As we approach the end of this series, I feel like some major storm is brewing up in the plot.  I was just watching a commercial for the Sora no Woto finale and it looked somewhat epic.  Yes, epic.  That’s more to say than K-ON and STRIKE Witches, which brings me to my next point… [...]
(Read the rest of this entry) (Entry meta)

… or will it? That’s a good question to ask ourselves as Fairy Tail ends up in battle against Phantom Guild. Yes, it’s one of the most-anticipated battles between mages, but even more anticipated is Natsu going against his iron-counterpart, Gajeel. Personally, Gajeel is one of my favorite characters because of [...]
(Read the rest of this entry) (Entry meta)

Nendoroid Akane Miura from K-ON!…fake of course ^^; Still, it’s a good try, and looks cute in Nendoroid form ^^; Via Figure/GK.
(Read the rest of this entry) (Entry meta)

Unable to voice The desire her tears made plain: Patience rewarded.
(Read the rest of this entry) (Entry meta)

In Japan, sakura will start blooming soon… but the snow that fell here a few days ago, reminded me of several great Japanese stories about sakura miraculously blooming in winter. 1. Jiu-Roku-Zakura (The Sakura of the sixteenth day) In the Wakegori district from Iyo, there was a samurai who had a sakura tree in his garden. The tree was so old that even his his parents, grandparents and ancestors enjoyed its blossoms and meditated under its branches. photo credit: Okinawa Soba For the samurai, now very old and alone, the tree was the most precious thing on earth. But some day, the tree started to wither and died… After the tree died, the samurai was very sad. His neighbors wanted to comfort him and planted into his garden a new, young sakura. He thanked them, and not wanting to seem ungrateful, he pretended to be glad. But his heart was filled with pain, because nothing could console him for the loss of the tree… After a while, in the sixteen day of the first month of the year (after the lunar calendar), it was still winter and in the garden there where still traces of snow. The old samurai went into the garden, bowed down before the old tree and spoke to it: “Please, I beg you to bloom again, because I am going to die instead of you!“. Then, he sat down under the tree and committed seppuku! His soul entered into the tree and, after an hour, the tree blossomed. Since then, every year, the tree continued to bloom in winter, on the sixteen day of the first month… Bibliography: KWAIDAN: Stories and Studies of Strange Things By Lafcadio Hearn 2. Ubazakura (The Sakura of the Nurse) Three hundred years ago, in a village from Iyo, there was a respected man named Tokubei. He was the leader of the village and the riches man in the district, but he was sad, because, at forty years, he didn’t had children. Someday, full of hope, he went to the Saiho-ji Temple in Asamimura and prayed to the God Fudo-Myo-O. His wishes were fulfilled and soon his wife gave birth to a girl they named Tsuyu. And because the mother didn’t have enough milk, they hired a nurse named O-Sode. The girl grew up and became very beautiful, but at the age of fifteen she fell sick. The doctors weren’t able to help her and they predicted that she would die. Then O-Sode, who loved her very much, went everyday, for 21 days, at the Saiho-ji Temple and prayed for her recovery. After that, the girl healed quickly and Tokubei, full of joy, gave a party to celebrate. But in the night of the party, O-Sode fell ill, and the next day doctor said that she was dying… The family, saddened, gathered near her bed but she told them: “It is the time to tell you a great secret. I prayed to Fudo-sama to allow me to die instead of Tsuyu, and my wish was granted. But a have a request, I promised to Fudo-sama that I will plant a sakura in the Saiho-ji Temple garden, to thank him. But I would be unable to fulfill my promise so I beg you to fulfill my vow.“ After the nurse die, Tokubei planted the most expensive sakura in the garden of the temple. The tree grew and blossomed the next year, exactly one year after O-Sode died. And it continued to blossom every year, on the sixteen day of the second month, with flowers colored white and pink, like the nipple of a woman’s breast. The people called it Ubazakura, meaning the Sakura of the Nurse. Bibliography: KWAIDAN: Stories and Studies of Strange Things By Lafcadio Hearn 3. Hanasaka Jiisan (Grandfather Cherry Blossom) Long time ago, in a village from Japan, there was an old man and his wife. They had a dog they loved very much, named Shiro. One day, the dog started barking and digging in the garden. Then, the old man stated digging on that place and discovered a treasure, and old pot filled with gold coins. Hearing about the treasure, their neighbors, two mean and greedy people, asked the old man to borrow the dog. They took Shiro in their garden and threatened him to find gold. The dog dug, but all he could find were some bones. Angry, the mean neighbor hit Shiro and killed him. The old man buried the dog and planted a tree on the grave. The tree grew fast, and in one night, the old man dreamed Shirowho told him to cut down the tree and to make an usu) from it. The old man did exactly that and, when they started to use it, the rice from it turned into gold. Of course, the greedy neighbor came to borrow the usu, the rice from it turned into garbage. Angry, the neighbor smashed the usu and burned it. The next night, the old man dreamed Shiro again, who told him to take the ashes and to scatter them on a sakura. The old man did that, and the sakura bloomed, although it was winter. A Daimyo living in a castle nearby, hearing about the sakura blooming in winter, called the old man and told him that his own sakura died and because of this he was very sad. The old man scattered some ashes on the dead tree and the tree started to blossom. The Daimyo thanked to the old man and rewarded him. Well, hearing about this, the greedy neighbor tried to do the same, went to the Daimyo and threw some ashes over another sakura. But the ashes were blew by the wind over the Daimyo who, angered, threw him in jail. I hope you liked these stories and, in conclusion, you can also enjoy a cute anime version of the Hanasaka Jiisan story… <object data="http://www.youtube.com/v/k5t6QWcsvHo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="600" height="420"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/k5t6QWcsvHo"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param></object> Read more »
(Read the rest of this entry) (Entry meta)

