You've Been In Japan Too Long When...

Back in the early days of the web and Usenet, foreigners living in Japan started a list called "You've been in Japan too long when..." about what can happen to foreign expats who deign to stay here for many years. Here are a few for you. (The full listing is here.)

You've been in Japan too long...

• when you return the bow from the cash machine.
• when you are only slightly puzzled by the concept of Vermont Curry.
• when you buy a strawberry-and-whipped-cream sandwich for lunch at 7-11.
• if your favorite dessert is Coffee Jelly.
• when you pronounce the 'e' in 'aloe' and think aloe flavored yogurt could catch on back home.
• if you have mastered that squeezing a lemon slice with the chopsticks thing so that you don't get lemon juice on your fingers.
• when you know what an 'American dog' is (it's what a 'corn dog' is called here).
• if your weight, shoe size, and height in the Imperial measuring system (if you're American) have ceased to be relevant for you.
• if you have mastered the art of starting your car without getting in it yet (possible since the key is accessible from the right side of the car).
• if you politely turn off your headlights while at a stop light to avoid blinding the driver across the intersection from you.
• if you think cod roe spaghetti with chilled red wine is a typical Italian dish.
• if you can't find the "open" and "close" buttons in the elevator because they're in English
• when you can't read your kids the Three Little Pigs without giggling when you get to the part about "Not by the hair of chinny chin chin" (chin chin is a cute word for a penis in Japanese).
  
  
  
  Did you think I was kidding about the strawberry and whipped cream sandwiches?

Japan's New 'Crooked Teeth' (Yaeba) Boom

I've learned a few things about Japanese females over the years. First, they love cute things, especially kawaii phone straps attached to their cell phones, and they all seem to suffer from chronic constipation, no doubt from eating a large serving of white rice with every meal. Also, it's quite common for Japanese females to have horrendously crooked teeth, often with canine or "eye teeth" that jut outwards like fangs. While these crooked teeth -- called yaeba (yah-eh-ba) in Japanese, literally meaning "eight layered teeth" -- probably look strange to Westerners, the Japanese think they're extremely cute, and many girls will opt not to correct crooked teeth. Right now Japan is having a yaeba boom, with many cute pop stars sporting fangs, a phenomenon sparked by the popularity of AKB48 member Tomomi Itano. Yaeba are a staple of anime character design too, represented as a single fang in the mouth, a slight visual imperfection that makes the character more charming.

Yaeba fangs are considered cute in Japan, and are really popular now.

Sick in Jpaan

Every once in a while I feel like I'm living inside an anime. One weekend I might find myself at my daughter's school Culture Festival, visiting haunted houses or maid cafes put on by the students just like in series like K-On!, and in Okinawa I'd feel like I'd stepped into one of those "swimsuit" episodes. This week I somehow managed to catch a bad cold, so suddenly my life has turned into a "sick episode," another staple of anime stories. Being sick in a foreign country is never fun -- although I love Japan, I can't trust the local cold medicine to work for my giant gaijin body, so whenever I'm back in the U.S. I'm careful to bring back Nyquil, Alka-Seltzer Plus and other cold medicines for use in emergencies. The Japanese have many folk remedies for curing colds, including putting a raw egg in sake and drinking it down and steaming a leek (spring onion) and wrapping it around your neck. Maybe I'll try one of those tonight.

There's a lot of moe art featuring characters with colds.

Learn About Japan Through its Snack Culture

Thare are many ways to go about gaining an understanding of Japan, including language, culture, history or popular culture. Another fun approach to Japan is through its delicious snacks, and J-List is here to help. We've got hundreds of the most exotic varieties of chocolate and candy from Japan and candy. During the month of December we're giving 2x points on all chocolate items too -- what are you waiting for? Click here to view all Japanese candy and snacks as ranked by our awesome customers.

Cool Products Friday, February 24, 2012

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.

