Posted in: Major Japanese firms to log record profits for 4th straight year on rate hikes See in context
This is depressing and disheartening to see, but the biggest problem in Japan isn't the stagnant wages, it's the high taxes.
-5 ( +3 / -8 )
Posted in: Senior Taliban officials make 1st known visit to Japan since takeover See in context
I'veSeenFootageToday 10:03 am JST
obviously not without problems, where would be better ?
Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, Iceland, Norway, Austria, Netherlands, New Zealand, Canada...
I've seen footage, Japan is a paradise for women, great pay opportunities, female healthcare, super safe streets, comfy life where they can have fun going to cute cafes and shopping.
Japan being "hard for women" is honestly an outdated stereotype.
And if I recall, in Sweden, sexual assaults carried out against women are skyrocketing.. hmm
2 ( +8 / -6 )
Posted in: White House revokes spending freeze in face of legal challenges See in context
Based on publicly available data, the cumulative total of U.S. humanitarian aid to Gaza and the West Bank since 2020 is as follows:
October 2023: $100 million
June 2024: $404 million
September 2024: $336 million
Total: $840 million
Among these, there have been millions spent on contraceptives, so whether the claim of 50m on condoms is true or not, it is factual that some was spent on contraceptives. Either way, the Biden administration pissed away billions of US taxpayer money like he was playing Monopoly.
I'm glad the new administration is cutting the fat from government spending.
Source: https://www.usaid.gov/
-4 ( +1 / -5 )
Posted in: Japan #MeToo survivor says media failing to report sexual assault cases properly See in context
Tokyo GuyJan. 29 05:45 pm JST
Japan ranks 118 out of 146 on the gender equality index.
While it's an advanced country in many ways, it would hardly be unfair to say that it's a country with an attitude to women that's severely outdated.
The gender equality index is a pretty lazy measure that doesn't really tell you anything about gender dynamics.
Two things that Japan supposedly ranks lowest on is the wage gap (this is a misnomer, the correct term is income gap) and participation in High-ranking or political decisions.
While Japan has a lot of work to do when it comes to getting women into positions of political power, it is the income gap is a pretty lazy statistic.
It does not take into account that women choose to:
-work less lucrative professions than men
-work less hours than men
-work flexible part-time positions more than men
-take more time off work than men
-leave work to raise family more often than men
-not negotiate higher salaries as often as men do
-not pursue post-graduate degrees at the same rate as men
The gender equality index is a very lazy statistic, so keep that in mind.
-3 ( +1 / -4 )
Posted in: Trump starts firing opponents, faces criticism in cathedral sermon See in context
There is so much to unpack here, where do we even get started...
President Donald Trump announced plans to fire some 1,000 opponents from the U.S. government
As he should. There is a ton of administrative bloat in the federal government, and cutting the fat would be a great start.
I ask you to have mercy, Mr President," the bishop said softly, evoking the "fear" that she said is felt across the country. "There are gay and lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families.
None of Trump's policies have put LGBT folks in harm's way. None of these policies infringe upon their rights to safety and freedom. No one wants to persecute or harm LGBT individuals, so this statement from a fake bishop is pretty rich. Let's not forget that the traditional Jewish/Christian doctrine strongly condemns homosexuality:
Leviticus 18:22 ~ You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.
Leviticus 20:13 ~ If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
Jude 1:7 ~ Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
Romans 1:26-28 ~ For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
The people who pick our farms and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals -- they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation," she said.
So, basically admitting that we need to keep illegal immigrants as low-wage indentured servants to do the jobs people don't like. A pretty nasty insinuation.
"But the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals."
Entering the US illegally without documentation (permission from the government) is a federal crime. So they are by definition, criminals. Just because they are not violent criminals does not absolve them from their crimes. Just because they have children after coming to America, it does not absolve them of their crimes.
-11 ( +3 / -14 )
Posted in: Man arrested for burying mother's body in Nara cemetery See in context
DaisakuToday 10:01 am JST
Local authorities will provide a cremation for about ¥20,000.
A 20,000 yen that a pensioner may not be able to afford.
3 ( +5 / -2 )
Posted in: McDonald's feast with Trump undercuts RFK Jr's health pledge See in context
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's pick for health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, has been pictured sharing a McDonald's meal with his future boss, days after they promised to "make America healthy again."
And therefore..... what? Does that invalidate the need to improve the health of Americans? American food industries have been poisoning consumers for decades and everyone knows it's a problem. I'm grateful that the republican party is actually willing to tackle this problem.
