Japan's Real Problem is Leadership

What is leadership? Everyone probably has their own definition, perhaps something about individuals with natural talent having the courage to stand up and be a beacon for others to follow, hopefully choosing to do what's right rather than what's popular with the most people. While Japan currently faces a huge number of problems ranging from economic stagnation to population decline to an infrastructure in need of renewal, I think one of the biggest challenges is the chronic lack of leadership in Japanese politics. While you or I may think that leaders should have unique skills and vision that set them apart from the average person, in Japan people spend their lives learning the importance of getting along harmoniously and not expressing your opinion in an overt way, and the best leaders are those who can gently nudge others to see things their way. A lot of Americans complain about the two-party system, which makes it hard for serious third party candidates to get a toe-hold in the minds of voters, but Japan takes things to the other extreme, with 14 large and small parties that make a lot of noise but don't move the country in any specific direction. Then there's the tendency for all Japanese to immediately turn on anyone impudent enough to actually become Prime Minister, which is described by the Japanese proverb deru kui wa utareru or "the standing nail is driven" (e.g. anyone who stands out for any reason will be hammered back into place). This more than any other reason is why Japan's leadership has been so dysfunctional over the past two decades, a period which has seen only four leadership changes in the United Kingdom but a staggering 15 in Japan

Meanwhile, in an alternate moe universe... (game link here)

My Life Is Becoming An Anime

Anime, of course, is a collection of fun memes which continually build on story and character concepts established in previous works. It's a completely false world, or rather a world that's as stylized as, say, Hollywood movies are, and just as we don't actually see cars exploding dramatically in the U.S. every other day, most Japanese males don't find themselves surrounded by harems of adoring females on a regular basis. Still, it's funny how often anime seems to become real for me. Whenever I attend the school festival at my son's high school, I feel like I've lived through a 22 minute "school festival episode," and when I take my family to Guam for a vacation, I feel like we've all dropped into one of those "beach episodes" every anime studio feels compelled to include. Once I was talking to my wife, and I happened to ask what club she was in in high school. She replied, "The light music club, why do you ask?" which was quite a thing to hear as a K-On! fan. The other day I was watching the ending to Chuunibyo Demo Koi ga Shitai, which is about high schoolers who'd previous suffered from "8th graders' disease" (the name for the tendency of kids in junior high school to engage in childish fantasies) trying to discard their delusions and live normal lives. My wife said, "8th graders' disease? Oh, I had that really bad when I was a girl." She didn't give details, but I can't get the image of her wearing an eye patch and using imaginary super powers to open train doors. Woop woop!

Sometimes anime can become surprisingly real.

And in case you don't know this...

The Chinese Zodiac in Japan

If you browse J-List's Home & Traditional page, where we stock fun and interesting things for your home along with traditional products from Japan, you're likely to notice a lot of snake-related products right now. This is because 2013 is the Year of the Snake according to the Chinese zodiac. The animal for the year a person was born in can be quite important in Japan, and there's a body of beliefs based on the system, for example people born in a Snake Year are thought to be compatible with Roosters and Oxes but not Monkeys or Boars, and so on. Just as you can look up your horoscope using traditional Western astrology, a lot of websites are happy to give you advice based on what your Chinese zodiac animal happens to be.

The story of how Chinese Zodiac came to be is extremely famous, as well-known throughout Asia as Noah's Ark is in the West. Here's the story, in case you don't know it. On the day of the New Year the Gods (or Buddha, depending on which version you read) declared a race among thirteen animals to come and offer New Year's Greetings. The Ox knew he was the slowest animal, so he started out before the others. The Rat noticed this and hopped on his back, jumping off at the last minute to claim first place. The Ox came in second, followed by the fleet Tiger. The Rabbit was next, with the kind-hearted Dragon behind, who was delayed helping the Rabbit across the river. The Horse ran along then, but the Snake slithered between his legs and startled him, beating him to the finish line. The Sheep, Monkey and Rooster were working as a team to get across the river, and arrived next. Then came the Dog, delayed because he stopped to take a bath along the way, with the Boar coming in last -- he'd gotten confused and climbed the wrong mountain, forcing him to backtrack. The thirteenth animal was the Cat, who had forgotten what day the race was held and asked his friend the cunning Rat, who told him the wrong date. This is why there's no Year of the Cat, and why cats hate rats and mice today.

The Chinese Zodiac is quite important to Japanese people.

Year End = Extra Awesome Product Update

This is kind of a special update, since the year is winding down, so we've posted an extra awesome volley of new products including all the popular anime magazines for the month, including Megami Magazine, NyanType, Dengeki Moeoh and more. These magazines are loaded with great free stuff for fans in the form of posters, calendars and even figures. Grab the issues you want before they're gone, or consider a revolving subscription, which can be canceled or changed at any time.

Last Chance to Take Advantage of J-List's EMS Sale

Christmas is over, but our special sale continues through the end of December! Through the end of 2012, we're giving a whopping $15 or $40 back when you order items from Japan and choose EMS shipping, which is fully insured and trackable and will arrive at your house in about 4 days. Order $100 or more to get $15 back as a store credit, or $200 or more to get $40 back. Next, we have a special offer on J-List's world-famous anime and kanji T-shirts: buy any two J-List shirts shipping from San Diego and get a free shirt chosen randomly by us. All sales end December 31st.

