Posted in: Education ministry to change college entrance exam system See in context
Actually it is true, cram schools used to just expect highschool students who are 3rd grades for juken, now they announce it is 'a good news' to them as highschool kids eager to achieve high scores from early stage of the grades, for a couple of more tests for the assessments which reports go to the university. (Actually they've already stated so in the major Japanese newspapers!!) Of course, some students are really concerning these scores as they make the final exist to the higher education. We can't win as the multiple tests with an ordinary scoring system, no interviews, no debate tests, - just multiple choice tests for multiple tests. What do you expect guys. Just hell. They have to think of something. That I've heard of the expected reaction from Japanese. Tests do not do anything good to them.
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Posted in: Education ministry to change college entrance exam system See in context
I must say, it is totally insane. Multiple tests just accelerates their score based hierarchy. It destroys the school education. They already have mid-term tests and term-end tests, 6 times a year. Plus a couple of national exams? No way man, just juku (clam school) industry says horray. They must be over the moon, as they can expect extra income. It spoils their ordinary school life. Spoilers!
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Posted in: 3-year-old girl injured in fall from 5th-floor balcony in Kobe See in context
You know this is just a tip of an iceberg, this country is not just geard up to caring about the child safety. i.e. look at the rear windows of cars; they are automatic and sometimes we can hear the news that poor kids were seriously injured because their necks were trapped between the window and the frame. and like someone told here, Japanese people are not really always supervising children. They are not good at giving diciplines to them neither. Makes me wonder, why there are faily high infants accidents happened in this country... Oh dear..
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Posted in: No. of people dying alone rises in 'no-relationship' society See in context
Urban areas like London could be the same. But, anyway, in Japan, people who are working for the demanding companies are no time to enjoy their private life outside of the office world. absolutely No Time. and No place to go to find the local community to have a chat neighter- there is no place like local pubs in Britain. No social - local community clubs for working people in Japan. People even young generation do not have a chance to see other youths in Japan outside of their workplace. If they have time, guys go to massage parlour or drinking hostess clubs or pachinko parlours to kill time. how unhealthy and how mindnumming. how sad. Not doing baseball like any local football clubs in Britain. No after work. No early evening free time. No weekend. No concecutive holiday. No life. How can people find new love, friendship, joy of life, hobby, in such a state of life. No chance. They are very unlikely to any other country's people. I bet no one in this world really imagine how restricted their life is.
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Posted in: Japan welcomes China becoming world's No. 2 economy See in context
Really? 'welcomes'?
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Posted in: Japan may send chatty humanoid tweet-bot to space station See in context
Haha.:P
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Posted in: Women file suit to keep their surnames after they marry See in context
This subject is one of the most time-wasting topics in japan. Just let people use to choose the name. Including the joint-name. How about using Joint-names in Japan, too then. and yes there is an exception in Japan. Japanese woman who married to other country man can keep her surname as well as put his surname in blacket on her Japanese passport. (Of course she can change her surname totally as well.) So there is already there. So that sounds not already right. because Japanese woman can keep her maiden name which is different from her husband if she is married to the foreigners, but not to Japanese guys. That is really strange. If someone wants to keep maiden names let them do it. There should no be problem at all. Why controvertial? 'Very Japan' thing, maybe?
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Posted in: Japan may send chatty humanoid tweet-bot to space station See in context
Yeah,smithinjapan, I just thought they are actually going to send 'Doraemon' lookalike to appeal 'Japan' to the world. Doraemon is very Japan you see.(I personally think it is much better than sending 'Pillow-Wife' looking robot which seems to release for the press frequently. Oh this 'Pillow-Wife' AKB Japanese girl robot is very 'Japan' too?) Mind if the US do this I bet they actually want to send 'R2-D2'lookalike endorced by Geroge Lucas. Or 'Ronald'of McDonald. How about that.
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Posted in: Tokyo's catnap culture See in context
Surprisingly, I have just heard exactly same comment from the actual senior high school boy in some city near Nagoya. He is an ordinary 17 years kid. and he keeps saying he just wants to leave a classroom and go home, and sleep. He says he always stays in bed, sleeping during weekend. Once we were talking about 'weekend activity' in the classroom. question: 'What is your plan during weekend?' answer is 'Sleeping'. and I said to them 'I am asking your activity. ('Sleeping' is not an option as an 'activity'!)' Even this boy does not intend to go to University in future or nothing. not because of over-studying hard to enter good uni like some typical jap highschool kids do. He is not 'burnt-out' like poor businessman in Japan. He is just basically 'still'. But astonishingly he is not exceptional at highschools. More to say, easier to find this type of kids in the classroom than 'normal, active kids' who are very common in other parts of world. Weird. I really wonder what is going on in Japan.
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Posted in: Six million people could die from HIV and AIDS if U.S. funding stops, UN agency warns
Posted in: Governor puts parts of Russia's Sakhalin on high alert after cargo ship runs aground
What was that about Japan being the one trying to turn the islands into a dump?
Posted in: Governor puts parts of Russia's Sakhalin on high alert after cargo ship runs aground
Posted in: Six million people could die from HIV and AIDS if U.S. funding stops, UN agency warns