Transliterating and the Yu-Gi-Oh! Effect

Transliteration is the act of moving from one writing system to another, which is never an easy task. When expressing Japanese in English, there are a lot of questions to consider, including which Romanization method to use. The "Hepburn" method results in words that are close to how non-Japanese pronounce them, for example shitsurei, meaning rude, while the "Nihonshiki" method forces syllables into consonant + verb pairs (e.g. siturei) despite the fact that no one pronounces words that way. One way to make Japanese words easier for English speakers to digest is to break them into smaller chunks with hypens, something the creators of Yu-Gi-Oh! got right, since Yuhgioh / Yuugiou / Yuhgioh / Yuugioh would not have stuck in people's brains as well. I generally write the word for "childhood friend" as osana-najimi with a hyphen, since osananajimi is a big jumble of hard to read letters, and we're pretty sure that our Japanese "Lucky Bags" are easier for our customers to remember when we write fuku-bukuro instead of fukubukuro.

A conversion chart between Romaji and hiragana.

The Elements of "Moe" in Anime

I write a lot about the theory and practice of moe (mo-eh), since it's a subject that's dear to me. Although the kanji literally means "sprout" (like a plant poking through the soil), my personal definition for the word is, "the warm, fuzzy feeling you get when contemplating your favorite anime character." Moe is many things to many people, however, and when I asked my Twitter and Facebook followers what the word meant to them, I got a range of answers. One replied that moe is all about the incredibly shy reactions the characters make when they get embarrassed by something, and others are charmed by how helpless moe girls are without someone to rescue them, while some loved the inner conflict in a good tsundere, angry and haughty most of the time, but with a payoff of loving tenderness later. I find myself fascinated by the flaws that are found in every good moe character, like the dojikko clumsiness of Yui from K-On!, or those cute crooked teeth, called yaeba (yah-eh-bah) and illustrated as a single rogue tooth in the corner of the mouth, which make me feel all tingly inside.

I love the yaeba fang as a "moe charm point."

Japan Loves Nostalgia

One thing I've noticed about the Japanese: they're very good at is appreciating nostalgia, and on any given day you're likely to hear someone exclaim natsukashii! (nots-ka-shee!), which can be translated as "that makes me so nostalgic I look like one of those manga characters with a tear rolling out of my eye!" Whether watching a variety show featuring the 50 best J-POP songs of the 1990s (iTunes Japan link) or appreciating the simply beauty of classic cars of a bygone era, the Japanese seem hardwired to love the old days. The heart of nostalgia to the Japanese is the Showa Period, the name for the reign of Emperor Hirohito which lasted from 1925-1989, which saw war and destruction followed by the rebuilding of the nation's dreams and toilet seats that wash your butt for you. Today the imagery of the Showa Period is loved by many as a simpler, better era, and you can travel there by visiting a dagashi shop, which sells the traditional candy popularized in the years before after World War II. We've got many of these in stock for you to try, from liquid candy you knead with chopsticks to Kompeito star-shaped candy and Sakuma Drops can Grave of the Fireflies.

(There's a scene in Gunbuster where they're up in a space station in a Japanese style sento back, washing using the yellow buckets with ケロリン stamped in red letters in the bottom. The irony of being in space while using such a famous object from the Showa Period is something only Gainax could have managed so well.)

Japan is a country that loves nostalgia.

Announcing the J-List EMS SALE!

J-List is loaded with awesome products for all the people on your holiday list this year, but there aren't that many days until Christmas. We decided to help our customers by having a week-long J-List EMS Sale, during which we'll give you cash back when you order using EMS. Need to make an order of unique bento products for your significant other, or score a selection of rare Hello Kitty or Totoro items, or maybe something special for the bedroom? Then order now! This offer expires at midnight on Monday, December 5th. What do you think?

