This is a bigger and incomparably better version of an older set, Nihon Mania, that was never even released on my site. As you've probably noticed, it's a Candybar set on a Japanese theme, which someone required a stretch of the imagination. Here's a word about the objects used for each icon:

Finder: I offer two new versions of the finder face: manga (戯画) and ukiyo-e (浮世絵).

Computer: The original computer!

Home: Based on my friends' village house.

Documents, clipping, folders: Origami (折り紙) paper and a folded pocket for the folders.

Documents folder: Origami paper is sometimes sold in fanned-out packs.

System and Classic folders: Japan's current flag and the more ancient Emperor's standard (I know it's still in use, it's just much older).

Desktop: A desk all set for calligraphy work!

Users: 3 Noh (能面）masks.

Applications: fude (筆), the calligraphy brush.

Delete: tantou (短剣), the dagger that accompanied all warriors besides their swords.

Eject: The background motif comes from a Japanese family crest.

Customize: Bonsai basami (鋏), the shears used to "customise" and care for bonsai.

Burn: hibachi (火鉢), the brazier.

CD, CD-R, DVD, DVD-R: I used tsuba (鍔), sword guards, whose circular shape was appropriate; the simple shape is for CDs, the more elaborate one for DVDs, and the blank version of each is for the recordable devices.

Internal HD: Tansu (箪笥), a wooden chest. Obviously the place to store everything else.

External HD: Ishidourou (石灯籠), the stone lantern that is erected in gardens. It's external and it's hard...

Removeable HD: Inrou (印籠), a medicine purse that was carried around hanging from the belt.(

iPod: Wouldn't this baby look wonderful as an inrou? :^)

Favorites: Maneki-neko (招き猫), of course!

Find: Shikoku, a Japanese dog breed. Fetch!

Drop box: Tokkuri (徳利), the sake bottle. After all, everyone pours from it instead of drinking directly from each other's cups...

Library: A scroll.

Public and Private: The torii (鳥居) is a large archway that marks the entrance to a Shinto shrine. In contrast, Jizou-bosatsu (地蔵菩薩) represents the effigy of the deity, usually hidden within the shrine. Hence the public/private folders.

Movies: Classics of Japanese cinema, Kurosawa to be more accurate.

Music: Biwa (琵琶), the Japanese lute.

Pictures: From a karuta (card) game.

Trash: Choose between the Daruma doll (達磨) whose eyes are colored in when the trash is full, or the open/closed kasa (傘)

Network and sites folder: Based on an ancient Japanese map.

iDisk: Noren (暖簾), an entrance curtain omnipresent in Japan. It consists of two or more flaps of fabric one walks right through, with a design printed over both.

Fonts: I'm sure you've guessed it – the Kanji for "character".

System preferences: An example of sumi-e (墨絵), ink painting.

Icons folder: Double reference, as the icons used literally are Japanese icons.

Extra icons just for fun: A happi (半纏) or worker's jacket, a shamisen (三味線), which is a string instrument, an o-mamori (御守), a kind of talisman, a chouchin (提灯) or paper lantern, and a family of koi (鯉), the sacred carps.

I owe much to Nicholas Bornoff's and Michael Freeman's wonderful book Things Japanese, without which I couldn't have made it. Special thanks to Jordan Scott for giving me the nudge necessary to take this set to completion.

Nihon no Otaku set © Joumana Medlej, January 2005

Legal stuff: This set may NOT be used, in part or its entirety, for anything other than their intended private use, i.e on a private computer. They can be redistributed by using the .zip file in its integrity, exactly as downloaded.