I went to the Apple store in Ginza, Tokyo today to get a new case for my iPod. I had been using an Exo 2 silicone case, but after reading about the potential damage you can do by charging your iPod in a case, I wanted one that would let me remove the iPod and put it back in more easily.

I found one I liked so much, I got one in black for my 40GB and one in white for my girlfriend's 20GB: the Porter iPod case.

Porter is the brand name of Yoshida & Co., and is used for a pricey line of bags and cases of all types. Now they've come out with an iPod version. The case is made of a heavy canvas material with a well-stiched leather faceplate covering the face of the iPod.

There is no clear protector for the iPod screen, but because the case has a canvas flap that covers the whole faceplate, you shouldn't need one. The flap secures in the closed position by means of a band that stretches around the body of the case.

You can slide your belt through a flat, unobtrusive strap on the back of the case. Or, you can hook the included adjustable strap to a metal ring on the back of the case and sling it across your body or hang it around your neck.

The headphone cord pokes through a slit at the top of the case; this lets the case open and close well with the headphones plugged in, while not exposing the top edge of the iPod.

The case is big enough for a 40GB; for smaller iPods, you just slide in a thick plastic card in a hidden inner sleeve, and the fit adjusts perfectly. It's available in white and black. The price was high at 7,140 yen (about $70), although all cases in Japan are overpriced, even ones you can get elsewhere for much less.

In general, this is a hip-looking case, not too formal and not too casual, not too rigid and not too soft. I've attached a couple of pics I took with my digital camera. If anyone outside Japan wants one, you could probably contact the Apple store in Ginza and have them ship one to you.

-- Skep