Cool Products Thursday, June 27, 2013

June 27, 2013, 10:33 pm

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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

Comic Alive Aug 2013 Here's another outstanding issue of Comic Alive, a super thick magazine with over 800 pages of manga goodness for you. This one comes with a free figure of the adorable Tsukiko from Hentai Prince and the Stony Cat, aka HenNeko! Of course the Japanese pages come with hiragana beside the kanji characters so they're easy for us gaijin to read, which is always nice. view this product »

	Dengeki Daioh Aug 2013 We also have a new issue of Dengeki Daioh, with new issues of over 30 great manga. You also get a free Mikoto figure, so it's great for Railgun fans!		Hiragana times July 2013 NO. 321 Hiragana Times is a monthly publication that combines useful current events with learning the Japanese language. Highly recommended!
	Moeru! Valkyrie Jiten Learn all about the sexiest valkyrie with this moe moe encyclopedia. Which one would you go to Valhalla with? Great art and information.		Super Pose Book ~ Man For the amateur manga illustrator looking for a great reference book featuring male anatomy and poses, this book is for you.
	If My Heart Had Wings Now Shipping! This beautiful HD game by new visual novel studio MoeNovel is now in stock and shipping! Get the download edition or the shrinkwrapped package version!		Nyaruko Prize Figures In Two of our new favorite Lovecraft inspired girls are here in a new series of prize figures. Add them to your collection today.
	Super Sonico Character Sleeves Posted For card gamers, this set of 60 plastic sleeves is a great way to protect your valuable cards while showing your Super Sonico fan spirit.		Good News for FLCL Fans We don't carry many FLCL products (mainly because they are few and far between), so when we do it's awesome. See today's newly stocked items!
	Gorgeous Anime Figures In Stock Today Also check out figures of Asuka Langley, Miyako from Hidamari Sketch, Kundali Vidyaraja, Yui from MuvLuv, Mami from Madoka Magica, and Mio from Strike Witches.		Gorgeous Artbooks Restocked A nice update of beautiful artbooks from Japan, including Kamiyamaneki's beautiful artworks, and more.
	Striped Anime Panties, Gothic Lolita Cat Girl We also restocked our popular Gothic Lolita Cat Girl Maid uniforms in several sizes plus our legendary shimapan in various colors. Kawaii!		Anime Style Swimsuits for Summer Whether you're looking for a classic Japanese sukumizu school swimsuit or want an authentic replica of Hatsune Miku's shimapan, we've got them.
	Japanese Socks, Other Cosplay Products Restocked We love to bring you interesting fashions from Japan, and today we posted more "Absolute Zone" socks. When you find the Absolute Zone, you'll be happy.		Today's Recommended J-List T-Shirt Today's recommend awesome J-List T-shirt is this 8-bit Sword Art Online parody offering, which takes you back to your Nintendo roots.
	DATE A LIVE If you're a fan of the moe action series Data A Live, check out this HD visual novel for PS3. Features original story and characters!		PS Vita, PSP Anime Games Restocked Catch some of the hot titles from across the ocean, like Dream Club Zero, Hyperdimension Idol Neptunia PP, and the Haiyore! Nyarukosan Game.
	Kill Those Summer Pests With summer comes a wave of insects into our homes. Make your home a safe zone again when you use these Japanese techniques for bug removal.		Make Healthy Japanese Tea with Hello Kitty Make this summer a healthy one with Japanese mugi tea served in these cute water/tea pitchers from Japan. Your kids (or you) will love them.
	Genki Second Edition Teacher's Manual Here's a handy teacher's manual packed full of information on topics such as conversation, grammar, reading and writing. Get one now!		Handbook for Living in Japan Interested in the idea of living in Japan someday? If so there's a handy bilingual book filled with helpful advice. Restocked today!
	Restocked Japanese Study Products Start studying the Japanese way with these very cool study items to raise your grade and with it your confidence too. From flashcards to notebooks, we have it all.		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.
	New Snacks Today Today's Japanese snacks are excellent, with everything from a random new Cheetos flavors from FritoLay Japan to honey lemon candy + more.		Restocked Japanese Snacks Today we've got new Japanese Bubblicious gum, Kracie's Puchitto Fruit Soft Candy, Japanese Oreos (they're slightly different), Hi-Chew + more!
	Traditional Bento Boxes Restocked Jump into the cute and artistic world of bento lunches, now with even more cuteness thanks to these fun restocked boxes.		Cute Kitchen, Bento Accessories Add a touch of kawaii in your kitchen and bento with these wonderful accessories that will surely impress your friends!
	Random Items For Your Kitchen Bowls for your soup, sponges for your sink and many other fun and unique items from Japan for your kitchen. Why not browse now?		Traditional Street View in Japan Japan is filled with interesting traditional homes & structures, some dating back to the samurai era. If you plan to visit Japan, you might want this book.
	SENRYOUBAKO ~ Traditional Money Bank Save your money in a place a samurai would be proud of, in this a senryoubako (coin bank).		Beautiful Traditional Kimonos, Yukatas + more Feel beautiful in a Japanese yukata, the light fabric robe that's used year round, but especially in summer.
	New + Restocked Traditional Products Decorate your home with some superb items from our collection of traditional Japanese tableware and decorations.		Strike Witches's Perrine Clostermann First Lieutenant Perrine H. Clostermann from the fun pantsu anime Strike Witches gets a new figure by Alter. Recommended for fans.
	Mao Amatsuka in 1/8 Scale For fans of the fun anime GJBu, here's a very excellent figure of GJ Club's leader; Mao Amatsuka looking kawaii and sexy. We like.		Demon King ~ Beach Queen It's time for some fun in the sun with our lovely Demon Queen! Her cute smile and sexy bikini will make you want to get her.
	Arthur from Eiyu Senki All hail to the King! Arthur gets a new awesome figure from the popular game Eiyu Senki. We just love her unique design and you will too!		Finally, Other Awesome Preorder Figures Badass kung fu girl; Ling Xiaoyu gets an amazing figure by Kotobukiya. Also, enjoy the Futayo Honda samurai figure, too.

New and Restocked NSFW / 18+ products

	The Best Magazine Premium vol. 12 Free pantsu and lingerie as seen in the magazine in this issue of The Best Premium + new JAV magazines available in our adult magazine section.		HA JI ME TE Yuno Natsuki Enjoy this delightful new photobook by fresh and young newcomer Yuno Natsuki, whose photographs are just incredible to behold.
	You Are Mine Hajimete no SM Guide Ever thought of getting into S&M but you just don't know where to start? This simple guidebook will teach you with cute manga characters.		Someone else's Wife Hinako We've got a great new hentai manga about a young wife who has sex with other men and becomes a sex crazed maniac. Amazing art and erotic action.
	Gorgeous 'Yuri' Products Posted Two girls who love each other during their childhood got separated and eventually reunited again in high school; yuri fans will want.		Gorgeous 'H' Manga Restocked And we've restocked some of the best like Porno Switch, Haeteru Onna Motto Futoino, and Nikuyoku Rensa.
	Gorgeous Ecchi Artbooks Posted Check out these great artbooks too, for the discerning collector, today featuring Nishii's Art Works, Adesugata Giga.		OIRAN ~ Beautiful Flower of Love Here's a superb onahole that aims at recreate the intimate parts of an "Oiran" Japanese high-class prostitutes from the Edo period.
	New 'Air Dutch' Dolls In Stock Also, a big restocking of the popular Love Body Risa dolls and matching onahole toys, plus the ever popular "Spray for Love Body" and Nipprun.		Stick On Nipples, Love Body Spray See a huge restocking of random toys from Japan, including stick on nipples for your love doll, the Nipple Attack massager and personal lotion.
	Personal Lotion, Awesome Related Products Get the most out of your stress toys with some fantastic lotion based on your favorite characters, like Anzu Nyan Pero Pero and Sweat Scent of Virgin.		Ecchi Cosplay Products We've got tons of fun items for the bedroom too, for you or your partner. Goes well with our adult toys for a really special time.
	New Face Debut Chika Kitano (Blu-ray Disc) From Maxing, meet Chika Kitano, 18 years old and a mind blowing 101cm Hcup bust size in this new BluRay.		2 Holes Tentacle Azusa Nagasawa (region 2) The hot Azusa Nagasawa and her 100cm I Cup bust star in a rare tentacle hardcore production, in which Azusa gets overwhelmed by hungry monsters.
	Kyonyu Sex Service Full Course Aimi Yoshikawa Yoshikawa Aimi is back in an awesome full course adult services production by SOD, in which she provides all the most popular "health service" on camera.		Infiltration!! Lesbian Night This new lebian production from Outers Japan recreates and invites you to take a look at secret lesbian parties from Tokyo underground night life.