	A New Domo-kun T-shirt for You J-List has been closely associated with Domo-kun for more than ten years, and we're happy that we were able to help make Japan's cutest TV-watching monster popular. Here's a new Domo T-shirt with a cool vintage design that will look great on you. Rock on with Domo-kun! View products »
	UTB Feb 2012 ~ Up To Boy Feb 2012 We love it when Japanese idols show off their singing skills and fashion sense, especially when they are in shimapan style swimwear!
	Cooling Pad for Fever ~ Netsu Sama Sheet Beat colds this winter with netsu-sama sheet fever reducing sheets. Any girl you attach them to will become 100% more moe.
	Gorgeous Oreimo Figures In Stock The moe girl who loves kawaii girls in "H" games has some awesome figures in stock now, plus may others similar moe goods.
	Erio Towa Beach Queen Figure In Stock It may be winter here in Japan, but we still love these Beach Queen figures, with characters like Erio, Ika Musume, Mayuri Shiina, Sayaka Miki and more.
	I Have Few Friends Portable Limited Box for PSP The PSP adaptation of Haganai is here! Hang out with the crazy Rinjinbu girls, play fun minigames, and find the romance of your dreams.
	Big Restocking of Touhou Project Games You'll be amazed at some of the great items we've got from the Touhou universe, like Ten Desires, Immaterial and Missing Power, and Shoot the Bullet.
	Alien Ice Cube / Chocolate Molds Restocked Now that we live in the age of silicon, enjoy a chocolate alien head while drinking tea with alien egg ice cubes. It feels like the sci-fi future.
	Kawaii Madoka Magica Products We love to carry popular anime products like the Madoka Magika music boxes, which play beautiful versions of your favorite Madoka music.
	Panda Hoodie Vest J-List brings you the best in warm and kawaii winter fashion with this fabulous panda-eared hoodie whose cuteness level is over 9000.
	Japanese Bloomer set (Navy) ~ size M, 5L Great for cosplay or just for daily exercise, these matching pair gym clothes are the standard for all Japanese high school students.
	Striped Stockings, Shimapan Restocked More than just shimapan (striped underwear) we also carry a wide selection of similar styled stockings and socks to match.
	Microwave de Takoyaki and Okonomiyaki Enjoy delicious takoyaki (octopus balls) and okonomiyaki (Japanese "pizza") in the comfort of your own home with this amazing cooking tool.
	Jewelry Making Sticker Pens and More Decorate anything in your home, from your hairpin to your cellphone with these kits to make them glitter and shine. Many fun pens restocked.
	Hiragana Study Pencil Board  Learn Hiragana the fun and fast way, with a pencil board that can go everywhere you go. Learn the basics with colorful art.
	Totoro & Catbus Melody Music Boxes Bring some Ghibli spirit into your home with these delightful music boxes. Available in Totoro Acorn Car and Catbus version.
	Hello Kitty Face Wiener Cutter & Picks, More Make the cutest little wieners you've ever seen with a little help from the magic of Hello Kitty. Or try another of our many Hello Kitty products.
	Delicious New Pretz, Pasta Snacks from Japan Yum, we're got some great new snack flavors from Glico, like Ceaser Salad and Mentaiko Butter, plus many other favorites for you to enjoy.
	Fun Snacks Restocked, Too Enjoy Takoyaki Gummy Making, Meiji Poiful, Hi-Chew Fanta Collection, Meiji Wata Gum, Morinaga Pudding Caramel, UHA Shigekix plus Takoyaki puffs!
	Totoro Stainless Thermal Bento Box Set ~ Clover If there is anything we've learned from the movie Totoro it is that friends and family are very important, and sometimes the best way to share that love is with some delicious food. Take the wonderful Totoro with you in the full bento set, great for family picnics and outings. View products »
	Zojirushi Dot Thermal Bento Box Set We also restocked the svelte Zojirushi Dot Thermal Bento, an elegant lunchbox for guys who don't want to take a kawaii bento to work.
	Kawaii Anime Bento Boxes From the popular Pokemon bento boxes to the classic Hello Kitty Face Bento Box and Nina Nino Panda Bento, we've got some cute items restocked.
	Bamboo Whisk for Stirring Matcha It takes the right tools to make a truly exceptional cup of tea. Prepare your green tea like the Japanese masters with this authentic bamboo whisk.
	Restocked Wiener Shapers for Bento We've restocked several cute Wiener Cutters which turn boring sausages into cute flowers, penguins and other shapes, which are so much fun.
	Kawaii Hello Kitty Spoon & Fork, Chopsticks And you just can't have a real tea party without a complete set of Hello Kitty silverware, perfectly sized for small hands.
	Lucky Cat Maneki Neko Coin Bank ~ White Bring home some extra luck this year, with some wonderful fortune items for a better life, like charms and maneki neko.
	Awesome Sake Cups from Japan You aren't really drinking sake unless it's from a square cup, or one with great ukiyoe art on it. Become a master of sake with these fun items.
	Elegant Sakura Business Card Box, Jewel Box Feel the illustrious stylings of traditional Japanese artwork, like with our supply of jewelry boxes, antiques and art.
	Anime Songs on the iTunes Japan Store There's lots of anime music on iTunes Japan, like this playlist of the new 2012 anime series or the new Toradora Best Album.
	Fruit Tart Letter Set ~ 10 Letters & 5 Envelopes & Stickers  Send this year's invitations and thank you cards on a note that is equally as fun to receive as it is to read.
	Yugi Yami 1/7 Figure ~ Yu Gi Oh!*Preorder* Fans of the card-battling epic Yu Gi Oh! will definitely appreciate this cool figure of Yugi Yami in his classic card-drawing pose. Nerdgasm!
	Hiei 1/8 Figure ~ Yu Yu Hakusho *Preorder* We also have this equally cool figure of Yu Yu Hakusho's resident fire demon, Hiei. This guy is one of the most popular characters ever. Check it out!
	Ryomou Shimei 1/4 Figure Bunny ver. *Preorder* And if you're looking for something to get the juices flowing, try this smoking hot figure of Ikki Tousen's Ryomou in a super-sexy bunny suit. Wow!
	Touch Detective Mushroom Garden Tape *Preorder* Cute mushrooms invade your life with this fun decorative tape based on the character Funghi from Touch Detective Mushroom Garden.
	Kimi to Boku to Eden no Ringo - Visual Fanbook This beautiful eroge artbook is loaded with moe girls in all sorts of cute and sexy situations, plus material for joso (trap) fans.
	IBO MAX A new stress toy maker is on the block, and their flagship design will blow your mind. Check out the ridge-filled IBO MAX for maximum stimulation.
	MIRAI no MEIKI DX Stress Toys A sex toy from the future, where man is fallen into a dystopia (utopia?) surrounded by bizarre sexual creatures? An epic SF-themed new toy series.
	A Certain Magical & Scientific Parody Toys Also: we've restocked the Index/Railgun parody toys, which are so popular they sell out every week, plus Azunyan lotion.
	Restocked Love Dolls, Lotion & More Dress up your night mistress doll with accessories to meet your own personal preferences and wants. Many awesome items restocked.
	Le Labyrinthe De La Grisaia Learn the secrets of Yuji's past in this sequel to Le Fruit de La Grisaia, voted Best Moe Game of 2011 for its great characters and beautiful art.
	Today's Recommended Eroge: Crescendo I love story-centric visual novels with great art and characters, and Crescndo is one of my favorite English eroge titles. Great emotional story!