Cool Products Friday, December 28, 2012

For the new update, we've got some excellent products from Japan for you. You can view all new J-List products by clicking this link.

Today's New & Restocked Items

Nyantype Feb 2013 A new issue of Nyantype is here, and it's packed with beautiful posters of your favorite anime girls. This issue features Rikka from the awesome Chu2Koi anime that just finished airing, so if you like moe moe girls who share your otaku interests, this is definitely an issue you'll want to pick up. Other shows featured include Sword Art Online, Girls und Panzer, and the new Nanoha movies! Supplies limited, so buy now. view this product »

	Megami Magazine Feb 2013 We also have the newest issue of this excellent magazine for poster collectors, featuring pinups from shows like Little Busters, Sword Art Online and To Love-Ru.		TYPE-MOON Ace vol. 8 A new issue of the magazine just for fans of top visual novel developer Type-Moon. Full of art of your favorite characters like Saber and Rin, plus omake!
	egg Jan 2013 Stay up on the hottest Tokyo fashions with a new issue of egg magazine. You'll be amazed by the beauty of these Shibuya kogals.		Shonen Ace Feb 2013 Shonen Ace brings you over 1000 pages of top-quality manga like Nichijou, Code Geass, Eureka 7, Haruhi, and more. You also get a free figure of Eru from Hyouka!
	More K-On! Underwear, Other Fun Items If you love K-On! then this pair of underwear should be on your wish list. We also have Ritsu slippers and more fun items for otaku.		New Petanko 2D Bags Get into the Disney mood with one of these great character 2D bags. Four fun designs available!
	Mei Misaki 1/8 Figure A fantastic figure of Mei from the horror anime Another that captures her mysterious nature. Now in stock and shipping!		Gorgeous Figures In Stock We have more figures in stock too, including Saber Lily, Shaomei by Tony Taka, Ririchiyo from Inu x Boku SS, plus a rare Ignis figure!
	Epic 2013 Calendars from Japan Our 2013 calendars are going fast, so you should grab the ones you want now. We've got several back in stock, including Kyoani's Chu2koii and SAO!		Get Ready for Kouhaku Year-end in Japan means it's time for Kouhaku, the "red-and-white song battle" that no JPOP fan should miss. See this year's lineup, buy with our iTunes Japan cards!
	They are my noble masters - KimiAru PSP The hit game from the writer of Majikoi and Tsuyokiss is in stock for your PSP. A fun game for everyone who wishes they had a cute mistress to serve.		Great PC Games from Japan Enjoy the awesome new Sonicomi game for Super Sonico fans, plus Mahoyo, Steins;Gate, Clannad and other epic titles for you to play.
	Popular School Book Bag, Other Cosplay Items We restocked our legendary Japanese Leather School Briefcase, as seen in anime for decades, plus other gorgeous cosplay items from Japan.		Gorgeous 'Geta' Wooden Sandals Posted When it comes to famous images of Japan, the traditional wooden geta shoes are among the most well-known around the world.
	Gorgeous Photobooks Restocked Enjoy today's restocked photobooks, including Sunny Day and Twin Tail, loaded with gorgeous photos of cute Japanese twintail girls.		Fun Traditional Products Restocked Can a snake bring you good luck in 2013? The Japanese believe so, so we've restocked some fun traditional products for you today. Click to see.
	Monster Hunter, Other Artbooks We love high quality 2D artbooks from Japan, and today we're restocking several books, including Monster Hunter, Mini Skirt Space Pirates and more.		Fun Star Wars Products from Japan If you didn't get what you wanted for Christmas, now's a great time to browse the site and grab what you need, while our December sale is still on.
	Plush Cats from Japan Restocked Our most popular kawaii plushes are back in stock, from the cute Nyanpire vampire cat to the Doki Doki Nyan Egg Cat plush series.		Portable Paper Soap, Bath Products We restocked the Japanese "sheet soap" you can take with you anywhere. Also: awesome Japanese products to make your bath more fun.
	Nabisco Oreo White Chocolate Everyone loves our Japanese Oreo variations, and today we've got delicious Oreo White Chocolate. I want to eat these now.		Other Fun Snacks See the official Pizza-La Doritos from FritoLay Japan, delicious Meiji Rich Strawberry "Apollo" Chocolates and more, too.
	Unchi-Kun Poop Candy Don't look now, but the smash hit of the 2012 Christmas candy season is back in stock. As cute as poop can possibly be!		DIY Japanese Snacks Restocked A huge restocking of popular Japanese snacks, too, including virtually all the awesome Kracie DIY treats like sushi, insect and more.
	Beautiful Traditional Bento Boxes Restocked Today's restocked bento boxes are great, with beautiful traditional styling and color. Several types restocked today, so browse the items now.		Beautiful 'Jubako' Stacking Bento, Too We're fans of "jubako" style bento boxes that you can stack and arrange while you eat. Lots of fun for everyone.
	Make 2013 a Japanese Study Year J-List carries many products to help you learn the Japanese language, whether it's a little or a lot. Click to see our selection now!		Reusable Water Magic Calligraphy Set, More Don't forget to check our Japanese stationery page to see if you need anything for the New Year. We restocked our Magic Water Calligraphy Writing Set too!
	Sword Art Online Trading Cards *Preorder* The Weiss Schwarz TCG is getting an SAO expansion! Get in on the ground floor with beautifully illustrated starter decks and boosters.		Nyarko Figure *Preorder* This figure of the Crawling Chaos is one of the cutest we've ever seen. Add her to your SAN-draining collection today!
	Insane Black Rock Shooter Figure *Preorder* Wow! Look at all the detail on this incredible figure from the Black Rock Shooter anime. Unbelievable quality, so cool!		Misty Figure ~ Shining Blade *Preorder* Alter does it again with a beautiful figure of Shining Blade's Misty that is wonderfully faithful to the original design by Tony Taka.
	Melona Nendoroid ~ Queen's Blade *Preorder* Enjoy a new Nendoroid of Melona, the scary shape-shifting monster from Queen's Blade/Queen's Gate. Voiced by Rie Kugimiya, can't go wrong with that!		Ikaros Figure ~ Sora no Otoshimono *Preorder* Check out this awesome figure of a beautiful angel just waiting for you to admire her. Absolutely stunning.