Finally, See New Ecchi DVD + Blu-ray Titles Finally enjoy a great pre-weekend update of our most popular ecchi titles, including the greatest works by veteran JAV star Yuma Asami (incl. my favorite, Only Horse Riding Sex), Nana Usami and Tsubomi 8 Hours, Yuki Itano as a "paipan maid," "gaijin" works including Blonde Bishoujo Hyper Best 8 Hours and Akiba Loving Blonde w/Tiffany Fox, Jukujo Futanari Lesbian, Mihono Sakaguchi's popular Bukkake release, plus the AV debut of Marina Shiraishi, Emi Goto, Kana Yuma and Yuna Nanjo! view this product »

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Cool Products Thursday, June 27, 2013

June 27, 2013, 10:33 pm

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Great news: the new all-ages visual novel If My Heart Had Wings (Japanese title この大空に翼を広げて Kono Oozora ni Tsubasa o Hirogete) is shipping Friday! It's a great story about youth, love, and dreams of flying in the wide blue sky, with absolutely stunning artwork with higher resultion than ever seen before in a similar game!

Peter's Trip 2013 Update

June 27, 2013, 10:34 pm

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I'm on the final leg of my pre-Anime Expo trip around the U.S., and finally headed towards home. After visiting Mt. Rushmore (or "Rushmore" as the locals call it) and the old west town of Deadwood, I stayed in a place called Hot Springs, South Dakota, no doubt drawn there by my long time in Japan. (The hot springs turned out to be a river made slightly warm by underground springs, but I was warned, "Be careful if you go in, there are leeches.") Now I'm in Colorado, drawn to the state's image of cool, frosty mountains...so naturally they're having the worst heat wave in 100 years or something. I'm staying at the 104-year-old Stanley Hotel, the original inspiration for The Shining, and when I'm done with this update I'll be exploring the place to see if I can find any of the ghosts that are supposed to be hanging around the hotel.

My trip around the U.S. continues. Now in Colorado!

Foreign Loan Words in Japanese

June 27, 2013, 10:35 pm

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One interesting aspect of Japan is the many ways its language has changed since the 1868 Meiji Restoration, which abolished 265 years of rule by the Tokugawa Shoguns and "restored" power to the Emperor, allowing Japan to become a Western-style Constitutional Monarchy. During the Meiji Period foreign loan words like 珈琲 ko-hi (coffee) were introduced, archaic enough to have kanji assigned to them; then came the Allied Occupation, when words like ドンマイ don'mai and オーライ oh-rai, Japanese approximations of "don't mind" (nevermind) and "all right," entered the lexicon; and today, hundreds of English words related to computers, politics, fashion and more are imported every year. Because of this, virtually any Japanese over the age of 50 feels stress at encountering English words they aren't familiar with, and there are actually katakana dictionaries to help these people learn what "manifesto" or "innovation" or "nothing venture, nothing win!" mean. Now a disgruntled viewer has sued NHK, Japan's clone of the BBC and presumably the last bastion of "proper" Japanese. The individual, who is 71 years old, got tired of hearing words like "compliance" and "initiative" and "globalization" in katakana English in news broadcasts, and is suing for $14,000 dollars in damages.

Japanese get stressed when encountering too many foreign words.

The Mechanics of Humility in Japan

June 27, 2013, 10:36 pm

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Last time I talked about how 謙遜(ken-sohn, with a long vowel on the end), meaning humility, is considered an important quality for people to have, and group dynamics depend on it, whether members in a university circle (club) or co-workers in a company. Essentially, this just means people will generally be self-effacing and avoid boasting in social situations. One thing about humility: in keeping with the uchi/soto (in-group/out-group) system that pervades Japanese thinking, humility extends to members of your own group (your family, company etc.) when you're talking with others (members of another group). A good example of this is Japanese middle-aged women who will praise the studiousness of their neighbor's children when talking with other mothers while pointing out how baka (stupid) their own children or grandchildren are, reading manga all day instead of studying. I once heard my mother-in-law doing this, talking negatively about my son to other ladies in the neighborhood for reasons of self-effacing politeness, and I took her to task over it. We don't need that kind of negativity in our house.

I looked for an image of a grandmother to put here. I found this.

Cool Products Monday, July 1, 2013

July 1, 2013, 2:46 am

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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 Aug 2013 This is a new issue of the super popular NyanType, a Megami-like magazine full of sexy girl character posters, articles on the latest bishoujo anime series, and more. Enjoy 16 awesome posters (8 double-sided) of the girls from Henneko, Rozen Maiden, Date A Live, Haiyore! Nyarukosan W, Hataraku Maousama, Red Data Girl, Mahou Senki Lyrical Nanoha Force, Miyakawake no Kuufuku, A Certain Scientific Railgun S, Photokano, High School DxD NEW, Samurai Bride + more! view this product »

	Megami Magazine Goods Plus Another awesome issue of Megami Magazine Goods Plus, our favorite anime magazine because they shower us with free posters and more.		Bijutsu Techou - Miku Hatsune June 2013 Fans of Miku Hatsune will love this issue of Bijutsu Techou featuring everyone's favorite virtual idol. Plus you get free omake stuff. Cool.
	Yuru Yuri Premium Behold, the holy grail of Yuru Yuri goods. This premium fan box contains a lot of awesome items fans love, including a panty shaped towel!		Senran Kagura Manga Fans of sexy ninja girls, check out the second Senran Kagura comic anthology for over 150 pages of hilarious and ecchi ninja fun!
	Awesome 'Youkai' Encyclopedias If you're interested in magical youkai creatures from Japanese mythology, we restocked several of these great encyclopedias!		Love Call - Arisa Sato Popular model and weather forecaster Arisa Sato releases her very first photobook. You can't help but fall in love with this stunning beauty.
	Big Update of Gorgeous Anime Figures Posted Nadeko from Bakemonogatari, Gertrud from Strike Witches, and Sena from Haganai are just a few of the great figures that are in stock today.		Striped Stockings, Other Random Fashions See a nice restocking of various fashion items, including our Dot Sexy Tsunagi top, Black Open Ribbon High Stockings, plus awesome shimapan.
	'Candy Maid' Maid Costume w/Shimapan We also have other cosplay products for you, perfect for use at the summer anime cons as well as more private affairs.		Great Traditional Japanese Wear Restocked We restocked some more traditional Japanese apparel items, including stylish kimono and yukata and authentic geta sandals!
	TOUKIDEN For everyone who loves fighting giant monsters, here's a great game that is best described as Monster Hunter with Japanese flavor.		Spotted on the iTunes Japan store I noticed the awesome new Space Battleship Yamato 2199 soundtrack is up on iTunes Japan, plus the new MegPoid single "Masked bitcH"!
	Fun Star Wars Products from Japan Some of our favorite Star Wars related products from Japan restocked today. "That's no moon...it's an ice-powered battlestation of bourbon!"		Solar Sushi Shokunin, Other Toys Restocked Solar powered relaxation toys that use the power of the sun and never need batteries are popular. We've restocked our Solar Sushi Chef and Ninja toys today.
	Basic Kanji Workbook 1 ~ Kanji x Goi Here's a great book for beginners that will help you familiarize with Kanji and build your vocabulary. Perfect for those aiming to pass JLPT N4 exam.		New Japanese Pens, Erasers + More Check out all of our other great stationery items that are back in stock today, like the super thick 1.3mm Kokuyo mechanical pencils.
	Koala and Panda Bears Make your desk or office even more cute with some needed animal sticky notes in Koala and Panda shape. We love cute thiings from Japan!		SHIKISHI ~ Autograph Boards for Anime Cons! The summer anime cons are right around the corner. If you want to get autographs by your favorite creators, bring some of these autograph boards!
	Kracie Choco-Neri (Neri Ame Chocolate) If you mixed marshmallow sweetness and rice puffs together, then fused it with chocolate taffy, Choco-Neri would be the delicious result.		Glico Sala Pasta - Tomato Salad This is Glico's New Sala Pasta line up, inspired by the wonderful pasta dishes of Italy.
	Glico Watering Kiss Mint - Vanilla Mint Another pack of the delicious Kiss Mint, by Glico, the famous gum that's been around in Japan for years.		Awesome Snacks from Japan Make summer fun with Popin' Cookin' sets, allowing you to make cute cakes, sweets, 'sushi' and other eatable candies, plus more yumminess restocked today.
	Traditional Bento Boxes Check out our wooden bento boxes that are both a beautiful decorative item and a useful lunch box. Many designs restocked today.		Cute Food Shapers Cut out your food into something that'll be so cute, you won't want to eat it. Silly, we know, but these kitchen items are great fun for kids and adults alike.
	Tokoroten Jelly Maker A handy kitchen device to have, allowing you to change boring jelly into tokoroten style jelly noodles, and can even be made using normal Jello mix.		Microwave Potato Chip Maker! When we started carry the Japanese Microwave Potato Chip Maker, we had no idea it'd become one of our most popular products ever.
	Mosquito Coils ~ Rose Scent Are you constantly bothered by pesky mosquitoes? This wonderful mosquito coil will keep those mosquitoes away with a pleasant rosy scent. Check it out.		Fun Traditional Japanese Products A big update of traditional products from Japan, too, including the kitsune (fox spirit) mask, ninja products + other fun items for summer.
	Henneko Figure Set & Mug From the hit Kantoku anime comes 2 great items featuring your favorite characters from Henneko; A Tsukiko Mug and Henneko Figure Set. You will love it.		Tsukihi Araragi 1/8 Figure The Platinum cute heroine Tsukihi Araragi gets an awesome figure. We just love her cute innocent face and sexy pink kimono. So kawaii.
	Puella Magi Madoka Magica Mug Cups We got 5 amazing mugs featuring your favorite magical girls from the ultra hit anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Preorder now!		GUMI-Tan 4th Anniversary Full Graphic T-shirt Show your love for Megpoid with this cool GUMI-tan full graphic t-shirt in celebration of Gumi's 4th anniversary compilation album, with artwork by MACCO.

