Greetings from J-List

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

The question of who the most famous Japanese person in the world is can be fun to debate. In previous eras the honor went to men like film director Akira Kurosawa, "Sukiyaki Song" creator Kyu Sakamoto, or composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. Novelist Yukio Mishima was another Japanese persona who enjoyed widespread fame in his day, and he had what has to be one of the most unique deaths in the 20th century, trying to inspire a pro-Emperor coup d'etat among Japan's military then committing ritual disembowelment (Seppuku) when it didn't work out. So who is the most famous Japanese person in the world today? The answer will depend a lot on who you ask. Anime fans might pick animation director Hayao Miyazaki, while sports fans might choose pro golfer Ryo Ishikawa, and Hollywood superstar Ken Watanabe would also be a good candidate, especially with the success of Inception. But you never know who will be the most famous Japanese person among different groups. For example, in Indonesia the honor goes to saucy JAV film starlet Maria Ozawa, who is a household name in the country, for some reason.

Who do you think is the most famous Japanese person in the world?; it's rare for prices to rise in Japan.

For the past fifteen years, Japan has been fighting against the spectre of defure or deflation, in which prices decline in real terms rather than rise slightly year-to-year. While having things get cheaper sounds pretty cool, in reality deflation is bad because it can smother economic growth, cause factories to sit idle and cause the economy to shrink despite the fact that everyone is working hard. Since I visit the U.S. once or twice a year, I often notice when things get more expensive than they were the last time, but this certainly isn't the norm for Japan, where prices pretty rise rarely. Actually, I can only remember a few things that actually got more expensive in the nearly two decades I've lived in Japan: Coca-Cola went from 100 to 120 yen, the train fares got raised once, and the shop I've bought fried croquettes at for years raised the price from 50 to 60 yen. (The lady was very apologetic to me.)

It's interesting being back in the U.S., because I get to experience that rarest of sensations, reverse culture shock, when things I see in my home country surprise me because of my years spent in Japan. I am often surprised at how unhealthy food is advertised at people by companies, such as AM/PM Mini Mart telling us that we should all live the "good life" and treat ourselves to a candy bar today, and that "more is more, at AM/PM." Or Taco Bell promoting "Fourthmeal," a meal between dinner and breakfast that supposedly we should all be eating. I'm a big fan of brewed iced tea, and make sure to drink it whenever I'm grabbing lunch, even if it's in a fairly unhealthy place like McDonald's or Taco Bell. But several times this trip I've found myself being told sorry, we don't have unsweetened iced tea, would I like Raspberry Blast™ Super Sweet Iced Tea instead? It brings a tear to my eye, really. If you're looking for a refreshing and healthy drink, we recommend Japanese mugi cha (barley tea), a great gift from Japan to the world.