0 ( +3 / -3 )
Posted in: With Trump's win, some women wonder: Will U.S. ever see a female president? See in context
Some female voters on Wednesday mourned the missed opportunity to send a woman to the Oval Office and wondered when, if ever, it might happen.
“I am just aghast,” said Precious Brady-Davis, a Black transgender woman who’d just won a two-year term on a Chicago-area water management board — but her joy in that was tempered. “I am disappointed in my fellow Americans that, once again, we did not elect a qualified woman to the presidency.”
Why is the first quote from "women" a male? This wokeness is one big reason why the democratic party lost this election. The vote for Trump in 2024 was a vote to return to COMMON SENSE and NORMALITY.
"Will we ever see a woman president?" Well for one, democrats can't even define what a woman is, and according to transgender ideology, there is no difference between men and women...
but yeah if you have an intelligent and educated woman with good policies and is qualified for the position, then yeah we will see a female president one day. Many men, including myself, would love to vote for someone strong, based, and logical like Megyn Kelly if she were running.
-1 ( +3 / -4 )
Posted in: PlayStation 5 Pro goes on sale, but will gamers pay hefty price to play? See in context
120,000 yen for a console is absolutely bonkers. People in the US will be paying $699.99 for the console. Because of the exchange rate, Sony America buys the consoles from Sony Japan, and the price is effectively lower for American consumers which is a tough pill to swallow for someone who gets paid in yen.
That's like charging $1,200 for a gaming console. People in Japan DEFINITELY can't afford the new PlayStation.
1 ( +2 / -1 )
Posted in: Toyota and Joby complete first air taxi flight in Japan See in context
But why though? Where is the demand? This is a complete and utter waste of funds. Large Japanese companies should be pouring their R&D resources into automation and AI, starting with the trucking sector. This is the only way to save Japan from a population collapse...
-2 ( +3 / -5 )
Posted in: No Halloween See in context
These signs are hilarious. The third one says "In Shibuya, there is NO culture of drinking while in the streets"....
Well, there is if thousands of people do it on Halloween every year. Even when it is not Halloween there are probably people drinking on the sidewalk.
Instead of trying to crush the event, they should figure out how to monetize it and spend that money on cleaning services.
3 ( +8 / -5 )
Posted in: Japan slow to cater for vegetarians despite growing demand See in context
Kind of strange to demand an entire country change their food culture to suit the tastes of a very niche group of people with self-imposed dietary restrictions.
Since I am big into the gym, I guess it would make sense to demand every restaurant carry protein bars for my post-workout snack???
10 ( +18 / -8 )
Posted in: Women's wages 70-80% of men's in Japan as gender gap remains See in context
The earnings/income gap (not the wage gap) is almost entirely due to women working lesser-paid jobs and working fewer hours in general.
Women choose lower-paying professions/positions such as nursing, hair stylist, nailist, cashier, housewife, and so on. This aligns with their interests and also gives them the flexibility to take time off and take care of kids, which is not a strange thing for a woman to do.
Men choose higher paying professions/ positions such as engineering, doctors, lawyers, politicians, corporate work, and so on. Since men can't birth children, it makes more sense for them to focus on bringing home a larger income to be able to support a family. This is normal.
Higher-paid professions tend to be highly specialized and scaleable (meaning you can serve more people and gain more revenue in a shorter time).
The key is that women choose to make less money, which is alright. I am not really sure why they keep pumping out this same article multiple times a year that implies "Women earn 70 percent of what men do for the same job because the workplace is sexist!" That is not what is being measured here.
4 ( +7 / -3 )
Posted in: Japanese government plans to pay women who move out of Tokyo to get married ¥600,000 See in context
The problem is because there are too many companies and well-paying jobs in Tokyo... People move there because that is where the work is...
The solution to the problem would be to incentivize companies to move into smaller cities in areas like Nagoya, Himeji, Ibaraki, Gunma, etc.
Incentivize these companies with tax breaks and or tax penalties. People will go where there is work.... if that's the case then MOVE where the work is..
14 ( +14 / -0 )
Posted in: 14 Tokyo high schoolers taken to hospital after eating spicy chips See in context
I feel bad for the kids, but the Japanese people are well-known for being unable to eat spicy foods as hot peppers were not native to Japan and not part of the local cuisine.
It is sad that most restaurants will advertise "Geki kara!" but the food is not spicy. When Japanese people come into contact with REAL spicy food, they cannot tell the difference between Japanese "Super spicy!"(not spicy) and foods that are spicy.