A Fun Japanese Word: ネタ

Like many Japanese young people my son is into Japan's ubiquitous BBS 2ch (pronounced ni-channeru in Japanese), where all manner of anonymous Japanese net users post news, debate issues and sometimes make rants that are amusing to read. As he reads the matome (thread summary) sites, he knows it should always be on the lookout for good neta for me. This is a Japanese word with many definitions, first and foremost referring to the top part of a piece of sushi (the fish part that sits on top of the rice, which is called shari if you were curious). The word neta has other meanings, too, including material for a joke, or in my own case, ideas for these little missives I write here. The word for "spoiler" in Japanese is netabare (neta-bah-ray, lit. to expose an idea to everyone), and whenever Hollywood tries to make a motion picture based on an anime, fans accuse them of being netagire (neta-gi-reh, meaning "completely out of ideas"). And the word for "NSFW" (not safe for work, meaning material that might be too ecchi for some situations) is shimoneta, basically "ideas related to the lower half of your body." Now you know some random Japanese words.

Now you know how to say "spoilers" in Japanese.

All About Japanese Sailor Uniforms

If you've watched more than an hour of Japanese television, you'll know that school uniforms are a big part of life in Japan. School uniforms were introduced during the reforms of the Meiji Era, with the iconic "sailor uniform" appearing in the 1920s, based on a British fashion from the 19th century. Today nearly all junior high and high school students are required to wear uniforms; elementary school students generally don't wear them, except in the case of private or religious schools. There are a lot of benefits from uniforms, including removing the differences between wealthy and less-well-off students (which appeals greatly to the Japanese), and adding a degree of discipline that I certainly lacked growing up. While the sailor style uniforms have become a world-famous image of Japan, this style is actually fading away, replaced with the more modern "blazer" type. (Haruhi's normal uniform is an example of a "sailor" uniform, and her dark uniform in Disappearance an example of a "blazer.") Incidentally J-List is fortunate to carry the authentic Japanese school uniforms from Matsukameya of Nagoya, male and female uniforms which are sewn to your exact measurements and sent to you. The quality is fabulous, and we recommend you check them out.

Sadly, the "sailor uniform" is an endangered species in Japan.