Today's New Items
Megami Magazine Deluxe vol. 15 Neat! A new issue of Megami Magazine Deluxe, the magazine that compiles all your favorite anime posters in one high quality volume. View Product	Masamune Shirow Artbooks Restocked The epic Shirow Masamune artbook have been restocked, and we love them because the art he creates is so detailed. View Product
Shigi 1/8 Cast off Figure ~ Queen's Blade Talk about awesome, this is an outstanding figure from the Queen's Blade Revolution universe that's superb for all fans of sexy anime figures. In stock! View Product	Azusa Nakano Figma Action Figure ~ K-ON! Another day, another fabulous Figma toy that I must own. This is Azusa from K-On!, known as Asa-nyan by fans since she looks so darned cute with those cat ears. Which are included as a separate piece with this set, by the way. View Product
Studio Ghibli 2011 Schedule Books Plan your daily schedule in style throughout 2011 with these adorable schedule books from Studio Ghibli, featuring Totoro and more. Just about the coolest things in the world for a Ghibli fan! View Product	Ponyo & Totoro Items Restocked Then see fun Ponyo and Ghibli items for you, including the Ponyo Swimming Toy for your bath plus the amazing plush keychains featuring all your favorite Miyazaki friends. View Product
Project DIVA Presents ~ Miku Hatsune (Blu-ray Disc) Virtual idol Miku Hatsune live in concert - the rumors are true. See the actual digitally voiced idol singer live in HD Blu-ray, for the first time! Do want! View Product	Miku Hatsune Stripe Panties Then, cosplay as the super cute Miku Hatsune with these new shimapan, the iconic pantsu of everyone's favorite Vocaloid. Restocked again today. View Product
COSMODE ~ Super Cosplay Magazine 033 The coolest cosplay from Japan is on parade in the pages of COSMODE! Check out event reports, costume making guides, studio shoots and much more. View Product	Big Restocking of Cosplay Products Then, those awesome ninja masks are in stock, perfect for a quick disguise this Halloween? View Product
egg Sep 2010 A new issue of everyone's favorite "kogal" fashion magazine is here, for all the latest trends in this strikingly beautiful Tokyo gal look. Look here for tips, new outfits, street photo shoots and more! View Product	Monotone Gothic Lolita Dress A super cute goth-loli dress for you, in a great classic black and white pattern with super-long sleeves. Kawaii fashion straight from Japan. View Product
Geisha Doll Display / Maiko A gorgeous traditional Japanese gift item, this elaborately costumed kimono-wearing geisha will look great on a mantlepiece or in a collection of other refined Japanese memorabilia. View Product	Double Eyelid Makeup Remember that J-List is the official home of "Wacky Things from Japan" and you can always find things you never expected to see, like this item, adhesive makeup for girls' eyes that promises to make your eyes look larger and more like a gaijin's. View Product
Mushiro Setta / Old Style Check Strap A traditional pair of sturdy woven Japanese sandals, reinforced and padded with a high quality strap and rubber sole. A stylish accompaniment to your summer yukata or your year-round casual attire. View Product	All Samurai Sword Umbrellas Restocked What if an umbrella were made so that it looked like a samurai sword, complete with beautiful wooden hilt? The result would be the nerdiest and most awesome umbrella in the world. Restocked today. View Product
Ame de Wata Ame (Cotton Candy Maker) The most amazing invention we've seen from Japan in awhile, this cotton candy maker will create spun sugar confections from any hard candy placed inside. Which means you can make Food Drops or Kompeito cotton candy! View Product	Takoyaki Items Restocked We love takoyaki, the batter balls that contain a bit of octopus meat inside. See the popular electric takoyaki maker, plus the right brush for applying oil before cooking. View Product
New Japanese Snacks You know we always have some fun new snacks from Japan for you, including Glico Collon Maple Syrup Flavor, Thin Pretz in Sweet Potato Flavor (?) plus Watering Kiss Mint gum -- yum! View Product	Rilakkuma Microwave Rice Cooker Rilakkuma is taking over your kitchen with three awesome new products! Make steamed white rice, spaghetti or ramen in no time at all with these fun gadgets! View Product
Family Size SAKURA JUBAKO Bento Box We've restocked the jubako stacking bento box we love so much, plus that Rabbit and Moon traditional bento that's one of our most popular items. View Product	Hello Kitty Shaking Salad Pot with Ice Pack Level up your personal health with this handy Hello Kitty salad container, which has its own built-in ice pack in the lid so it'll be nice and chilled. What a great idea! View Product
Shinkansen Chopsticks SAKURA J-List is the place to visit if you want interesting chopsticks, that's for sure. Today we're posting...Shinkansen chopsticks, made in the image of Japan's most famous bullet trains. Now in stock! View Product	Restocked Bento Accessories They are among the most popular bento accessories we have for you. Click to view the restocked items today. View Product
Study Japanese (and Love) with Love Plus The Nintendo DS dating sim that defined a genre, Love Plus is only getting more popular since its release. Learn Japanese with these tender girls! View Product	Awesome Products from Elecom Those cool folding overhead stereo headphones from Elecom are back in stock, as is the SCOPE NODE computer mice, the most awesome pointing devices ever. View Product
Restocked Photobooks from Japan See fresh stock of several awesome photobooks, including Mai Oshima of AKB48, the gorgeous idols of Onedai Muscat, plus cool haikyo (modern ruins). View Product	Chirimen Belt A belt made of the finest quality of kimono chirimen cloth - talk about a Japanese fashion statement that you can wear in style. View Product
Restocked Traditional Items See more miniature Daruma dolls for displaying on your desk, a super Ryoma Sakamoto phone strap with screen cleaner, Kyoto bath salt and more. View Product	Evangelion Key Board *Preorder* If you've ever dreamed of decorating your room like NERV HQ, this awesome keyboard will add a unique Evangelion look to your computing rig. Preorder now open. View Product
Halo:Reach Jun Playarts 'Kai' Action Figure *Preorder* Some of the most realistic action figures we've seen are here to celebrate the new Halo game - check these out, now available in preorder. View Product	Haruhi Suzumiya Nendoroid Figure *Preorder* Some great new Haruhi preorder figures for you today, a Nendoroid and a Figma Haruhi fresh from her appearance in the Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya movie. I want this so bad! View Product
Restocked Japanese Aromatic Pencils, Fun Erasers Then: can a pencil heal you? The SUPPLIO mechanical pencils, which contain special aromatic leads that emit a pleasant scent as you write, promise. Back in stock now after many months of being sold out! View Product	Traditional Kyoto Candy, Other Snacks Finally, today's restocked Japanese snacks include Japan-only Mix Fruits Mentos, Seishun Shigekix Ramune Flavor, Calbee potato snacks, Glico Squeeze Gum, plus traditional Kyoto candy that's made in Kyoto. View Product