Here are some pictures I've had sitting in my iPhoto library, if you want them.A little patch of grass for seeing-eye dogs to use for peeing at the San Diego airport. Getting ready to fly. My wife did not expect them to say things like "If oxygen should be needed, a mask will drop down. Please insert 25 cents for the first three minutes" and was totally surprised. I should have warned her about Southwest first.We had fun at Vegas. Just stayed at Ceaser's Palace since it's fun to be central to the Strip when in the city. Plus we'd never stayed there. About the funnest thing to do is...nothing. We spent many hours lolling (not LOLing) by the poolsite. The passing of George Carlin let me know that it was time to get out to see all the commedians that I respected before too much time passed, so I made sure to catch Penn & Teller this time around. It was a fabulous show, and I recommend everyone hit it. They've come a long way since season 5 of Babylon 5, haven't they? By the way, you get to shake their hands and get autographs after the show, which makes it totally As a husband to a Japanese woman, I have to recommend Coach compared to Gucci, Louis Vuitton and all the other brands. This is because it's like $100 for something nice, rather than $600, which is really something I can get behind. In Shikoku there's a prefecture called Kochi, which sounds like Coach, and I had to make my dajare (bad Japanese pun) jokes about all these items being made there. As I am wont to do once a year or so, I took my Miata out to the desert for some power driving. I have one of the most recognizable cars in San Diego, I'm pretty sure. If you ever see me, say hi, although it will most likely be my mother driving since I'm not in country most of the time.The open road and a Studio Ghibli watch.One of the key destinations out here is Dudley's Bakery, a really good bakery. Also, the city of Julian, of course, which has great apple pies when it isn't under threat of burning down every other year. Last night I even found time to go see the Batman movie. It was good!
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I saw that super-cute Japanse idol/actress/singer Yuko Ogura (age 24) has been awarded the prestigious (?) First Gravure Idol Award from Sankei Newspaper's entertainment website "ZAKZAK." Yukorin, who was the girl dressed as a baby seal in the Youtube video with a polar bear you may have seen, got the award for being pretty much the single most popular bikini idol in Japan over the past eight years, and for breaking the iron-clad rule that a cute idol had to be, well, chesty in order to make it in Japan's cut-throat gravure idol world. (The term gravure comes from the word photogravure, a process for printing glossy magazines, but has come to mean sexy girls in bikinis in Japan -- no, I don't know what the heck is up with this word, either.) The Japanese are quite amorous of giving awards, and there seems to be no end to the prizes that can be given each year: popular idol/actress Yumiko Shaku recently won the "E-Line Award" from the Japan Association of Orthodontics for having the best facal profile, which includes a beautiful nose, jaw and chin. Literary awards are also rampant, and there are frankly so many -- the Yomiuri Prize, the Osaka Women's Literature Award, the Saitama Sports Literature Award -- that they all become kind of meaningles.<object width="425" height="344"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lvMPw5bnhx8&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lvMPw5bnhx8&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed> </object> 
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Whenever I'm in the U.S., I find myself doing things in a slightly more Japanese way, just as I'm not afraid to openly embrace my gaijin side when I'm in Japan. For some reason, Japanese drivers always park their cars by backing in, so that Japanese parking lots are made up of rows of cars lined up the same way, like expertly groomed teeth. I refuse to follow this custom when in Japan, and pat myself on the back as I recklessly park my car front end first, with the back sticking out, and make sweeping statements to my kids about not being afraid to be original and choose your own path in life, which is incidentally called going my way by the Japanese. Today I noticed that most of the cars in the American parking garage I was in were parked front end first, so naturally I had to pretend I was Japanese, backing my car into the space, just to be me. Incidentally, living in Japan will make you a much better driver than you would otherwise be. The space I was backing my car into was far too small for the vehicle I was in, yet I expertly maneuvered the car into the space, something I probably could not have done before going to live in Japan.
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There are many good things about being in the U.S., like being able to order a taco without getting octopus, since tako happens to be Japanese word for that marine creature. It's nice driving for free on the freeways instead of forking over $25 or so for a trip as I do back home, and having three dozen Mexican restaurants within a ten minute drive of my house isn't bad either. My wife is enjoying American television, from the endless reruns of CSI on cable channels to reality television like The Baby Borrowers, which seems oddly to be made in a way that a former ESL student like my wife can easily understand it. Even American TV commercials have her giggling with delight, from the ubiquitous ads for lawyers (unthinkable in Japan, where attorneys are so rare that I've never met one in 17 years of living in the country) to commercials for products she's sure would be popular with housewives back home, like the Reynolds Handi-Vac bags with a device that removes the air from the bag before you freeze it. Just as Americans might be amazed at watching television in Japan with all its chaos, it's fun for us to sit back and soak up the American TV that we don't generally get to see.(Actually, you're going to shake your head at me, but octopus is one of my favorite foods.)
