Japan Today

kaminarioyaji comments

Posted in: First gay wedding held at Tokyo Disney Resort See in context

"Mods" -

Post deleted twice, with no satisfactory explanation in spite of a request to do so, as it was very much on topic both times.

A later post heavily edited, completely distorting what I had said, and twisting its meaning to sort YOUR agenda.

As usual, any criticism of you has to be posted here, so that you can conveniently delete it and sweep it under the carpet because you're too pathetic to hold yourselves accountable and have a mail address where grievances can be submitted. I tried in the past after finding a contact address of some sort; that mail was summarily ignored.

I've written "mods" above, as you've no real claim to the title, so poor are you at your "job". Power tripping here of all places; grow up.

Go forth and multiply yourselves.

8 ( +12 / -4 )

Posted in: First gay wedding held at Tokyo Disney Resort See in context

@Cortes Elijah

Traditionally marriage is a man/woman thing, but times change, and so do social mores. You can't let other people's prejudices & insecurities dictate your happiness.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

Posted in: In places where traffic volume is low and securing land is easy, roundabouts can be effective. See in context

If it might just possibly curb those who habitually run red lights, I'll be happy to see them. Roundabouts make for more fluid and quicker movement of traffic anyway. Perhaps part of the reason that so many run red lights here is the knowledge that they'll have to wait a good 2 minutes or more before they can go again. That said, those who do run the red still catch one another 100 metres up the road anyway, so really, I still don't understand them...

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Posted in: A salute to ramen See in context

Miso Tokotsu Ramen: It's heart attack in a bowl, but by god it tastes so good. Agree with what someone said above about it being Soulfood.

I'm now in Kyushu, but remember a great place named Tsukumo Ramen (Has the Kanji for 9-10-9) in Ebisu (Go out the west exit toward Meiji Dori, and then it's on the other side of Meiji Dori going towards Aoyama, about 100m up on the right) and their sister shop in Tsudanuma (Chiba pref).

For it's customizability, Ichiran (nationwide chain) are always worth a venture in.

Anyone ever tried the legendary Ramen Jiro in the Tokyo 'burbs? I never got around to going whilst there, but friends said "There's Ramen, and there's Ramen Jiro"

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 19-year-old man in Nagano believed killed by aunt's ex-boyfriend See in context

To be honest I don`t think the police are useless, as they are bound by the laws that govern them.

Hmmm, but there are plenty of laws that are on the statute that they still consistently fail to enforce, are there not?

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Posted in: Do you think those white face masks that are so popular in Japan are effective in combating allergies or the flu? See in context

I'm always amazed that a student will walk in with a mask on, say they have a cold, then take the mask off when they come into the confined space which is my classroom. Yeah, thanks for that.

Zenkan - Interesting point. Most Japanese DON'T cover their mouths when they cough; is it because of them being used to having a mask over their mouths instead I wonder...

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Posted in: 74,483 danger spots found on roads around public elementary schools See in context

Japan_cynic. I'm from the UK, and I can't recall ever seeing a pedestrian having the horn blared at them for having the temerity to cross on a designated pedestrian crossing there. Nor could I see cars tearing through intersections everyday when the light for pedestrians had already turned green... I could go on.

In Japan however...

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Posted in: Man arrested for making online threats to kill Abe See in context

Man threatens to kill not-yet-PM, with no realistic chance of ever getting close enough to him to carry out said deed, police arrest him.

Man threatens to kill ex-girlfriend, police go on holiday to Sapporo and leave him to it.

I've just seen on the news that yet another cop has been charged with some upskirt photo action, this time the victim was an 8 year old girl.

The NPA needs a shake-up, and then some.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Posted in: 74,483 danger spots found on roads around public elementary schools See in context

Chibachick hits the nail firmly on the head. Drivers lacking due care in such road situations. They're told to be mindful of pedestrians, especially young children & the elderly in driving school, but still pass at speed within inches of pedestrians on narrow streets with too much "street furniture". And yes, the police are as useful as a paper raincoat in enforcing the law.

Speed bumps do exist in Japan; I've seen them - on the uphill lane of a mountain road, which about says it all really...

