SDCA comments

That isn't so bad, at least when it expires you will be able to change it, unlike crazy places like Canada where my ex brother in law became a citizen as a toddler and his citizenship card has no expiry date and he is still using that card 50 years later as ID to get his passport etc...

You haven't seen my picture though that I'm stuck with for another 8 years T_T

I should have taken this thing more seriously haha, oh well

Can I change my picture easily on my my number card then? I don't want to have to show my embarrassing photo that I took after just waking up with messy hair to go to the city ward office to go collect my 20,000 myna points during their campaign. Didn't think I needed to be serious with this card but it looks like I may be using it after all.

My oldest daughter (Japanese born and partially raised in Japan), who's been living and studying in the US says the same thing. She tells me that the McDonald's here in Japan feels much better and healthier than in the US. She also says the same about Taco Bell, too.

It's definitely not healthier. Maybe you can argue this because the portion is smaller hence less calories, but in terms of nutritional value and added artificial ingredients, they are about the same. The burgers are also mostly bread and the meat is puny here also. Don't even get me started with Taco Bell, those overpriced "tacos" they are selling here are not only tiny (menu also seems to be smaller), but they also don't allow you to take as many hot sauce packets as you want. Subway is also a disgrace here, although I hear they are terrible in the US now as well. I do have to admit Burger King and Carl's Jr. does serve up some nicer quality burgers here than the US.

The only fast food I eat nowadays are local as you can never go wrong with Matsuya or Marugame if you are in a hurry.

Was deflation as bad as they are saying it was? Sure it is terrible in terms of economic stagflation, but the people were able to live their lives modestly without the fear of sinking. Feels like this inflation isn't as good as it is marketed to be, seeing how out of control it is getting in the US. Increasing wages to keep up with inflation, sure, but where do the two ends meet?

Currently we are experiencing rising consumer prices across the board with more than half the population likely not receiving any sort of raise due to their employment circumstances (temp, part time, contract, etc.). And so we are expected to see more spending in an inflated economy right? Sure, but exactly who is spending more?

We also need to stop using average numbers in Tokyo and expect those numbers to reflect Japan as a whole. Just an hour away and it is already completely different scenario for the average household income/ expenditure. Tokyo can literally be a country on it's own and so using the data in conjunction with somewhere like it's neighboring counterparts is absurd. They need to separate these numbers and then assess whether Japan is capable of handling inflation.

The debit card use for Japan is really low, perhaps because Japanese people use credit cards in the way that the RotW use debit cards.

I do like the rewards benefits of using credit cards here, but they are cleverly designed to keep you using the same platform otherwise the benefits will dial down. Rakuten card is arguably the most popular one here with the ease of applying, rewards just for applying, limit is set pretty high, and the amount of points you can obtain when shopping specifically Rakuten.

I personally use debit cards though as I do not trust myself with credit cards. Luckily Sumitomo offers a new debit card that can build V points which comes in handy when shopping so I'm not missing out on the benefits of credit cards. You can also turn your V points into cash 1:1 so it also acts as a cash-back system.

Average spending by households with two or more people stood at 290,931 yen

does that include rent and utility bills?

The average monthly income of salaried households with at least two people climbed 5.5 percent in real terms to 694,483 yen in July, 

is this before or after tax?

Many good points mentioned here such as hesitancy to travel abroad, insurance companies ripping us off by raising prices for absolutely no reason, and the thought that I may not be able to retire in my home country one day but now I will need to just go with the flow. I will also add things like shopping for products online overseas has been unpleasant. There are still things like deodorant, tooth paste, and other products I use simply because I grew up using them and enjoy them. Now, I am hesitant to pay the extra price and end up using the garbage 8x4 they sell here and it stinks!

Nothing to complain about here. Monthly utility bills not going up is always a plus.

Japanese are obsessed with the idea or image of being super busy. When people continuously/obsessively tell me how busy they are I often reply "thats too bad, you should take some time to relax ".

