Greetings from J-List

Friday, July 3, 2009

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; the Youth 18 Ticket lets you travel as far as you want for $24.

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.

Today's New Items
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. View Product	Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Cosplay Then, see more anime cosplauy fun, with a new Satoko cosplay for fans of Higurashi -- awesome! View Product
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. View Product	Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea DVD Then: it's here! The newest film by Hayao Miyazaki is Ponyo, and it's a great ride through the imagination of Japan's most famous animation director. This region 2 DVD has full English subtitles and is in stock now. View Product
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. View Product	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. View Product
New Snacks Today's new offerings: yummy Meiji Pick Up in yummy consume flavor, and Lotte Fusen no mi bubble gum from Lotte. View Product	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! View Product
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. View Product	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. View Product
"How To Bento" Books See fresh stock of several bento-related books as well, including the Irohani Obento book, a very nice color guide to making traditional Japanese boxed lunches. View Product	DX Strong Men's Wooden Chopsticks Then, sometimes a man feels more like a man when he has super-thick deluxe men's wooden chopsticks, like the ones we have restocked today. Featuring sandal wood and mulberry, they're really great to eat with. View Product
Oni Hime ~ Devil Princess The talented Yoshihiro Togashi, creator of the Hunter x Hunter manga series, has started a new series for fans of samurai sword-wielding princesses from Japan's ancient past, Oni Hime. View Product	English Guide for Tokyo - Bilingual Book Another outstanding item for fans of "bilingual books," which present information in both English and Japanese, this is a specific book dedicated to talking about the history, background, culture, tourist information and more that's related to Tokyo and vicinity. View Product
DX Blue FUROSHIKI Traditionally, furoshiki were used to transport clothes, gifts or other goods. They are made of beautiful material, which were often stylish and elegant, and can also be used for decorations. A nice item in stock today. View Product	Lucky Cat Items Then, see other traditional items restocked, including our Lucky Cat Tea Pot (so cute!), our Japanese Ninja Yin Yang Sword Strap, and a nice traditional card game hyankunin-isshu. View Product
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. View Product	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! View Product
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. View Product	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. View Product
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. View Product	SUPPLIO ~ Aroma Mechanical Pencil Then see more awesome Japanese writing instruments from Japan, including the popular Supplio Aroma Mechanical Pencil, which emits a healing scent as you write with it. Includes pencil and leads together. View Product
Finally, Restocked Snacks Finally, we've gotten in some really outstanding restocked snacks, including Meiji Wata Pachi Grape (cotton candy with pop rocks inside), UHA Puccho in Watermelon flavor, Glico Pos-Ca Gum, Fue (foo-EH) Gum and Ramune Candy that whistles, plus the popular Fuwarinka Soft Rose Essence Candy. View Product

Remember that J-List has a great selection of fun and unique traditional items from Japan, including many items you couldn't find outside of souvenir shops in Kyoto. Want to explore the world of bento? J-List has dozens of bento boxes and related items on the site. How about adding a touch of Japan to your home? Check out our Daruma or Lucky Cat selection. Looking for something cool to wear this summer? We've got a full line of traditional Japanese sandals, from the tall wooden geta to "tatami" sandals that feel great on the feet, with styles for both men and women. We also have plenty of "wacky" traditional items, too, from authentic fundoshi underwear worn by the samurai to our solar-powered Lucky Horse (to help you win at the track?), so browse our products now!