Since Japan has very little in the way of natural resources, education becomes one of the most important factors in pushing the country forward. While I'm not always happy with the educational system here in Japan, I can say that the Japanese people pour a lot of passion into educating their kids, at least more than I observed growing up in California. One way Japan gets better results is by getting students to be competitive about their studies. In most junior high and high schools, the ranking for the top 10-20 students in a class are displayed for all to see, and I've seen my son put in extra effort specifically because he wanted to get a higher rank than his rival in the class. I made use of competition when preparing for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, too: I was studying with a Chinese friend of mine, and I made up my mind that I was going to get a higher score on the test than her, which is no small task for a "white boy" gaijin. (Chinese people can read all Japanese kanji for "free" even though the pronunciations for kanji and the meanings of English loan words confuse them.) My rivalry as motivational tool worked great, and I beat her score by ten points. Another way Japan gets kids to be more serious about their studies is the juken or "entrance exam" system, which requires students to prepare for a year or more for a single test that will determine what university they go to...or what high school. Yes, since high school is not compulsory in Japan, the high school system acts like a miniature version of the university system, with students competing to get into different high schools depending on their academic level and personal goals. My son has set his sights on a science-centric high school which is quite difficult for him, which means he'll be studying his butt off to prepare for the test next February. It's actually quite a big change for our family, as I almost never get to see my son (who is just 14) any more, plus we have to drive 30 km to the neighboring city to pick him up. While I'm proud of him for setting a goal for himself and working towards it, I'm kind of sad that I can't do fun stuff with my son as much. When students go off to take their important tests, mothers will give them a box of Kit Kat, which sounds similar to kitto katsu, which means "you will surely win" in Japanese.Nestle's Kit Kat has become the official snack of test-takers in Japan, which the company is all too happy to exploit.
(Read the rest of this entry) (Entry meta)

One way to make sense of Japan is by understanding the concepts of wabi and sabi, two words which sum up much of what makes Japan special to outsiders. These ideas -- which are closely tied to the Japanese tea ceremony -- are a bit hard to pin down in English. Wabi essentially means sober refinement or the beauty that can be found in simplicity and imperfection, while sabi is the austere serenity that comes with the passage of time, allowing us to appreciate how an object has aged. Although they sound like concepts only Zen Buddhist monks would concern themselves with, they come up in daily speech surprisingly often, like when Yasu and I were admiring the outside of an old abandoned house built during the Showa Period, and he said, "Isn't this house cool? It's really wabi-sabi!" The Japanese fascination with haikyo, or the ruins of our supposedly modern age, is definitely linked to this. I often see a tendency for stories in Japanese film and anime to follow this simpler "less is more" aesthetic view, like Eve no Jikan, an anime about a coffee shop where humans and robots can interact as equals, which has no plot to speak of other than the interesting characters we meet there. Another example might be the "Endless Eight" arc in season two of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, in which Haruhi (who is a God) wishes summer would never end, and so the last week of summer repeats over and over again...for a total of 15,532 times (although we only see eight of these repetitions). While many fans outside of Japan were angry about having to watch the same events eight times, albeit with entirely new animation and visual design for each episode, the avante-garde concept was somewhat better received by fans here in Japan. Poor Yuki had to relive the same week 15,532 times -- I feel so sorry for her..
(Read the rest of this entry) (Entry meta)

