Argo60 comments

Wouldn't online learning be a factor in this trend also?

China, please just shut up for once. Not everything done in Asia is related to you.

Perhaps with the exchange rate making 100,000 yen technically $880, it actually is more like $1,000 in nuance. For families with child dependents, an extra 100,000 yen does help and goes a long way to make ends meet for those of us struggling to stay afloat. The coupons, on the other hand, were meant to stop people from keeping that cash when Japanese people tend to save things more than use it. Too much saving/hoarding doesn't help with the economy.

After reading China's defense for the defense, I'm inclinded to think it's an offensive defense. Or is it a defensive offense...?

Or an offensive offense?

Meh. We all can see through China's fence. They can't really hide anything these days.

Correction China: SOME NATO countries have bases all over the world. I'll believe you when we finally see the dangerous country of Latvia or the despotic Montenegro building, say, islands near certain South East Asian countries....

Oh... wait...

Literally all other viruses: Hey, new guy! Yeah, COVID! Wanna come out with us tonight? We're going izakaya hopping!

Covid: Naw, sorry guys. I can't be out later than 8pm.

Flu A: Awww, sorry dude. That seriously sucks.

Hep: But, hey, no worries! How about this weekend? We're thinking of hitting up some public spots, you know, infecting. Fun, no?

.

.

.

Covid: Yeah. Um, no... can't. Not allowed out on weekends either.

Wow. Many people here taking an article of another article from Spa! - basically a tabloid magazine - as the biblical truth as to what is going on here. Loads of sensationalism and single unsubstantiated citations, etc., take to be a picture of what is going on in Japan. 'We gotta change society now! What is this world coming to?!' Utter nonsense.

Also, it seems many of you don't actually have kids and say things like 'parents should be taking care of kids with all the love, warmth, blah blah blah'. LOL As if parents don't do it already. When you have to put your children in daycares/kindergartens/preschools, then you have every right to comment. Most of what you say is baseless, without experience, and just plain silly. Parents have no choice but to work and put their kids in a proper care facility. Sure there are bad apples out there, but if the whole tree is full of good ones, why must you chop it down? Get a grip.

The childcare professionals from different facilities that I know personally, and from experience because my two boys being enrolled in one at different times, are just that: professional. They in fact, seem to do MORE for their job than any other care professionals that I know of - and yet get paid peanuts.

Honestly folks, if you believe anything that crapola that is spewed by the likes of Spa!, then YOU are the sheeple.

@kamejima47,

I teach my students the same thing. However on the other hand, people from the US actually call themselves American, whereas Canadians and Mexicans do not. People in the States also say 'America' about their own country, and comedians and others lovingly say 'This is Murrica', etc.

So really, instead of splitting hairs, we should add caveats.

We've stayed in the Aso Farmland version of something like this a few times throughout the years. It's a fun place to stay and take the family if you are ever in Kyushu... Though you may not want to go just yet seeing as Mt Aso is spewing obscenities, i.e., ash and smoke ;) Check it out and click on the 'stay' button: http://www.asofarmland.co.jp/

@Strategist, unfortunately, it isn't new. It has always been around and women have always been hounded not only in Japan, but also all around the world since the beginning of time. Nowadays, thanks to the advent of internet news, we hear more about it. Many of my older Japanese female acquaintances basically say that there isn't anything new under the sun (men constantly attacking women), except the fact that women here finally (though sadly, very limitedly) can speak up and be heard and perhaps receive (though sorely lacking) help from by-standers and it seems at times, begrudgingly from authorities. This is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of reporting, and Japan surely has much more criminal acts going on on a daily basis - many of which are sex crimes (mainly against women).

Funny how everyone says the same thing about the quality of the 'wine' and that the French 'are laughing all the way to the bank' (something I said last year too and was moderated for). It just goes to show that most people have the same idea - year in, year out. And YET, the stuff is still bought here in thousands of litres. Just goes to show:

Trick me once, shame on you.

Trick me twice, shame on me . . .

Trick me every year, I have no shame (or taste)

Wonder what the breakup of the numbers would show us, i.e., age brackets and specific days. This time of year is when many schools have their sport's days and I wonder how many young people succumbed to the heat.

I too, live in Fukuoka. I have lived both in the 'countryside' and am living in the city itself. From experience I too, agree that Fukuoka drivers are perhaps the worst in all of Japan (since I both drive and cycle here) - and that is proven yearly by the statistics that state Fukuoka is one of the worst prefectures for driving related accidents and law-breaking. I feel that this (the silly paint in the road) will just be a novelty that will wear off and drivers will continue to drive recklessly.

I have said for years to people in the driving schools and licensing centers that speed bumps are the only way to curb (no pun intended) speeding and bad driving here. I have asked our local neighborhood rep to ask the ward council when they meet to please consider putting speed bumps in our residential zone. If the amount of available police is sorely lacking, at least provide funds to install these bumps or traffic cams.

At times I wish I had spike-strips to lay across the road...