Cool Products Friday, December 2, 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 Jan 2012 First, we have this month's selection of awesome magazines full of cute moe girls. NyanType leads the way with lots of posters and cool omake free stuff! The posters in this issue are extra-awesome, a snapshot of everything that's good about anime this month. Grab a copy now! View products »
	Dengeki G's Magazine Jan 2012 Next is the huge Dengeki G's, with tons of pictures from shows like Idolm@ster and K-On! Free super-cute figure of Haruka included with the issue!
	Shirow Masamune Calendar 2012 We got the last stock of the 2012 Shirow Masamune calendar today. Last year's sold out fast, so don't let it get away this year! Click to see all our calendars.
	Japanese Anime T-Shirt ~ Angry Choco A fun new T-shirt just in time for the Holidays! Chocobo is angry at Cactaur and is going to smash him into a pulp! Grab this fun shirt now.
	Hatsune Miku, Mirai Suenaga, Horo! Then enjoy fresh stock of some kawaii figures, including Hatsune Miku, Mirai Suenaga plus Horo the awesome wolf girl.
	Gifts They'll Never Forget From our popular line of Fuku-bukuro traditional grab-bags filled with random items to the official Hello Kitty vibrators, I mean shoulder massages.
	go to natura... ~ Maki Goto Maki Goto (Gotoh) is the talented former Morning Musume star, and we're happy to have her final photobook in stock. (Please see on the "R" side).
	Tokyo Fashions Restocked Enjoy some cool restocked fashions, including the Neck T One Piece Dress, Bohemian Top for Fashion plus those elegant striped socks. Nice!
	Nice Restocking of Shimapan See a nice restocking of shimapan for girls and guys, plus other awesome products like the school uniform for Hideyoshi fans.
	Totoro Organic Cotton Bath Towels, Washcloths We have the honor of being able to bring out customers the most awesome products from Studio Ghibli, and today see some of the best Totoro towels and washcloth products we've ever seen. Fabulous quality, great for gifts or to make your guest bathroom really special. View products »
	Restocked Totoro Plush Toys We've got a nice selection of restocked Totoro plush toys too, including the Totoro and Ponyo no Sanpo plush toys that "walk" when you pull their strings.
	Wake Up to Totoro Every Morning Also, our popular Miyazaki-approved real wood Totoro alarm clocks, that Totoro China Tea Cup plus awesome Ghibli cushions.
	PSP Black Rock Shooter Limited Edition Only a few copies left of this awesome limited edition Black Rock Shooter game, which comes with an exclusive Figma and more!
	Maji-Koi!! on Blu-ray Disc! The first volume of Maji-Koi is here, and it's full of awesome special features! Follow the wacky adventures of five beautiful samurai girls!
	Macross Blu-ray + PS3 Game, PSP Anime Games Big restocking of PSP and PS3 titles, including Hatsune Miku, Weiss Schwartz Portable plus my favorite, the Macross Frontier 2nd movie w/ PS3 game (!!).
	Gorgeous Artbooks from Japan Restocked See great restocked artbooks on the site today, including the Pixiv Girls Collection, so pleasant to look at page after page.
	Hello Kitty Glasses Stand Pink Heart ~ Megane Holder Our customers love our first Hello Kitty Glasses Stand so much, so we're happy to have this alternate version. Kitty-chan will wear your glasses!
	Hello Kitty Miniature Sushi, Kawaii Violin A Kitty-themed set of adorable "conveyor belt" sushi miniatures? Japan, you know the way to our hearts. We love this to death! Now in stock.
	Higurashi ~ When they Cry Great all-ages games from Japan in English, including the Higurashi ~ When They Cry series, Aselia the Eternal and more. We love them all.
	Tentacle Mustache...Why Not? What's up with tentacles this year? From the Tentacle Grape carbonated soda we stock to the wacky Tentacle Fingers, this year as really been a good one for tentacle-themed products. Click to see the ultimate item, a tentacle mustache. View products »
	Okinawa Limited Puccho Soft Candy More fun treats you can only get in Okinawa, including delicious Puccho in Pineapple and Shikwasa flavor. Delicious and fun to eat.
	Big Restocking of J-Snacks Then see Winter Pocky (my favorite!, I love the cocoa powder), Monster Hunter snacks, Ramune treats in a gift box plus Pokemon candy!
	Traditional 'Dagashi' Snacks The traditional snacks of the Showa Period are in stock and waiting for you to order now. Try Kompeito, Sakuma Drops, or my favorite, Ramune Mochi.
	Fun Japanese Snacks Shipping from San Diego In addition to our popular Tentacle Grape, we're starting to carry other Japanese snacks and drinks in San Diego. Click to see our selection here.
	Evangelion Bento, More Restocked In addition to the popular stainless steel Evangelion cups we've been posting to the site, enjoy the best Evangelion bento boxes ever.
	Sakura Bento Box With Chopsticks We carry a complete bento sets which come with everything you need including chopsticks. See these traditional bento boxes, restocked today.
	Kawaii New Soy Sauce Bottles, Bento Cups Some nice new bento items too, including Hello Kitty soy sauce bottles (kyaa! Kawaii!) and bento cups featuring Hello Kitty and Rilakkuma.
	Onigiri Shapers & Other Bento Accessories Also: random bento items restocked including our most popular onigiril shapers, so you can avoid the embarrassment of improperly shaped rice balls.
	Hello Kitty Bento Accessories & More We love Hello Kitty and we love bento. Enjoy the Sanrio DECO Bento Set with onigiri shapers and mayonnaise cups and more, plus that Die Cut Mug Cup.
	Easy Microwave Rice Cooker Our popular Microwave Rice Cooker is back in stock, which saves you from having to buy an expensive electric rice cooker. Great for college students!
	Back King Bath Tablets See fresh stock of the fizzing bath tablets that also make your bath a very pleasant experience. The fizzing bath tablets are my favorites.
	Rubber Ninja Shuriken, Other Traditional Items From realistic looking rubber Ninja throwing stars to traditional items for your room, we've got a lot of nice items. Tokyo Sky Tree too!
	Kawaii 'Beach Queen' Anime Figures *Preorder* It's always summer with these cute and sexy Beach Queen figures. Each one portrays a different anime girl in her best swimwear. Check them out!
	More Awesome Preorder Figures Preorders are open on lots of great figures, like Kyouko from Madoka Magica, Sonic the Hedgehog, Iron Man, and more!
	Fuku-Bukuro Adult Set (Japanese Lucky Bag) from San Diego Great news: we've got fuku-bukuro grab bags in stock in San Diego now, as wella s Japan, a great way to grab a bunch of naughty products for a great price! The set includes several "H" DVDs, a full English eroge chosen at random, a Tenga stress toy, H-manga and more. View products »
	Dengeki Hime Dec 2011 Then enjoy the new Dengeki Hime, back on the site after many months. Filled with awesome information on the newest eroge and anime.
	Restocked 'H' Photobooks Too See fresh stock of gorgeous photobooks and 2012 calendars, which JAV fans should not miss out on. Ai Haneda is so angelic and beautiful...
	Epic 'Cast Off' Figures Available Again There's nothing like a good "cast off" anime figure to get your blood pumping, if you know what I mean. See the restocked ecchi figures today.
	Shirow Masamune's 'Pieces' Restocked Shirow Masamune is a legend in the manga world, and today we've restocked his gorgeous Pieces 7 and other ero illustration works.
	Stress Toys for the Other Side, Too We've restocked the toy that lets you know your favorite anime characters and JAV stars in a whole new way. Click to see the restocked items.
	'I Have Few Friends' Parody Stress Toys Then, great news for fans of the hit anime Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai, also known as I Have Few Friends. Which girl will you choose?