Bodacious Space Pirates

The current anime season is an extra-good one, with several interesting series I want to follow, and I've had to really juggle my schedule to create enough free time to watch them all. (Sometimes being a dedicated Japan/anime blogger can be hard work). One show I'm liking a lot is Mouretsu Uchu Kaizoku, translated as Bodacious Space Pirates, though I shed a tear that the original novel's title of Mini-Skirt Space Pirates wasn't preserved, since girls wearing mini-skirts in zero-G spaceships is...well nevermind. It's a well-made space opera about Marika, a genki high school girl who learns that her father was a famous space pirate, and is told she must take over as captain of his ship. As usual, it's common for elements of the story to potentially cause confusion. In one scene, captain-to-be Marika calls the intelligent Chiaki (also known as "Kuroneko...In...Space!") by the familiar name "Chiaki-chan," which causes the mature girl to take offense. This is the kind of cultural issue you might counter when watching anime that can confuse you even if you have subtitles -- in this case the chan name suffix is only added to people who are younger than you or below your station somehow, and some females dislike having it added to their names.

Space pirates in mini-skirts certainly are bodacious.

Yumina the Ethereal Characters

I've been playing through our working copy of the upcoming epic RPG Yumina the Ethereal, and I'm amazed by how much I like the heroines. The main character Yumina is the classic upbeat "genki" girl whose antics are both hilarious and charming. Then there's Kirara, the leader of the Debate Club, whose cuteness contrasts brilliantly with her sly and sadistic personality. And finally, we have Ai, a cool and collected blue-haired girl who often says things that will leave you wondering, "What planet is this girl from?" You can see detailed profiles for these characters at the official Yumina the Ethereal site, or visit the product page to preorder the game now!

Cool Products Wednesday, February 22, 2012

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.