4 ( +8 / -4 )
Posted in: Japan plans to require more firms to disclose gender pay gap data See in context
The wage disparity between the sexes in Japan is believed to be due to fewer women in senior positions and men tending to work longer hours than women.
Yeah... and the fact that women tend to choose lower-paying professions out of their OWN FREE WILL such as being estheticians, nailists, make-up artists, store clerks, nurses, and so on and so on, whereas men will choose higher-paying professions out of their OWN FREE WILL such as being a doctor, lawyer, programmer, IT consultant, and so on. Very rarely will you have cutesy Japanese girls saying they want to be programmers or lawyers.
1 ( +4 / -3 )
Posted in: Will Japanese women be able to keep their maiden names after marriage? See in context
The rights gap between men and women in Japan is among the world’s largest with Japan ranking 125th in a 146-nation survey by the World Economic Forum for 2023.
What a useless plug of a feminist agenda. The survey measures economy, health, education, and political participation to determine equality. Women are completely equal to men when it comes to health and education but still lag in '' economic participation '' and ''political participation''.
While I agree that more qualified women should be involved in political positions of power, ''low economic participation'' is such a strawman because women are the only ones who can give birth, and they tend to take time off work to stay home and take care of the children, so no Sh't they are going to have lower economic participation.
Not to mention that women in Japan (and around the world) often choose lower-paying jobs out of their OWN FREE WILL. Stop with the narrative that all women in Japan are beat down and oppressed.
2 ( +5 / -3 )
Posted in: Japan weighs incentivizing childbirth by fully covering expenses See in context
MoskolloToday 09:40 am JST
kishida and co really are barking up the wrong tree. You have to focus on helping people AFTER they give birth, it all seems to be about before, parents need help throughout the process. How about lower tax levels for families or payments that actually can help with daily life?
¥10k per child per month is not going to pay for more than a few days. Stop focusing on those who don’t have children only..
That sounds like a plan for disaster. What you essentially want is for the taxpayer to fully subsidize a child's life from age 0-18. Just how much do you think that would cost in taxes?
I agree with 100% subsidizing the cost of childbirth, but after that, the family should be in charge of paying for the child, not the taxpayer. Having the funds to do that falls under the responsibility of the parents.
A better way would be to restructure the welfare system and lower taxes so that even single and childless people are able to save up to have enough for the family.
The problem starts with people in their early 20s getting overworked and getting paid meager wages (less than 240,000/mo). They don't have the time or the money to start a family. The problem doesn't start with a couple that has already gotten married and is ready for children.
Instead of basically giving a UBI only to mothers, there should be a UBI given out to everyone in society equally so they can use it how they see fit (Healthcare expenses, childrearing, dates, weddings, tuition fees, purchasing a home for the family, etc)
3 ( +3 / -0 )
Posted in: Japan eyes upgrade of 16 airports, ports for possible defense use See in context
What an absolute waste of taxpayer money. Spending billions preparing for a war that will never happen. Even if such a war did happen, Japan has the option of relying on the US or ceding a few worthless rocky islands to the attacker.
IMO the government should be doing everything in its power to fund projects that lead to lower prices and sustainability so that people will want to start having kids. People need to be able to actually utilize services that their tax dollars are going towards.
Examples are desalination plants, solar farms, nuclear power plants, hydroelectric plants, automation in warehouses, automated shipping services, automated grocery services, and so on and so on.
Imagine if the government put as much funding into public services that people could ACTUALLY use. Imagine if your electric and water bills were 0 yen and your grocery bills were slashed by 30% due to AI-driven supply trucks. People would actually start having babies again.
-4 ( +6 / -10 )
Posted in: Man arrested for third time after assaulting teenage girlfriend See in context
The title and wording in the article is so weird. "Teenage girlfriend"? "Late teens"? So.... she was 18 or 19, aka a university student.
Why is the writer using wording that makes it seem like a dude in his 20s is dating a 14 year old?
2 ( +4 / -2 )
Posted in: Japan court approves transgender man's request for legal recognition without needing surgery See in context
girl_in_tokyoToday 11:08 am JST
Jordan Peterson has gone off the rails and was fired from his cushy uni position for his extreme right-wing views that are not in line with current scientific understanding of transgenderism.
In other words, his comments are from his personal point of view and are not based on research. So let's be clear: he is, in fact, by definition, a bigot because he is speaking from personal prejudice.
That sounds lovely and inclusive on paper.. until you realize "the current scientific understanding of transgenderism" means absolutely nothing since it is a bunch of crackpots spouting nonsense that does not line up with reality.
