Hello from Phoenix Comic Con! I’ve made the hop from Japan to San Diego, and then driven with my staff to Phoenix. If you’ll be at the show! Come see us at booth 653 all weekend long! (We also have a panel on Saturday at 6 pm, please come see it!)
I’ve been an anime fan for more years than I care to remember, and I think a lot about the various events that have caused the anime to achieve its current level of global popularity. Obviously each time a new show or film like Sailor Moon or Akira or Macross/Robotech makes a generational splash, it wins a few hundreds of thousands of fans to the genre. But two big innovations have helped the rise of anime as we know it today. One is the explosion of cosplay culture around the world, as fans from every corner of the globe compete to make the most awesome anime costumes imaginable. The other important change has been the rise of the anime/comic convention scene, which has really made a difference in the lives of a lot of fans, who suddenly can meet new social peergroups through fun events, just like here like Phoenix Comicon. We think these two changes are both great! (Photo credit.)
One thing everyone knows about the Japanese people is that they use chopsticks to eat with. It’s true: except for certain Western foods like spaghetti or curry rice, the Japanese eat most every meal with chopsticks, and they’re so ubiquitous here no one gives them a second thought. Children learn to use chopsticks around the age of three, often using training chopsticks to get started, and the first real peer pressure a child will experience is having to eat in front of the other children at preschool, with the fear of embarrassment if they’re behind the other kids at chopstick skill. (My son uses his chopsticks in a slightly “odd” way, causing his mother to occasionally fret that he won’t be able to find a wife Although I’ve lived in Japan for more than 20 years, I still get an occasional お箸が上手 ohashi ga jozu (“you use chopsticks very well”) compliment. We have tons of fun chopsticks from Japan in stock, with great products like to Totoro and Ghibli and more. Why not browse now?
J-List is an official Touhou shop, approved by Zun and his licensing company, Shanghai Alice. One product we love are the Touhou and Kancolle doujin music, including awesome remixes of official music plus wonderful vocals. There are lots of sample tracks to listen to, so browse these great products now!