Yeah, as mentioned, it's like Harvey's - a better burger joint in Canada. Whenever I go back, I always make sure to get some. Also, Harvey's has poutine, a good old French Canadian heart-stopper.

One of the collectors came to our door a couple of years back. We told him we were busy - and we were since our child was having a bath and wasn't in the best of moods. My wife told him in the nicest of ways that we couldn't come to the door via intercom at the front door. But he just stood there without leaving. I went about 5 minutes later to tell him that we were busy and that we didn't have time to talk with him. As soon as I opened the door he went into a frenzy asking why we didn't pay - in about 3 different ways. I calmly told him again, that sorry, we are busy at the moment (and he could hear our child crying in the background). As I was closing the door, he grabbed it and yanked it open, putting his foot and leg in the door. That made me snap, and I shoved him out of our front door. He made a move to open the door again, all the while asking why we weren't paying. I said in Japanese through gritted teeth: "Try opening the door again...one...more...time." Needless to say, he left. And we haven't had an NHK person come to the door in years.

I would've believed Jean Bourjade of the Beaujolais trade board if he had said: "This year, with the primeur (early release) wines - as with every year's vintage - we have achieved all the characteristics we make every year. That is, dull, boring and fresh with lots of water."

As my French acquaintance said here in Japan: 'The Japanese are being fleeced. Only students and the poor drink this stuff back home.' At 2400yen/bottle, they are paying for water with a dash of food colouring and a wee bit of alcohol and France is laughing all the way to the bank.

The prices and simple styles are why many foreigners like myself shop at UNIQLO in Japan. Unfortunately, for myself, the styles and colours have become effeminate in the mens' fashions. It's hard to find many mens' items of clothing in non-pastel colours or patterns - perhaps what the Japanese male looks for. Needless to say, the sizes are still not in line with European body types, i.e., longer limbs, wider girths, broader shoulders, etc., and if UNIQLO doesn't tailor it's clothing sizes to match European bodies, they may not find much business in Germany.

@Frungy

Learn to read. The astrophysicist doesn't suggest back to front.

Perhaps you could take your own advice. I never said he said that. But I can understand how you could take it to mean that I was referring to him since my comment jumped toward what the Mythbusters had found.

Next time I'll make more of an effort to appease. The article did say:

Most airlines allow first-class and other elite customers to board first. After that, some fill the rear rows first and work toward the front.

... to which, I was referring to.

I take it that said astrophysicist didn't watch the episode of Myth Busters that was devoted to finding the best pattern for boarding back in Sept. 2012. Boarding back to front was proven to be the slowest method. http://mythbustersresults.com/airplane-boarding

Calculations aren't always as good as real in situ experiments - the kinds Myth Busters do.

Needless to say, Hollywood has been running out of ideas for years. The large movie studios who make these blockbusters only think about money these days - that's their bottom line. That being said, it's not just Hollywood, but here in Japan reboots and retellings happen all the time. (Research 'GUNDAM')

However, to play the Devil's advocate, this reboot of the Spider-Man franchise has as one of its aims to tell the Spider-Man story the way it was meant to be - going back to a few things that were core to the setting, story, and character. One being that Peter Parker was in fact, a loner high school genius who rivaled characters like Tony Stark and others. Another being that his web spinners were originally mechanical with chemically derived webs that would run out from time to time - that happened a lot in the comics and Spidey would get into many sticky situations (pardon the pun) when he couldn't websling. And central to the core of the character, when donning the suit, Spidey became a "wise-@$$" and had great one-liners.

As for other super hero movies, why not? There are many characters that would do well on the screen. In today's day and age, movie technology is at the point where many of these characters can be shown as realistically as possible, and not relying on hand-drawn animation.

I, and others enjoy being entertained when going to a movie theater. I don't want to see so-called 'human dramas' or 'love/romance' on big screens. I like to see loud, explosive movies with great visual effects. If I wanted to watch other genres, I would do it at home. Super hero movies offer great effects, usually.

Well, one can have a different perspective or opinion, and still be wrong. Facts are what are important and are not subject to feelings, perspectives, or opinions. Fact: The IOC, after conducting a poll finds that 47% of respondents support the second bid. As for Tokyo officials, 65%. Neither come close to the levels for the other candidate cities (both 78% and 73%) Fact: Whatever the outcome, the cities who bid for the Olympics lose the money they bid whether they win it or not. For Tokyo, if it loses, it will lose a large amount of money yet again. That money could have been used for other more important and pressing issues. Fact: Most host countries experience a negative impact on their economies after the games. Fact: Ishihara is an idiot.

Um, realistically, why should the Japanese cheer for any other team than Japan? Saying that one can hear a pin drop when the other team scores is really, a moot point. Perhaps if the visiting countries' fans were to travel to Japan to actually watch and cheer on their team, it would naturally be a different ball game (excuse the pun). That being said, I have been to many international volleyball tourneys here in Japan, and at times there ARE in fact other cheering sections. And yes, Japan does have its fair share of volleyball tournaments, but so do other countries - we just don't hear about it much because the games aren't usually on Japanese tv.