rkom76 comments

Posted in: Mayor apologizes for verbally abusing senior city official See in context

In the heated exchange in June 2017

That was about 6 months ago.

Izumi, 55, said earlier in the day he apologized on Monday to the official

If it's well reported, then he apologized 6-7 months later. And probably because

"All that has been reported by the media is true.

That's not really a sincere apology. Or at least, it's not a sincere apology to the abused official.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Posted in: YouTube demotes flat-earthers, conspiracy theorists See in context

So, as I understand the article, YT won't censor or eliminate them, just won't make those videos appear in the recommended list. If people look for them, they will still find those videos.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Posted in: Gov't cuts subsidies to Tokyo Medical University over unfair entrance exams See in context

Feels like the people running the universities are the ones at fault but the ones paying for it will be students and teachers. People directly involved should have been indicted and prosecuted.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Posted in: Google Japan unit found to have underreported ¥3.5 bil in taxable income See in context

Interestingly this wasn't filed under the Crime section

That's probably because nobody was indicted on tax evasion. I'd say that's the really interesting point.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Posted in: JOC chief Takeda denies corruption allegations See in context

suggesting on Tuesday that any guilt was with others in the bureaucracy at the Japanese body.

If he suggested that then there is a chance that the bid for Tokyo 2020 was won ilegally. Has this happened before? I mean, discovering that a country got to host the games through bribes before the actual games?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Posted in: Ghosn indicted on 2 new charges; Nissan cancels lease on his Tokyo apartment See in context

Ghosn was charged with aggravated breach of trust for temporarily transferring personal investment losses to Nissan in 2008, and for understating his compensation for three years, from 2015 to 2017, according to a statement from his lawyer, Motonari Otsuru.

For a moment I thought I was reading something from weeks ago, so I had to check and recheck dates. Haven't these charges been pressed before? Or they are just charging him on these just now, after the prosecutors released the info some time ago?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Posted in: Record ¥333 million paid for bluefin tuna at new Tokyo market's first auction See in context

https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/19/science/earth/19species.html?src=sch&pagewanted=all

*The rejection of the bluefin proposal was a clear victory for the Japanese government, which had vowed to go all out to stop the measure or else exempt itself from complying with it. Japan, which consumes nearly 80 percent of the bluefin catch, argued that the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, or Iccat, should be responsible for regulating the fishery, not the United Nations. European Union nations, whose fleets are most responsible for the overfishing of bluefin, abstained from voting in the second round after their own watered-down proposal was rejected.*

If we want tuna to recover and stop being an endangered species, many people will have to get in line, not only the Japanese.

And how is it that Kiyoshii Kimura can spend one million US dollars on a fish?

If the news is rigth, then it's US 3 million dollar.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Posted in: Japan to announce new era name on April 1 See in context

It could be just the picture, but seems like Prince Akishino shaved just half of his moustache...

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Posted in: Japanese photojournalist admits to sexual harassment See in context

Ms Noda, who is Internal Affairs Minister and Minister-in-charge of female empowerment, said on Monday in response to Mr Aso that she intends to push for debate in Parliament for legal penalties to be imposed against sexual harassment.

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/japan-finance-minister-taro-aso-apologises-for-saying-sexual-harassment-is-not-a

So, did she actuallty push for that?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Gov't revokes permit of supervising body in foreign trainee program See in context

If so, it seems quite a burden for a smaller company. Not exactly cheap labour

The first company I worked at in Japan, 9 years ago, paid them 350 yen/hour without the legal overtime. Multiply that for 3 years and you have cheap labour indeed.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: In a Tokyo neighborhood's last sushi restaurant, a sense of loss See in context

No address, no way to find the place unless one can uncover "Medaka street". Seems the place does not want to be found or have more customers.

I think this story is not about this particular place, but a lot of places in Japan (not only sushi bars, but small restaurants too). Saving this sushi bar is not going to change the fact that the shopping street it's located at is slowly dying.

Around my place there are several of these restaurants, and I like to eat there because you find food you can't find in those big chains, being stir fried vegetables, liver with nira and pork with ginger my favorites.

The problem, for me, is the people smoking inside. I don't go anymore to some of these because it's not nice smelling tobacco smoke while you are eating.

“Mom and Pop” stores like this should lower the prices to compete.