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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. Smile Slime Plush Small ~ Dragon Quest. Fans of the Dragon Quest video game series, we've got more Smile Slime for you: a super cute small plush that's great for displaying in your room or your computer. Great design, very high quality. Smile Slime Nintendo DS Lite Touch Pen Set. Then, something cool for Nintendo DS owners: an upgraded stylus featuring Smile Slime, the famous monsters from the Dragon Quest series. These cool DS styluses are now in stock. Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya CD: Character Song Volume 1. Enjoy this awesome Haruhi Suzumiya CD featuring al the songs sung by Haruhi (voice actress Aya Hirano, who also voices Konota from Lucky Star). Hello KITTY WAGARA Bento Set ~ Box & Buit-in Chopsticks & Bag. Here's a really nice item in Sanrio's Hello Kitty Wagara series" that includes everything you need to have a really cool Hello Kitty lunch: 2-tier bento box, chopsticks, and outer Hello Kitty case. Diet Obento 300. Here's a great idea: dieting with bento! Because rice is such a satisfying thing to eat, and because a bento box allows you to limit the amount of food you bring for lunch, it's a great way to diet when you want to lose a few pounds. This is a really nice book that helps show you how. Tokyo Journal #262 Winter 2007/2008. Tokyo Journal is the premier magazine of life and culture in Japan's largest city, an all-English magazine filled with articles on what's hot in Tokyo. We've gotten the newest issue in stock today. Fraulein Revoltech #002 Rin Tohsaka ~ Fate/Stay night. I just love the Fraulein series from Revoltech, which recreates incredibly detailed anime figures with dozens of points of articulation, so you can make dozens of interesting poses. Revoltech Winged Evangelion Mass Production Type, Megatron. Also for fans of the Revoltech line, enjoy fresh stock of these totally cool toys: the mass production winged Evas from the End of Evangelion movie, as well as that most excellent villain, Megaton. SUSHI Key Chain ~ IKURA. There's more fun sushi keychains on the site, this time in the form of ikura, the delicious cod fish roe on rice. Have the most unique keychain of anyone you know. Made n Japan. SESAME STREET Quilted Pencil Case. Sesame Street is beloved by many Japanese fans, who grew up watching it just like you and me. This is a rare soft pencil case designed for the Japanese market that we've got for you. DX Woman's YUKATA Set with English Instruction ~ YUKATA w/ OBI & Geta. This is really special: a full cotton kimono (yukata) for women that comes with everything you need: obi, wooden geta sandals, and even full instructions in English on how to wear it properly. Cool Japanese Pens. We've added a new pen that's great for writing for hours on end, the Dr. Grip from Pilot, which is one of the most famous pen makers in Japan. Or if you'd like something you can twirl instead, we've gotten in the new Pen-Mawashi Cyber Type pens with LED lights in the tips as well as adjustable weights on the ends, so spinning them will surely attractive a crowd of people. iTunes Japan Music Cards. The newest animated film by Hayao Miyazaki is Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, which may end up being the last film by the master of animation from Japan. If you'd like to sample the great soundtrack by Joe Hisaishi, the iTunes link is right here, and it can be purchased with the prepaid iTunes cards from J-List. Shingetsu - New Moon ~ The Art of Chouniku. Gorgeous artbook by illustrator Yamamoto Keiji, also known as Chouniku (meaning "super meat"), who has created some amazing characters for anime and games, like Disgaea, or Phantom Kingdom and Phantom Brave. Hardcover art book, fabulous printing quality, and back in stock today. Lucky Cat Tea Cup, Tea Pot. Our line of Lucky Cat Tea Cups which can be inverted and used as cups or displayed as traditional luck-bringing statues are a hit. Also, see the full sizes Lucky Cat Tea Pot, a really fantastic item from Japan. Cinnamoroll HIRAGANA Learning Book with HIRAGANA Chart. Our Cinnamoroll notebook that teaches you the hiragana writing system is back in stock. It comes with a cool pull-out poster for memorizing the writing system, too. Nendoroid Demon Detective Nogami Neuro *Preorder*. The newest Nendoroid series is available for preorder, and they're really cute. It's the Demon Detective Nogami Neuro, a popular supernatural mystery detective manga that you'll be seeing more of in the future. Preorder both figures now. "Looking for a Japanese Boyfriend" Pink Circle Spaghetti Strap. We've got great original kanji and anime T-shirts for guys and girls this summer, including unique items like this "Looking for a Japanese Boyfriend" spaghetti strap tanktop for girls, from American Apparel. Get them before your size sells out! Restocked Japanese Snacks Finally, we've got some great restocked items for Japanese candy fans, including Meiji Chocori in Milk Chocolate and White Chocolate flavors, Japan-only Mentos in Ume (Plum) flavor, Lotte Fusen no Mi Gum, and a favorite of mine, traditional Sake Ame candy! How to Eat Yuko Ogura Deliciously. Speaking of Yuko Ogura, we've restocked this popular hardcover photobook of her. If you've seen the YouTube video with the polar bear that lunges at a Japanese girl dressed up as a seal, that's her. Swimsuit Encyclopedia ~ Swimsuits Daihyakka. This is a special series of manga-themed books that gives you real information on the various types of swimsuits, including the most exotic types you've never heard of, illustrated by super cute girls. Highly recommended item, and only a little ecchi. Welcome to Mzinald's! 2. The Japanese AV studios are at it again, coming up with great ero video concepts. What if you could go into a fast food restaurant and instead of choosing a meal, you chose a girl, who was sitting on the counter making an "M" shape with her legs. What awesome things would you do? Find out in this bold new parody production. One has to wonder if this is what they were filming when they got into trouble in a McDonald's a few months ago.  