huberts2 comments

Posted in: AirAsia-ANA win approval for budget carrier in Japan See in context

Just be patient. JAL/Jetstar will operate from late 2012 and there may then be competition. You can now buy a Jetstar return ticket from Narita to Manila Yen35,000 ( for some days ), time 5 hours

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Posted in: Woodford to sue Olympus, citing lack of investor support to get his job back See in context

To tokyokawasaki - why do you suppose this? The company is not ( or ought not ) be under the control of the past executives but rather the major shareholders who have real money to lose ( or in this case recover ). I doubt they are fools and have already shown their consideration of the situation by not appointing Woodford ( who has been obviously strongly endeavouring to have himself appointed to the top job - perhaps understandably). This is not the time for sentiment and we should wait and see who does get the job; I shall be most surprised if it goes to someone other than a real "heavy".

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Posted in: Woodford to sue Olympus, citing lack of investor support to get his job back See in context

Woodford did a good job in disclosing the situation. However restructuring the Group as well as dealing with the many issues now facing the company and it's ( genuine ) investors is not within the reported experience of Woodford. As much as the investors have appreciated the uncovering they now want a "heavy" ( legal and financial orientated executive ) to clean up. For this purpose Woodford is too close and too biased ( understandably ); I said this at the beginning of this reporting.

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Posted in: Scandal-hit Olympus sets up panel to examine legality of deals See in context

As I read the posts there are no experts coming forward to give a clear guidnce as to the Japanese law on this situation and my contribution will add little, meaning almost nothing. But on the face of it there has been some evidence of transactions of such significant magnitude (and which even the company suggests need to examined) that to say they at least border on not being genuinely incurred expenditure. As to whether it is the FSA or it's branch being the Japanese SESC responsible to look at this it not clear. There are however many necessities in an investigation including without limitation, access to documents, calling of witnesses, orders to prevent disposal of evidence, requiring evidence under oath etc etc. Any evidence collected will be worthless in a subsequent civil or criminal proceeding. The committee appointed to investigate has no legal powers which might be accepted by a court, not even to require officers and excutives to ( even! ) talk. It has already been shown that the minutes of meetings, and of course only those which were created and still exist, and money movements just emphasise the problem and that is all the committee will see. What is the object of the committee - to confirm the transactions as being "reasonable" or to open up the company and executives to claims of "abuse". Just can't imagine the second. Best of luck.

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Posted in: Australian court ends Qantas strike, fleet grounding See in context

to Mexicano - Qantas is a privately owned company and is well run and one of the few airline companies in the world which paying it's way, domestically. There is no argument that it pays it's employees and pilots better than most. But it competes with airlines from "everywhere" when it comes to international business and those airlines are invariably govt. owned or fully supported by a foreign government - and those foreign airlines run from much cheaper centres than Australia. Qantas has been screwed for months and months by unreasonable unions ( described by the court as such ) and affected by strikes in customs and immigration staff. So what should Qantas do but say enough is enough and stop. As the news reports, this withdrawal to the court for support was the right course to take. There will be those passengers who complain ( fairly so ) but the blame shouldn't be with Qantas but with "you know who". If you have "travelled", meaning if you have been around for a few years, you will know that there are more often complaints with other airlines than Qantas. Try to find a perfect airline in the difficult business today and you will find Qantas on a higher level than most.

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Posted in: Sony unveils new, lighter e-readers See in context

The advertisement depicts Japanese characters. 3 weeks ago I checked the Sony ereader at BIC Camera and had it confirmed that the then reader was limited to one language format, English; that is roman characters. With the new Sony can I now download Japanese? Can anyone tell me whether the new ereader Kindle can also now handle Japanese?

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Posted in: 6 Japanese freight forwarding companies agree to plead guilty to price fixing in U.S. See in context

This conspiracy has been exposed because of the strict laws imposed in the USA for this commercial "fraud" . Now for this activity, price fixing "fraud', restrictive trade practice, where is the effective law and supervision within Japan itself?

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Posted in: Why are Tokyo cabbies so clueless? See in context

To answer Zenny - I didn't claim that the system is hard to understand, for as you say even a tourist can master it. But that is not the issue . The issue is applying that knowledge. Haven't you ever having found 1 chome walked 100's metres to find 3 chome. And as wikipedia suggests "usually" so nothing is constant, there is little routine.

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Posted in: Why are Tokyo cabbies so clueless? See in context

Hang on you critics, for residents of Japan know that addresses are not quite "15 Smith Street Woop Woop" which almost any fool can find. But for the uninformed the town boundary is never clearly determined, each part is divided again into "chome", "ban" and then further divided into "go", "go" being the building number. The divisions seem to have no logic about them and a place is best located by looking out for notices on telegraph poles which may tell you the chome and ban. Having found such a pole then one has to find the "go". Best to always ask a local, yes, even out of the taxi window. If you wish to get to Tokyo Station everyone knows, of course, but if it is some piddling little building stuck up a back one way street dont expect too much from a taxi driver. It is time for Japan to change it's address system. On a slightly different note - I had the opportunity to visit a friend in Glasgow whose address was given as, lets say "White" in Smith Street. 'White' was the name of the friends building and no numbers for anyone in that street so a stranger hads to wander up and down the whole length of the place until the label "White" was found. Not convenient for me nor a taxi.