The places I eat at have the menu prices between 650 and 850 yen. There is no way they can lower the prices. And it's clearly not a price problem, since the cost of a single dish in a chain restaurant is usually the same (or higher) these old restaurants charge for a set.

The owner of one restaurant I sometimes eat at is 82, and his wife, 78. They told me they lost most of their clients since the ryō they had in front was replaced by a drug store. But other restaurants have a healthy customer base. I think, in the end, it depends on how the neighbourhood these restaurants are at evolve.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Posted in: Ghosn's continued detention keeps Japan's justice system under microscope See in context

Fortunately this couldn’t have happened to a richer person, but just imagine if it were happening to people of lesser means...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYJpc2y37oU&t=892s

I had that yesterday in my recommended videos.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Japan to pull out of IWC to resume commercial whaling See in context

A few weeks ago there was an article here in JT that read "Japanese ships leave for 'research whaling' in Antarctic Ocean".

And now, in this article, we can read

According to Kyodo News, the country is unlikely to catch whales in the Antarctic Ocean even if it did withdraw from the IWC, as it is eyeing commercial whaling only in seas near Japan and its exclusive economic zone.

Just out of curiosity, then why did Japan have to go that far before when they could hunt the whales near it's coasts?

-1 ( +8 / -9 )

Posted in: Japanese fishing boat owners charged in Hawaii with helping smuggle shark fins See in context

"It's the Chinese' fault for wanting to buy it, not those Japanese fishermen!"

Just like with drugs. It's all the addict's fault, not the drug maker/dealer's fault...

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Posted in: Ghosn allegedly shifted personal investment loss of ¥1.7 bil to Nissan See in context

Ousted Nissan Motor Co Chairman Carlos Ghosn is suspected of shifting some 1.7 billion yen ($15 million) of personal investment losses to the automaker in 2008, adding to the financial misconduct allegations against him, sources close to the matter said Tuesday.

Japan's Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission was aware of the alleged misconduct in relation to Ghosn's derivatives trading and notified the bank involved in the transaction of the possibility that he had committed an aggravated breach of trust, the sources said.

The shifting was done in 2008. When did Japan's Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission become aware? Just now? Back in 2008? If it was in 2008 why didn't they act right then? That part of the article is not clear.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Posted in: Japan snow crab recognized by Guinness as getting most expensive bid See in context

The world record price shows that the Japanese economy is ticking along nicely, people have the cash to spend on foods etc.

I wouldn't make a general picture based on what a single person paid for a crab.

Sure, there are people can afford a 2 million yen crab. But, on the other hand, there are people who wander in the supermarket waiting for the discount time on foods.

If I drew conclusions about the economy from the ammount of people on those different situations, I'd say economy is not ticking along nicely.

I guess it depends from which side you're looking at the glass.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Posted in: Right-wing activist arrested for attempting to free friend from jail See in context

It's getting cold. Now they can warm each other.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Posted in: Prosecutors likely to build new criminal case against Ghosn: report See in context

Motonari Otsuru, a former public prosecutor who local media said has been hired as Ghosn's lawyer

I really hope he thoroughly performs his duty as a lawyer...

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Posted in: Austere detention center contrasts with Ghosn's globe-trotting lifestyle See in context

Nakamura dismissed rumors that Ghosn was being held in a special VIP room, adding, "Everyone is treated in the same way, even a prime minister."

Just out of curiosity, has a prime minister ever been convicted in Japan?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Posted in: Prosecutors weigh bringing charges against Nissan over Ghosn case See in context

Two words: Olympus Scandal.

The President, Tsuyoshi Kikukawa, Executive Vice-President Hisashi Mori etc, were arrested after there was enough evidence of their involvement.

And received suspended sentences.

In July 2013, Kikugawa and Mori were both sentenced to 3 years in prison, 5 years suspended. The auditor who had been party to the fraud was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison, 4 years suspended.

That's what is probably coming for Ghosn, if found guilty.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Posted in: Fabrication allegation rocks popular Japanese TV variety show See in context

"We're in an era when even a lie regarded as acceptable in the (TV) industry leads to ruining viewers' trust in us," 

Probably, the time when telling lies did not ruin viewers's trust in the TV industry was the one when viewers didn't have a way to know they were telling lies. But now it's pretty easy to find and contrast information. Looks like they are ok with telling lies as long as people people don't find out. And that's the same with other sectors we are lately hearing about falsifying/forging data.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Posted in: Man arrested for stealing ¥30 from Shinto shrine’s collection box See in context

Rules are rules.