Costume Play Fantasiter -- Shiori Kohinata. The amazing Shirori-chan plays your favorite anime characters in this fabulous cosplay H-fest, featuring Lyrical Striker's Nanoha, Kuonji Shinra from They are my Noble Masters and Feena Fam Earthlight. This is a great DVD release!
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My wife and I are raising our kids to be bilingual in English and Japanese, and it's interesting to observe how thought processes work in both languages. For the past four years, my son has attended a special experimental school that teaches the normal Japanese curriculum but with 70% of the classes in English, and as a result, his brain has gotten quite used to thinking in that language. When working through difficult math problems, for example, I'll hear him utter, "Oh, they're talking about lowest common denominator" because he's more familiar with that term in English rather than in Japanese. Or sometimes it'll work the other way: once he didn't know what "gravity" was in English because he'd learned the concept in Japanese and hadn't built the synaptic bridge between the two words. When I came to Japan, I somehow managed to learn the word muri (無理), meaning "not able to be done," by having it explained to me in Japanese. As the word embedded itself in my brain I got quite comfortable with its use, and I never had the need to connect the word to an English equivalent. It was about a year later when I realized that the word had a very simple English counterpart, which was the word "impossible." It amazed me that the two parts of my brain could work so independently of each other that I could learn a concept in one language without it being hooked up on the other side. And yet, this is what happens in the minds of children who learn two languages growing up: both are separate and only come together synaptically when needed.
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We certainly had fun in Las Vegas, enjoying some quality down time. On the way back to San Diego, our flight was delayed due to mechanical problems, causing us to wait at the gate to be put on another flight. When the airline counter called my my wife, they had the usual trouble with her Japanese name, stuttering over it several times, so I thought I'd write a simple pronunciation guide. Basically, keep in mind that:a) Japanese words or names are made up of syllables, e.g. ka, ki, ku, ke or ko, never "k" by itself b) the only syllables that don't come in consonant + vowel pairs are the five vowels by themselves and n, which can only come at the end of words; note that three sounds, shi, chi and tsu don't follow the neat consonant + vowel pairing, but just treat them as whole sounds c) the five vowel sounds are always a ("ah"), i ("ee"), u ("oo"), e ("eh") and o ("oh"), with no exceptions d) English rules of pronunciation don't apply to Japanese, and every syllable is pronounced, hence the name Kazue would be "KAH-zoo-eh" and not "kah-ZOO" (the English concept of silent e doesn't work in Japanese); note that Chi is always a hard sound, not soft as in "Chicago." e) the best way to get comfortable with Japanese names or words is to listen to them, so watch anime in the original Japanese and repeat what you hear, or ask Japanese people to pronounce things for you.
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Groups are, of course, extremely important to human beings, since you can't have much of a society without them. The various customs the Japanese have evolved regarding groups, such as having different categories of polite language for use when talking to someone from outside your company (soto) compared with someone from inside (uchi), or the inability to bring any group together without deciding who the leader will be (who then goes by titles like dancho, group leader, or kaicho, chairman), can really look odd to foreigners. While most people have different circles of friends they don't bring together -- I certainly wouldn't expect the local Miata Club members to mingle well with my anime friends -- the Japanese have raised this separation of different groups of friends to an art form. Because compulsory education ends with Junior High in Japan, most people have two groups of school-era friends: the ones that live in their part of town, who they went to the local Elementary and Junior High with, and a separate group of friends from High School, which is often located in another city. The idea of mixing these two groups together is almost taboo, since each group represents a separate set of experiences and memories that are walled off from each other, and going to dinner with friends from two different groups would be an extremely difficult situation for everyone.
