When I first got to Japan, I was determined to get out and see the country, but it was difficult since it can be costly to travel here and I was a "bimbo" ESL teacher. (Through a linguistic accident, binbo happens to mean "poor" or "penniless" in Japanese, making it mildly fun to start conversations with Japanese girls by asking, "Are you bimbo?" and watching them nod yes.) Then I found out about the Youth 18 Ticket, a special ticket JR sells that basically lets you go anywhere on a JR line for a day for $24, as long as you don't mind taking only the local, slow trains (i.e. no Shinkansen). It's an interesting way to travel since it's cheap, completely removed from the "touristy" side of the country, and you'll be guaranteed to see a side of the country you couldn't easily see otherwise. Of course, this method of traveling around Japan is only recommended to people who have lots of time but very little money, since it took me 14 hours to get to Osaka from Tokyo. The better way to get around is a JR Rail Pass that lets you use all the fast trains, which is unfortunately unavailable to anyone living inside Japan.Taking my slow train trip to Osaka way I learned about the concept of hito to me, the social engine at work that makes Japanese society seem so uniform to outsiders. It works like this: basically, people usually avoid doing something that will stand out as strange. For my long train journey I'd brought a small folding chair with me, so I'd have a seat in case one of the trains I'd be taking was crowded. However, I soon learned that it was too embarrassing to be the only one sitting on a little folding chair, and I was unable to bring myself to cross that line. I'm a Mazda Miata fan, and have a car in San Diego and one in Japan. While I love driving my "open car" in San Diego even in February, it takes too much courage to be the only gaijin in my city driving with the top down in the winter.The Youth 18 Ticket lets you travel as far as you want for $24.
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We're done with the first day of Anime Expo, and have spent the day meeting and greetings thousands of J-List fans, as well as giving our packed dating-sim game panel. We're tired, but it's a good kind of tired. If you'll be at the convention, we hope you'll swing by booth 825 and check out the awesome anime toys, bento boxes, T-shirts, manga and other products we've got for you. Just look for the really tall J-List flags in the room.The fermented soybeans known as natto (NAT-toh) are one of the most famous foods in Japan, enjoyed throughout the country, although people from Osaka and most gaijin dislike it, including this one. Eaten by a wide swath of Japanese from children to the elderly and everyone in between, the sticky beans are usually mixed with yellow mustard and eaten over white rice. There are many legends about how natto was first discovered, but the most famous seems to be that in the year 1083 the general Yoshiie Minamoto was on campaign with 100,000 troops near a town called Mito, and stopped at an inn to rest. Some soybeans had been steamed and wrapped in straw for the horses to eat, and these fermented naturally while sitting on the floor of the stable. Some of the soldiers tried the beans and liked the taste, so they offered some to their lord, who loved it, which is where the name (which means "offered beans") comes from. If you're "natto curious" and would like to see what all the fuss is about, we've got an awesome item for you: authentic "drop" natto-flavored candies. Like the popular ramen, soba and and other traditional foods you can eat in candy form on J-List, these traditional Sakuma Drop-like candies taste just like the real thing. Natto, one of the most enigmatic foods from Japan.
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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. ARis Official Guide Book The amazing Cyber Figure ARis let's you interact digitally with a computer character, and do all kinds of fun things with her. We've restocked the software system today, and also posted the upcoming Official Guide for preorder. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Cosplay Then, see more anime cosplauy fun, with a new Satoko cosplay for fans of Higurashi -- awesome! Totoro Treehouse Clock w/Daily Calendar A superb and rare item from Studio Ghibli, this is a HUGE Wooden clock/3D calendar that features the one and only Totoro from the world-famous My Neighbor Totoro. Another awesome Ghibli item from J-List. Let's Make Eraser with Microwave ~ Ice Cream Got a new eraser mold that let you create your own amazing erasers using your microwave oven, this time in the shape of delicious ice cream. Lovely Bear Kira-Deco Pop Sticker w/Mini Pouch Puffy stick-on shapes are a popular way in Japan to kawaii-up almost anything, from glass tables, windows and even computer monitors to add some extra cuteness in your life. Natto Drops ~ Japanese Food Drops Also: Drop candy that captures the taste and essence of Japanese natto, the famous fermented soybeans. A great conversation starter! Lacquer Style AJIRO Men's Bento See some really excellent new bento boxes, which feature a wooden lacquer style and elegant design that's great for anyone who wants a less kawaii bento experience. Two bento boxes and chopsticks in stock. Restocked Bento Boxes, Bowls Got some restocked bento boxes for you next, including the Sakura Tight Sealed Triple Bento Box Set, one of our most popular. Plus, the Prime Nakamura Clear Soup Bowl Sets, in red and blue. Natural Stone Magatama Straps Also, see fresh stock of several authentic magatama curved beads, as seen in Ikki Tousen . The beads are made of all-natural stones and crystals and can be attached to your phone, keys, etc. Awesome Anime T-Shirts All our T-shirts are flying off the shelves at Anime Expo, and it's fun for us to guess which one will be the most popular. Today's hits have included our K-On! parody, Nyoro~n! and