cdjapan2010

CDJapan held 2 polls for the past 2 weeks and have closed for votes today.

What is your favorite D'ESPAIRSRAY album?

"Redeemer" ranked in No.3, and "Mirror" took No.2.
See here for the No.1 album!

Second poll topic was "What is your favorite YUI single?" because
Yui was voted for favorite female artist in our previous pole.

"again" was voted No.3 while "Tomorrow's way" stole 2nd place.

See here for the No.1 voted single.

Ayu will release her 50th single on Sep.29th.

Posters are still available at CDJapan!

Which one is your favorite jacket?

It looks like Jacket C was most popular cover at CDJapan
because the external bonus are sold out for Jacket Calready.

However all posters will come in the same designs so you 
will recieve the same poster as Jacket C by ordering Jackets A, B, or D.

Please note that posters are only available while the "External Bonus"
symbol is still showing.

L [CD+DVD / Jacket A]


L [CD+DVD / Jacket B]


L [Jacket C]


L [Jacket D]

Look at these adorable baby animals who made friends!
In June 2010, a month-old baby monkey and baby boar were both
found separated from their parents.
Fukutiyama city, Kyoto prefecture took care of these two babies.

Baby monkey, Miwa and baby boar Uribo, soon became great friends after
a staff who saw Miwa crying from loneliness decided to let her in
Uribo's cage. Miwa immediately calmed down once she was together with Uribo.

Uribo seems to be comfortable with Miwa. The two even sleep together.
From August, Miwa naturally started to climb on Uribo's back and Uribo just started running just like a knight on a horse.

Source from Mainichi News
http://mainichi.jp/select/wadai/news/20100909mog00m040020000c.html
 

We have added books for Japanese beginners and also books
for Japanese teachers to learn more advanced Japanese. Products are available here.

Recommendations

Getting Closer to Japan Working in Japan

Helpful book made for foreigners living in Japan.
Full with information on useful tips for everyday life in Japan resourced
from interviewing foreigners working in Japan.
Answers questions about conferences, negotiation and how to deal with bosses and subordinates in Japan. Handy size book to carry around in your bag.

Practical Japanese through Comics - Hitotsu oboete takusan wakaru hen

Book for intermediate level. Explains how to use different types of derived words in each situation through a humorous 4 frame comic story.
With examples explained in simple words and pictures, you will be able
to understand smoothly than reading hard text books.
Do not rush and try too hard. Just flip through the comic book everyday and
have fun learning Japanese.

Japanese conversation for beginners over start polite level with training CD

In the beginners level book, you learn a bit of how to use polite Japanese.
However that is not enough to be able to use honorific expressions naturally in everyday conversation. This book teaches honorific expressions for Japanese learners who have finished beginners level.
Chapter 1: When and to whom we use honorific Japanese.
Chapter 2: Visiting, Simple Greetings, Inviting, Refusing, Opposing, Criticizing, Offering, Apologizing, Reserving, Requesting, Making a Call, Proper Greeting, Making a Speech, Taking an Interview, Giving an Interview, Announcing, and Proper Business Mails.
Chapter 3: Gradually stop using honorific Japanese

We also are open for requests.
If you have a book you want, which is not available at CDJapan,
please give us a mail here.

Recently Japanese woman's yukata have become more and more stylish.

The new trend for young girls are to use heko-obi for the belts.
Heko-obi are light and fluffy obis which are originally for kids.

Normal obi-belts are wrapped very tightly making it hard to breathe.
It is also difficult to tie a normal obi-belt.

Most Japanese girls have to go to a kimono-shop to wear a yukata unless
their mother knows how to tie an obi.
However the kid's heko obi can be tied by anybody as long as
you know how to tie a shoelace. Plus it is more comfortable than a normal obi.

Here are some cute heko-obi arrangements.



Most girls will put their hair up and put a flower on the side of their head.



Japanese has a fetish for women in this angle.

There are also many new accessories coming out for yukata.
For example, there are laces to tuck inside the collar showing just the hem of
the lace. Obi accessories are also popular these years which will make your
yukata unique.

Currently CDJapan is conducting the 2 polls below.

Vote for your favorite artist.

Which Morning Musume member would you like to date?

Which Visual-kei band is most promising newcomer?


Also our theme for polls are chosen from customer ideas.
If you have any suggestions, please send us your request from here.

 
In Japan, one major summer entertainment is "Nagashi Somen".

Somen are thin noodles, usually served cold during the summertime with a
separate  bowl of katsuobushi-based soup.
We dip the noodles in the sauce and eat them.

However this becomes 10 times more fun when we do nagashi somen.

Nagashi somen is popular choice when a bunch of people go out on a camp or plan to eat outdoors in summer,

A bamboo is cut vertically in half which will become a long slide for the noodles.
The bamboo is placed slanted so that anything poured into the bamboo slide will flow downwards.
 Ice-cold water is constantly poured into the half-cut bamboo which will make the noodles slide down.

Adults and kids wait at some point of the bamboo to catch a portion of the noodles with their chopsticks.
At the end of the bamboo slide, there is a draining bowl to catch the missed noodles. 
 
Please try Nagashi Somen with friends if you ever visit Japan in the summer time.