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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. Megami Magazine May 2008. The #1 magazine at J-List is Megami Magazine, which is loaded to the gills with cool free stuff for anime fans, like no less than *20* double-sided posters, a pencil board, and more. These items are all found only in this issue so when the few we have are sold, they'll be gone forever. Of course, you can make sure you never miss an issue by subscribing to Megami to get it every month. Sunshine Buddies (Hidamari no Tami) Spiritual Stone Versions. Look at these great new Sunshine Buddies toys we've gotten in for you, solar-powered relaxation toys that promise to lower your stress level as they loll their heads from side to side thanks to the miracle of solar energy. See the two new Spiritual Stone colors in stock today. Revoltech No.46 Starscream ~ Transformers. For fans of the affordably price and oh-so-awesome Revoltech toy line, we've gotten in the classic Transformers character Starscream ("Coronation, Starscream? This is bad comedy"). Pinky Street My Melody, Kuromi Costume Set. A fantastic new set of Pinky Street toys that features My Melody and her evil twin, Kuromi, two fabulous "goth-loli" toys you can dress up and accessorize. These popular figures are in stock now. Hiragana Times July 2008 No. 261. One good way to learn Japanese is with Hiragana Times, the popular magazine that presents news, culture and current events in easy to read articles printed in both English and Japanese. Fully furigana (above-character hiragana) are included so it's easy to read the Japanese. "PENMAWASHI" Science Type 05 -- Beat Pen with LED light. Get into the Japanese pen-mawashi (pen spinning) craze with this cool pen that's perfect for learning with. Features awesome LED lights that shine while you twirl -- woah! Obento from 3 years old ~ 3 Sai Karano Obento. Another great book for bento enthusiasts, this books is so easy you can start making delicious Japanese boxed lunches from the age of three. Classic Hello Kitty Pencil Pouch. I love these Pencil Cases that will hold all your pens, pencils and other items, and do it in a very cute way. I wish I'd had access to the world of cool Japanese pencil cases back when I was in school. Rurubu Tokyo Best Select 2008. "Rurubu" is a popular Japanese guidebook series that introduces you to the best hot springs, sightseeing spots and so on in Japan. This is a special book that will take you to all the places in Tokyo that the English guide books will miss. Bamboo Multi Tableware Case. Add some nihon-fuu (Japanese style) to your kitchen table with this spiffy tableware holder, made of bamboo. Artbooks by Koji Morimoto and Hidenori Matsubara. We've restocked this elegant artbook featuring Ah! My Goddess (which my wife sometimes thinks is called Oh My Goodness), Sakura Wars and so on. Back in stock today. Domo-kun hats. Remember that J-List has fantastic plush hats for fans of Domo-kun and Totoro, which would look great on your head at your favorite anime convention this summer, or wear them around campus. SHODO ~ Natural Stone Mini Calligraphy Set with Wooden Box . Here's everything you need to try your hand at Shodo, the Japanese "Way of Writing," aka brush calligraphy. This real wooden box contains a natural stone ink holder and ink stick as well as a brush. An awesome product for J-List customers, and back in stock today. Bento Accessories. Then see some restocked bento accessories, including the Cinnamoroll 3D Onigiri Shaper and the eerie but cook 3D Boiled Egg Shaper, which turns your garden variety hard boiled eggs into cute Sanrio eggs. Also, the Sushikko sushi shaper and food separation cups to keep your bento ingredients separate. Laputa Robot Planter -- Laputa. I sure love the Studio Ghibli items we've been able to carry for everyone over the years. One of the coolest items are the ceramic Ghibli Planters, which are ceramic planters that you put soil and planets in to make something really special for your garden or windowsill. Restocked Kompeito, Other Snacks. Today I learned something interesting: in Japanese, the title of Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies translates as Dance of the Kompeito Balls. Interesting, no? Anyway, we've gotten this popular traditional candy in stock, along with Calbee & Kimchee Flavor Butmen, more Baby Star noodles you can crunch as-is, UHA E-Ma candy in popular Manga and Orange flavor, and Ramune Sweet Tart Assortment candy. New Manga Volumes. Today's new manga include Futanarikko Lovers vol. 10, a fantastic anthology of futa works no collector should miss out on, along with The Professor Next Door, the story of the lovely Minano-sensei with some amazing art. Comic AG Super Manga Anthology Set. Remember, the best way to buy Comic AG, the popular magazine of English-translated "H" manga from Icarus Comics, might be our AGSET product, which lets you snag back issues of this great series in blocks of five at a special low price. It makes it a snap to grab past issues and save. Enzai - Falsely Accused. Remember that J-List carries the first yaoi game ever ported to English, a multi-scenario game for Windows computers that's great for BL fans. Set in Napoleonic France, you play the role of Guys, accused of a crime you didn't commit, and you must clear your name. You have the help of many interesting game characters -- what will be your fate? Highly recommended! China-san 1/8 Cast off Figure Blue China Dress ver. ~ Spirit of Wonder Excellent Model Core *Preorder*. See two variations of the China-san figure from Spirit of Wonder, which you can preorder for priority shipping when the figures come in stock in October. They are "cast off" (ahem).
