I sometimes like tossing out random questions on J-List’s Facebook page or Twitter feed, like the time I asked readers to explain why they’re into anime and related pop culture. Several said that anime represents a fun form of escapism for them, like any type of entertainment, but one that connects them to other otakus all around the world. One reader said, “As a major sports fan, I love sports because it’s the best reality TV there is…and I love anime for the opposite reason.” Anime can be a friend to those who need one — “when I’m in my most depressed state, anime helps me feel happiness” — and seems able to help viewers access emotions better than many other mediums, as Clannad fans know. Of course, many fans admitted they watch anime for the plot (by which they mean boobs) or backstory (butts), which is a certainly fine sometimes. Personally, I like anime and 2D culture for the massive “potential” it represents, the fact that any kind of story and any kind of character can be created, without limitation except the imagination.
One of the major benefits to living in Japan is that it’s a safe country where you’ll almost certainly never encounter violence or other serious crime. While most of this can be attributed to Japanese being a very peaceful people, at least some of the credit should go to Japan’s police, who guard the public from their “Kobans,” small police stations that dot Japanese cities. While I do sometimes hear stories of police giving foreigners a hard time, hassling them over the ownership of the bicycle they’re riding, the only times I’ve been stopped by a policeman was when he wanted to practice his English, which is rather cute. There are really two core problems with the police in Japan. While most are upstanding, it’s all too common to hear of a police officer who was arrested taking upskirt pictures in a train or some other facepalm-worthy crime. A bigger problem is Japan’s cultural need to have a 99% conviction rate in criminal cases, which they often facilitate by getting the suspect to confess, as confession is seen as the first step in rehabilitation. The problem is that these confessions are often highly suspect and occasionally proved to be false later, as in the case of a married couple who served ten years for arson only to exonerated when new evidence was available.
J-List’s big EMS sale is going strong, and many customers are snapping up the most awesome anime figures, Japanese snacks and more from Japan. We’ve also got hundreds of 2016 anime, idol and other calendars in stock — browse now!