New and Restocked NSFW / 18+ products

	The Hottest JAV Stars We have truly amazing adult magazines, each featuring awesome live action pictures of stars like Tsukasa Aoi, Cocomi Naruse, Yuma Asami, Momoka Nishina...		New Ecchi Manga Posted An H manga with an engaging story focused around Miharu, a vivacious woman in her 40s who has taken on a younger boy toy, Makoto, her son's friend.
	Railgun and Sailor Moon Doujinshi Fans will love these two futanari doujinshi featuring the electrifying Misaka from A Certain Scientific Railgun and the super hot Sailor Senshi.		Otonyan Omega Japan loves pretty boys who look just as cute - even cuter - than real girls. Fans of this joso boom will love this ecchi manga anthology...
	Gorgeous H Manga We've restocked the hot titles today, like Nedari Midara, Do M Kazoku Keikaku, Hentai Hitozuma Kaihouku, and Onasho! (Trap Special).		Rika Shiraki 1/6 Nude Figure From the classic hentai anime Bible Black comes this erotic figure of busty blonde bombshell Rika Shiraki with cast-offable panty! We like.
	VIRGIN GIRL MINA Another great new stress relief toy for our onaholes customers, a very high grade accessory made in Japan by Toys Sakai.		Restocked Parody Onahole Toys, Too Get some love from the girls of Accel World, Sword Art Online, and Girls und Panzer, just a few of our parody holes available today.
	Shimapan + Onahole Toys, and More Other toys which have been restocked today, from our Yawaraka Oppai Ona-Doll to our Cutie Hip with Shimapan + onahole cleaner.		Awesome Onaholes Based on JAV Actresses Plus toys based on our favorite JAV stars, such as Aimi Yoshikawa, Risa Tachibana and Mihono Sakiguchi. SOD male aids restocked, too.
	A Certain Remote Control Rotor A Certain Remote Control Rotor, like the name indicates, is a sweet new adult toy for women but also a funny Hyouka parody. Kininarimasu!		Innovative Japanese Condoms, More Posted Here are some amazing Japanese condoms that feature a huge number of bumps, ribs and other things that will make her scream.
	Awesome Import Eroge Too We've restocked LILIA REI FUKO IRIS SHINIGAMI AI, Taimanin Asagi 3, MUV-LUV Alternative, Shikkoku no Sharnoth, and more.		English Eroge by Internet Download While we offer our great H-games in shrinkwrapped package form, many customers like the convenience of download editions. Browse now!
	Pretty Warrior Yellow All Stars HD Another crazy parody production from TMA, this take give us their take at the Pretty Cure anime series featuring the original costumes and Tsubomi as part of the cast!		Sex Counseling Service - Mana Sakura The cute Mana Sakura takes on 6 lucky guys having issues in bed, teaching them and restoring their confidence with "practical exercises" in this new production by SOD.
	Machiko Ono Premium 480 MIN Best 2 Discs & 8 Hours The super cute Machiko Ono, known for her numerous cosplay and bukkake / gokkun releases get her own premium best-of, 8 hours x 2 discs!		Lesbian Bullying The IENERGY label delivers another hot release, this time featuring plenty of outdoor submissive plays, with girls teaching their classmates the pleasures of girl-only love.

Lots of Restocked Ero DVDs & Blu-ray Finally, see a great new update of ecchi titles, including SOD's Beautiful Woman Nakadashi 500 Shootings and 500 People Sex (an amazing achievement in the history of JAV) + National Idol Unit Zenra Live for AKB fans, Treasure Works for Pantyhose Mania 8 Hours, Time Stop Wristwatch Complete 10 Hours, Female Announcers Complete 10 Hours, Sensual Cat Fight and Lesbian Battle, Dynamite SP Kokomi Naruse 16 Hours, School Swimsuit 8 Hours, Noa Kasumi's "first time" debut, Nana Ogura in School Days, plus the popular Plush Toy Sex that people can't get enough of. view this product »

Toshiba "Gaijin" Commercial

July 1, 2013, 2:51 am

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Well, my trip to the middle of America and back is finally done. I managed to put 3200 miles (5150 km) on my 2002 Miata, the distance from San Diego to Maine, and I got to see some of the most beautiful parts of the U.S. Now that I've rested, I'm fully ready for all the fun we're going to have at Anime Expo this week!

Toshiba got some unwanted buzz this weekend when a commercial for its SuiPanDa, a home bakery machine that can bake both traditional bread from flour as well as "rice bread" using white rice, caught the eye of bloggers. The commercial was interesting because it featured a Japanese woman in a blonde wig with a fake nose (the Japanese perceive the noses of foreigners to be especially large, even when they're not) speaking outrageously accented Japanese. While some are calling the commercial racist (and Toshiba has removed the video from its website and YouTube), occasional TV commercials poking harmless fun at Westerners are just another aspect of living in Japan, and I rather like them because of what they teach us about the Japanese. In this commercial, the cultural connection of "foreigners = bread" is an interesting concept, and many Japanese do imagine that Westerners eat a big basket of bread with every meal, as the Japanese do with white rice. The girl speaks in a hilarious "gaijin" accent, essentially using the overly-emotional inflection of English while speaking Japanese, and saying phrases like "Oh no!" which foreigners are famous for. While people who want to be offended by this will be, it's also true that the performance was spot-on -- we really do talk like that. So, what do you think about Japan's stereotypes of foreigners?

An amusing look at Westerners through the Japanese.