J-List considers ourselves a "Wonderful Toybox of Things from Japan" that mirrors everything that's cool about Japan, and in addition to toys, anime figures, magazines, artbooks and other products, we carry plenty of traditional Japanese items. Like our extensive lineup of bento boxes, which feature many beautiful examples of Japanese design like the Blue Rabbit x Moon Bento Set, or the many Hello Kitty bento products we stock. We have a lot of Lucky Cat products...and even some Lucky Frog ones, which really add something new to your home or office. Finally, there are the products you might not have known existed until you stumbled across them on our site, like the custom kanji hanko stamps that we sell, making it possible to get your own name in kanji.
(Read the rest of this entry) (Entry meta)

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. Anime Shakugan no Shana II We love Shana of the Blazing Eyes, designed as she was by Noizi Ito, who also gave us Haruhi. This just-released fan book documents everything about the Shana anime series for you. Afternoon Dec 2009 Then, I'm a huge fan of Afternoon, the elegant and super thick monthly magazine that is so cool, Oguie from Genshiken wants to draw manga for it .Enjoy a new 1000+ issue, posted to the site. Hiragana Times Feb 2009 No. 280 Read about world events or local Japanese culture in both English and Japanese with Hiragana Times, a fantastic study tool that I recommend to everyone. Kanji Practice Flashcard SALE Good news -- we're having a big SALE on the White Rabbit kanji flashcards, which are frankly the best way to learn Japanese we can think of. The Kanji Poster is included too. Monster Hunter Hunting Card Artbook Monster Hunter is the popular video game line by CAPCOM, loved by fans both for its fun gameplay as for the gorgeous art the series has always maintained. Here's a great artbook for fans. Restocked Anime Artbooks J-List has a huge stock of artbooks from Japan's top artists, and today we're restocking some of them for you. I'm a big fan of the Bakemonogatari Official Guidebook and the Pixiv Fantastia offering. Rilakkuma Deco Mouse This year has really seen a boom in "DECO" fashions, which means things decorated with bright and flashy colors. Here's a great USB computer mouse featuring Relax Bear made out of colored jewels -- awesome! Miku Hatsune Diva Miku T-shirts Restocked See fresh stock of the awesome official Miku Hatsune T-shirts from COSPA, unique shirts with beautiful designs. Make sure you get your size before they sell out. GATSBY Quick Moving Mist ~ Three Types When the commercial starring Japanese heartthrob Takuya Kimura and a cute little dog went viral on the Japan blogging scene a few days ago, we were inundated with requests for this product. We have it for you now! My Melody Lovely Mini Ring Memo For those of you wanting to spruce up your office with a little Japanese kawaii, here's a Lovely My Melody Mini Ring Memo pad, in the new design for 2010. Happy Buddha Pen Large ears are considered to be good luck among the Japanese, who believe that good luck and especially money will "flow into the ears." This is a seriously wacky pen that features the Great Buddha of Nara with ears you pull down to release the two pens inside. Japanese Fish Parody Fishing Action Strap A wacky fish keychain that opens up like a door when you pull the string. Can even be attached to your iPhone, too. Delicious Snacks from Japan Fun new snacks from Japan today. We have two new flavors of delicious Meiji Copan rusk like snacks, a positively yummy Oreo Chocolate Bar in Strawberry Milk flavor, plus a limited flavor of Choco Ball from Morinaga. Soup Curry FURIKAKE (Sapporo) ~ Japanese Food Furikake The boom in furikake (powered food you sprinkle over rice) continues, and J-List has restocked several flavors for you to sample. Metal Mode Stylish Bento Set Here's an elegant bento lunchbox with a top made of stainless steel, for a super modern look that you will really love carrying with you. Remove the metal lid and it's a standard bento box that's microwave safe. 950ml