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Posted in: Survey reveals 24% of workers in Japan spend Y250 on lunch See in context

"I used to eat out for every meal, but paying 1,000 yen for one meal is absurd" comments Takayuki Wada (26). Wada now eats a granola bar for lunch every day. Now he can eat for six days on his former daily food budget.

This guy must be a smoker. No way a 26yr old man can get through a working day on a granola bar alone without suppressing his appetite somehow.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: How much TV do you watch each week? See in context

Quoting an old colleague -

"When you first come to Japan, you don't watch TV because you can't understand it; fast forward 5 years, and you don't watch it because you CAN understand it."

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Posted in: What fashion trends do you think never go out of style? See in context

For Gents - A well-cut,double-breasted gentlemen's overcoat. Brogues.

For Ladies - Knee-high boots. Pompadour hairstyle.

Unisex - Dark blue Levis with White Converse Chuck Taylors. Black leather "cafe racer" jacket. A Trilby. A flat cap.

Of course, almost any look can be carried off at any time if the wearer has enough panache.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Posted in: What do you think of some of the Japanese titles given to foreign movies when they are distributed in Japan? See in context

The renaming of western movies here seems a bit inconsistent.

The recent Total recall is named after the antagonist company in the film, and is simply rendered in Katakana here, whereas films like Jack Reacher and the other eponymous movie from Tom Cruise, Jerry Maguire are given either outlandish or pedestrian titles in Japanese (Jack Reacher & Jerry Maguire are Outlaw & The Agent respectively).

English - Napoleon Dynamite, Japanese - Bus man (hardly peaks one's curiosity).

Pixar's Up! (surely every Japanese knows the meaning of "up" as it's in a lot of borrowed phrases) is rendered in Japanese as "Old man Carl's flying house".

Too many to mention.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Posted in: Police recruiters eye polygraph tests to weed out possible sex offenders See in context

Competition to join Japan's police force is stiff, with only 14,700 out of nearly 126,000 candidates passing exams

Wow, so that means that what we have as a police force in Japan are the supposed "cream of the crop". Lord help us.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Posted in: Ichihashi's former mentor sheds new light on 2007 Hawker murder case See in context

Up to 3 a.m. on the day of Hawker's murder, his ex-girlfriend had been at his residence. They quarreled and she fled his apartment, but apparently sat fuming in her car for the next two hours in the apartment's parking lot before going home. The next day she returned in the hope of patching up their relationship, and saw that the police had strung up tape to block it off as a crime scene.

What is this nonsense? This suggests Hawker met Ichihashi, was killed by him, reported missing, and found all on the same day?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Posted in: Saitama to host Tour de France event See in context

@Edbardoe & Ranger_Miffy2

The lack of formal events might have something to do with Japan having only 2-3 months of decent cycling weather in a year. The rest of the time is either too cold, or too hot or too wet; not particularly conducive to proper training. That said, I know a couple of Japanese who do semi regular Triathlon events.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Posted in: The workload at all schools has been increasing, and everyone has no leeway. The volume of work needs to be adjusted. See in context

Couldn't agree with Semperfi's opening comment more, but would add that the "work ethic" needs adjusting insofar as currently, there don't seem to be any ethics at all. Bosses routinely flout what little employment law exists, and very, very rarely is a case taken to, and then acted upon by the labour standards bureau.

That said, the Japanese only have themselves to blame for this situation. Everyone is complicit in it; bosses for perpetuating and taking advantage of the situation, and employees lacking a backbone and just capitulating to it.

I've said it before, but it's amazing how a society supposedly governed by a group mentality seemingly just cannot get it together to improve their working lives...

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Posted in: Gov't completes just 40 of 23,000 emergency houses for Tohoku disaster victims See in context

They're just not taking it seriously at all, are they?

Shocking, but far from surprising in TIJ

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Posted in: Which is considered worse, holding your chopsticks the wrong way, or eating noisily? See in context

Both of these "bad manners" are trumped by lighting up a cigarette next to the person still mid-meal without asking them if they mind; the Japanese excel at this.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Posted in: au commercial turns Tokyo into nightclub See in context

@Ewan Huzarmy,

So ads are now considered worthy of articles in 'entertainment' .