The blank stares I get in return are priceless. :-)

Being busy, is not always being productive and being a perfectionist is anti productive.

Agreed. It's interesting how often people use their busyness as a measure of importance. I hear about it all the time.

I bet many would just use their excess free time to work a second job.

8:15 a.m. on July 17

I don't understand how one can be so, ahem, horny in the morning when I'm way too groggy and miserable on my train rides to work. What a sick and twisted man. I don't usually condone violence, but I would tell my future daughter to use self defense by ramming her knee to the nutsack region to ensure the perp never breeds. Then she can go to the koban to report on the wheeping man on the floor.

So, can you get married to a nice man in rural Japan whilst telling your boss you'll need to work remotely for a bit, collect your 1,200,000 yen, and move back to Tokyo?

As much as I would rather not waste money on Starbucks anymore, this design and concept of sayonara summer sunset is very nice. Might go try it out.

forced to quit their jobs

That employer was not worth devoting your life to anyways if he forces you to leave over this.

I climbed last Friday-Saturday and I don't understand all the fuss with how "crowded" they are claiming the trail is. It wasn't crowded at all compared to when I climbed Takao in April. Perhaps during peak season? What they are doing currently is enough to stop the over crowdedness so I don't see why they need to do more.

edit: practicality not practically (need an edit button JT)

Just by looking at the photos and seeing the lack of any real practically as many here have mentioned with shade, etc. These seem to be more of a gimmick than an actual place to crack a cold one. Probably take a few insta photos and leave, then head on over to a bar for actual drinking. Takao is another good one as someone mentioned above.

@iron man

thanks for sharing the interesting website! According to windy.com, a new typhoon will form next Wed/ Thu. I can't wait for this typhoon season to end already!

I find them useful for throwing away trash and using the restrooms when travelling. I don't use them daily but I would think they are a useful for escaping the heat during the summer and also sending/ receiving packages. I also like that they have Daiso in some of them so that I can grab some kitchen supplies conveniently.

Interesting, almost like the blue dragon flies you see during the summer. Nature is beautiful!

I don't understand how people intend to cook their stockpiled rice when a mega quake occurs and the power/ water supply is short. It's probably more efficient to just drink the water used to cook the rice and survive with that along with canned foods that don't require cooking. I'm baffled I can't get rice at my local rice market over this.

Give us an alternative then. It's not like we want to dump it in the ocean, perhaps you can take it off our hands then? So you can stop wasting your time with this bickering.

Here in Ishikawa in Noto this summer has been fairly normal like many others here. Temperatures average between 27 and 31 degrees in the day and around 19 to 23 degrees at night. One of the reasons why I love living here other than its natural beauty.

I'm jealous. Sounds like paradise!

People who complain "atttsu" are the same who can't spend a day without saying "sammmu" some 3 or 5 times

The same people who dress like the grim reaper in the summer complaining it's "atsui". Also, wearing expensive overkill full body down coats with 3 layers including heat tech inside complaining it's "samui" when it is 12 degrees outside.

Depends. I haven't gotten around to use one yet but for the most part they seem harmless as compared to say a regular bicycle. I think they are pretty cool if say you live in an area with lots of hills and live far from a train station. Now allowing anyone to use one may be a bit of a stretch because I see some punks using them like maniacs on the streets with no protective gear and causing a nuisance towards traffic. Then again, I see people on bicycles doing the same thing.

great photo! I recall having a yellow bullet train toy as a child and never really got a chance to ride in one.

Was just there yesterday for surfing. Hope everyone is safe, met some really cool people at the surf shop there.

replace the lact ice with mentsuyu and I'm sold. But yeah, I agree with Norm.

I love the 出口 sign next to Kishida lol

Thanks Antiquesaving, yes hydrogen is an interesting one as well, especially with solid-state hydrogen storage being another possibility. I remember learning about hydrogen as a kid and seeing the water come out of the exhaust pipe thinking this was the future.

For now, I want to be able to keep my car for as long as possible and will keep an eye on what the future may hold.