Posted in: Japan starts trial sales of over-the-counter 'morning-after' pill See in context
News flash, Japan's birthrate hits a new record low.
-6 ( +2 / -8 )
Posted in: Marriage for many Japanese has become an unaffordable luxury See in context
Japanese seem obsessed with the glory of past. How rich they used to be before their bubble burst. It's like all those people need to die before the narrative can change.
-5 ( +3 / -8 )
Posted in: Japan’s oldest monorail permanently closing next month See in context
Japan has an aging infrastructure and it needs major repair.
45,000 bridges and tunnels are waiting for repairs. The figure represents 60% of the structures cited nationwide for restoration.
As soon as you get out of Tokyo into the suburbs there's lots of "rotting" infrastructure
0 ( +0 / -0 )
Posted in: What habits have you picked up from living in Japan that you sometimes have to try and stop yourself doing when you go overseas because you don't think it will look right? See in context
Avoiding middle-aged white guys.
That's brilliant
1 ( +4 / -3 )
Posted in: Japanese economy shrinks 0.5% in third quarter See in context
These days it's hard to think of Japanese products that are reasonably priced compared to other brands. Japanese electronics appear more expensive than the competition. Their cars are as much as German ones. They seem to have lost their angle.
3 ( +14 / -11 )
Posted in: Kishida says he is determined to lead world toward cooperation, not division See in context
I listened to him speak English and it's not too bad.
-1 ( +5 / -6 )
Posted in: Japan 'on standby' to take all possible steps amid yen decline See in context
Raising interest rates is going to expose all the zombie companies limping along.
3 ( +5 / -2 )
Posted in: Japan 'on standby' to take all possible steps amid yen decline See in context
Tourists say yay, English teachers cry.
3 ( +8 / -5 )
Posted in: Toyota posts record global output, sales in April-Sept period See in context
They don’t sweat it. They’re “too big to fail.”
I think you're right, you can never imagine the headline that Toyota went bankrupt.
As of February 2023, the Japanese car manufacturer Toyota was the company with the highest debt worldwide, amounting to 217 billion U.S. dollars.
Their products are as expensive German ones are in the UK and only make sense if you keep the vehicle for 10 years or something. You can lease an Audi for the same price, which one would you have given that it'll be under warranty the entire time you own it...
If I'm penny pinching I'll have a used Toyota though.
0 ( +0 / -0 )
Posted in: JAL announces int'l fare fuel surcharge for tickets issued between December and January 2024 See in context
An extra 14,000 yen for JA to Europe. Is that per leg, so 28,000 on a return ticket?
-1 ( +0 / -1 )
Posted in: Japan to give $10 million in emergency aid to Gaza Strip civilians See in context
Japan knows a bit about collective punishment
0 ( +3 / -3 )
Posted in: Japan to send SDF plane to Djibouti to evacuate citizens in Israel See in context
This truly is as infinite feud.
0 ( +0 / -0 )
Posted in: Japan quiet on possible yen-buying market intervention See in context
They are throwing good money after good money away. Raise the interest rates and that will resolve part of the problem with the weakness of the yen but until they do that nothing will change.
Won't raising rates highlight all the zombie company's though?
0 ( +1 / -1 )
Posted in: 80 women arrested Jan-Sept in Tokyo's Kabukicho for alleged prostitution See in context
How are you supposed to collect tax revenue for cash in hand business?
2 ( +3 / -1 )
Posted in: New wave of price hikes, tax-related rule changes await Japan in October See in context
I fee for the lower wage earners. Can you imagine being an ALT now for one of the 2 outsource companies who haven’t changed their salaries in years.
Not really. They come to Japan for an experience for a year, it's not a career job. Anyone that goes to university and then goes on to accept a job for $USD 20k needs their head looking at.