Japanese Superstitions and "Youkai" Magical Creatures

July 1, 2013, 2:52 am

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One thing you learn about the Japanese people pretty quickly is that they can be quite superstitious, believing that if you cut your fingernails at night you won't be able to be with your parents when they die, or that if you sneeze twice, it means someone is gossiping about you, or that you should never write a person's name in red ink or they'll die, etc. Even after 20+ years in Japan, I still run into this in my daily life: if I should happen to whistle in the evening my wife will plead with me to stop, lest I summon snakes into the house. While sprinkling salt over your body when returning from a funeral, lest the spirits of the dead enter your home and dwell there, is all very harmless, there are a few "really big" Japanese superstitions. One is yakudoshi, the "unlucky year" that's said to be the age of 33 for women and 42 for men, and nearly all Japanese will avoid doing things like getting married or starting construction on a house during these years lest disaster strike. Another big one is Hinoeuma, an odd belief that girls born in the Year of the Fire Horse (the last one was in 1966, and the next one is 2026) will be headstrong and unable to find husbands, and the Japanese birth rate always takes a big dive during these years.

One fun aspect of Japan's tradition of superstition are 妖怪 youkai (yoh-kai), a pantheon of traditional Japanese "folk spirits," some of which have existed since the Edo Period. I say "spirits," though ghosts, demons, monsters and fairies might be just as accurate a translation, as the term is rather fluid. Here are some of the more famous youkai creatures:

• テケテケ Teke Teke, the horrific upper torso of a girl whose body was cut in two, who roams the Japanese countryside cutting people in half to get revenge.
• 雪女 Yuki Onna, a female ghost who appears in snowstorms to freeze travelers as she searches for her lover.
• トイレの花子さん Toire no Hanako-san or Hanako of the Toilet, said to be the ghost of a girl who died because she didn't hear the air raid sirens during a bombing in WWII. If you knock three times on the farthest door of the girl's bathroom on the third floor of any school and ask, "Hanako-san, are you there?" she will answer you.
• 口避け女 Kuchi-sake Onna, the monstrous spirit of a woman whose mouth was cut from ear-to-ear. Also the universal nickname of Julia Roberts in Japan.

Many of these spirits clearly came about from parents wanting to scare children into being good, like 亜要 Akaname, a foul monster who comes to lick bathtubs that haven't been scrubbed properly, or 九十九神 Tsukumogami, good spirits which reside in any object that has been used for 100 years, which teaches children to value their possessions. These youkai folk spirits are popular in Japanese pop culture and crop up all the time in anime and games, including Touhou, Inu x Boku and GeGeGe no Kitaro.

(If you want to learn more about these magical Japanese creatures, we've got the Youkai Encyclopedias in stock now.)

Youkai, the magical "folk spirits" of ancient Japan.

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Cool Products Wednesday, July 3, 2013

July 3, 2013, 12:25 am

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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

Megami Magazine Aug 2013 It's time for a brand-new issue of the wonderful Megami Magazine; the definitive bishoujo moe poster magazine! Enjoy 20 beautiful pinups of your favorite girls from anime like Railgun, Girls und Panzer, Photo Kano, Henneko, Samurai Bride, Neptunia, Symphogear, and more. Plus get the latest anime news on what's hot and moe in Japan. Don't miss it! view this product »

	E2 vol. 39 ~ Etsu Fans of moe artwork will love E2, a thick quarterly magazine that brings you only the most kawaii anime girls. Check out the latest issue today.		Dengeki G's Comic Festival vol. 30 The latest edition of Dengeki G's Comic Festival is here, willed back to back with 500 pages of the manga you've come to enjoy.
	New All-Ages Manga Posted Caught In The Carnage Between My Girlfriend and My Childhood Friend volume 5 is now available at J-List, with other manga too!		Itazura Cat Coin Bank, Back in Stock See more stock of the little cat who steals your money, the cutest coin bank ever. Also available in cute dog and panda versions.
	Mei Misaki Prize Figures ~ Another A beautiful figure of Misaki Mei dressed in her school uniform, complete with ribbon and white pantsu. And her eye patch of course.		Anime Figures In Stock Today Complete your set of cool Yu Yu Hakusho figures with this badass rendition of Yusuke. Comes with Pu. Plus, other awesome items for preorder.
	egg Magazine Aug 2013 Stay up on the hottest Tokyo fashions with a new issue of egg magazine - the number one gyaru culture and fashion magazine. August 2013 issue available!		ICHIMATSU Pattern Lacquered Paulownia Geta The Japanese have worn sandals for centuries, and are still the footwear of choice for the summer.
	Black Nekomimi (Cat Ear) Hat We love cat ears, and whenever we find some cute nekomimi product for J-List, we have to carry it. Fashionable yet kawaii!		Anime Wall Tapestries Restocked Sword Art Online fans, decorate your room with a beautiful B2-size wall scroll of your favorite characters. Browse now!
	Nice Restocking of Rilakkuma Plush Toys Rilakkuma, the soft and relaxed bear from Japan, is super cute -- that is why we've got some more delightful plush toys of him back in stock.		Totoro Message Stamps, More Restocked Lots of crazy cute Totoro products to be had, including the really awesome Totoro rubber stamps, which let you send messages in Japanese.
	Pens and Erasers from Japan Pick up some essential study goods like the multicolor Sarasara pens, fine tipped mechanical pencils and more, all made with Japan top-grade quality.		All About Kabukicho (Japanese Study) Kabukicho; the entertainment and red-light district of Tokyo. Take a glimpse of the many scenes and incidents that have happened in the so-called "Sleepless Town."
	New Japanese Candy, Gum + More Check out the new UHA E-ma candy, this time with a unique ume flavor, plus lots of other great foods for you to enjoy during your break in the day.		Glico Beer Pretz The best side to a tall cold one is a tall stick snack, packed with the delicious taste of roasted garlic and chicken. So good with beer!
	Gindaco Takoyaki Set ~ Tokyo Limited For those who want to grab a bite of Gindaco Takoyaki but don't feel like going to Japan, this DIY set has everything you need to make classic Takoyaki.		Lots of Restocked Japanese Snacks And today we've restocked many of your favorite snack treats, like the Cheese Burger Cheetos, restocked chewy Hi-Chew flavors, and more Japanese wackiness.
	Anime Bento Boxes Restocked See our popular Pokemon bento box (ball, whatever) restocked, plus Totoro, Jiji the Cat and Hello Kitty. All so cute, as usual.		Lovely Silicon Cup 3pcs With a kawaii lace-like design and chic colors, your bento will look fantastic with these cool Lovely Silicon Cups. Microwave & oven safe!
	Disposable Chopsticks ~ WARIBASHI 50pcs Add some Japanese sense to your kitchen with these disposable wooden chopsticks. Great for parties when you want to give the option to eat with chopsticks.		Cool 'Deco Bento' Accessories, More Add a splash of color and cuteness to your bento lunch, thanks to these kawaii kitchen tools, restocked today.
	Great Soup Bowls, More For Your Kitchen We love carrying fun items for your kitchen, and today we've gotten in several popular miso soup bowls, great for healthy Japanese meals!		Microwave Taiyaki & Takoyaki Makers Random kitchen products today, incl. Microwave Taiyaki and Takoyaki cookers, awesome Onigiri Sandwich Shapers + more.
	Restocked Bilingual Cookbooks, More Also, enrich your culinary lifestyle with our full line of English-Japanese cookbooks, putting hundreds of healthy and delicious recipes at your fingertips.		Tokkuri Sake Bottle and Shot glass ~ BANSHAKU Set Nothing beats a bottle of sake to celebrate the visiting of family and friends. Serve cold or warm sake in this, in all seasons!
	Black SAKURA Fubuki Pattern KIMONO ~ Knee-Length Feel beautiful in a Japanese yukata, the light fabric robe that's used year round, but especially in summer.		'Tabi' (Ninja Boots), Other Ninja Projects Ninja Tabi are the split-toe boots worn by ninjas, restocked today, along with other fun ninja-themed traditional products from Japan.
	Traditional Products from Japan See some of our favorite traditional products, like mimikaki ear cleaners, sake cups with artwork that will make your eyes get really big, and more.		Sailor Moon Swing Full Set of 5 The pretty Sailor Senshi are back in this fantastic Sailor Moon Swing Set. Featuring your favorite characters in chibi form doing their cute poses. Preorder now!