TAKE IT EASY! Subaru Nakagima Action Figure *Preorder* From the animation of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS comes this PVC figure from the actsa series of figures featuring Subaru Nakagima, posed for action. Preorder her now. Shimei Ryomou 1/8 Figure *Preorder* From the Ikki Tousen: Dragon Destiny / Battle Vixens anime, manga, and video game series, this is the well-developed Ryomou Shimei, one of our favorite characters. Myousai Kakouen 1/8 Figure *Preorder* Also: the leggy Kakouen Myousai, the incredibly sexy fighter skilled in pressure point attacks, whose figure you can also preorder now. Dengeki Hime July 2009 Dengeki Hime (Electronic Shock Princess) focuses to the genre of dating sims, in particular, the beautifully illustrated heroines that make the games come alive. One of our favorite magazines. Awesome Artbooks Restocked Several awesome artbooks have been restocked, including the Girls Girl Girls! E2 Illustration Collection, 2D Dream magazine Illustrations, and more. Bible Black Ona-Hole Toys for Stress Relief The Bible Black toys we've gotten in recently are a fabulous way to get to know your favorite anime characters in a new way. Today we're posting something special, the "back door" versions that you must try. A Great Time to be a H-Game Fan Between the updated JAST USA website to our new announcement that we'll be translating the amazing games of Nitro+, it's a great time to be a hentai game fan!
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Yesterday the lovely Mikie Hara 原幹恵 celebrated her 22nd birthday, so today I’ve decided to upload one of her gallery for you folks to enjoy.
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Summer season is looking pretty strong so far, especially now that I've seen the first episode of Taishou Yakyuu Musume, based on a light novel about a girls' baseball team, set between the world wars in 1925 Japan (during the reign of the Taishou emperor).  JC Staff is at the helm so at least I won't have to look forward to the same episode four times in a row, although there is a Broadway
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I was out most of  today, but when I came back, I had a slew of Anime Expo-related tweets waiting for me. Some of the most interesting ones were centered around the OEL manga panel, which apparently offered some very harsh/blunt words on both the business side of things and the artist side of things. From [...]
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Yui exchanges phone email with Rito, but the emails from Rito are actually sent by Momo, Nana, and Celine.Summary:At school, Rito asks Yui if he can borrow a novel called "Midnight Date" from her. The novel features a feline protagonist and Rito's mangaka dad needs the novel for research. Yui agrees to lend the novel to Rito once she finishes reading it, and Rito gives Yui his email address so she can let him know when she's done.At night, Yui finishes reading the novel and tries to email Rito, but it takes her 30 minutes to come up with a one-sentence message. At Rito's house, Lala and Nana are watching TV; Rito has dozed off on the couch after pulling weeds from the garden; and Momo is examining Rito's sleeping face. Suddenly, Rito's phone starts to vibrate but the still groggy Rito tells Momo to answer the emails for him. Momo opens Rito's phone and finds Yui's message and is surprised by the mention of “Midnight Date”. Thinking Yui and Rito had done something naughty, Momo replies to Yui that they should keep this their little secret. Back at the Kotegawa residence, Yui gets embarrassed after reading Momo's email.Yui: What do I think of small boobs? Well, I wouldn't know since I don't have small boobs.At Rito's house, Nana sees Momo and wonders what she's doing with Rito's phone. After finding out that Momo is replying to Yui's emails, Nana snatches the phone and sends an email asking Yui what she thinks of small breasts and sends it without letting Yui know that the message wasn't written by Rito. Yui immediately replies back asking what Rito is planning, and Momo informs Rito that she might have made Yui mad. Rito is about to reply himself but is called by Mikan to do the dishes, so once again he asks Momo to reply for him. Momo is about to reply to Yui saying the last message was sent by Nana, but Celine snatches the phone from her and runs off. Nana chases Celine through the hallways to in front of the bathroom where Lala is standing after taking a bath. Nana runs into Lala and knocks her towel off, and Celine takes a picture of the naked Lala and sends it to Yui.Back at the Kotegawa residence, Yui thinks Rito's prior emails might be jokes, but that notion is instantly dispelled when she receives Lala's naked photo. At Rito's house, Momo tells Nana and Celine that they'll apologize to Rito afterwards.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~What kind of idiot lets other people answer their email for them? The Rito kind apparently. Whoever had the phone could have did some serious damage to Rito's reputation (temporarily at least), but thankfully Yui and all of the other girls who like Rito already know that he's a huge pervert (and have come to accept his wandering hands). Although Momo is kind of like family to Rito, Rito should really trust her to send emails to Yui since 1) Momo is known to have a nasty side, and 2) Yui is basically Momo's competition. Of course, Rito doesn't know either of these things yet, but this still doesn't change the fact that letting others answer emails on your behalf is a terrible idea. It's funny how Momo said that they were going to apologize “afterwards” to Rito, and my question is after what? After Momo clears things up with Yui, or after Rito gets his ass kicked by Yui at school tomorrow? Too bad we won't find out since next chapter will be about Haruna and Nana. With Momo getting a good share of attention in the last couple of chapters, I guess it's now Nana's turn.