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There have been a lot of changes in Japanese society since we started J-List in 1996. First, the old concept of lifetime employment, that Japanese workers will generally stay at a firm their entire lives without ever changing jobs, fell by the wayside when iconic companies like Sony started eliminating jobs and laying off employees, something that had never been done in the past (although companies would often force layoffs in their subsidiaries when times got tough). Another big change was the idea that Japanese companies could be headed by (gasp!) foreigners, a trend which probably started when Brazil-born Lebonese-French Carlos Ghosn assumed leadership of Nissan in June of 2000, turning the company around by eliminating jobs that the company's core business couldn't support. Now it seems that many of the most visionary Japanese companies are headed by foreigners, for example Shinsei Bank, a popular Internet-based bank that's breaking rules and taking names in the extremely conservative Japanese banking world, introducing concepts like not charging a $6 fee to transfer $20 to someone's account, letting Japanese use ATMs without fees when traveling in other countries, and having bank branches that stay open past 3 pm. (My theory is that banks in Japan close so early in Japan to encourage young men to get married, so they'll have wives who can do their banking for them.) Foreigners have taken the lead in sports, too, for example Coach Bobby Valentine, who made a name for himself as the talented coach of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.There's another company in Japan run by a foreigner which you may have heard of: it's J-List. When we founded the company, Japan was really at the dawn of the Internet -- I mean they were tapping stones together to send TCP/IP packets. When we incorporated, we asked our bank we could go about setting up an account for credit card processing, and our request was so bold and unexpected that one of the vice presidents of the bank came out to personally apologize, saying they didn't believe the Internet would be appropriate for processing financial transactions, forcing us to do our banking through the U.S. instead. I sometimes reflect on what it's been like for the Japanese staff who have worked at normal companies to come to J-List and suddenly have an American for a boss. My staff tells me that it's interesting working for a gaijin because I don't play games with the concepts of tatemae (something we pretend is true even though we all know it's not) and honne (the truth; the way things really are); we're more likely to call a duck a duck. (Although, me suddenly asking my staff what it's like to work for an American all but guarantees whatever they're going to tell me is also a tatemae, and I'm fully aware that it was a pretty difficult thing to ask them.) Also, foreigners have a way of doing things that would be impossible for Japanese, and that strange latent power that gaijin seem to have in Japan has helped us make J-List what it is today -- almost by definition, we don't know what can't be done because we don't know what the hell is going on around us. Personally, I'm sure it's challenging for them working for a person who's more emotional and less organized than a straight-laced Japanese shacho (company president) might be, but hopefully the fun we have bringing wacky and fun products to customers around the world make up for it.Do you work for a foreigner, or otherwise challenging person because he comes from a significantly different background from you?
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Hello from Las Vegas, where my wife and I have come for some R&R without the kids, which is always a fun thing for married couples to do. While sampling the various casinos and other attractions the city has to offer (including Penn & Teller, which I recommend to everyone), we've been having some interesting conversations with the other tourists we've met here, including many Europeans, getting into debates about things like how there can be so many distinct accents in the U.K. My wife was taken aback at my talking with strangers at first -- after all, it's rare to have a deep conversation with someone you don't already know in more reserved Japan unless you're already comfortable with each other, and to an extent, aware of each others' role in the group, if there is a group. But she came around, realizing that it's quite interesting to strike up a conversation with someone nearby and learn about Oklahoma or Florida or France. I feel sorry for the many Japanese tourists who come to America but miss out on the chance to make new friends, either because of language barriers or needless clinging to invisible social rules.
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