9 New Sailor Moon Smartphone Cases We're very excited to finally be getting the Sailor Moon goodies we've been waiting so long for! These nine official Sailor Moon smartphone cases each have unique design with original artwork, available for the Apple iPhone 5 & 4S/4, and Samsung Galaxy S4 & Galaxy S III. Just as Sailor Moon protects the Earth, these hard cases will protect your phone against the forces of evil. view this product »

	Rei Ayanami 1/6 Figure Entry Plug Check out this amazing figure of Rei Ayanami sitting inside an Entry Plug. Great details and we get a rare glimpse of Rei smiling. Awesome!		Hiro & Sae Beach Queen Figures We got 2 new Beach Queens figures featuring the cute residents of Hidamari Apartments, Hiro and Sae. A great addition to your Hidamari Sketch collection.
	Asuna 1/8 Figure Camisole When Asuna isn't adventuring or fighting virtual monsters, she winds down and relaxes while wearing a sexy pink camisole. We like!		Youko Kurama 1/8 Figure For fans of the classic anime Yu Yu Hakusho will love this awesome figure of Youko Kurama's true form. Check it out.

New and Restocked NSFW / 18+ products

	The Eronchu Oct 2012 We've been posting a lot of high quality H-magazine for you lately, because we keep getting great new issues in stock. The new Eronchu has such beautiful girls!		CHAPTER - Mihono Sakaguchi We at J-List are fans of super cute Mihono Sakaguchi, the AV actress who loves anime and likes to cosplay. You will love her new hardcover hair nude photobook.
	Your Office Lady 2 Your Office Lady is a fun erotic manga of how Japan's professional female office workers deal with the daily pressures of work. Vol. 2 out now!		I Love Nyu Gentlemen, if you love large oppai, this ero manga is for you. Featuring a variety of hot girls with amazing boobs for you to squeeze.
	Monster Girls, Other Ecchi Manga Restocked Various ero manga restocked, including the hugely popular Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou series + To Love-Ru Darkness.		Be Boy Gold Aug 2013 More B-Boy action for yaoi fans! With over 300 pages of delicious boy on boy romance, you'll want to take this magazine home.
	MOE PILLOW - Haruka Kojima Spice up your lonely nights with this amazing ready-to-fuck love doll flog pillow. Her name is Haruka, and has amazing realistic Japanese proportions.		'Monster' Onahole Toys + More Posted We restocked some of our most popular novelty toys, incl. the Monster Hunter toys, Nurse CQ Clinic, Moe Heaven and Thickness Grows Into a Habit.
	VIRGIN CUP ~ ZEBRA The popular adult video content creator KMP delivers its own line of original onaholes, the ultimate stress relief toy for men.		Our Most Popular 'Oppai' Toys Restocked Sometimes a guy wants to grip something soft, round and warm, and today we restocked the popular Puru Puru Oppai Finale, and other related items.
	Kajiri Kamui Kagura ~ Akebono no Hikari - First Limited Edition The epic sequel to Dies irae is now available on the PC in a great limited set! A fantastic game that's truly beautiful to behold.		Yumina the Ethereal *Golden Master* From the team that brought you Aselia the Eternal comes a new RPG experience. The game has gone "Golden Master" and will ship soon!
	SUPER BIJIN Blu-ray Special - Yu Aiku (Blu-ray Disc) KMP introduces a young newcomer, with amazing smile and looks, Yu Aiku, in this new Blu-Ray release.		Natural Sex Monster ~ Debut 3 Years Anniversary Special! It's already been 3 years since Nana Ogura joined the adult industry, this special 4 hour release celebrates this milestone with 10 hardcore chapters to enjoy.
	160 Cosplayers Collection 8 Hours 2 Discs & 6 Hours Those who have a fetish for oral pleasure will truly love this release, featuring 160 girls and 8 hours of cosplay fellatio.		First Lesbian Hot Spring Follow Hitomi and Minami Riona in this hot women only trip to the onsen. With only women staff around, watch Minami and Hitomi freeing themselves in 2 hours of fun.

Gorgeous Restocked DVDs & Blu-rays Too Finally, a great update of ero titles, including 24 Hours of Living Together and J-Cup Hitomi All HD Titles 8 Hours starring Hitomi Tanaka, Azusa Nagasawa's 2 Holes Tentacle, Lesbian Night Infiltration, Super Re-Mix starring Nana Aoyama and Shoko Goto, Pretty Imouto Nakadashi HD Collection 1 & 2, Blonde Girl Nakadashi Collection, Iori Kogawa's amazing 20 Years, The Awake [sic] of Sexual Desire, Mana Sakura's ecchi counseling service, and more! view this product »

J-List is Going to Anime Expo!!

July 3, 2013, 12:27 am

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Hello again. The J-List San Diego office has been hard at work getting ready for Anime Expo, and we're really looking forward to the premier event in the anime world in the U.S. J-List will be in booth #1011 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, loaded to the gills with great T-shirts, plush toys, figures, English visual novels and more. The JAST USA visual novel panel -- we have lots of new announcements this year! -- will be held on Friday at 10 pm, in room 501. Note that this is a smaller room than in the last two years, so fans should line up earlier, since we likely won't be able to accommodate everyone. Follow our Facebook and Twitter feeds for more info!

(By the way, if you're not able to attend Anime Expo with us, we've got a special offer for you this week only: get $10 off $60 or more, or $25 off $125 or more, when you make an order from now through the end of Sunday! The credit will be sent as a separate email after your order is purchased and can be used any time on either JLIST.com or JBOX.com websites. Happy shopping!)

New Anime Glasses from J-List!

July 3, 2013, 12:27 am

≫ Next: Yumina the Ethereal has Golden Master!

≪ Previous: J-List is Going to Anime Expo!!

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Then we've got more great news: new J-List Anime Glasses designs for 2013, which are free with any purchase! When we brought out the first set of fun cardboard glasses two years ago, our customers loved them, and now we've got a whole new set of glasses for you with awesome new designs. You'll receive one random set of anime glasses with each order (either shipping from the U.S. or Japan), while supplies last of course. (We'll also give you a free pair with any purchase at Anime Expo.)

* Do not pilot giant robots while wearing J-List anime glasses.

Yumina the Ethereal has Golden Master!

July 3, 2013, 12:28 am

≫ Next: Buddhist Altars and Grave Sales in Japan

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J-List has been involved with licensing and translated great eroge and visual novels as well as full RPGs. One game we've been hard at work on for several years is Yumina the Ethereal, one of the most involved and fantastic RPGs ever released in English. Created by the staff that created Aselia the Eternal, the quality is incredibly high. We're happy to report that the game has gone "Master Up" (e.g. Golden Master), and should be shipping within a few weeks. Preorder now if you haven't yet!

Buddhist Altars and Grave Sales in Japan

July 3, 2013, 12:28 am

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Last time I talked about some of the more famous superstitions one encounters in Japan. Quite a few of these are related to funerals, for example, don't sleep with your head pointed north (called 北枕 kita-makura or "north pillow") as this is done with bodies the night before cremation, don't pass food from chopstick to chopstick (known as 渡り箸 watari-bashi), as the final stage of a funeral is when family members remove the bones of their loved ones and pass them to each other with large chopstick-like tongs, and so on. It's not uncommon for the first impression of foreigners who have just arrived in Japan to be about "death," and this is reinforced when you go for a drive through any Japanese city and come across a 仏壇屋 butsudan-ya or a shop selling Buddhist altars and gravestones. (One toy store I used to frequent went out of business and was taken over by a grave-and-Buddhist-altar store, which seemed quite ominous to me.) One of the most ironic things about living in Japan, from my point of view as an outside observer, is opening the newspaper and finding a large glossy insert advertising a big sale on these products. "It's the Buddhist altar and gravestone sales event of the season this weekend -- everything must go!"

One of the most bizarre sights, a "sale" on gravestones.

Japanese People I Have Met

July 3, 2013, 12:29 am

≫ Next: Abe-san's Erection Success

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I went to Japan in 1991, happy to finally put all the Japanese I'd studied at SDSU to some use and sure I'd be there "about a year or so" (ha-ha). While running J-List since 1996 has been an amazing experience, I also enjoyed the years before that when I was a simple ESL teacher. One good thing about teaching English is, you tend to meet a lot of different people each year, and I taught everyone, from children who were learning how to introduce themselves in English (and moreover, how to not fear the language) to a few outstanding high school age students who I was able to steer to more serious study in university, and even some interesting elderly students, like the wife of the former president of the Sapporo Ramen Company, who lived in a house nicer than a temple in Kyoto. Then there was this cool old barber who used to cut my hair. He was 85 years old, and liked to tell me stories of the "old days" during the Allied Occupation of Japan, when kids would run up to GIs and ask for chocolate and chewing gum. He loved talking to me, no doubt because no one else wanted to hear about life back then.

