Hello from J-List, this time coming to you from Las Vegas! It’s one thing to go from Japan to San Diego, which can really give you a sense of reverse culture-shock even when you’re used to it, as I am. Going from small-town Isesaki to the garishness of Las Vegas in less than 24 hours can really make your head spin. We’re here attending the Internext show, although happily we’re done with the convention tomorrow, and I can get back to San Diego.
I flew over on Varig, this time, the first time I’d flown the Brazilian carrier. Seated next to me was a mother and her cute daughter. Since the woman did not speak any English and my Portuguese is nonexistant, we had to speak Japanese to each other. Two gaijin conversing in Japanese is really funny, and quite difficult to get used to. The Japanese around us thought it was funny too. While boarding the plane, I was greeted by David, a J-List customer who managed to recognize me from my “about J-List” graphic — that was really a trip. David was in Japan for his girlfriend’s “Coming of Age Day” celebration. Hello to Dave, and congratulations to his girlfriend.
In Japanese, the word “sake” refers to all alcohol, as well as the rice wine that it’s most famous for. Alcohol is a big part of Japanese society, a lubricant that allows people to remove stress and deal with the pressures of this “vertical” society (with many levels above and below you). The Japanese have some great unwritten rules when it comes to alcohol, too. For example, if you’re out with your co-workers drinking, it’s perfectly permissible to get anything off your chest about your boss, and be critical of him — if you overstep the normal bounds of what is okay to say, it’s dismissed the next day because alcohol was involved. If you embarrass yourself by confessing your love to a female co-workers, it’s also generally forgiven the next day — because you were drunk at the time, it’s “sho ga nai” (it can’t be helped). And Japan is the only country I’ve seen where you can go to work with a mild hangover and receive nothing but sympathy and understanding. Japan is a very flexible place in some ways.
Want to know a Japanese joke? In Japanese, the word for Prime Minister is “sohri,” which sounds like the English word “sorry” (kind of like “don’t touch my mustache” sounds like “Dou itashimashite,” which means ‘you’re welcome’). Japanese kids say stupid things like, “I’m sorry, hige sori [beard shaver], jori jori [the sound of rough, unshaven whiskers],” (hee-GEH SO-ri, jo-ri jo-ri). If you’re ever talking to a Japanese person, and they apologize to you for something, come back with “hige sori, jori jori!” and watch them jump out of their shoes.
For the update today, Yasu, Tomo and Mayumi have been working hard to post new products into the J-List site for you. The newly posted items include new magazines (Penthouse, as well as breast, ass and kogal fetish), new hardcover photobooks, many new manga items, new DVD/videos (Bunko Kanazawa, Aika Miura, Maria Yumeno and more). For our non-adult customers, we’ve got lots of new items, too, including rare Hello Kitty and Hamster Club items, anime toys, traditional origami and other items, fresh stock of many snack and food items, and a totally cool Gummi Sushi candy (really bizarre and fun). Please check out all the new items!
While I’m here in the U.S., the J-List team will work hard to make sure that orders are processed and shipped out quickly. We’ll see you on the web!
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J-LIST http://www.jlist.com
Everything, we do mean everything, that is cool from Japan.
JAST USA http://www.jastusa.com
A full-service distributor and retailer of Japanese hentai anime games in English.
PEACH PRINCESS http://www.peachprincess.com
A great new company bringing the most erotic anime bishoujo games to you, direct from Japan.