The "current transgenderism scientists" often make claims such as "men can get pregnant, men and women are the same, men can become women and women can become men." All of these are physically impossible, so what is the point of trying to invoke the "current understanding of transgenderism"? As if THAT has any credibility.
3 ( +8 / -5 )
Posted in: Japan’s biggest dating app says young people not interested in romance; creates AI girlfriend app See in context
Just tossing this out there, but one of the reasons why there is probably a decline of young guys on Japanese dating apps is because the apps charge men a lot of money while women are able to use it for free.
Pairs costs around 4,000-5,000 yen/mo for a basic membership with a likes package.
Factor that in with the costs for dates, and you have a big factor in the decline in young males wanting to date.
0 ( +5 / -5 )
Posted in: Japan automakers tap foreign models to drive sales of recreational cars See in context
Jay Today 10:04 am JST
Macho macho man, I want to be a macho man
Better to be a warrior in a garden (driving a truck) than a gardener in a war ... driving an underpowered "eco" car.
What are you on about mate? Eco cars are great! the only downside is that they won't score you many points with the ladies.
-3 ( +2 / -5 )
Posted in: Japan signs agreement to purchase 400 Tomahawk missiles from U.S. See in context
Japan signs agreement to waste $2.4B in taxpayer money.
There, fixed the title for ya!
-7 ( +8 / -15 )
Posted in: Cabinet OKs record ¥7.95 trillion defense budget for 2024 to accelerate strike capability See in context
deanzaZZRDec. 23 08:49 am JST
Currency translator shows 7.95 trillion yen equals $55.8 billion up a few billion compared to a few years ago. Yippie.
No, even worse. Because 100 yen in Japan more or less spends like 1$ in America, so 7.95 trillion yen is like Japan spending 79 billion dollars ($79,500,000,000)
0 ( +0 / -0 )
Posted in: Nearly half of young Japanese men in survey have never had a girlfriend; zero-boyfriend women rise too See in context
● Men in 20s
Currently have a girlfriend: 26.7 percent (down 12.2 percent compared to 2021)
Have never had a girlfriend: 46 percent (up 11.8 percent)
● Women in 20s
Currently have a boyfriend: 43.2 percent (up 0.2 percent)
Have never had a boyfriend: 29.8 percent (up 5.5 percent)
This is depressing. How come so many young women are turning their noses up at young men?
3 ( +8 / -5 )
Posted in: Japan pledges $4.5 bil more in aid for Ukraine, including $1 bil in humanitarian funds See in context
Money down the drain. Japan should learn from China and not waste money on foreign aid. China has done a decent good job of investing in itself and its economy. If only Japan could follow suit...
-4 ( +1 / -5 )
Posted in: Sour grapes: Japan battles to protect premium fruits See in context
And herein lies the problem with Japanese artisanry. Fruits, something that should be cheap and easily accessible, are seen as a luxurious food item. In Japan, it is normal for fruits like strawberries to cost 1600 yen for a pack of 6-8 tiny strawberries. Absolutely ridiculous.
I am all for China and Korea adapting these Shine (not the best name for a Japanese food...) grapes and selling them for cheaper. Fruits SHOULD be cheap and not a luxury. This is something that definitely needs to change in Japanese culture.
Artisan goods are usually never successful when produced at scale. There will always be someone who will sell it for cheaper and put the artisan's business at risk..
5 ( +11 / -6 )
Posted in: Diet passes bill to legalize cannabis-derived medicines See in context
The laws in JP don't really make sense. That is the big problem. Just to remind you, alcohol, a dangerous narcotic that kills approximately 3 million people per year, is legal in Japan. Not to mention tobacco, a poisonous stimulant/narcotic that has been proven to cause cancer, is legal in Japan.
Remind me again why cannabis is illegal?...
0 ( +4 / -4 )
Posted in: Diet passes bill to legalize cannabis-derived medicines See in context
didouToday 08:04 am JST
Oh, I did not know it was legal to smoke
Possession, cultivation, and distribution have been illegal for some time, but there was no law against actually smoking it. I remember a Japanese YouTuber did a bit where they "found a join laying on the ground by chance" and they smoked it without physically touching it (possessing it). It was hilarious!
-4 ( +0 / -4 )
Posted in: Man sentenced to life in prison for raping 10 elementary school girls
Fuk-shima for another 50 years.
Posted in: 3 dead in possible gas poisoning near Fukushima hot spring resort
Posted in: What jobs would make a woman an attractive wife to Japanese men?
Probably due to an underwater nuclear test.
Posted in: More than 150 false killer whales stranded on a beach in Australia's Tasmania state