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Posted in: Somali pirates capture supertanker with $150 mil worth of oil See in context

You ask what is being done? I travelled this route just a couple of weeks ago on a substantial ship, a UK ship. Before entering the danger area we where boarded by an RN serviceman, not to protect us but to give guidance as how to behave if -. As an example, all lights out at night, stay away from windows if the occasion occurs ( get into safe steel corridors ). The attitude of the pirates were explained. We followed in a convey and daily we spotted a warship from one or another navies and their helicopters sometimes flew over. Many navies are present - European, Asian ( including Japan, I'm told )and Australian. In one paricular convey of tankers and other ships, sailing at convey speed, that is at the speed of the slowest, were guarded by Navy ships from Malaysia and China. We were told of the instance where a small craft could not be rescued by reason that the pirates had taken a large ship out of port and driven it to ram a naval vessel. It is further surprising to see passenger ships and cargo ships with barb wire surrounding the stern. Our ship had equipment ready by way of fire hoses to offer some form of protest and the seaman drilled at this as well as keeping watch at night. Every ship in the area, which is apparently getting wider, is aware of the dangers and a fear of not getting through is real. It is an earnest problem and being tackled as best as one can see.

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Posted in: Hot properties See in context

Multiplex Living apartments will not be a good investment, in my opinion. If you have experience in living in Australia and you see the placement of their sites ( as we say, out in the bush ) and the size, or lack of it in the apartments, you will appreciate this fact. As for new developments, that is unused properties, if they are "developer preapproved developments" , then non-residents of Australia may buy. But otherwise non-residents cannot get approval ( application necessary but never approved )to buy residential property. I reckon that is as much to protect non-residents who are "sold" on the idea of riches in Australian property as much as to protect the local market from those from abroad who may be prepared to buy for speculative or family purposes ( eg to try and get residency ). Buying real estate in a foreign country, and no less Australia, is clearly a case of caveat emptor - buyer beware

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Posted in: New language learning tool, Japanese Flash, launches on App Store See in context

I was hoping to download this, for use on my laptop. Please tell me that I can?

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Posted in: Obama's bow to emperor causes outrage in Washington See in context

The place of meeting is relevant. The emperor is the Emperor of Japan and they met there. Should the emperor meet Obama in the US he would give respect to the President of the US. Notwithstanding, Obama did bend just a bit low.

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Posted in: Saitama police launch new unit to prevent groping on trains See in context

Uh-uh, I think I've slipped, sorry. The officer showed the young lady her, that is the officers, phone?

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Posted in: Saitama police launch new unit to prevent groping on trains See in context

Yes a good catch - but was it a set-up? The officer knew the young lady's phone number?

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Posted in: Older men up in arms over slovenly female behavior See in context

This story reminded me an article written by Sakai Junko, an essayist who has written often, and well, with an observant eye on, amongst other things, social behaviour and public manners in Japan. In an excellent Japanese language tutor, Read Real Japanese, she wrote about young female behaviour, especially in relation to the application of makeup in trains. Now if you are "in" to studying Japanese, with a little humour, this book and the article is worth acquiring and reading. Part of the article can be read at http://randomkobe.cocolog-nifty.com/center/2007/11/post_e183.html

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Posted in: Crocodile suspected of killing Australian girl See in context

To skipthesong and cleo a message, including a reminder that living in Lambells Lagoon NT Australia is probably quite unlike anything that you have imagined. It's way out there and when it is so described in Australia I can assure you that to town or city folk, as you may be, it is so far in the bush as to unimaginable. And how do you stop kids who want to, and do, swim where it is very pleasant after the flood rains ( which is how the croc. possibly got there). An impossible thought to put a sign on every creek "don't swim" sign when there may be thousands of swim spots in their millions of hectares of total bush. Think of Crocodile Dundee. Try to read - http://www.smh.com.au/national/human-remains-found-after-croc-attack-20090316-8z2p.html

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Posted in: NTT Communications encrypts PC hard disks fast and completely See in context

When it comes to this subject I am in 'fairy-land' but I am sure someone out there will teach me by correcting my pathetic response to this news. If you twist my arm hard enough I shall give you my password and you can read my stored mail and ' the national secrets' I am carrying in the hard drive. Now I display my ignorance - should I resist and not allow you entry to my computer, by withholding that password, or by not giving you my finger for the scanner, I presume that you could not directly use my computer but if you remove my hard drive it may be installed in and read by a host PC. The next ignorance appears when I suggest that this new NTT encyption programme in fact encrypts what is on my hard drive so that it cannot be read by any means without the dedicated USB. OK, let's have it!?