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Lots of biting in this week's Eden.
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While our technology is still relatively primitive from the age of Star Wars, one fan still believes that one day he can zoom around in his own X-Wing starfighter. But for now, he can just ...
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Fight-Ippatsu! Juuden-chan - Episode 1 Studio: Studio Hibari Premiere Date: 6/25/09 Genre: Ecchi Comedy The Story Taking place in a world not entirely unlike ours (actually, it is ours) humans are helped along everyday without ever realizing it. In a parallel world to ours, a group of office ladies are trained to enter our world and help out depressed people. [...]
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My most highly anticipated show for this season. But will it hold up to my high expectations? Well, it’s too early to tell. Most of the episode was being introduced to characters, which was boring as hell. I’ll never remember all their names anyway. To be honest, I do hope some of them get killed off, [...]
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“Not a NEET!” NEETs. I’m sure some of the people out there knows what it means. However, for those who are unfamiliar with the acroym, NEET stats for Not in Education, Employment or Training, which generally means for people who laze at home doing absolutely nothing with relation to the E.E.T described above. Since the phrase originally [...] Related posts:“Exam Hell” reaches Preschools in JapanThe Moe Tide Will Wash All Over UsNoise Devices Employed Failed To Deter Teens
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Disciple of Demise Oh man. Awakened Rafaela/Luciela looks amazing. Brief Summary Clare snaps out of her dream only to find a massive beast standing before her, continuously powering up. Meanwhile, Deneve and Helen arrive. Sensing Clare’s Yoki at the center of chaos, they rush to her location to provide backup. Uma and Cynthia remain the the back, healing [...]
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Today was a rather bizarre day. A friend of mine is entering the same university as me and, well, I nagged him to sign up for orientation since that’s where you pick your courses, and a crappy time table really sucks. He told me it’s today, and it just so happens that I had to [...]
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- Kanamemo screenshots: HERE - GA Geijutsuka Art Design Class screenshots: HERE Click pictures to enlarge them. Kanamemo looks good but I'm really attracted by GA art style. Thanks to some blur works here and there(like on hair shade) it looks very uniq..글 전체보기
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Are we there yet? Oh the innuendo. Ahaha, that’s the side you should show more of to Hayate. I think that Yukichi might have better luck with guys now if she regrew her ponytail. But maybe that’s just me… Well, it happens sometimes while waiting for a guy to come… Shana first OP sequence. It’s strap-on time! A Dark Hina is fine [...]
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I’m just astounded that the current series I’m most excited about is old news to the aniblogosphere, being ‘current’ only WRT the Animax Asia broadcast schedule. Chiaki’s story was interesting from the get-go and I look forward to his (inevitable?) success. And it was Ep 11 that gotten me seriously hooked. Ep 11. Ah, this has [...]
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With the sweet special effects these days, instead of throwing money at stuff like live action Dragonball, why not throw it at something people are guaranteed to throw money at. Huge freakin robots, battling it out for example!
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I’ve had bad experiences with accidentally skipping an episode or chapter in a show or manga. The worst incident happened when I was reading the Genshiken manga. I was happily reading through the story. The members of Genshiken were on their summer trip to Kuruizawa and the Sasahara and Ogiue crisis was [...]
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Not just Summer, but all of 2009. Okay, so maybe I exaggerated a little bit, but Aoi Hana is amazing in the form of animation. Aoi Hana Premise: Two old friends, Fumi and Achan, were best friends as kids. Then Fumi moved, and they lost touch. Now Fumi moved back after many years, and they are reunited. [...]
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