach version of Sayaka.
	Fresh Stock of 'Ecchi' Photobook See some of our favorite photobooks restocked, too, including some of Japan's most beautiful ladies photography by the best photographers in Japan.
	Punyu! Chichi Mania ~ Bouncy Breast Mania A delicious new "H" manga for fans of kyonyu, which means big oppai in case you were wondering (we're pretty sure you get the idea). Superb artwork plus a great "keep forever" printed format make this a great work for H-manga collectors. View products »
	Amazing Stress Toys Based on your Favorite Actresses See the amazing deluxe "Dignity" toys and lotions from Zhang Xiao Yu, plus the delicious Yen Ju Lee recreated for your stress relief.
	Restocked Tenga, Sexy Twins Products See restocked stress toys, including the 'sexy twins' simulators, so realistic you'll be tempted to buy it dinner. Fresh stock of TENGA Flip Hole, too.
	Casual Romance Club is Almost Out of Print We're lowered the price on our popular eroge to help collectors get one before they disappear. A Japanese game (but in English), it's a one of a kind title.
	Cosplay Academy People ask me to recommend eroge in English a lot, and one I like is this super cosplay game by the artist of the Raidy series.

Japanese Words You Already Know

It's time for another installment of Wacky Japanese You Already Know, featuring Japanese words that happen to have the same pronunciation (e.g. are homophones) with English words, like hen, a word for a female chicken which happens to mean "strange" in nihongo, or the Japanese word for "good," which is ii, pronounced just like the English letter "E." In American English, "honky" is an impolite word for a white person, but in Japanese honki means "serious," e.g. honki desu ka? "Are you serious?" The word "kinky" might make you think of something creative in the bedroom, but in Japan the region of the country containing Kyoto, Osaka and Nara is designated as the Kinki Region -- I wonder if girls are kinkier there? If you've ever seen one of the Rambo movies, you know how to say "violent" or "violence" in Japanese, since that's what the title means -- rambou. You might hate having a friend who is "emo" but in Japanese this would is...a potato (imo). Other fun accidental matching words include psycho (saikou, pronounced sai-KOH), which means "the best thing ever" in Japanese, and "bimbo" (binbou), which happens to mean "poor" (i.e. someone lacking money). Now you know some more Japanese words. Wasn't that easy?

"Bimbo" means someone who has no money in Japanese.

Of Welcome Parties and Thinly Sliced Beef

Today the J-List staff is taking off work a little early in order to have the kangei-kai or "welcome party" for a new employee, Nicholas, who will help us in our mission of covering the world with strange and kawaii things from Japan. We're going to a local shabu shabu restaurant, where we'll enjoy a Japanese dish I like a lot, although it's not that well-known outside Japan. Shabu shabu is thin slices beef (the same kind used in making sukiyaki) which you grab with chopsticks and dip into a pot of boiling water, cooking it in a few seconds since it's so thin. (As you swish it around in the water it makes a sound like shabu shabu, which is where the name comes from.) You then dip the meat in a tangy sauce and eat it over rice, then repeat until full. Although it's less common than Korean barbecue or Western-style steak restaurants, I like shabu shabu because it's so much healthier. As you cook pieces of the meat in the water, fat and oil accumulate in the boiling water rather than inside your body.

One of my favorite Japanese dishes, shabu shabu, yum.

Television in Japan

Whenever I'm back in the U.S. I'm amazed at the huge number of channels available to cable TV viewers. While I guess it's cool to have 140 channels of content available 24 hours a day, in practice only a few of them are worth my time, especially as there's usually something more interesting happening on the Internet. TV in Japan is a simpler affair, with five main "civilian" (privately operated) networks plus NHK, Japan's clone of the BBC, along with a scattering of local broadcasters in larger cities and a few more options for people with BS ("broadcast satellite") dishes. Cable TV is a lot less popular in Japan than in the U.S., with only a small percent of 60 million households that get cable in the States. One downside to having fewer channels is less opportunity for saihoso, or re-runs of older shows. Growing up in the 70s and 80s, I watched dozens of old shows in syndication, from the original Star Trek to Flipper to I Love Lucy, and it was cool to have a shared link with my parents' generation through classic TV. Unfortunately, re-runs of old television are comparatively rarer in Japan, so there's less chance for kids to experience the same shows their parents loved.