-4 ( +5 / -9 )
Posted in: Japan has seen ballooning costs for elderly care with not enough young people to fill jobs and pay for various social and welfare programs. How would you recommend the government deal with this issue? See in context
That's an easy to answer question. It just needs more younger people preferably by more childbirths and the government can do nothing about that, the population has to do that.
Not really, a child conceived today wouldn't be an adult until say 2045, which is kind of too late.
0 ( +0 / -0 )
Posted in: Skilled workers, low-wage earners work second jobs more than others in Japan See in context
Find a partner or spouse and cut your housing expenses in half.
Except if it results in children
2 ( +2 / -0 )
Posted in: Accused of rape, Russell Brand speaks of 'distressing' week See in context
He's slept with 1000+ women, what percentage are unhappy?
-3 ( +4 / -7 )
Posted in: One in 10 Japanese are older than 80: gov't data See in context
Presumably all claiming pensions, must be a massive cost. How Japan doesn't collapse I don't know...
0 ( +3 / -3 )
Posted in: Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Jackman separate after 27 years of marriage See in context
I think he wants a younger model
-1 ( +1 / -2 )
Posted in: Centenarians in Japan hit record 92,139; women account for 88% See in context
Not good for countries finances.
1 ( +3 / -2 )
Posted in: Moving to Japan to work as a taxi, bus or truck driver may be getting easier soon See in context
I think there are many Chinese doing this already, you just might not realise.
1 ( +3 / -2 )
Posted in: Kishida's new cabinet reflects PM's focus on gender, defense See in context
What's the average age?
3 ( +3 / -0 )
Posted in: ‘That ’70s Show' actor Danny Masterson gets 30 years to life in prison for rapes of 2 women See in context
Why not just make him wear ankle bracelet so his movements can be tracked?
30 years in prison should be for murderers only, like Lucy Letby for example.
3 ( +6 / -3 )
Posted in: Toyota to offer Century SUV in bid to win more wealthy customers See in context
It probably costs as much as Rolls Royce so may as well just get a roller. I mean rich people don't need to worry about reliability so much.
0 ( +9 / -9 )
Posted in: Japan gasoline price hits record ¥185.60 per liter See in context
Sure, if you get paid a UK salary in Japan. Everything is cheap then.
Agreed, I barely work 35 hours a week for 8M gross salary. That's part time Japanese hours.
0 ( +0 / -0 )
Posted in: Japanese economic growth for April-June smashes expectations See in context
Impossible to believe that anyone would work for such an appallingly low wage. I don't believe it.
The salary hasn't even changed and people are queuing up to go to Japan.
I actually know some guy who's been there since 2008 earning 3M per annum, working the same job for literally 12+ years.
0 ( +0 / -0 )
Posted in: Japanese economic growth for April-June smashes expectations See in context
Contrast this to the UK where inflation is sky high and the economy is barely growing. Even the population of the UK increased and the GDP didn't increase.
I've not seen the yen at 185 to the pound for a long time. 12 years ago I worked as an English teacher for 3M per year which now seems an incredibly low wage. I understand those salaries haven't changed much since.
3 ( +3 / -0 )
Posted in: Paper exams, chatbot bans: Colleges seek to 'ChatGPT-proof' assignments See in context
Seems like the whole idea of writing essays and handing them in to be read and marked is dead for ever.
How long before authors are feeding all their works into LLMs and producing new works, slapping their name on it and selling it.
University's are like the music industry when Napster came along.
0 ( +0 / -0 )
Posted in: Japan traffic accident deaths up in Jan-June for 1st rise in 10 years See in context
I've always suspected Japanese cars look like the centre of gravity is a bit higher and that they might topple easily.
0 ( +0 / -0 )
Posted in: Russia preparing 'loyalty agreement' requirement for foreigners: TASS
Don’t need AI to be fake at all.
Posted in: Fake AI-generated woman on tech conference agenda leads Microsoft and Amazon execs to drop out
Posted in: High-fat flight is first jetliner to make fossil-fuel-free transatlantic crossing from London to NY