Relationships in Japan are "Vertical"

One of the more interesting aspects of Japan is the top-down nature of its society, how it's ostensibly structured in a way that channels more respect to senior individuals in a school or organization, and society in general. When a younger student or junior employee in a company (kohai) sees an older student or senior employee (senpai), he's expected to greet his senior using a formal salutation like ohayo gozaimasu (good morning), while the senior will reply with the more informal ohayo. In English, I might talk about my brother or my sister without necessarily concerning myself with whether the sibling in question were older or younger than me, but in Japanese these concepts are always split into oniisan / ototo and oneesan / imoto for older and younger brother and sister, respectively. What about twins, you ask? The one to pop out first is the older one, even if it's only by a few minutes (Kagami, in the case of the Hiiragi twins). My wife loves to watch her kaigai dorama or "overseas drama" like CSI or Drop Dead Diva dubbed into Japanese, and she always sniggers at the informal speech people use when talking with their superiors, which you could never actually do in Japan.

Foreigners need to understand how up/down relationships work when dealing with Japan.

Japan, the Land of Polite Capitalism

Like the U.S. and Europe, Japan is a free market economy in which companies compete to offer the best products and services that will delight consumers and result in profits for shareholders, but there are some differences in how capitalism works here. First, some of the harsher aspects of competition seen in other countries don't exist here, like the now-commonplace strategy of "disrupt the stable business of a competitor and profit from the confusion that results" -- Sony never sabotages Panasonic's business for its own benefit. Though there are abuses, like when construction companies teamed up with government to push through a tunnel across Tokyo Bay which no one needed or uses today, one refreshing aspect of capitalism in Japan is that the average salaries of Japanese CEOs is only 16x the lowest employee, compared with 344x in the U.S. (2007 numbers). One of the strangest aspects of doing business in Japan as J-List is the way companies cooperate rather than compete. If we want to work with a new distributor for bento boxes for example, they might decline to sell to us lest it appear they're trying to steal our business away from a competitor we're already established with. So the free market economy in Japan is really based on "polite capitalism."

Japan is the land of "polite capitalism."

Life in Japan will Change You

There's no doubt about it: living in a foreign country for many years will change a person, something my father learned when he emigrated from the U.K. to the U.S. in the 1950s, becoming quite "Americanized" from the viewpoint of his family back home though he seemed very British to us. After living in Japan for twenty years I am quite unable to recall my weight, height or shoe size using the Imperial system of measurements, and driving over train tracks back home always feels weird to me, as all vehicles are required to stop at train crossings in Japan. By now I don't think twice about taking my shoes off at the front door or sitting on the floor while relaxing at home, and eating steamed white rice with every meal seems totally natural, too. Japan is a country with a little under half the population of the U.S. crammed into an area 1/25 the size, and I realized I've gotten quite good at organizing my stuff in an incredibly small space. Money is quite different too -- instead of mailing a check to pay your bills, you bring them to the convenience store and pay the employee in cash. Living in Japan for a long time can affect your English in strange ways. Once I bought a charcoal grill called the Weber ONE TOUCH and did a double take at the title, as my eyes somehow managed to read onee-touch or "touch the older sister" (it's also a general term for any young woman aged 20 or older). Or maybe I've just been doing J-List for too long.

Paying bills in a convenience store is...convenient.

Popin' Cookin' & More: Awesome Gummy Treats You Make Yourself

J-List carries the entire lineup of awesome "do it yourself" gummy products from Kracie which are so popular these days, from the legendary Popin' Cookin' Sushi Candy Making Set to those Happy Kitchen miniature doughnuts and cakes to gummy dinosaurs and insects and the popular Neru Neru Nerune series. Not only are these candies delicious to eat, they're really fun to make, and you'll find measuring and mixing the proper amounts of water and gelatin powder is really awesome. We recommend you try it with kids, since they make such a perfect stocking stuffer. Click to view all the items!