I wonder what Ranma and Akane are watching.

Magazine Subscriptions Direct from Japan

J-List sells popular "reserve subscriptions" which are a great way to get your favorite anime, manga, fashion, toy, study or ecchi magazine sent to you every month. Because it's a revolving subscription, you pay for each issue as it comes in, and you can cancel or change issues at any time. The most popular magazines are the ones loaded with omake (oh-MAH-kay), free stuff like the 20+ posters they manage to cram into Megami Magazine or NyanType, but our customers also love our thick and satisfying manga magazines with hundreds of pages of top quality stories, and the bilingual Japanese study magazine Hiragana Times. Why not browse our most popular Japanese magazine subscriptions now?

Cool Products Friday, June 3, 2011

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.

	Megami Magazine July 2011 The latest issue of the popular and long-lived bishoujo (cute anime girl) poster magazine is here! Packed with 20 posters in all plus some great extras from all the popular anime currently on TV in Japan, this July issue is one you won't want to miss. View products »
	Dengeki Comic Daioh July 2011 New issue of Gao, the really big manga with over 500 pages of great stuff Japan. This issue comes with a summer towel from Koi Seitokai.
	Puella Magi Madoka Magica 2 (Blu-ray Disc) Puella Magi Madoka Magica fans will want to get their hands on this Blu-ray disk so they can enjoy their favorite anime in full HD glory.
	Kyubey & Charlotte Tote Bag ~ Madoka Magica Show off your Madoka Magica fandom with this Kyubey tote. You can have it without a contract.
	Madoka Magika iPhone 4 Covers Madoka, Mami and Charlotte iPhone 4 covers have arrived, ready for you to snap them on and show them off.
	Awesome Anime DVD & Blu-ray From Hatsune Miku's Project Diva live concert to the "Training with Hinako" series, we've got some nice items restocked today.
	Blue and Black Striped Socks (Stockings) Fans of Panty and Stocking will want to get their hands on (feet in?) these cool purple and black stockings, just like Stocking's stockings.
	Fun Cosplay Products from Japan We have everything you need for cosplay, like yukatas, Naruto masks, ninja shoes, maid outfits, and school uniforms. Check it out.
	Hello Kitty Seaweed for Deco Bento Bento decorating just got easier with Hello Kitty Seaweed! Your friends will think you spent hours cutting each one out by hand. Super cute.
	Hello Kitty Sandwich Case Another great item from the world of Hello Kitty, this sandwich protector keeps your sandwich fresh, and not a smashed mess.
	Fun Hello Kitty Item Restocked Don't forget there are many more cool Hello Kitty items, like wallets, massagers, tea cups, muffin molds and pancake pans.
	Totoro Blankets, Backpack, More J-List customers know that we love Totoro and always have fun Ghibli products in stock. See the Totoro blanket, plush backpack and more restocked.
	Starry Sky ~ Otome Games for Girls! Take on the role of Tsukiko, a girl in a school of (dreamy) boys, as she proceeds through 4 seasons of her high school year, each with their own challenges and romantic interests. Her future is up to you. A fun series of otome games for the PSP and a new initiative from J-List. View products »
	Restocked Touhou Games Fans of Touhou Project can now get all the original games here at J-List, and play these great shooters with downloadable fan translation patches!
	Alien SCI-Fi Revoltech Figure You know what would be cool? Buy some K-On! figure's interments and put them on these Alien Revoltech figures. Now in stock!
	How To Draw Manga Character Posing Book Nice! Fresh stock of that book of a girl posing in her underwear, I mean that important resource for artists seeking to draw the human body.