Volume Lacquered Bento Box Set Need a bento box that looks great and has the volume for heavier eaters to be satisfied with? Then enjoy this great offering from Hakoya which we restocked today. Awesome Japanese Sandwich Makers Remember when you were a kid when you hated eating bread crusts? The Japanese feel your pain, and have developed amazing sandwich cutters which remove the crusts and "seal" your sandwich for you. Several types restocked. Kinchaku Bento Bags by Sanrio Wow, these Hello Kitty, My Melody and Little Twin Stars cloth printed bento bags are great -- carrying your lunch has never been so much fun. All new designs for 2010. Hello Kitty Special BENTO Making Set Then: get the most popular Hello Kitty bento accessories ever with this handy set. You get the Hello Kitty onigiri shaper, furikake sprinkling bottle, vegetable cutter, boiled egg shaper and more. Restocked today. More Totoro Bento Boxes Another day at J-List, another opportunity to type the magic words "Totoro bento boxes" which always makes me happy. Both of the new "Totoro in Flower Garden" bento boxes are restocked. Mousse-chan Fuwa-Fuwa Paper Clay Set When we started carrying the Mousse-chan kami-nendo ("paper clay") fun toy sets, we had no idea they’d be this popular. You take the included molds and make different things, like jewelry or little cakes, which you can dry and display. Several mold sets and clay refills have been posted to the site today. Lucky Cat, Lucky Frog Display Items Increase your personal good luck with the Lucky Cat and Lucky Frog Family decorations that we've restocked today. So cute and so lucky! Restocked Anime Games for PSP, DS Also: fresh stock of the popular Clannad visual novel, compatible with every PSP in the world. Plus, Acquarian Age ~ Perpetual Period for DS owners. Restocked Traditional Things from Japan J-List always stocks cool traditional items from Japan that you never expected to find. Today see the Sushi Non-slip Chopsticks, Green Hello Kitty 3D Kimono Frame Picture, Hand Carved Boxtree Ear Cleaner, and beautiful "Maiko" style decorated combs. Fun Good Luck Charms from Japan Also, got some great authentic omamori good luck charms in red and blue, plus the "Make a Wish Temple Bell" phone strap that's just like those bells you ring before praying for good luck at a Shinto shrine. Money of the Edo Period Also, the gold coins used in the Edo Period were oval shaped, called koban, and we've restocked two different replicas that are really great. Evangelion, One Piece iPhone Screen Protectors Here's a cool item: iPhone screen protectors with awesome Evangelion and One Piece art etched into the protective sheet. Several types you can preorder now. Misao Minakami 1/8 Figure ~ Asura Cryin' *Preorder* We've also posted this incredibly cute figure to the site, based on a popular light novel and new anime. She's a ghost so she can go through walls. Awesome Restocked J-Snacks Finally, enjoy some of our most popular Japanese snacks restocked, including Doritos Tuna and Mayonnaise and Wasabi Mayonnaise, Japanese Kit Kat, Fuwarinka Rose Essence Gum, Kompeito traditional 5 color candy, Meiji Sushi Gummy, Baked Toppo plus Morinaga's awesome caramels in Green Tea and Okinawa Black Sugar. Dengeki Hime Apr 2010 Dengeki Hime (Electronic Shock Princess) focuses to the genre of dating sims and related anime games, always bringing you the most beautiful visual content from the newest titles. Awesome pencil board included free inside! Rrestocked Stress Relief Toys See some amazing toys for taking the edge off after a hard day at work, including Bible Black hole toys, Pepee Lotion and the amazing "Meiki" hole that simulates her first time. Uncho Kanu 1/7 Figure Black Maid Costume *Preorder* This is one of the most amazing anime figures we've ever seen, featuring the hot Kanu from Ikki Tousen / Dragon Destiny in a gorgeous goth-loli outfit...and nothing on underneath. Sengoku Rance Got an excellent new import game for you on our Visual Novels from Japan page, Sengoku Rance by Alice Soft. Preorder it now.
(Read the rest of this entry) (Entry meta)