Given how 99.9% of JTV ads are delivered with the minimum of artistic consideration - "talents" simply holding the product in their hand whilst spouting the marketing spiel, "cute" women saying everything in unison, or food ads in which everyone proclaims it's "Oishii!" (beer ads are particulalrly bad with their "Wipe your mouth with your arm, smack your lips and say "Kaaaa!" to show how refreshing it is" charade)... And all of them ending with a 2-3 note jingle, I'd say that any attempt at something a bit more creative was worth a few column inches.

Not sure about the cheesy santa DJ though...

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Posted in: Is the JET Program right for you? See in context

@mw775

Is it possible to join the program from here in Japan?

Unfortunately not; for reasons not entirely fathomable.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: Cheapskate news - Yoshinoya beef bowls for just Y250 See in context

I've always wondered why, in Japan, businesses are allowed to sell the exact same thing at different prices depending on where you are. Price wars between different companies I understand, but differing prices within the same chain of stores is surely wrong. Does anyone know if Japan actually has any consumer laws that this kind of thing falls foul of?

Earlier this year, I bought a camera lens from Bic which, when I looked on their website, was about ¥25,000. When I rolled up at a store to get one (needed one quickly for work), it was ¥30,000. Fortunately I was able to get them to do it me for the same price (after some to-ing & fro-ing), but the whole system is hardly consumer friendly.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Posted in: Driving in Japan: Does cuteness save lives? See in context

Good article Matt. and some wholly valid points.

Now, to answer your question... The simple answer I think, is "not in the slightest"; and the empirical evidence (the totally lackadaisical approach to driving safety that far too many Japanese have) supports this.

I've yet to see anything in Japan such as this -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8QxZJZfU5Q&feature=fvwp

That's really what's needed.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Posted in: LDP's Abe pledges to revitalize Japan, strengthen military See in context

Abe's getting desperate with the rhetoric then, and promising pie in the sky it seems...

Noda's an admirable enough Japanese PM; he's no game changer, but he's quietly getting on with whatever needs to be done (as far as he's been allowed to do by the precious LDP and their constant need for concessions), instead of worrying about his popularity with Taro Public.

To the Japanese people - 2 weeks ago, the US re-elected a supposedly unpopular president. Why? Because the alternative was far worse. Please take that into consideration when you exercise your right to suffrage next month.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Posted in: New workers confront 'use-and-discard' employers See in context

Ubikwit -

Unfortunately, and rather incomprehensibly, labour standards bureaus are only open during office hours, Mon-Fri, which is somewhat useless to many of the workers noted in the article. But you're right of course, many Japanese are reluctant to "rock the boat" even when they are being wholesale exploited, when really, it's the unscrupulous employers that have the "Wa" out of whack. Any complaints files by downtrodden workers should be seen as an attempt to redress said "Wa".

some industries have practically institutionalized unpaid overtime, which is illegal.

One thing to remember about Japan - Nothing's illegal unless you get caught out doing it.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: We need to have economic policies that are stronger than what the current government is offering. We need strong policies to end deflation, strong diplomacy and a strong defense to rebuild Japan. See in context

Such as?

Media friendly soundbites are nothing without solid, well thought out ideas to back them up.

You didn't exactly throw anything revolutionary into the mix last time round either...

Let's call this what it is Mr Abe - you don't really have a clue, do you?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Posted in: Baccarat lights See in context

Eternal = until 14th Jan?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Posted in: Eating on trains: Survey asks 'How much is too much?' See in context

So let me get this straight - "...eating and drinking on trains is "shameful" and shows a lack of self-restraint and consideration for others.", whereas lighting up beside me and my small children in a crowded restaurant without first asking me if I mind, or pushing onto the bus first when you know I was waiting before you is fine?

A LOT of inconsistency in Japanese "manners".

Cooch raises some excellent points.

12 ( +15 / -3 )

Posted in: We'd like companies to use the industry data to think about ways to improve their working environment. See in context

Here's a start - Root out the institutional bullying, and as for "working environment" in the literal sense of the word, how about making offices and work places a bit more inviting and comfortable (especially considering how long your average Taro Tanaka spends at work). Every office I have ever been in in Japan is various shades of grey or beige, and "staff rooms" are glorified storage cupboards; how can one relax when there are reminders of work everywhere you look, even on your break?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: Noda says Japan will boost coast security See in context

They should make sure they get the money from Ishihara's failed bid for this. Extra patrols cost more money, and Japan needs to be spending money elsewhere right now.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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