I had a cool old guy as my barber who told me about the old days.

Abe-san's Erection Success

July 3, 2013, 12:30 am

≫ Next: Cool Products Friday, July 5, 2013

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Japan's upper house election concluded safely last week, and it resulted in a strong win for prime minister Shinzo Abe and his pro-business, conservative and ironically-named Liberal Democrat Party (LDP), an outcome that was being hailed as a good move for for political stability and the continuation of the LDP's "Abenomics" reforms. While Japan is a modern democracy that functions well in general, there are certain challenges that seem unique to the country. One big problem is the plethora of political parties, a total of 12 large and small parties which must by law be granted equal time for debating national issues. Most positions are widely duplicated among the various minor parties, like the Social Democratic Party or the People's Life Party of parties like Green Wind, yet they almost never combine forces to try to push a policy through. Another problem is that there are actually too many elections in Japan, and it seems that 2-3 times a year everyone is stopping what they're doing to campaign, which means driving around in an annoying loudspeaker car asking for everyone's support. Hopefully the strong win by Mr. Abe means he has a free hand to bring real reforms to Japan.

Abe's mentor is Taro Aso, the former otaku Prime Minister. Which makes us happy.

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Cool Products Friday, July 5, 2013

July 5, 2013, 12:07 am

≫ Next: Greetings from Anime Expo 2013!

≪ Previous: Abe-san's Erection Success

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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

Awesome Anime Magazines from Japan J-List sells great anime magazines from Japan, which are filled to the brim with awesome posters and other free stuff for fans. We love them all: Megami Magazine, Nyantype, Dengeki Daioh, E2, Hobby Japan, B's Log, and more. Why not browse our lineup of awesome magazines now? view this product »

	Anime Magazines by Reserve Subscription Can't get enough of your J-fix? We recommend picking up a monthly subscription to one of our great magazines. All free items included with each issue.		J-List Special Weekend Sale If you're not able to attend Anime Expo, you can take advantage of a special sale: $10 off $60 or more, or $25 off $125 or more. Happy shopping!
	The Most 'Wishlisted' Anime Figures We've got, ahem, a few really gorgeous anime figures on the site. Maybe you should browse some.		Revoltech Danboo Renewal Box ~ Yotsubato We really love Yotsubato, the touching story of a girl with four-leaf clover hair and cardboard robots. Click to browse now.
	Awesome 'I Have Few Friends' Products We love the moe anime I Have Few Friends (aka Haganai). Click to see our most popular products, as ranked by our customers.		We Love Sailor Moon There have been a ton of awesome Sailor Moon products coming out, and we've been carrying them on the site.
	Free Anime Eyes Glasses Now when you order anything from J-List you'll get a cool pair of anime glasses free. You can become your favorite anime character any time!		Even More Shimapan Restocked Japan wouldn't be Japan without ecchi things, and we love shimapan striped panties that are popular these days.
	Sword Adventure Online 8-bit Parody Shirt J-List T-shirts are an otaku institution, and we've got lots of great shirts, both here at Anime Expo and on the website. Browse now.		Wacky Horse Head Masks In Stock! We got fresh stock of those wacky horse head masks, great for all those times when you want to get on the local TV news or create an Internet meme.
	'Socks Glue,' Other Japanese Fashions Posted Japanese "Absolute Zone" socks are great, but it's a bummer when your socks don't stay where you want them. Solve the problem with Socks Glue!		If My Heart Had Wings ~ Kono Oosora ni Tsubasa wo Hirogete At Anime Expo we're selling lots of our trademark English eroge and visual novels, including the brand new If My Heart Had Wings.
	Fun Super Mario Products Drop in your coins for saving and hear the old-time sound of the original Super Mario Bros. with these cool coin banks.		Personal Body Cooler ~ Battery and USB Carry around your own person cooling unit, keeping your body refreshed and comfortable on hot summer days.
	The Best Tunes from Japan Our iTunes Japan prepaid cards make it easy to make an account to get awesome anime, JPOP, KPOP, light novels and more for your iOS device.		Today's Restocked Star Wars Japan Items Those Darth Vader + Stormtrooper cups are back in stock, if you're a fan of these popular cups. Browse our other Star Wars Japan items too!
	We Love Totoro J-List loves Totoro almost as much as Mei and Satsuki, and we've got hundreds of Totoro products to browse. Here is today's ranking.		Chokotto Rice Cooker is a Hit! This handy, top-class rice cooker is the easy way to bring delicious rice to your home. It's small but works great for cooking all kinds of rice.
	Fun Manga from Japan There's always some fun manga to find on J-List, from Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou to Senran Kagura to Accel World and more. Browse now.		Fun Traditional Japan Products Restocked See our fun Oyaji-Neko Display w/ Kiseru pipe, plus other fun traditional products for those who love Japan.
	Restocked Japanese Snacks if you're hungry, you can browse J-List for random and fun Japanese snacks and our staff will send them to you speedily.		Traditional Dagashi Bento Pack Restocked Our customers have spoken: they love the dagashi bento sampler, which gives you a selection of random Showa Era treats in a fun bento box!
	Amazing Japanese Snacks Restocked If we can't make you say "WTF?" every once in a while, we aren't doing our jobs. Have you tried the Japanese candy that comes in a little toilet?		Need Some Tentacle Grape? The hit of Anime Expo is certainly Tentacle Grape, and we've moved a hundred bottles already. Order some through the website today!

New and Restocked NSFW / 18+ products

	Great Ero Magazines The most beautiful Japanese women can be found in the ecchi magazines, many of which give you cool stuff like DVDs or even pantsu.		Awesome H-Manga Restocked If you love ero manga, we've got great titles in stock for you, including some titles that will make your eyes get really big. Browse now.
	Interesting 'Alternate' Manga Too If you like genres like futanari, which literally means "the two, becoming one" (e.g. chicks who pack something extra), click now.		'Otokonoko' Manga Too If you're a fan of traps (cute guys who dress as girls), we've got some fun comics and other products for you to browse.
	Gorgeous Artbooks We've always got fantastic artbooks in stock on the site. Click to browse the most popular items this weekend.		Ecchi Figures In Stock Sometimes Japanese companies make figures that have "cast off" features, meaning clothing that can be removed. This is a very awesome thing.
	Realistic Onahole Toys from Japan Here are some great onahole toys you might want to check out. We're often told by our female customers, "Your products make me wish I were male."		I Can't Believe my Parody Onaholes Are This Fun There are also some great parody toys for customers who want to bring their anime fantasies to life in a new way.
	Cat Tail ~ Cat Type Anal Plug One of the biggest hits of 2013 so far is the Cat Tail Anal Plug, which turns the wearer into a cat with a real tail! In stock at AX, too.		Wonderful New Ecchi Cosplay Posted We're having a great sale on all fashion and apparel, and that means ero cosplay too -- time to score some shimapan and other fun items!
	Saya no Uta Available by Download, Too! We are selling dozens of copies of the newest English eroge from Nitroplus, a fantastic title by the creator of Madoka Magica!		Our Favorite 'Yuri' Products We love yuri, which is the drama generated when girls fall in love with other girls. See our favorite products here.
	Great Titles from Soft on Demand One of the boldest and most awesome companies in the JAV world is Soft on Demand, and we've been carrying their titles for 15+ years.		Amazing 'Tentacle' Products We also love the live-action tentacle DVDs that Japan has invented. Click to browse this great series.
	Lesbian DVDs from Japan We stock a lot of amazing all-girl JAV titles, which are great for everyone who loves girls who love girls.		Hitomi Tanaka DVDs & Blu-rays in stock Finally, one of our favorite JAV stars is Hitomi Tanaka, the incredible woman with an all-natural body that makes us want to spend time in our bunks.

Greetings from Anime Expo 2013!