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Posted in: Microsoft issuing emergency fix for browser flaw See in context

What are the symptoms of this 'virus'? Is it obvious to a PC owner? Does the new 'fix', in fact fix the virus or just prevent it from occurring again? Were the commercial anti-virus programmes, eg Symantec effective or not against the virus? I have read the announcement by Microsoft about this fix but none of the above questions were answered. Any advice out there?

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Posted in: Sanyo electric bike can recharge itself as it goes See in context

Yes congrats to Sanyo. However the price is terrible - it is possible to buy a fair battery (only ) bike for about 60,000 yen and since the users are generally mum with kids, or grandmother, I wonder whether they will step up to double the price. I guess the meaning of that bike as a combination of EN(ergy)LOOP but that name is pronounced, for the uniniated, as E NE RU-PU - a mouthful for the foreigner.

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Posted in: Obama, McCain react cautiously to financial rescue plan See in context

The news item is about the financial plan proposed and the attitude of the contestants to that. This is not to be a 79 blog history of I like Democrats/Republicans. If the readers want that tell them to go to Washington Post or NY Times.

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Posted in: Japan's banks have $3 bil in Lehman debt See in context

Please let us have a better description of the relationship with Lehman, other than "loans".Doubtless the association is substantially in default credit swaps or some such other "sophisticated" financial paper transaction and therefore less secured, and more risky, than a straight loan 'secured'. Let's hear from the banks directly and honestly.

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Posted in: Man arrested after taking mother hostage in Tokyo See in context

Gosh if did something like that to my mother, she'd kill me, certainly never speak to me again

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Posted in: Escape the tourist mobs among Kyoto's hidden palaces See in context

Sorry, a mistake in my reply - "I have lived in both Osaka and KANAZAWA " - fourth line error, not KYOTO

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Posted in: Escape the tourist mobs among Kyoto's hidden palaces See in context

I am surprised that anyone should say Kyoto is boring. Of course if one just wanders around enough eveything becomes familiar but that is just the 'tourist' attitude - seen it once, don't need to see it again. But the intelligent observer asks, 'why is it so', or please tell me the history ( so that I can study it for myself to open my eyes. I have lived in both Osaka and Kyoto and been around Kyoto many times and find it ( like many other cities in Japan ) absorbing. There is much modern, eg the rail station, and obviously old, and many hidden 'objects' to be discovered - learn about them. ( No, don't say 'just a railway station' - look again at the architecture and engineering and practical features of that place - outstanding. Compare it with your local station, eh? ) Spend a an hour or two at the Lake Biwa Canal Museum, and then get onto the internet, to find something of the more recent, non-temple, history of Kyoto. As for the garden at Katsura, which I admit not having seen. Kanazawa garden is a delight, without the crowds, but the best in Japan, and not rated by me, is the Adachi Museum ( not in Kyoto )Garden. Click on here for a free view -http://www.adachi-museum.or.jp/ja/garden.html

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Posted in: Ayako Kawahara waiting for Mr Right with a diamond ring See in context

Now if there was a comma (,) after 'Right' I would think quite seriously about making a phone call

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Posted in: Palin mocks Obama as McCain claims nomination See in context

what you can say about the speech is that is "was a very good delivery". She didn't write it - it was firstly written weeks ago for a 'man' and had to be rewritten for the 'woman'. It has taken a week continuously, if you believe Washington Post et al of professional writers to construct it and now doubt hours and hours of practice before adjudicators to get the effects right. If you want to see her quality it has be to done in a an unrehearst setting/debate preferably with Obama. It was a political speech, please don't forget, which all the efforts of her Party put together.

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Posted in: Microsoft's newest browser may block ads See in context

Well all that above is hypothetical, and I am too sensitive to try this IE8 without someone, who has used it,telling me how it really is. Anyone out there?

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Posted in: Book retailer Yohan goes bust See in context

This not a 'free' advertisement -- but I find Amazon unbeatable. It's prices are the best, that is the cheapest, delivery is quick and payment arrangements efficient. And the variety of goods, not just books, available is considerable. When I am not in Japan I also use Amazon UK and Amazon US and I find their books well priced beating, for example, Australian prices even after freight and currency changes (excepting the time delay in delivery ). From Amazon US new books come available much earlier than the rest of the world. Notwithstanding Amazon, I have often found that Yohan and other Japanese sellers often provide cheap, and cheaply printed, English language novels which is OK for me particularly if I am eventually going to lose the book down the drainhole in the bath.

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Posted in: Idemitsu starts greenery business See in context

greenery business -

Japan Today -Is this your definition of news? Note there are no replies so the interest is obviously low. If there is a story behind this why not add it, or a bit of it, or a reference to where one might find some detail. Or have you just plucked a headline from another publication. You can do better than this

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