And when we have those big companies breaking the rules, I wonder if their execs go to jail too...

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Posted in: Japan's cyber security minister admits never having used computer See in context

Sakurada's main job is Tokyo Olympic which will not take any brain.

"When Renho asked him how much funding the central government would contribute to the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, he responded: “1,500 yen”, which works out at just over $13, some way below the actual sum of 150 billion yen."

(https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/15/japan-cyber-security-ministernever-used-computer-yoshitaka-sakurada).

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Chinese trainee wins compensation for withheld pay See in context

I thought it was actually the average legal pay for trainees working on farming, since the ones I worked with, years ago, were earning 350 yen per hour, on a flat schedule (working overtime without being paid extra for that, from Monday to Saturday and some Sundays). They were earning that, like other Chinese working in nearby vegetable dealers. And the funny thing is, they were trainees peeling potatoes and carrots, with those peelers you can find at home. I wonder, what new technique were (are) they supposed to learn in Japan when it comes to peeling vegetables...

For those 350 yen per hour they had a small place to live in, and they had to pay for all of the services and their food.

I wouldn't just blame the Japanese owners for that, since the broker was Chinese and he would appear from time to time with new trainees. Now I think it's something like a big business, were the business owners and the brokers make their money from people in need.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Scandal-tainted Suruga Bank to gain Y250 bil credit line from BOJ: sources See in context

A BOJ spokesman declined to comment, saying the central bank does not disclose specific collateral conditions. A Suruga spokesman said he could not comment on specific transactions. Officials for Japan’s Financial Services Agency were not immediately available for comment.

When there's that much money at stake, it should be the opposite. They should be clear, more than ever, about what's going on and what they are going to do.

Japan’s bank regulator last month ordered Suruga to stop making new loans for property investments for six months, after a third-party panel found Suruga had been involved in falsifying documents on loans made to investors who built “share houses” where tenants share bathrooms and other facilities.

The government also found that the bank had made improper loans to businesses related to the bank’s founding family, and had allowed “anti-social elements”, a euphemism for organized crime in Japan, to open deposit accounts.

I hope we read, in a not so distant future, that the responsible people of all of that is going to be prosecuted and charged.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Plastic piling up in Japan after China waste import ban See in context

Charging for plastic bags in supermarkets not the cost of production, but the cost of disposal?

My city office is doing something like that. From this month, garbage bags that used to be 30 for 350 yen are now 10 for 500 yen.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Posted in: NHK to reduce subscription fees See in context

If that were the case, I'll either tell the shop owner "No way!" (to put it politely) or just go to another country and buy it there.

The problem is that most (or all) of the Japanese brands have the TV option (OneSeg/ワンセグ) added by default. So, if you want a smartphone without it, you'd have to buy something like au's Huawei P20 Lite.

I really liked my Xperia, but I won't buy another since I don't want 1-seg. I guess I'll go Chinese this time.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: Shinkansen maker admits flawed quality control over cracks See in context

"The ban on shaving of the steel frame was not explained to workers at the manufacturing site as there was a lack of communication"

I think it's not something like "Hey, don't forget you must not shave the frame". Critical manufacturing / assembling is beyond "communication", it's part of mandatory training and, at least at my workplace, it's specified too in the manuals. So I wouldn't say it was a lack of communication but a management failure.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Posted in: Trump congratulates Abe on 'HUGE' re-election in Japan See in context

Thank you Trump! Feeling is mutual Two great Leaders, 2 best Nations in the world, who are famously great and close friends. It will be party time for PM Abe and Trump in New York next week as they celebrate the massive unprecedented win by PM Abe!

And to think that just a few days ago we read on JapanToday...

Trump says good relations with Japan 'will end when I tell them how much they have to pay:' WSJ

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Japan's exports rise as U.S.-bound shipments grow amid trade war fears See in context

Actually believe Japan will get a free pass to export away to both the US and China as the two go after each others throats.

From what the article says, the surge in exports is not because of the ongoing trade war between USA and China, but a possible trade war between USA and Japan.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

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