New and Restocked NSFW / 18+ products

	Home Delivery Service of 'H' Paradise! In this series, lucky AV fans get surprised by their favorite stars while at home. This digest magazine gathers the best in the genre.		Sweet Fruits ~ Kaho Kasumi 3000 Limited Now a recognized JAV veteran, Kaho Kasumi releases a new dazzling hardcover photobook filled with tons of erotic hair nude pictures to enjoy.
	Dengeki Moeoh Feb 2013 The latest issue of Dengeki Moeoh features some fantastic moe art by industry greats like Komori Kei, plus some cute omake playing cards.		Doki Doki Youkai Love Battle A nice one shot fan service manga following the life of Kouki Minamoto, who finds himself surrounded by cute sexy ghosts battling for his love.
	Kimochiii? Kimochiii with Ecchi CD Two of Ryu-Ya Kamino's best erotic works, together in a single thick volume! A must-have for teacher fetishists, plus you get an exclusive audio CD!		Delightful Ecchi Manga Retocked Enjoy some great restocked manga volumes, including Ruri Ruri by the epic Yui Toshiki, plus Futanari Princess Knight Elise and Otome Saku.
	New amazing Doujinshi in Stock Comic Market is approaching and we're stocking up on rare ero-doujinshi for all 2D sexy art fans. Full color volumes in stock, click to see!		Sexy Nude Figures for Preorder You won't believe the love that goes into each and every one of these beautiful, curvaceous manifestations of feminine beauty. Click to see.
	New Imouto Parody Toys Our latest parody stress relief toy is recommended for fans of Kaedeko from the new anime Oniai. Don't miss it, onii-chan!		Other Popular Onahole Toys Restocked We got limited stock of the Asuna and Koyukihime parody holes in stock, plus see Fera Zoma and other epic stress relievers.
	Gucho Nure Monster Onahole An amazing onahole for men , built to feel like you're inside a sexy female monster! Great for fans of the kinky and weird.		Nipple Massagers, Other Fun Products See a huge restocking of random toys from Japan, including stick-on nipples for your love doll, the Nipple Attack massager and personal lotion.
	New Doujin Games In Stock For fans of high quality ecchi doujin games and eroge, we've got a fun new title from the Milk Pot series.		Awesome Games from Manga Gamer, Too Remember that we carry great games from MangaGamer in physical package form, with no DRM. Shuffle is in stock and shipping now!
	Scoop Super Best 8 Hours 3 Blu-ray Special (Blu-ray Disc) The most erotic sex scenes with amateur models from the Scoop series, packed in one single Blu-Ray with 8 hours of content.		Yuzu Ogura Compilation ~ Thin Mosaic Remaster A remastered edition of 4 of Yuzu Ogura's hottest titles, treated with a much thinner mosaic, allowing you to enjoy a lot more of Yuzu-chan's body.
	Super Orgy Gakuen Soft on Demand closes the year 2012 with a fantastic orgy production set in a classroom with cute girls dressed in uniform.		Hard Licking Lesbian Kiss Yurika and HIkari, two cute students in sailor uniform, go on their first onsen trip together, to enjoy tons of juicy Yuri pleasures...

Great Restocking of Ecchi DVD & Blu-ray Discs 2012 has been a great year for ecchi products, thanks everyone for your support! For our last restocking of the year, enjoy the stylish Prestige Premium Best (8 hours each, wow), plus Futanari Sisters 3D and the popular School Lesbian series, plus HItomi Tanaka's "tight fit" works and the magical oppai of Shiori Kamisaki, plus Dynamite Mega-Mix with 16 hours of ero fun, and more! view this product »