	Japanese Pens, and More Japanese Pens See the Pilot FRIXION Erasable Pen and Hi-Tec-C Gel Ink Pen, Kuru-Toga mechanical pencil plus our favorite pen ever, the Zebra Sarasa 0.5 mm pen.
	Today's Awesome Japanese Snacks Today's new snacks include Calbee Jagarico Cheese Curry flavor, fun new Puccho soft candy w/gummy hidden inside and Quick Quench-C gum from Lotte.
	Popin' Cookin' DIY Sushi Restocked Also see new stock of the super popular Popin' Cookin' series of do-it-yourself sushi snacks, plus Premium Rice Crackers, Green Tea cookies and more.
	K-on! Manju Gift Box, Other Snacks We've restocked several of the items on our "Anime & Gift Snacks" page, incl. K-On! Manju cakes, Akihabara Bunny Shrine Green Tea Cakes and more.
	Restocked 'Food Drops' Candy Today's flavors include Cheese Cake flavored candies from Kobe, plus the kawaii Mameshiba candies by San-X.
	Chopper Man One Piece Bento One Piece is the most popular anime in Japan these days, and we've restocked the awesome Chopper Man bento today.
	We Love Sleek and Stylish Bento We love us some stylish and modern bento boxes, and have restocked several of the more elegant ones on the site today.
	Natural Leaf Bento Tote Bag  J-List also carries bento bags for carrying your bento lunch with you. We love this one, restocked today, because it keep your lunch cold or hot for you!
	Random Bento Accessories Restocked Enjoy our cute heart-shaped ice pack for chilling drinks or your lunch, plus handy sauce bottles, our fun gyoza maker and more.
	Books about Japanese Food See fresh stock of our popular cookbooks and Japanese food related books. I personally love the "Point and Speak" food phrasebook.
	Mini KOTOWAZA Dictionary "Hippari Dako" For intermediate to advanced Japanese learners, knowing kotowaza is a fun way to expand your knowledge.
	The Tale of Genji Handkerchief  You don't have to travel all the way back to the Edo period to enjoy this handkerchief's traditional art and beauty. Fabulous!
	Restocked Traditional Items We have many of our popular traditional items back in stock, such as kokeshi dolls, a sumo board game, daruma, and sensu.
	Super Sonico Hug Pillow Cover *Preorder* A pillow just isn't a pillow without arms to hug you with. Just imagine, Sonico from Nitroplus with you in bed, cuddling you all night long.
	Today's Amazing Preorder Figures See the stunning Mayoi from Bakemonogatari, Ryoko Okami, Echidna and several ero offerings today. We love them all!
	Yulia Nova Trading Cards, DVDs Restocked We're huge fans of Russian Goddess Yulia Nova (who has a bazillion fans in Japan), and today we've restocked her newest DVD offering, which has been flying off the shelves recently. Also restocked: her popular trading card sets! View products »
	Restocked Glossy Photobooks We love the gorgeous glossy photobooks published in Japan, and today we've got fresh stock of the awesome recent offering by Kirara Asuka (omnomnom).
	Awesome Artbooks Restocked Artbooks from Masamune Shirow, Hagane Tsuruki, and Risa Miyasu, some of the best cyber-punk, fantasy and moe artists in Japan.
	Snow Miku ~ Miku Miku Puzzle Game Miku Hatsune + Fun Puzzles + Eroge Features = A great game doujin fans can enjoy on their PC with full 1920x1080 graphics!
	Amazing Personal Lotion from Japan Japan's lotion is the best in the world, and J-List sells a ton of it. See new Strawberry Love Lotion, plus restocked Pepee Lotion!
	Stress Toys for Guys, Too Relieve daily stress with these great products that simulate that delicate onanikku (woman's skin) feeling. The stealth can is pretty cool.
	New Cast Off Products from Japan Click to see the newest "cast off" anime figures, with clothing you can remove. We need to go clean up our nosebleeds now.
	Stress Toys for Girls The classic Japanese "Rotar" [sic] massagers are restocked, which every female should own. Also, the PLESTO [sic] massager that's not too big.