July 5, 2013, 12:07 am

≫ Next: Cool Products Monday, July 8, 2013

≪ Previous: Cool Products Friday, July 5, 2013

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We've finished the first day at Anime Expo, and we're all incredibly tired after selling so many awesome products from Japan to our fans. If you'll be at the show this weekend, J-List is in booth #1011 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, well stocked with epic T-shirts, plush toys, figures, English visual novels and more. The JAST USA visual novel panel -- we have lots of new announcements this year! -- will be held on Friday at 10 pm, in room 501. Note that this is a smaller room than in the last two years, so fans should line up earlier, since we likely won't be able to accommodate everyone. Follow our Facebook and Twitter feeds for more info!

(By the way, if you're not able to attend Anime Expo with us, we've got a special offer for you this week only: get $10 off $60 or more, or $25 off $125 or more, when you make an order from now through the end of Sunday! The credit will be sent as a separate email after your order is purchased and can be used any time on either JLIST.com or JBOX.com websites. Happy shopping!)

Last time I talked about how Japan can be quite death-oriented, and at times it can seem like death is everywhere. Don't give gifts in multiples of four because the number four (四) is read shi in Japanese, which also means death (死). Don't put you chopsticks straight up in your rice, since that's only done as part of a ceremony for the dead, and so on. Which is why it was surprising for me to learn that, considering how many death-related customs Japan has in its society, they have almost no concept of Western-style estate planning. As far as I can tell, virtually all the things we do in U.S. to prepare for the event of one's death, from writing wills to making living trusts to investigating how to avoid estate taxes, are not practiced in Japan at all. Since my in-laws have some land that will be transferred to my wife's name at the time of their death, I brought the topic up with them once, asking if there were anything we should consider doing, perhaps transferring ownership ahead of time...but I got only an awkward silence, since one doesn't talk about such things in Japan. Likewise, I asked our accountant to recommend some estate planning options we might want to keep in mind, but he said no one really did anything to prepare for death estate-wise. Even the concept of drafting a will is not really practiced in Japan. Because all Japanese have strong "common sense" built into them, a natural sense for the "way things should be," wills are general not necessary. If I were to die, common sense dictates that my wife and children would receive my property, and this logic is rarely contested.

We're having fun at Anime Expo. Hope to see you here!

国際結婚 kokusai kekkon or international marriage, is more popular than ever, as both Japanese men and women become open to the idea of marrying someone from another country. Amazingly, around 10% of marriages in Japanese cities are international, amazing considering the fact that the gaijin population of Japan is only around 1.5%. While most of the statistics come from Japanese men marrying women from places like China, South Korea and Thailand, there are plenty of Japanese women marrying foreign men from the West, too. Japanese females often have a rose-colored view of what it must be like to be married to an American, and my wife's friends often speak enviously of her. "I'll bet your husband does the dishes every night," they'll say (in reality, my wife won't let me in the kitchen, since I mess up her organization). I'm assumed to hold doors and chairs, cook an occasional romantic meal, and say "I love you" as I head out the door to work every morning. Children produced by such a marriage must surely be kawaii just like having your own living Licca-chan doll (Licca is a popular fashion doll who is half-Japanese, half-French). While I do my best, my wife would be the first to admit that I'm just a regular guy who happens to live in Japan and who is relatively bad at writing kanji, who happens to get along well with her chemistry-wise.

One interesting aspect of learning a foreign language like Japanese is that it allows you to enjoy a "second childhood." It's true -- learning a foreign language as an adult is not so different from a child acquiring his first language, and there are many similarities between the two. For example, there's word play, joining this word and that to see what happens as you explore the boundaries of grammar and vocabulary in your new language. While native speakers of a given language are shackled by social rules and expectations, new learners are free to be creative since they don't yet know what can't be said. This is where we get phrases like "happiness blows on me" (a shampoo marketing tag line) and "Happy Ice Cream!" (what a kid says when they accidentally say the same thing as their friend) and sports drink named Pocari Sweat. The famous watch brand Swatch basically came about becuase the founders of the company didn't know English well enough to realize that the name was kind of dorky-sounding. So if you want to feel young again, why not study a foreign language?

Cool Products Monday, July 8, 2013

July 8, 2013, 2:36 am

≫ Next: Do You Want Some Anime Glasses?

≪ Previous: Greetings from Anime Expo 2013!

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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

B's LOG July 2013 Pick up the newest B's Log, the number one magazine for fujoshi. In Japan, otome games are the love-sim games with gorgeous guys that feature a female main character; and B's Log is the place to learn all about them, with over 300 pages of beautiful art and info on otome and yaoi games + free posters, CDs, and more! view this product »

	Dengeki Daioh The classic Dengeki Comic Daioh is a thick, slick, hip manga magazine featuring some of the best artists and stories in Japan today. 800 pages to enjoy!		Shonen Ace July 2013 The newest issue of Shonen Ace is here, packed with all the famous manga you love, and this month's issue comes with an exclusive Nichijou fan.
	White Clover ~ Itaru Hinoue Art Works 1 Fans of Key Visual Arts will love this huge artbook featuring a compilation of Itaru Hinoue's works such as Air, Kanon, Clannad, Little Busters, Rewrite, and more.		New Japanese Fashion Magazines See limited stock of the new issue of "Mini, the fun fashion magazine that gives you cool free fashion accessories in every issue!
	Various 'Shimapan' Restocked We had a large selection of shimapan for our customers at Anime Expo, but they bought it all leaving nothing. We restocked some on the site though.		J-List T-shirt ~ I Love Shimapan We also have a fun T-shirt for fans of the striped undies that have become a meme in anime, and at AX it was a big hit. See it now.
	The Best Anime Games for PSP Restocked New copies of Sangokuhime, Kud Wafter, To Aru Kagaku no Railgun, Sword Art Online, and To Love-Ru Doki Doki! Rinkai Gakkou.		Minamike Tadaima Goodies We've got three new items for Minamike Tadaima fans today, two pocket pouches and a very cool memo pad.
	Kawaii Nyanpire Plush Toys Restocked Also, wee a huge restocking of our Nyanpire vampire cat character products, including Nyanpire Plush, Nyanpire coffee cup and more!		Cute Pikachu Pen Case, Other Pokemon Items Here's a cute and fluffy plush pen case featuring the super kawaii Pikachu, known as the mascot of the Pokemon (Pocket Monster) series.
	Love Those Doki Doki Nyan Egg Plush Cats Speaking of cute plush toys, we restocked several of the Nyan Egg Neko Cat Toys, which you can use as keychains, iPhone straps etc.		Bento Playing Cards with 54 Recipe These unique playing cards will teach you about cute bento design while you enjoy a game of bridge or solitaire.
	Know Before You Go Being a foreigner in Japan can be tough if you plan on living there. Luckily this bilingual survival manual will help make your move to Japan trouble-free.		Japanese Study Notebooks & More Also: writing kanji and hiragana repeatedly is the best way to memorize it. See fresh stock of our kanji notebooks.
	Great New J-Snacks Today See a great update of all-new Japanese snacks, from Tohato Chocolate Pie Snacks to new Beer Pretz Grain Mustard flavor and more. Yum!		Penguin Gummy Candy Maker Not only is this penguin cute, it is also a functional candy making friend!
	Bull-Dog Sauce We love being a bridge between the U.S. and Japan, and one of our favorite condiments ever is the Bull-Dog Sauce, a favorite of Kirino's!		Neru Neru Nerune + Other Kracie Snacks Too We've restocked some really fun and delicious DIY candy kits for you, from Kracie, the crazy Japanese candy maker.
	Iron Man Bento Box & Chopsticks Feel like a genius playboy billionaire and impress your friends with these Iron Man bento boxes and chopsticks from Japan.		Beautiful Traditional Bento Boxes, Too Perfect for summer picnics, our large bento boxes are a great way to share a healthy and cute lunch with all your friends and family.
	Nori Punches Restocked. Too The nori punches that let you make cute faces on your rice balls, decorate bento and more -- restocked! Extremely popular with J-List customers.		IGETA Pattern Lacquered Paulownia Geta The footwear of choice for the summer, the wooden geta sandal is a popular choice for many, especially when wearing yukata.
	Showa Cats, So Cute! We've gotten some new display items for cat lovers, especial those who also enjoy the traditional Japanese style of the Showa era.		Folding Fans and Other Traditional Products Need something that's the definitive image of Japan? Check out our long list of traditional Japanese items, great for cosplay and decorating your home.
	''Happi' Short Kimonos for Summer + More A happi style kimono jacket is the traditional summer style of Japan. This plus many more summer item restocked today.		Haganai NEXT Neckties For the hardworking Haganai fan, here are a couple of neckties featuring your favorite girls to keep you company and lift your spirits at the office.
	Attack on Titan Japanese Style Towel D Here's an awesome towel we're sure fans of Attack on Titan will love. Featuring Eren and Levi side-by-side looking really cool. We love it.		Attack on Titan - Desk Mat Protect your desk from dirt and spills with this cool Attack on Titan Desk Mat with Eren and Levi side-by-side looking really badass.
	Attack on Titan iPhone5 Covers Add some style to your iPhone5 with these awesome Attack on Titan iPhone5 Covers featuring your favorite characters and logos. Cool!		'Peace Keeper' Daisy 1/6 Figure From master bishoujo illustrator Tony Taka comes another masterpiece figure by Kotobukiya. Check it out.
	Yui 1/1 Figure ~ Sword Art Online Fans of the super popular anime SAO will love this figure of Yui featuring her navigation pixie form in the Fairy Dance Arc. Preorder now.		Himawari Shinomiya ~ Vividred Operation Griffon Enterprises presents the super hacker of Vividred Operation; Himawari Shinomiya! She is dressed in a cute yellow bikini to match Vivid Yellow's colors.
	Revoltech No.139 EVA-08 Beta Production Model Eva fans rejoice. The EVA-08 piloted by Mari Makinami Illustrious as seen from the 3rd Eva movie gets a cool action figure. Fully posable with a ton of optional parts.		Finally, Even More Preorder Figures Here's another great cast off figure by Orchid Seed featuring sexy bunny girl Minori Alba from Kohaku Sumeragi's illustration for VIP Rare Selection 2010 Winter.