(Read the rest of this entry) (Entry meta)

The Figma Blog has been updated with images of the upcoming Figma Azusa. The final addition to the Figma K-ON! family. My gawd, she even come with the cat ears, similar to the Nendoroid version XD. [...]
(Read the rest of this entry) (Entry meta)

While loli-legislation seems to be a near daily news, today might be considered a bright spot. Today's piece has to do with the proposed ban of all sexually explicit content people who sound or appear younger than 18 years old."visual depictions" of characters who sound or appear to be younger than 18 years old. Originally slated for a vote March 30th, the Democratic Party of Japan stated that they intend to postpone the vote, in favor of further deliberations.   This act will, at the very least, push th e vote back until June, when the assembly next convenes. Though, its unclear how the house would have voted currently, or if the delay will prove positive or negative to the bill's standing.
(Read the rest of this entry) (Entry meta)

Yesterday I posted about an interesting idea suggested on Twitter: that moe fans and Twilight fans might have more in common with one another than they might initially suspect. Some of you took the opportunity to make interesting points comparing the two items, and some of you...well, let's just say some of you were happy to reiterate your hatred for the vampire franchise. Which brings me to today's semi-related topic. We'll pull back a bit from specific fandoms and talk about a more general phenomenon: why is it that every fandom seems to have at least one "whipping boy" fandom or sub-fandom?  A thoroughly unscientific analysis.  Remember this nickname? For example: gamers often mock anime fans, either for being a bunch of young'uns, or for the seeming sex obsession-- but sexy Lara Croft has sold plenty of games and posters, and hey, game fans are calling for more sex and romance in Dragon Age, too. Carrying on the chain, anime fans then stomp on Twilight fans...and then go back to reading manga like Trinity Blood or Record of a Fallen Vampire. Even within the anime fandom we have groups that take on a "whipping boy" role at times, from the niche-within-a-niche (moe fans) to the popular kids (Naruto fans). I don't think this phenomenon is unique to fandoms, but I think that our identities are incredibly wrapped up in what we are fans of. Hot Topic built an entire clothing chain on the concept: are you a "goth"? A "punk"? "Alternative"? Then there's clothing specially-designed for you. What do you say when people ask you to talk about yourself? "I'm an anime fan," "I'm a gamer," "I'm a movie buff." As such, it's no surprise that fans sometimes feel the need to assert their own feelings of superiority over other groups...but is it really fair to blame girls for getting into something designed very specifically to appeal to them? There's a difference between knocking the material and knocking the entire group of fans, after all. What do you think? Have you ever felt like anime fans were treated unfairly by other groups of geeks? Do you see anime fans treating other groups like that in response?
(Read the rest of this entry) (Entry meta)

Today March 17 is St Patrick’s Day, an Irish festival. Although not celebrated nor is it a holiday here in Singapore, the Irish community here do get together on a Sunday before the actual day for a street parade with participants from school bands, uniform groups and of course Stormtroopers. 2. The famous Sir Stamford Raffles [...]
(Read the rest of this entry) (Entry meta)

Azu nyaaaaan! It’s K-On’s Nakano Azusa’s turn to get the figma treatment and the result is a super super kawaii figure. Reservation for figma Nakano Azusa School Uniform version starts this Friday, March 19. Nakano Azusa was introduced in the latter part of K-On’s first season. I’m sure she’ll have more exposure [...]
(Read the rest of this entry) (Entry meta)

Nakano Broadway, Tokyo Info:Nikon D300 Lens: 12-24mm F/4G Focal Length: 16mm Aperture: F/4 Shutter Speed: 1/100s ISO Sensitivity: ISO 500 Yesterday’s Japan Photo: A City That Doesn’t Sleep
(Read the rest of this entry) (Entry meta)

So, its official. Get your keyblades polished, and dust off your PSPs, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep is coming to North America "this summer." Being a prequel to the existing games, expect it to make almost no sense, yet be incredibly familiar. Story  Long before Sora was chosen by his Keyblade, the worlds' safety lay in the hands of Keyblade Masters. Three youths — Terra, Ventus, and Aqua — have been training long and hard under Master Eraqus to prove that they, too, exhibit the Mark of Mastery. But they will soon find themselves in the middle of a crisis affecting worlds far beyond their own—just as another Keyblade Master, Xehanort, goes mysteriously missing. Three friends, three destinies. Everything will link back to the beginning. Despite being the English dub having been accidentally twittered about, this is the first major address Square Enix has made regarding an English product. Though, in an attempt to display something cool, I've attached the Deep Dive video that sets up the game. Additional information about the gameplay can be found here.   (Commercial) <object width="640px" height="378px"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eBVNrlTykOQ&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"> </param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> </param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed wmode="transparent" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eBVNrlTykOQ&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640px" height="378px"> </embed></param><param value="transparent" name="wmode"> </param></object>   (Long video that teased the game years ago) <object width="640" height="505"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/am3rfpmrwEo&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"> </param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> </param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed wmode="transparent" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/am3rfpmrwEo&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="505"> </embed></param><param value="transparent" name="wmode"></param></object>
(Read the rest of this entry) (Entry meta)

The battle against Pride and Gluttony continues while Mustang makes his move in Central. Impressions: It really would be nice if everyone could try working together just a little bit. I mean it seems everyone has the same overall objective, but are just doing things completely solo. Is there a good reason for Olivier to give up [...]
(Read the rest of this entry) (Entry meta)

This new 1/6 scale figure of “Yuzuhara Konomi Innocence Ver.” from To Heart2, will be available this coming July 2010 by Kotobukiya for 7,600 Yen retail price. Hobby Search is taking reservations for her as of today. Still prefer Tamaki ( ^ _ ^ );
(Read the rest of this entry) (Entry meta)

The Miyazawa Model Exhibition 2010 Spring ( 宮沢模型展示会2010年春 ) was held on March 16, 2010. This is one of the biggest business-to-business figure/toys exhibition that held twice a year in Spring and Autumn. 1ndex: The Miyazawa Model Exhibition 2010 Spring Part 0: Quick Report Part 1: GSC, Max... **This is a content summary only. Please visit Nekomagic for full content!**
(Read the rest of this entry) (Entry meta)