	Egg Mar 2012 J-List recommends the fabulous Egg magazine for all your Tokyo fashion needs. Stay up on the latest trends in Shibuya and Harajuku, and enjoy photos of Tokyo girls.
	Hiragana Times 305 Mar 2012 Learning Japanese is fun and interesting with the Hiragana Times, a bilingual magazine that keeps you informed while helping you study.
	Hobby Japan Mar 2012 Grab a new issue of the top magazine for model and figure enthusiasts, packed with mouthwatering photos of Gundams, tanks, cute girls, and more.
	Little Busters! Converted Edition **Pre-Order** Preorder the PSVita release of Key's acclaimed visual novel Little Busters! Features improved graphics, touch screen functionality, and new CGs.
	PlayStation Network Card (3,000 YEN) Get the most out of your PSP, PS3, or PS Vita with this prepaid PlayStation Network card. You also get access to free demos once you make an account.
	Authentic School Uniforms, Made for Your Size Get your very own authentic Japanese school uniform, made to order by one of Japan's best tailors. Plus, authentic school swimsuits, bags, and more!
	Gothic Lace Over-Knee Socks, Maid Outfit You'll be looking your best when you add some Japan made fashion accessories to your wardrobe. All the hot items are here.
	Restocked Pantsu, Cosplay Items For the more risque cosplayers out there, J-List has a wide variety of panties, swimsuits, shimapan and bloomers, now fully restocked.
	More Awesome Monster Hunter Toys And for something a little more epic, we've got the next installments of the Monster Seitaizukan model series, numbers 5 and 6, in stock.
	Pop-up Hello Kitty Oil Absorb Paper Let Japan's cutest kitty help keep your skin young and healthy with these Hello Kitty oil absorbing pads. Comes in two kawaii designs.
	Other Hello Kitty Items Restocked See our Hello Kitty business card holder w/wallet, Hello Kitty Lucky Mascot characters, Re-Ment traditional sweets plus our Hello Kitty glasses holder -- kawaii!
	Totoro Gift Towels, Plush Car Mascot Everyone's wonderful friend Totoro is here, now is practical and fun Towel form, plus other plushies and toys featuring Ghibli characters.
	Kawaii Products for your Kitchen We've got tons of cute products for your kitchen, including the Love Love Panda Salt and Pepper Shakers we restocked today. We love these!
	Go! Go! Nippon! Not able to visit Japan right now? Then you should play Go! Go! Nippon!, a great all-ages visual novel that's almost as good as being here. In stock now.
	Fun Ways to Learn Hiragana Make learning Japanese fun and easy with these great study aids, like the hiragana bath chart, hiragana towel, and Roman Letter Mouse Pad.
	Great Restocked Crafts from Japan With these amazing kits from Japan, you can make your own key chains, erasers, cell phone decorations, and more. Also, the Erasable Bath Crayon!
	Kapibarasan Cafe Sweets Mascot Set of 5 Then see fresh stock of the uber-cute Kapibarasan Cafe Sweets Mascot figures, so cute they'll give you a cuteness overload.
	Glico Fuwa Fuwa Rich Milk Cream Collon Set of 3 Yum! These new Cream Collon snacks are delicious, just like everything from Japan by makers like Glico, Meiji, Tohato, Kracie and more.
	Fun Restocked Snacks The amazing Neru Neru Nerune DIY gummy snack is back, plus Poppin' Cookin' Sushi Candy, Shigekix Pirate Fruit flavor, baked Toppo, and Crayon Shin Chan Chocobi.
	Beautiful Traditional Bento Boxes Restocked Wonderful bento boxes are always available at J-List or JBOX, from ones big enough for a family to some small enough for children.
	Cute Animal Mini 3 Cases Set Store your knick knacks in these kawaii cases shaped like the heads of a pig, frog, and bear. A great new storage solution from Japan.
	Kawaii Bento Cups from Japan Keep the parts of your bento lunch in their own individual cups, each featuring cute art of Hello Kitty, Rilakkuma, or another kawaii mascot character.
	Awesome Onigiri Shapers Restocked, Too Have trouble molding your onigiri rice balls into a perfect triangle? Worry no more, with these handy shapers that get them perfectly shaped!
	Star Wars Lightsaber Chopsticks Restocked Japan and Star Wars go together like rice and... well, anything! Take, for instance, these brilliant lightsaber chopsticks, restocked today.
	More Great Chopsticks We've also restocked several other innovative Japanese eating utensils, including the popular Sushi Non-Slip Chopstick Set and training chopsticks.
	Get Your Own Kanji Name Stamp in 2012 Get your very own custom made Japanese hanko name stamp, legal for use in Japan, with your name (or anything else you want) in kanji.
	Traditional Japanese Ear Cleaners You haven't lived until you've had your ears cleaned by a Japanese bamboo Mimikaki. See our popular ear cleaners restocked, including kawaii pink cotton swabs.
	Embroidered Polo Shirts from J-List J-List carries professionally embroidered polo shirts which look great, allowing you to "keep it real" even while at work. Several fun designs in stock.
	Tamaki Kousaka 1/4 Figure ~ ToHeart2 *Preorder* Check out this sexy figure of ToHeart2's Tamaki Kousaka in a bikini that leaves nothing to the imagination. Comes in giant 1/4 scale!
	Inia Sestina Figure ~ Total Eclipse *Preorder* Moe figure collectors will also be interested in this beautiful rendition of mecha pilot Inia Sestina. Chest or thighs - take your pick.
	Marisa Kirisame Figure ~ Touhou *Preorder* Next, we have this stylish figure of everyone's favorite sorceress Marisa Kirisame. Love the hat, and could her dress get any more frilly?
	Double Homura Figures on J-List Today Two new figures of Homura Akemi for preorder, both featuring her cute school uniform in moe moe mode. We love Homura!
	Yuki Miku Nendoroid Winter Coat ver. *Preorder* Don't miss this one-of-a-kind Nendoroid featuring internet sensation Hatsune Miku in cool and stylish winter attire. She looks like a snow fairy!
	CHIBUSA no Aru Fukei ~ Scenes of Breasts This unique photobook collects scenes of women baring their beautiful bodies in some of the most famous places in Japan. It's a great new photobook that combines an amazing photographic concept with one of our favorite things, beautiful Japanese girls. As usual in Japan, the printing quality is out of this world, and we recommend this item a lot. View products »
	UNICORN ~ Pink Personal Massager Here's a great new offering for our poor stressed-out female customers: a well designed simple massager that's easy to use yet has many features, including ten vibration modes. Fully waterproof, you can use it in the bath -- wow. We also restocked several popular products including the classic Japanese "egg rotar" [sic] that every girl should have in her "special" drawer. View products »
	Amazing Stress Toys Restocked, Too That mouth-shaped love hole is back in stock for you to enjoy, plus Greatest Stroker II self-powered toy for men, and the Bubble Shake Onahole too.
	Restocked Personal Lotion from Japan A top-quality stress toy needs top-quality lotion to keep its action smooth and sweet. Try Female Nectar and Tenga Hole Lotion, now restocked.
	Great Restocked Import Eroge Enjoy HOTEL, Corona the Dragon Maiden, Binyuu Kiss Nee Rimi plus the popular Ikinari Anata ni Koishiteru (Suddenly, In Love With You).
	Great H-Games by Internet Download, Package J-List has tons of English-language eroge too, like the famous Sagara Family, one of the most beloved English titles ever.