New and Restocked NSFW / 18+ products

	Gokunyu Complete Fans who are into pocchari-kei aka plump hot Japanese girls with super huge chests like Hitomi Tanaka will love this amazing magazine.		Ama Mitsu - Tsubasa Amami 3000 Limited Get you hands on the latest, limited edition photobook of IDEAPOCKET's AV actress Tsubasa Amami. A must have collector's item for fans!
	Push! Illustration Carnival From one of the boldest, most ero-cute and sexy bishoujo game magazines around comes another collection of poster and cover art collected over the past two years!		Great New Ecchi Manga Titles Today Enjoy a nice update of all-new manga volumes, incl. Slave Wife, Naisho Banashi ~ Secret Talking and more. So much nice ero!
	New 'Trap' Manga + More Hirokazu is just an ordinary boy until he discovers Tsubasa's secret and now he is being stalked by him. A wonderful new joso manga.		Awesome Ero Doujinshi from Japan Take a look at the latest Doujinshi in stock, featuring the most creative "hentai" work and awesome ecchi parodies of your favorite series.
	A10 Piston, Other High-Tech 'H' Toys The folks at Rends present their latest creation, called the Piston, a fully automated stress relief device for men. Definitely check out this product!		Sword Art Online Parody Onaholes, More Bring your relationship with the girls of SAO to the next level, with the restocked parody toys from Tamatoys. Recommended for "solo players."
	Restocked Tenga Flip Hole When you absolutely have to have the best solo stress relief, we recommend the Tenga Flip Hole series, designed to bring an incredible amount of pleasure.		Wonderful New Ecchi Cosplay Posted There are plenty of ecchi cosplay products to find on J-List, including the shimapan we posted today, even for our larger customers.
	The Best Selling Game of Anime Expo We bought the brand-new Cthulhu mythos love tale Song of Saya to AX, and sold 300+ of them. A lot of fans love the game by the creator of Madoka Magika.		Yumina the Ethereal *Golden Master* Remember, too, that the excellent English translated eroge / RPG Yumina is being produced right now. You need to preorder it!
	Beautiful Wife at Soapland - Akiho Yoshizawa Witness the fall of Akiho Yoshizawa, in this release in which Acky plays a perfect wife, who become a Soapland hostess, due to financial issues.		Obscene L-Cup - Anri Okita When the folks at HMJM and acclaimed director Company Matsuo take one of the hottest body in the industry, Anri Okita, you know you're in for a super hot release.
	Pure Love Lesbian on Live 10 Enjoy some great girl x girl loving, courtesy of Pierrot, with Nana Usami and Yuri Sato. A wonderful release for discerning fans.		CFNM ~ Gachinko! Amateur Semen Intercrural Sex 18 CFNM is the Japanese fetish of women who are fully clothed playing with men who are naked, and this is a great new offering from SOD.

Finally, Awesome Ero DVDs & Blu-rays Restocked Finally, we've got some great restocked ero products, including new superstar Shunka Ayami's amazing Porno Star, Shunka Juice and My Little Sister is Too Ero, plus Lesbian Gachinko SP9, Three Play Special, the amazing works of Yuma Asami like Only Horse Riding and Erotic Widow Story, the Japanese Female Genitalia Encyclopedia for those who need a refresher course on what's what, plus Women Who Are Addicted to Women, and Euro Women Meet Japanese Massage. view this product »

Do You Want Some Anime Glasses?

July 8, 2013, 2:37 am

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Remember, we've got a new set of J-List Anime Glasses designs for 2013, which are free with any purchase! When we brought out the first set of fun cardboard glasses two years ago, our customers loved them, and now we've got a whole new set of glasses for you with awesome new designs. You'll receive one random set of anime glasses with each order (either shipping from the U.S. or Japan), while supplies last of course.

Anime Expo 2013 Wrap-up Post

July 8, 2013, 2:38 am

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Well, we're done with another Anime Expo, and this one was loads of fun as usual. We greeted many fans who stopped by our booth to say hello, sold a ton of our English-translated eroge and visual novels, moved more than a few pairs of shimapan striped panties ("for cosplay or other uses"), and sold a bunch of our popular anime grab bags. Our customers were happy to receive our trademark J-List pocket tissues, as well as the new J-List anime glasses, which you can also get when you make an online order shipped from our Japan or San Diego offices. Thanks to everyone who came by!

At the show, we had an official panel where we introduced our wonky little company to fans and also made some announcements of visual novels we'll be releasing in English. These included the future release of the Steins;Gate PC edition; the upcoming third volume in the Lightning Warrior Raidyyuri dungeon crawling series; Shiny Days, the gorgeous sequel (prequel actually) to the smash hit game School Days; the fandisc for My Girlfriend is the President; two very ecchi new games by Code Pink; and a gorgeous witch training game Little Witch Romanesque. The panel was a big success, except for a snafu with the convention staff that caused us to be given a much smaller room than in previous years (sorry again to the fans who were not able to get into the room). You can read the complete list of newly licensed visual novels on the JAST USA development blog, and if you want to get your hands on our newest game catalog, which features one of three new posters on the back, just make an order from our Japan or San Diego offices and we'll send you one with your order.

Anime Expo is my favorite fan event for various reasons. First, everyone is in the room is the same "tribe," largely on the same wavelength about anime and Japan despite the fact that some may be passionate about Touhou while others are off in an entirely different genre, cosplaying Attack on Titan. (Some of them might just be a little punch-drunk.) While I also love more general shows like the San Diego Comic-Con, the reality is that only a small subset of the attendees there are focused on Japan and its various forms of popular culture, and as a result many of the people who stop by our booth there have no idea what that "fat gray kitty" is (his name is Totoro, he's not a kitty). During the show I had some deep discussions with friends and fans who tagged along after our panel on the most existential of questions, how to properly pronounce names like Evangelion and Madoka Magica. In Japanese, both names contain a hard 'g' sound, Evan[geh]lion Madoka Ma[gi]ka, despite the tendency for the human brain to apply the rules of English spelling and soften the 'g' sound. This one reason it's a good idea to make sure you learn the hiragana and katakana writing systems, even if that's all the Japanese language you ever study: it will help you read and pronounce the Japanese you see more accurately, and it's also kind of cool to learn to read a writing system other than the English alphabet. We have great Japanese study tools like the Moekana and White Rabbit flashcard sets in stock if you want to browse them.

Anime Expo was a blast, with lots of cool fans; fans were happy to see Steins;Gate is coming.